PDX Food Swap Evening with Kate Payne

{ You are Invited }

Come join the festivities in celebration of Kate Payne's visit to Portland!

If you've spent any time reading Food Swap recaps from around the country or browsing images of delightful homemade goods and inspiring company, you've probably heard of Kate, the Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking author and member of the BK Swappers founding duo (whose original Facebook Pictures helped spur on the creation of the PDX Food Swap in 2010)...

Zigging and zagging through through Swappers' local bookstores, homes and kitchens, her book tour travels bring opportunity for kindred spirits to meet along the way and celebrate together "a modern approach to domestic pleasures."

Thanks to Chris Musser of Lost Arts Kitchen for hosting this evening with Kate. (If you're not familiar yet with Chris, take a peak at her fabulous list of preservation and self sufficiency classes that are offered throughout the year.)

Space is limited to the first twenty-five RSVPs ~ hope to see you there!
This event is now full. Thank you so much for your interest.



Never fear! If you're unable to make this special June 24th party, Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing is hosting a separate book signing event on June 16th at 7pm.

For More about Kate Payne:
The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking | @hipgirls | Facebook

For More about Chris Musser at Lost Arts Kitchen:
Lost Arts Kitchen | @lostartskitchen | Facebook

For Future PDX Food Swap events:
PDX Food Swap | @pdxswappers | Facebook

June Food Group: Essential Oils in Everyday Life

Sustainable Food for Thought is hosting a guest speaker at our June Food Group to demystify using essential oils in high quality natural cleaners, homemade body products, nutritious foods, and homeopathic remedies.

Essential Oils in an Indonesian Market

Essential oils used to make me think of cheap potpourri - sickly sweet collections of dried bark and flowers or cinnamon sticks and pine cones living at the dollar store. Oh, and $7.99 aromatherapy gift packs piled high in Fred Meyer aisles during the holidays.

In more recent years, I've used a few favorite oils when making DIY Lip Balm, I've chosen between "lemongrass or lavender" during a therapeutic massage, and I've been known to drop peppermint oil into my bucket of steaming vinegar water when mopping the floor, but there are so many more beneficial uses to learn and put into practice.

It's possible to scour the internet and check out library books, but it's always a bit more fun to learn from another person who is already putting knowledge into practice, so we've invited a friend to come and share her experience with the group.

Rosalie Culver, from Sherwood, Oregon, is a spunky and energetic inspiration! She has been using essential oils to care for her home and family for the past several years, and I'm excited to learn her tips and tricks for using essential oils in everyday life.

You Are Welcome~

Wednesday, June 1st, 7:00-8:30pm
Bethany's Home
92nd & NE Burnside, Portland, Oregon

Please RSVP for Directions & To Reserve Your Spot

The June Event is Now Full. Thanks so much for your interest!

As always, please feel free to bring a snack, bring a friend,

and join us for an evening of conversation and camaraderie.

Looking forward to seeing you!
~Bethany

Pacific Northwest Tidbits & Updates

Hi friends,

All that springtime activity means many wonderful opportunities up and down the Willamette Valley and out among our neighboring Pacific Northwest Communities.

This Monday afternoon, I'd love to spread a few choice tidbits:

Interested in learning from some of the best? Tyler and Alicia of Afton Field Farms in Corvallis will be hosting Joel Salatin this summer. Ted and I had the great privilege of listening to Joel speak when Tyler and Alicia brought him to Portland for a visit two years ago: fabulous. Visit their website for more information on the August 19th & 20th events:

Field Day with Joel Salatin

Intensive Discovery Seminar

Our neighbors to the north will be pleased to know that Seattle Swappers are now up and running! Stay connected with them: Facebook | Twitter | Email

Of course, if you're keen to participate in Portland, keep an eye out for our next PDX Food Swap event: @pdxswappers | PDX Swappers Facebook Page.

Community Outreach in North Portland is running a free Food Sharing Workshop on Saturday, May 21st, if you're keen to learn more about container gardening, household management, fruit production, seed cycles, etc. (RSVP by Monday, May 16th.)

For those living near the Montavilla neighborhood in East Portland, Central Bible Church on NE 90th and Glisan is currently installing a new community garden to share with neighbors who do not have access to growing space (i.e., apartment dwellers, etc.). They're offering 10x10 and 10x20 plots. If you're interested, please contact Matt and Tori (familialawer at gmail dot com) for more information.

(As an aside - I'm super excited to be helping coordinate a shared plot for my neighbors at Stepping Stone Apartments - a project of My Father's House Family Shelter. I'm currently trying to source seeds and starts to help jumpstart this garden for low income families ~ please be in touch if you have any great connections!)

Our June Food Group will feature Rosalie Culver of Sherwood, Oregon as she shares about her uses of essential oils for cooking, cleaning, and homeopathic remedies. If you are new to the group and interested in attending, please contact us ahead of time to see if there is space.

Thanks to all you readers who are part of Food Group, the PDX Food Swap, the Pacific Northwest community, and/or the wide world of online friends and encouragers. It's inspiring to get to know each one of you and to swap the resources and lessons we each pick up along the way...

~Bethany

Congratulations to our Giveaway Winners

Thanks to Random.org, the winning numbers are in: Congratulations, Joan and Amy!

If you missed the giveaway and the full story on Portland sisters Deb & Annie and their terrific company dedicated to creative, sustainable gift packaging and reusable totes, see the original article here, or pay them a visit at www.LuluWraps.com. 

 

 

Amy, thanks for leaving your email address. We'll be in touch shortly.

Joan, congratulations! Please send an email with your shipping address to sustainablefoodforthought@gmail.com by Wednesday, noon PST to claim your prize. (If no contact information comes in, we will make the prize available to a runner up.) 

Through the month of May, Sustainable Food for Thought readers may use the coupon code "NWLUNCH" at the Lulu Wraps checkout to receive free shipping and 25% off on their order.

[Full disclosure: There is no business transaction associated with this Sustainable Food for Thought post; we're just Portland gals who like supporting other Portland gals. It's all about sharing resources and spreading inspiration... Enjoy!]

PDX Food Swap Spring 2011 Highlights

Last night's Spring PDX Food Swap gathered creative and delicious inspirations from all around the city of Portland. Participants came bearing boxes and baskets brimming with home made, hand crafted goods, and as each swapper filed in to claim their spot at the swapping table and crowd the appetizer potluck with delectable treats for swapping sustenance, I again marveled at the beautiful food community we share here in the Pacific Northwest.

We're so grateful to our kind hostess, Abby Fammartino, of Abby's Table in SE Portland.

I brought a handful of several different items to trade: Challah bread, raw milk yogurt (made with delicious milk from Charlotte at Champoeg Creamery!), all natural lip balm, green seafood rub (from one of my favorite inspirations: The Spice Merchant's Daughter), Marionberry jam, vanilla+peach jam, applesauce, and Pumpkin Flax Seed granola.

The flow of the evening...

Tickled pink over puff pastry dough and home grown tomato starts!

I'm so grateful for the amazing array of swapped goodies I brought home:

:: a tomato plant, ginger-peach kombucha, almond milk, ginger beer, veggies and dipping sauce, brown rice flour, sauerkraut, lactofermented veggies, spicy collard greens, rosemary orange caramel dipping sauce, cranberry cardamom vanilla sauce, strawberry sauce, agave blueberry spread, cracked pepper spelt crackers, yogurt lemon cake, puff pastry dough, lemon curd, & Indian spice brittle... ::

Plus, for each treasure I scored, another amazing swap item got away! Homemade raw milk ice cream, culinary lavender, chicken eggs, kombucha babies, cake pops, gourmet salad dressings, citrus curds, apple cider, cilantro and basil starts, home brews, wild harvested sage, artisan breads, and so many more...

Hence the need for another "next time!"

Thank you to all who came to share the bounty and inspiration. Your contributions are what make these swaps so terrific!

If you're a blogger who attended last night, please feel free to introduce yourself and leave a link to your page below. There are so many great neighbors in this city - it's a privilege to meet you all and share your delicious food.

Want to keep up to date on future swaps?

The easiest way is to like the PDX Food Swap Facebook page.

Until we swap again,

~Bethany