four years

i've been experimenting with watercoloring and hand-lettering my own cards. they always end up a little bit messy and imperfect, but ultimately, they're unique and a labor of love. just like relationships.

happy four years, drew! words (or a card) can't express how much i love you.

pumpkin sage cornbread

remember the vegetarian chili i made last week? well, today i'm sharing the recipe for the pumpkin sage cornbread that accompanied it. since i took this dish to a potluck, i went the muffin route for ease, but you could also make this in a pan or a cast iron skillet. no matter what form this batter is in, it's a delicious way to pay homage to fall.

pumpkin sage cornbread (makes 16 small muffins) adapted from here

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup corn meal
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
a few fresh sage leaves, chopped

1/4 cup raw honey
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup pumpkin puree

preheat oven to 375 degrees f. mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. in a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to incorporate. pour batter into lined muffin tin (just halfway), and bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until you stick a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.

friday

happy friday! one of my closest friends, ben, was visiting this past week, and it's safe to say that all we did was eat and drink. his leaving today marks the first day of my much-needed detox from spending money on cocktails and ice cream! but i do feel terribly sad when i have to say goodbye to the people i love the most (hence the kurt vile today). this album in particular always seems to put me in an extreme state of relaxation and euphoria.

my articles from eyes+edge this week:
>> the pixie project
<< virginia woof dog daycare

dream outfit

hey, look! i made a collage. filled with beautiful pieces that, for the most part, are out of my price range.

 

shirt (madewell), hat (acne), jacket (boy by band of outsiders), glasses (karen walker), nail polish (butter london), pants (rag and bone), boots (madewell)

i heart portland

i'm happy to announce that i've found authentic, chewy bagels in portland! it only took two years of living here to hunt down a bagel that would satisfy me like the ones from new york. when i woke up on sunday morning, hungover, i knew the only thing that could make me feel better was my ultimate comfort food: a bagel with lox. 

we went to bowery bagels, where i ordered the multigrain bagel with caper and red onion shmear (love it), tomato and cured salmon. i ate it far too quickly, and then proceeded to order a second one immediately after. it was that good. 

kanye wes

have you seen this kanye wes tumblr? kanye lyrics on wes anderson stills (or sometimes wes anderson quotes on photos of kanye). here are just a few of my favorites:

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

slow-cooker chili

drew bought a slow-cooker a few months ago, but i hadn't tried using it until this past weekend. on saturday morning, i threw a bunch of simple ingredients in, set it on low for 8 hours and ended up with a flavorful vegetarian chili. it couldn't have been easier!

slow-cooker chili adapted from here

1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 28-ounce can organic fire-roasted diced tomatoes 
1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15.5-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup water
salt

add all ingredients to slow-cooker and set on low for 7 or 8 hours. taste and season with salt as needed.

friday

 

happy friday! we're going to a potluck tomorrow, so i'm making slow cooker chili and cornbread muffins. i've also been busy brainstorming halloween costumes. i have it narrowed down to two options, one spooky and one funny. i love fall!

my eyes+edge articles from this week:

>> tres place

<< slumberhouse

i heart portland

portland is not an overwhelmingly bustling city, by any means, but i still miss the open fields and farms that surrounded me during my college years in connecticut. that's probably why spending time on sauvie island brings me so much joy and comfort, especially when pumpkin patches are involved. caramel apples, big red barns, hot cider and fall foliage on such a pastoral backdrop were enough to make me feel like i was right back home in new england.

roasted fig sandwiches

as a vegetarian, i rarely get excited about sandwiches, but this one is special. there are so many flavors that complement each other, from the bitter arugula and the tangy goat cheese, to the sweet honey and caramelized figs. i made these for dinner when we went to see the swifts (i just topped them each with a second piece of bread to make actual sandwiches, for portability purposes), but for future occasions, i think they'd be better served open-faced.

roasted fig sandwiches (serves 4) adapted from here

slices of crusty whole wheat bread
small container of fresh figs, sliced
handful of arugula
1 small round of goat brie
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp raw honey
salt and pepper 

preheat oven to 400 degrees f. toss fig slices in olive oil and sprinkle with thyme. roast the figs for about 10 minutes, or until they start to caramelize. meanwhile, toast your bread and spread with some goat brie and add arugula. then, top everything with a few slices of roasted figs, drizzle with honey and add salt and pepper to taste.
 

friday

happy friday! it looks like the rainy season is about to commence here in portland, and though i'm not particularly thrilled, i would venture to say that i'm ready for it, at least. my first year here, i didn't know what to expect; the rain seemed to come out of nowhere and it took a toll on me (i'm sure homesickness played a role in that as well). last year was much easier, so i can only assume (or hope) that this year will be even better. 

my eyes+edge articles from this week:
>> the good mod
<< seek the unique
>> grand central bakery
<< yesplus

kid at heart

i'm only slightly embarrassed to admit that i shop in the kids' section at j.crew (i just bought this flannel). the prices are always a bit lower and there's a seemingly endless selection of pink and polka dot items. what can i say? i guess i'm still a kid at heart.

>> 1, 2, 3, 4 <<

i heart portland

remember when i told you that portland is between the beach and the mountains? well, it's also only about twenty miles away from some seriously beautiful hikes around the columbia river gorge (so basically, it's the best place ever). back when drew was holed up in our tiny studio apartment, spreading his germs everywhere, i was feeling the need get some fresh air. my friend kyle had also just moved here, so i figured taking her to angel's rest would be the perfect way to get out and spend some quality time together.

1. view #1

2. view #2

3. view #3

4. me

5. kyle, in a little fort

6. stacked rocks

scenes from instagram

1. goat brie, roasted figs, honey, thyme and arugula on whole wheat

2. my two favorites

3. kyle, stacking rocks

4. beautiful fall day for a hike

5. cards from spoken for

6. me, at the pumpkin patch on sauvie island

7. pumpkin ice cream

8. 900 pages of murakami kept me occupied while i was sick

9. uno mas for dinner (try the queso taco!)

10. drew, loving his caramel apple

spaghetti with avocado basil sauce

i've had this recipe pinned on pinterest for like seven months but just got around to making it. WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG? this creamy (yet vegan) love child of pesto and guacamole is, without a doubt, the best thing i've tasted in quite some time.

spaghetti with avocado basil sauce adapted from here

1 box gluten-free spaghetti
1 medium ripe avocado
juice of 1 small lime
juice of 1 small lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp red chili flakes 
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup packed fresh basil
1 cup spinach

cook spaghetti according to directions, reserving 1/4 cup of cooking liquid before draining and set aside. while spaghetti is cooking, pit the avocado and scoop the flesh into a food processor. add the rest of the ingredients and blend until everything is incorporated. add the reserved cooking liquid and blend to thin the sauce out a bit, then toss with the cooked pasta.

friday

happy friday! i spent the past week trying to get over a sinus infection. i finished my round of antibiotics, but i'm still not feeling fully recovered. drew and i have plans to go apple and pumpkin picking this weekend, so hopefully my health cooperates!

i've also been busy writing over at eyes + edge this week:
>> alexis gideon (and his stop-motion visual opera)
<< etsy workshop (with lisa warninger + chelsea fuss)
>> garnish (handmade clothing and jewelry)

brown rice sushi

after reading a few tutorials and watching some videos on how to roll sushi, i got overly confident and bought a sushi mat (which proceeded to sit in the back of a drawer in our kitchen until i found it this past weekend). i failed miserably at my first attempt, but luckily, sushi tastes just as good out of a bowl as it does in those neat little pieces.

as you can see, my second attempt was more successful. i used brown rice as the base and cilantro, avocado, and cucumber for the filling. now that i've "conquered" sushi, i want to experiment with different fillings, like smoked salmon and cream cheese!

i heart portland

one of my favorite aspects of portland in the summer is the abundance of street fairs. every week, it seems like a different street is celebrating its existence. we've been to the hawthorne fair, alberta fair, mississippi fair, and belmont fair, and all have been fun ways to pass a couple of hours in the sunshine. below are some pictures from the most recent one we went to (the belmont street fair).

1. art installation
2. directions
3. necklaces
4. fuck this book
5. cardboard wisdom

bold rush

have you ever heard of the bold italic? it's an awesome publication based in san francisco, and eyes + edge had the pleasure of collaborating with them on bold rush portland. we created a list of the 10 places that help keep portland weird.

in addition to our feature on their site, the masterminds behind the bold italic are HERE in portland today and tomorrow for the bold rush portland event! it's taking place at the cleaners at the ace hotel. expect a pop-up shop featuring both portland and san francisco creatives, music, spring rolls from rice paper scissors, an art show and ping-pong (wednesday night only).

details:
the cleaners at the ace hotel
403 sw 10th ave
portland, or 97205
tuesday, oct 2nd -- 12-5 (pop-up shop)
wednesday, oct 3rd -- 12-5 (pop-up shop), 7-10 (free party)

pumpkin pancakes

it's officially fall, which means it's officially appropriate for me to run to the grocery store and stock up on cans of pumpkin! how did i celebrate the start of my favorite season? with pumpkin pancakes, of course.

pumpkin pancakes adapted from here

2 cups oat flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/3 cup raw turbinado sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tbsp ground nutmeg 1 1/4 cups organic buttermilk 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) 2 organic eggs, whisked 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted in a large mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients. in a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. add wet to dry and stir just to combine. set your greased skillet over medium heat and ladle batter in. once bubbles start to form on the top, flip the pancake and cook until golden brown on both sides. repeat until all batter is gone. top with maple syrup, butter, apple butter or raw honey (what we used).