happy friday! just a quick note: i created a tab up at the top of my blog for music to keep track of all the songs i post every friday.
i also wanted to gush about how much i loved participating in little boxes last weekend. i got a lot of gifts that are unique to portland for family and loved ones while pumping money back into our local economy and supporting portland's creative small business owners. a win-win for sure. still keeping my fingers crossed that i luck out with one of the raffle prizes!
my eyes + edge articles this week:
>> brainstorm
<< bawdy beautiful
>> portland santa speedo run
here are a few snaps from the first night of the mr. man event -- the good mod was the perfect venue for a men's only pop-up
shop, with it's rugged and industrial vibe. the view of the city from those
giant windows didn't hurt, either. of course, the utilization of
the space is what really made everything so special. because i'm only
involved on the writing side of things at eyes + edge,
i'm always happily surprised when i arrive at the events that holly and
delia put together. they are doing such amazing things here in
portland, and this event is proof of that. can't wait to see what they
come up with next (hint: it involves lingerie)!
i made this salad for thanksgiving, so i wanted to make sure it was hearty and festive (and delicious, of course). the kale is lightly massaged, so it still has all the nutritional benefits, but none of the bitterness and tough texture that usually accompany raw kale.
kale salad with apple and chanterelle mushrooms
1 bunch lacinato kale
about 8 chanterelle mushrooms
1 honeycrisp apple
1/4 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
a few shavings of hard goat cheese
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt
dressing
2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
in a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. then slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified.
wash, de-stem and cut the kale into ribbons and toss into a large bowl. pour half of the dressing over the kale and "massage" it in with your fingers for about a minute or two, until leaves are a bit wilted.
in a pan over medium-high heat, pour just a little bit of the olive oil, and add the mushrooms and salt. cook until the mushrooms have released all of their liquid, then add the rest of the oil and saute until brown and slightly crispy. remove mushrooms from pan and set aside. turn heat to low, then add pepitas with a little pinch of salt and stir frequently until the seeds are toasted.
peel and slice honeycrisp apple into matchsticks, then toss with the kale, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds and more dressing (to your taste). top with some thinly shaved goat cheese and enjoy.
happy friday! yesterday was a blur of food, wine and lounging on the couch watching veep (the first season is only 8 episodes long, and brilliant). i'm planning on participating in black friday today, portland style. little boxes encourages black friday shoppers to take advantage of portland's local and independent stores. i just have to make sure to stay on task and not buy anything for myself.
also, check out my article on vintage design collective, a new shop that just opened in sellwood!
i can't believe thanksgiving is tomorrow! if you have some leftover pumpkin after all of your holiday baking, i'd highly recommend making this pumpkin french toast. it's another one of my "not really a recipe" recipes; you can adapt it any way you'd like.
pumpkin french toast
2 slices of bread
1 egg
pumpkin puree
splash of half & half
drop of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
big dash of cinnamon
big dash of pumpkin pie spice
coconut oil
honey (or maple syrup) for drizzling on after
mix egg, pumpkin puree, half & half, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. soak bread slices in the wet mixture until both sides of bread are well-coated (about 5 minutes on each side). grease a frying pan over medium-high heat with some coconut oil, and place bread slices in the hot pan. cook on one side until golden brown, then flip and cook on the other side until golden brown. serve with a drizzle of honey and extra cinnamon.
i had the pleasure of attending the fall together handmade market, a "curated gathering of independent shops and artisans specializing in everything required to celebrate the winter season", yesterday morning. the market is located at the cleaners at the ace hotel, a beautiful open space with natural light; perfect for a pop-up shop!
all of the vendors were selling such lovely items. i especially loved the delicate jewelry from fresh tangerine and favor, the dreamy textiles from over under repeat, the ceramic salt and pepper bowls from paulova, the confetti and garlands from pomlove and the letterpress cards from emprint press. i could have purchased something from every vendor, but i refrained (though i absolutely could not resist these little silver ampersand earrings).
i also was lucky enough to go home with a swag bag, which is filled with amazing goodies from the vendors. thank you, to fall together, for putting on such a wonderful shopping event. it's still going on today from 12-6, so hurry over there now!
happy friday! don't forget, tonight (from 6-9pm) and tomorrow (from 11am-5pm) is the mr. man event put on by eyes+edge. you can still buy tickets in advance here, or buy them at the door at the good mod. tickets are good for both days. don't miss out on the best men's only pop-up shop this town has ever seen!
