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It’s been a strange and lovely summer.

I’ve spent most of my summer outdoors, on farms and vineyards. I’ve worked hard and I’ve met a lot of wonderful people along the way.

I’m thankful. Life is good.

But, in the midst of all the summertime joy, there’s a creeping sadness. All around me, people are hurting. Some of my closest friends are going through some very hard times and I feel powerless to help them.

In addition, my sister and her little family are packing up and moving to Minneapolis in September.

(I’m going to miss them more than I can say.)

So, I am trying to soak up the good times, to devote myself to meaningful relationships. I’m trying to enjoy what I’ve got while I can.

It’s a strange combination, all this joy and sadness.

Simply put, it’s bittersweet.

It’s not often that people get paid to do what they love. For the past 4 years I’ve worked at a desk job that pays the bills. It’s not a bad job, but it’s nothing I’m passionate about. I’ve had to squeeze in everything else in during my spare time: writing this blog, volunteering with the Montavilla Farmer’s Market, running the PDX Food Swap, and coordinating weddings and events.

But as of next week, that’s all gonna change. As of next week, I’m going to do what I love full time! I’m coming on board with Plate & Pitchfork, as an event planner.

I am so damn excited.

I’ll spend my summer working on farms alongside some of the best chefs, producers, farmers, winemakers in the region. During the rest of the year, I’ll be coordinating ForkLift events, private events, weddings, and fundraisers. We’ve got some exciting things in the works. And, if you’re ever in need of an event planner, you now know who to call!

But, don’t fret! I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still be writing and posting here on my blog. In addition, I’ll be contributing and editing the Plate and Pitchfork Blog. If anything, this ensures that you’ll hear from me more often. :)

All that to say, I can’t wait. I’m overwhelmed, and excited, and grateful.

Here’s to new beginnings! And to taking risks. And to doing what you love.

(Images courtesy of Plate & Pitchfork)

Writing about food can feel silly and meaningless at times. There’s a of pain and suffering in this world and sometimes I wonder if I’m wasting my time writing about cupcakes and pesto.

But, I know that food matters.

There’s a social justice element to food that I can’t ignore. Food has the uncanny ability to bring people together, but it divides just as easily. Food can be healing, fulfilling, and wonderful. But oftentimes, we purchase food at the expense of our bodies, the environment, laborers, farmers, animals, and more.

Our current food system is difficult to navigate (at best). I think that many of us are discouraged and we have no idea how to make a difference. Frankly, we’re tired of hearing about what new poison has been found in our food (i.e. arsenic in chicken, pink slime, etc.). We’re tired of hearing that everything is going to kill us.

No matter how bleak it looks at times, I’d encourage you to keep fighting the good fight. Find ways to make a difference, no matter how small. Make dinner for a friend. Purchase food from a small local farm. Plant a garden (or join a community garden). Donate to a food bank. Serve a meal at a soup kitchen. Purchase less processed foods, and make more from scratch. Be inspired food advocates who are making a difference, such as Perennial Plate, Cooking up a Story, Mark Bittman, Michael Pollan, Marion Nestle and more.

And tonight, you should go out to eat!

Various cities across the nation are participating in Dining Out for Life. If you dine out at a participating restaurant this evening (April 26th), 20%-30% of your bill will go towards funding HIV/AIDS testing and resource centers. (It’s a win-win situation! You get to go out to eat and help support a great cause.)

This is one simple way to get involved. With that being said, I do hope you’ll join me in dining out for life this evening.

Note: I may be a little late in posting this for those of you on the East Coast, sorry! And, as always, thanks for letting me get up on my soap box for a bit. :)

FYI: The Easter bunny is real. His name is Lil Omar and he lives at my house. He’s also the cutest bunny on the planet.

I cannot express to you how wonderful this past weekend was. My heart is full, and I feel so thankful for my life. I’m thankful for the sunshine, as it warmed my weary bones. I’m thankful for my family, and the time I got to spend with them (and my adorable little nieces in their Easter dresses!).

I’m thankful that the time for fasting is over, and that the feasting has begun.

I’m thankful for the Resurrection and the joy and hope that it brings.

Since I’m feeling particularly joyful (and since Instagram finally became available for Android phones), I thought I’d share with you a few images and thoughts from the weekend.

1. I’m (kind of) world famous. I was interviewed about my favorite Portland places for AFISHA-FOOD magazine in Russia. If you happen to be literate in Russian, you can read what I wrote about my favorite spots (which happen to be The Albina Press, Ned Ludd, and Rum Club).

2. I got a new MacBook Pro! Nich & I have been sharing a laptop for a while now — and while I love my husband very much — it was time for me to get a new computer. My very own computer. It is so awesome.

3. I made these beet pickled deviled eggs with fennel. OMG. Not only are they the prettiest deviled eggs you’ll ever see, but they taste phenomenal. (Minor failure on my part: I totally forgot to bring my deviled egg platter, so I had to display these beauties on a normal plate.)

4. I made Nettle Spanakopita as a side dish for Easter dinner (I thought it  would pair well with roast leg of lamb). I think my family was entirely confused by this culinary choice (my brother-in-law kept referring to it as ‘Spankopedia‘). To their credit, I understand that the thought of eating stinging nettles is somewhat frightening. Thankfully, the nettles lose their sting once they are cooked, and they make a great substitution for spinach in this traditional Greek dish. I’d never cooked with either nettles or filo dough before, and so I was pleasantly surprised that it turned out well. Even the skeptical family members seemed to enjoy it. :)

5. Last, but certainly not least, my sister made a purple ombre coconut cake. When I asked her why she chose to make a purple ombre coconut cake, she replied with: “I wanted to make the most Pinterest-y cake in the world. For Jesus, of course.”

And that about sums it up.

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter/Passover/Weekend.

Today is International Women’s Day.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a woman in these present times. I feel grateful for the women who have come before me…I owe so much to the women who have fought for fairness, equality, and human rights. But the fight isn’t over. Women all over the world are still subject to gross human rights abuses and gender-based violence. Many still believe that women are the ‘weaker sex’.

I believe that God created men and women as equals. I believe that we are to live in this world as co-equal partners who strive for peace, justice, and respect for all.

For these reasons, I’d like to publicly state my support of Tracie McMillan. Tracie is the author of The American Way of Eating and she was attacked by Rush Limbaugh this week for being a single, ‘overeducated’ woman. Rush also criticized her for being young and for winning a social justice award.

The whole thing left me flabbergasted. When did a college education and social justice awards become bad things?! I’m not going to comment on Rush Limbaugh’s politics, or my own political leanings. Rather, I’m standing up for a talented and successful author (not ‘authorette’, as Rush called her) who is tackling important issues in the American food system. If you would like to support Tracie, I highly recommend purchasing her book.

If you’d like to join in the fight for women’s rights worldwide, here are a few organizations that are doing great things:

GEMS
Sari Bari
International Justice Mission
Oxfam

Lastly, MoreThanMe.Org has a great article entitled, “Do Something on International Women’s Day” which is full of information, education, and resources.

Happy International Women’s Day to all!
Love,
Lindsay

I’m happy to announce that registration is now open for the Spring 2012 Portland Hand Crafted Food Swap (Hosted by Rosemarried & Sustainable Food for Thought at Abby’s Table in SE Portland.)

A Food Swap is part silent auction/part village marketplace/part open house where your homemade creations (breads, preserves, infusions, canned goods, etc.) become your own personal currency for use in swapping with other participants. What better way to diversify your pantry and meet a few new food-minded friends?

When: Sunday, March 25th, 4-6pm

Where: Abby’s Table, 609 SE Ankeny Street, Portland, OR 97214

What: Bring an assortment of your homemade edible specialties to exchange for other handcrafted delights. Sustainable Food For Thought will provide swapping cards, name tags, and organization for the event. You will be given the opportunity to offer trades in a silent-auction type format, and you will be free to choose which trades to accept for your products. Bring as much or as little as you like; there are no caps or minimums.

Who: Pacific Northwesterners {aka the Willamette Valley, the Portland Metro Area, and our Neighbors to the North}. Please note, we are unable to provide childcare for this event.

Cost: Swap participants will be given free entry; a donation jar will be available to help cover the cost of supplies. (Or, better yet, donate one of your hand crafted goods!)

For more information, and to register for this event, please visit the Sustainable Food For Thought blog! (Note: I encourage you to register quickly, as this event will fill up!)

It’s Valentine’s day and I am certainly feeling the love. I’m overwhelmed and filled with joy. It’s a great day!

Let me list the reasons why…

*I woke up this morning in a terrible funk. My husband (who works in coffee) had to work at 5am and I woke up to the sounds of our cat tearing about the house. I trudged up the stairs to yell at the cat, only to discover that my husband was definitely not at work. Rather, he was in the kitchen whisking up hollandaise for a Valentine’s breakfast for us!

*Nich and I decided to forgo the traditional Valentine’s date, and instead opted to go to a Portland Trailblazers game this evening. We splurged on nice seats and we’re going to eat burgers and drink crappy beer (and we’ll probably yell at the refs a few times). Honestly, I can’t think of a better way to spend Valentine’s day.

*The big news of the day is that my funny little vintage kitchen is featured on The Kitchn today (!!!). The lovely and talented Leela Cyd took photos of our kitchen last week and I’m so flattered that she thought our kitchen was worthy! She also took a lot of pictures of Lil Omar during the photo shoot, which is awesome. If that little bunny doesn’t fill your heart with love, I don’t know what will.

*My friend Kirsten posted a two-part interview with me on her blog, Food is a Love Story. If you want to know my thoughts on Paula Deen, cake pops, and bacon, you should head on over to Kirsten’s blog. (Plus, her blog is just really great. Bookmark it!)

*This past week, I had a guest post on AskChefDennis.com. My post was a recipe for Slow Cooker Tomato-Basil Soup. It’s a great twist on a classic recipe, and I highly encourage you to head over to his site to check it out!

*I have a few fun projects in the works; namely, I’m catering a dinner for the speakers of the Justice Conference. I’m excited for the opportunity to further hone my catering skills. Plus, this means I get to cook dinner for Shane Claiborne! (My sister is super jealous).

Last, but certainly not least…

I made a Valentine’s Day playlist called ‘ALL IS FULL OF LOVE‘ on Spotify. I happen to think it’s the perfect soundtrack for today. Not all of the songs are romantic, but they all remind me of the person I love. I have specific and wonderful memories with so many of these songs. (For example, I walked down the aisle to Arcade Fire’s ‘Intervention’ and our first dance as a married couple was to Tom Waits ‘You can Never Hold Back Spring’.) These songs are special to me and I feel love in each one of them. I hope that you enjoy them.

And wherever you are, I hope that your life is full of love in all it’s forms.

I hope that your cup runneth over.

Happy Valentine’s Day!
-Lindsay