I discovered a new daily deals website recently called Philanthroper. How it works is that the daily “deals” are selected charities — making it easy and fun to select a cause to donate too. So Week 4 of the Forkover Friday project is for Sink or Swim, via Philanthroper. You know those daily deal sites? We’re another one of those. But instead of selling something, we’re sharing the…
We’re coming in to the home stretch of Cook at Home month with less than a week left! Week three was even easier than week two, as we’ve fallen into a routine {dare I say habit} of cooking at home. Dinners have been a little cheese and carb heavy this week, and for the most part, equally delicious. Week 3 Menu: caramelized onions and blue cheese veggie burgers…
As we pass the two year mark of the Haiti earthquake, it’s fascinating to revisit the help and growth that’s been given, and learn about all the work that still needs to be done. Portland-based Mercy Corps has had a tremendous impact on Haiti — helping more than 1.1 million people. While disaster assistance is no longer the need, Haiti now needs help with growing their local economy.…
The second week of our cooking at home challenge was so much easier than the first. We weren’t really craving going out to dinner like the first week. Admittedly, it was a little tough going to Dig A Pony for my monthly travel meetup and not being able to get one of their tasty cocktails, but ordering a ginger beer was an excellent alternative. So by the time…
I stumbled (really wanted to say bumbled just now) across the Bike-a-Bee campaign on Kickstarter this week. I felt an instant connection with this project since my dad was a bee keeper, and from an early age, I’ve been fascinated by bees. It was equal parts magical and educational to watch the bees work, and have them as a little piece of our lives. And having an endless…
Week 2 of Cook at Home month has me revisiting some old recipes, including Tofu Stirfry Wraps. I originally adapted this recipe to be veg-friendly about five years ago, and as much for my Beastie Boys title tribute, I have yet to buy a wok. My food pictures, however, have improved in the last five years thanks to my kitchen iPhone photography. This recipe is based on an…
Things that feel amazing: clicking the “Buy now” button on a flight. Even if you’ve had a trip partially planned already, clicking “purchase” makes it official — you’re going somewhere, it’s a done deal. At which point you can yell “I’m going to [insert destination]!!!” (Some of us don’t stop yelling this every few hours for about a week) So four days into 2012, I clicked the fateful…
The month of January has officially been deemed the month of getting back into cooking at home. Sounds tame right? Well, then you add in a few “little” extra rules like no alcohol, no extra sugar/treats (except for cooking, so cookies = no, small amount in a recipe = yes), less dairy (this one might make a liar out of me), no coffee (1 cup of black tea…
I discovered Portland-based Growing Gardens in the Willamette Week’s annual Give Guide this year. So the first Forkover Friday of 2012 is in celebration of the simple pleasure of gardening. As a fellow gardner, I’ve found that participating in the growing of your own food makes you a lot more in-tune with your health and diet. It can also be a nice money saver during the summer for…
You know when you try something tasty at a new restaurant and say “I’m totally going to try and make these sometime” and then you go home and sometime never arrives? Yes, that’s what I often usually do. So last week, I tried the Squash, Kale, Goat Cheese Tacos at Nearly Normals in Corvallis, and said that exact thing. And thanks to my self-imposed January is Cook at…
I finished up my 2012 goal setting in Pacific City (home of the other Haystack Rock on the Oregon coast) yesterday. A perfect one-night getaway from Portland — ocean view from our inn, beers at Pelican Pub & Brewery, walking on the beach, morning mimosas, and a rainy, but stunning afternoon hike out to Cape Lookout. Exceptional way to end 2011! So as Part 3 of my End-of-the-Year…
Farewell, 2011. Every year towards December I start feeling like I didn’t accomplish as much as I’d hoped and planned, but then when I complete my end of the year personal review, and see things all on one page, I feel proud of all that I accomplished and excited to plan for the coming year. Yay! Goals! Yesterday, I shared my yearly goal setting template. For me, setting…