My Favorite Recipes: Nikki Nolt

COLFAX - Colfax local Nikki Nolt,34, and her husband, Shane Nolt, 33, moved here in 2015 with their three daughters, Madilyn, 8, Savannah, 6, and Emily, 3.

Nolt received the opportunity to take a promotion to either Pullman or the Lewis Clark Valley with her job at the Blood Center.

"We toured all around the different areas," Nolt said, explaining that Colfax felt the most like home.

She shared that Colfax felt the safest and best place to raise a family.

"We landed on Colfax thinking it was just one stop in the road," she said with a smile, adding that they'd quickly realize it would be a forever home.

"We just love it so much," she happily added.

Nolt had grown up in a small town on the western side of Washington called Mineral, with a population of 250.

She then studied at Eastern Washington University to get her degree in Economics, where she would meet her husband and get married right after graduating.

"We're good partners," she said.

Nolt explained that when her family moved to town, they lived on Poplar Street, and as soon as they got in, their neighbors, who had realized they had dogs, offered to babysit their dogs.

"We were all like, this is so kind," Nolt said, adding that a few minutes later, the next neighbor down came with freshly baked bread.

Nolt shared that they couldn't help but think about what in the world they did to deserve such kindness.

That evening as the family was taking a walk, another family stopped them, noticing that they were new in town, and introduced themselves.

Upon realizing that their kids were the same age, the family invited the Nolts to a birthday party so they could meet more people.

"That's when we were like, okay, maybe Colfax isn't as big as we thought 'cause it was so homey feeling right off the bat," Nolt said happily.

The Colfax community welcomed the Nolts in with friendly camaraderie even during the start of the pandemic.

Nolt's oldest daughter, Madyln's birthday fell right at the beginning of the pandemic, Nolt shared. Nolt explained that Madyln loves having a plan and had her birthday party planned, which they had to cancel.

"I reached out to a friend, and we did one of those drive-by birthday party parades, and Mayor Retzer got word of it and jumped on board and got the Fire Department, and the Police Department involved," Nolt shared.

They could have an actual parade for her birthday, and Retzer led it with his state trooper car even though they'd never met.

"She loves Colfax, and I think that instilled in her seeing the community support her even at such a young age," Nolt said of Madlyn's experience.

"She always tells people I'm friends with the Mayor," Nolt said, laughing, adding that they saw him at the library for one of the programs, and he still remembers her even after three years.

"So that was just a fun taste of what community is," Nolt said.

Nolt has always focused on people, "I love relationships, and that doesn't always go together with Economics, so I'm excited to start this job at the chamber," she said, "It's a great way to integrate people with Economics and have the best of both worlds."

In her hometown of Mineral, everyone knew everyone, and it seemed everyone always knew everything.

"But it was so nice because you would walk into the little store, and they may have known that you got in late last night, but they also knew that you scored your all-season high in basketball," Nolt smiled, "so they would share all your joys too, and it was like one big family."

When Nolt moved here, she thought it was big, but now she sees how it could be considered small as a part of it.

"We walk into Rosauers, and all the cashiers know my kids by name," Nolt said happily, adding that they love it, "it's just been wonderful."

The Nolt family loves exploring the different parks in Colfax.

"We'll just wake up in the morning and say what park today, and the kids know all of their names," she shared, "and they go 'let's go to Schmuck' or McDonald, and we kind of rotate."

On the weekends, they'll picnic at one of the parks, and they take a lot of walks. The girls are active in sports and attend different events and dance recitals.

"We have two dogs and three cats," Nolt shared, adding that the girls love animals and would love to live where they could have more, but right now, since they're in the city, they have dogs and cats.

Nolt works part-time with Friends of Hospice and is now the Chamber of Commerce Director part-time, but she is also a Hospice volunteer.

"I love supporting people at the end of life, so sitting at the bedside with people who may not have family or family that needs rest," she said, adding that she also loves educating others about the process and what to expect.

"I recently became a grief support leader, so supporting people who are in grief too," she added.

Nolt is a massive fan of the community of Colfax. She is happy to be playing a significant role as Chamber of Commerce Director, as well as being able to combine her love of people with her degree in Economics.

"Colfax is an anomaly; it is thriving so much for the size, so that excites me to be a part of it," she exclaimed, noting that there's such a strong foundation, and it's not starting from empty buildings, and people drive to come shopping.

"I love CoCo Bees; they're one of my favorite places," Nolt said, "Kylie will tell me people will drive down from places from Spokane just to shop in their store," she explained, adding that the CoCo Bee is now retailing out or hosting out.

"It's just crazy that's happening in our little town," she said excitedly, adding that Colfax is a destination.

"We're like a go-to place!"

Cabbage Roll Soup in the Instant Pot

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 cup diced onion

3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

7 cups beef broth

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 8oz can tomato sauce

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/4 tsp all spice

3/4 white rice

5-6 cups cabbage (cut in 1/2 in. Strips)

Brown hamburger for about 5 minutes and then drain off any excess grease and discard. Add in the onion, Worcestershire, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook the onion for about 3 minutes.

Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot. Dump in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, allspice, rice and cabbage.

Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure the valve is set to sealing. Set the SOUP button to 4 minutes. When the time is up let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid. Stir the soup. Salt and pepper to taste.