Caryl Christensen’s famous mashed potato cinnamon rolls are a staple at IFA board meetings and events, and also serve as a regular reminder of appreciation for the local Richfield IFA Country Store.
Caryl’s consideration for others and exceptional baking skills have left a warm impression on her IFA community. One member of the IFA leadership team even quipped, "Who's going to bring the treats?" when Garn was up for re-election several years ago.
“This recipe came from Garn's Grandma. It's an old-fashioned recipe and we love it because it’s made with mashed potatoes, so you get your vegetables.”
Ingredients:
- 4 c. Scalded Milk
- 1 ½ c. Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 2 c. Mashed Potatoes
- 1 ½ tsp Salt
- 2 c. Flour
- 1 c. Lard
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 2 ½ Tbs Quick Rising Yeast
- Add additional flour as needed (around 10 cups)
- Cinnamon Sugar mix: 1 Tbs cinnamon to ½ cup of sugar
- ⅓ c. butter
Directions:
- Scald milk and pour into a mixing bowl. Then add cold mashed potatoes and lard.
- Stir until mixture is lukewarm then mix in sugar, salt, lemon juice, and eggs.
- Add 2 cups of flour and yeast to the mixture and mix well. Continue adding flour until it becomes a soft, workable dough and the dough pulls cleanly away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Knead for 2-3 minutes (you can use the dough hook on mixers)
- Place dough on lightly floured surface and roll out flat to desired thickness then apply a thin layer of melted butter (about ⅓ cup) and top with cinnamon sugar.
- Roll up dough (like a jelly roll) and cut into slices about 1-inch thick. Place on a cookie sheet and let rise for about 45-60 minutes.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes then remove and frost is desired.
A Tale of Two Memories: Garn and Caryl’s 55-Year Love Story
Garn and Caryl Christensen have been married for 55 years and their life together is a testament to their shared commitment to hard work, family values and a deep-rooted connection to agriculture. Their story began long before they married, and the version you get depends on which of the Christensens you ask.
The Beginning
According to Garn, the first time he met Caryl was long before their first date. He remembers that as a young boy, Caryl’s father, Harold Thalman, would come to their farm to thresh grain. Garn fondly remembers playing with Caryl while their fathers worked.
“Caryl and I were real little and we'd tie a string onto a board and throw it in the ditch and float it down the ditch,” Garn recalls.
Growing up, Garn gained a strong appreciation for Caryl’s father and was so taken with the family that he tells everyone, “I fell in love with Harold and married his daughter.”
Their relationship blossomed in junior high school, but this is where their stories differ. Garn recalls when Caryl “acted like she was stumbling and falling " in the hallway just so he could catch her, an event that, in his words, “started their relationship.”
Caryl, however, remembers a different version of the story. “He was sitting there on the heaters taking up all the heat when I came downstairs,” she says. “I was just trying to get warmed up by the heat, and he caught me.”
Regardless of the details, Garn courted Caryl by going to the little store in town every day to bring her a large lollipop. The two eventually married, and Caryl and Garn have been the perfect team on the farm and in life ever since.
IFA Family
With Garn’s position as a board member for Intermountain Farmers Association, Caryl's involvement has extended to the wider agricultural community alongside her husband. Caryl says she has enjoyed the opportunities that have come from his role and the camaraderie she shares with the other board members’ wives.
“It’s been great getting to know other women whose husbands also farm,” Caryl says. “They all understand the unique challenges of farm life, especially that it's not a paycheck every week or every other week.”
Caryl has also become famous throughout the IFA community for her delicious cinnamon rolls, a recipe from Garn's grandmother made with mashed potatoes, which she bakes and takes to the local IFA Country Store to show appreciation for the employees.
A Dynamic Duo
Garn and Caryl's story is one of enduring love, hard work and a shared commitment to their family, farm and Ag community. Their partnership is a testament to the strength and resilience of farming families and their dedication to the IFA cooperative.
Written by Mikyla Bagley and originally published in the IFA Cooperator magazine (vol. 91, no. 3) Fall 2025.