friday

happy friday! i plan on spending this long holiday weekend doing all of my favorite things: reading, lounging in the sun, hiking, cooking, practicing yoga, writing, and eating ice cream. lots of it. ps - i wrote about a healthy snack. and a not-so-healthy meal.

scenes from instagram

1. anthro loot

2. wine and cheese

3. my handsome wedding date

4. thrifted treasures

5. little macarons

6. margarita and shrimp tacos

7. penny, during the heat wave

8. sandy river

9. from my momma

10. reading material

11. wine and small bites at luce with ashely

12. eyes+edge meeting at paadee

13. succulents

14. pretty lights

i heart portland

as wonderful as portland is, sometimes months go by without me ever stepping foot outside city limits. but the beauty of portland is that both the mountains and the ocean are just a quick drive away. you can have your (vegan, gluten-free) cake here and eat it too. 

we traveled down to lincoln city this past weekend (and stopped at this cute market in mcminnville for supplies along the way). i took about ten naps, read my new book and basked in the sun with great company -- just what i needed after a long, hectic week.

 

 

1. lincoln city, or

2. ocean

3. chris was told to bring layers so he brought two tank tops

4. craig and drew

5. drew in the early fog

6. shannon

7. interesting little door

portland undressed

join eyes + edge and pino portland as they welcome author elizabeth cline to discuss the future of sustainable fashion in portland! tickets will only be on sale for a little while longer -- purchase them here.

tuesday, 9/4/12 at 7pm

the cleaners at the ace hotel

403 sw 10th ave, portland or

for more additional information about this special event, please visit:

https://www.facebook.com/events/261451670636814/

http://overdressedthebook.com/

http://thegoodcloset.tumblr.com/

friday

 

happy friday! we went to the beach at least three times last summer but haven't been once yet this year. it seems like time is slipping through my fingers and i want to savor every last moment of the beautiful portland summer before the rain sets in again. off to the oregon coast we go! ps - if you're in the mood for an authentic hawaiian treat, check out my article on ono shave ice over at eyes + edge. there's also a little interview with me on the site!

recent photos

1. crystal springs rhododendron garden

2. wedding ceremony

3. eyes + edge launch party

4. succulents at the portland flea

5. hood river, oregon

6. the post standard (apple, lemon, ginger, carrot, beet) at canteen

7. i wrote about tea chai té for eyes + edge - check it out!

8. oui presse, love that sign

9. ivy

10. drew and i

mini chocolate chip cookies

despite the fact that portland has been experiencing unusually high temperatures lately, i've had a non-stop craving for chocolate chip cookies. sunday morning was chilly enough to justify turning on the oven, so i took advantage and baked these little treats.

mini chocolate chip cookies adapted from here

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp raw organic sugar

1/2 cup chocolate chips (i use whole foods vegan chips)

pink sea salt

2 tbsp coconut oil (softened)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

preheat oven to 350f. in a large bowl, mix almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. in a separate bowl, mix coconut oil, vanilla extract and egg. pour wet mixture into dry, stir to combine, then mix in chocolate chips. roll dough into small balls and place on a baking sheet. flatten the dough balls a bit with your finger or a fork, then sprinkle the tops with the pink sea salt. bake for 12-14 minutes and let cool completely before serving.

friday

 

happy friday! after having multiple guests come visit us, i was a bit sad to return to "normal life" on monday (though my wallet was happy for a reprieve from all the food, alcohol and shopping). and to be perfectly honest, my normal life is actually pretty rad right now -- full of new surprises and opportunities every day. more on that to come soon!

farro salad

remember when i said you could make an entire meal based on items purchased from the farmers market? here's proof:

farro salad (note: this is a very loose "recipe")


in a medium pot, place uncooked farro and cover completely with water. let the farro soak for at least a few hours, though longer is better. after soaking, turn the heat up to high and bring the farro and water to a boil. once boiling, cover pot and reduce heat to low/simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the liquid is absorbed and the farro is soft (yet still considerably chewy).

in a skillet, saute an onion (we used a walla walla onion) with some olive oil until it softens and becomes translucent. then add chopped garlic (1 clove) and mushrooms (we used oyster and crimini mushrooms) and saute for a few extra minutes. remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

place salad greens at the bottom of a bowl, then add farro, chopped tomatoes, fresh basil, onion and mushroom mixture, and top with fresh smoked salmon.

dressing: lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, honey

i heart portland

the farmers market at portland state university is one of my favorite places to bring visitors. first, walk around -- sample all the treats, see what looks fresh. then, grab a coffee and sit on the green and listen to live bluegrass music while you dream up the shopping list for dinner. it's always a win-win-win: you save money by taking a night off from eating at a restaurant, support local farmers, and get to experience the satisfaction that comes from creating a completely farm-to-table meal.

friday

 

happy friday! one of my best friends from home is visiting this weekend. i can't wait for her to finally see where i've been living for the past two years!

also, if you're in portland, check out the eyes+edge launch party tonight at union/pine. tickets are $12 (you can pay ahead of time or at the door). there will be food, drinks, and lots of other awesome stuff going on!

eyes + edge

check out my first article as contributing writer for the online portland lifestyle publication, eyes + edge! i'm beyond excited to be working with the talented girls behind the site. there are so many wonderful aspects of portland that deserve to be celebrated and porch light is definitely one of them.

classic margaritas

we had big plans to go out friday night, but ultimately chose to watch the olympics with margaritas and tacos at our place instead. these margaritas are simple and fresh -- no processed sour mix needed!

classic margaritas (serves 4)

3/4 cup 100% agave silver tequila

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup triple sec*
1 tbsp raw agave nectar

ice

lime, salt for the rim

combine tequila, lime juice, triple sec, agave nectar and some ice cubes in a pitcher (we used a large glass bottle and then shook it vigorously once all ingredients were inside). rub rims of glasses with a lime wedge, dip in salt and add more ice to each glass. pour mixture into glasses and enjoy.

*we used a local, all-natural triple sec, but fresh orange juice is a good alternative.

friday

 

happy friday! we're going to a wedding this weekend at the crystal springs rhododendron garden, which i've never been to before. i'm sure it will be an absolutely perfect venue for a sunny portland day.

i heart portland

on friday, we took our friend to one of our favorite places. wolf and bear's is a vegetarian food cart that serves seriously delicious falafel -- two (gluten free) sprouted chickpea patties with hummus, caramelized onions, grilled eggplant, salad greens and tahini sauce. we sat at one of the little picnic tables in front of the cart and thoroughly enjoyed our (affordable) high-quality meals.