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Guide to Edible Flowers

The edible flowers are starting to pop up all over the Pacific Northwest! It’s no secret that I’m a lover of all things bright and floral, and that love naturally spills over to my work in the kitchen. Edible flowers are my absolute favorite way to transform an average-looking dish into a work of art. I created this guide as a jumping off point for anyone wanting to incorporate edible flowers into their dishes at home.

If you’ve spent any time browsing the Wu Haus recipe catalog, you know it’s not uncommon to see me use blooms and petals in salads, lattes, or as garnishes for desserts. I also love incorporating flowers in more creative ways like into handmade pasta, ice cubes, and infusions for syrups in iced drinks. The flavor variety of edible flowers is surprisingly diverse, making them a great way to add a delicate burst of flavor. The cool thing about edible flowers is that you can incorporate them into basically any dish. Some are spicy, some herbaceous, while others are floral and fragrant. You can even pickle flower buds to make faux capers or stuff heartier varieties, like squash blossoms, for a complete savory meal.

Edible flowers are also a really fun reason to spend more time outside gardening, foraging, and learning about your region’s native plants. It is possible to buy a few select varieties of edible flowers at specialty grocery stores, but I much prefer to support my local farmers or grow/forage my own. If you want to grow you own from seed, Floret has an amazing selection of edible flower seeds. Never buy flowers from a florist or from the floral department of a grocery store for consumption. Most of those flowers are sprayed with a number of pesticides.

A tip for those foraging: as lovely as eating flowers can be, it can also be a little dangerous. Not all flowers are edible, so make sure you’re absolutely sure of the flower you’ve harvested before you eat it. I love this app to help me identify unknown plants. You also want to make sure you’re harvesting flowers from a place that hasn’t been sprayed with pesticides. Once you pick the bloom, give it a shake to remove any insects and rinse briefly in cold water before using.

Dried flowers are a fun alternative if you don’t have access or are in a season where fresh flowers aren’t available. Just keep in mind that when swapping out dried flowers for fresh, the flavors become more concentrated, so you’ll probably need less.

Besides being beautiful and delicious, some flowers are also medicinal! Like their leafy-green counterparts, many contain potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds and are highly nutrient dense. For example, one of my favorites, rose, has been shown to have compounds that may play a role in reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation. Not featured in this guide, but herbs and veggies also produce beautiful and delicious flowers. I especially love flowers of cilantro, dill, fava beans and chives.

Whatever your reason is for incorporating more flowers into your food, I’m into it. Enjoy!

Borage Blossoms

Tasting notes: Sweet and refreshing, like cucumber and honey
Uses: Best in salads, cocktail garnishes or candied
Season: Mid-April to November
Growing tips: A common self seeding herb, will return year after year. Sow seeds directly into the garden after the last date of frost and plant with strawberries to attract bees and increases the yield of fruit.

Calendula

Tasting notes: Slightly spicy bitter, tangy to peppery. Tastes similar to saffron when cooked.
Uses: Calendula is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, so great for the salves. Can be used in a tea, add zest as a garnish to dishes, or decocted in oil for cooking.
Season: April – November (although usually seeds in August in PNW)
Growing tips: Calendula can be started indoors under grow lights 6-8 weeks before the last frost or directly seeded outdoors after the last frost. They grow best in full sun to partial shade. They help repel insects so are great companion plants.

Pansy/Viola

Tasting notes: Sweet and grassy
Uses: Cup for cup violet flowers have more vitamin C than oranges do. Both flowers don’t cook well but are a beautiful garnish either whole or just petals on salads, smoothies or baked goods. Work great in ice cubes.
Season: April – November
Growing tips: Pansies/violets perform best in cooler weather, and are therefore usually planted in spring or fall. They like rich, well-drained soil high in organic matter, and full sun or partial shade. Can also be planted in pots.

Rose

Tasting notes: The petals of roses have a delicate flavor ranging from fruity to spicy over a sweet undertone. The more intense the color, the stronger the flavor, whites of petals are bitter and should be removed before using in dishes.
Uses: Dried in teas, made into jams, cooked into desserts or used in beverages. Rose water can be made to increase rose flavor in a dish.
Season: Blooms in spring and through the summer
Growing tips: Roses crave sun, at least six hours a day is ideal. Plant roses in rich, well-draining soil. Check roses frequently for insects or disease outbreaks. Regularly prune roses.

Hibiscus

Tasting notes: Tart and sweet, with a cranberry-like flavor
Uses: Citrus-like teas, in champagne or prosecco, fruit salads
Season: Mid-to-late summer and fall
Growing tips: Grows well indoors and from cuts. Rich and well-draining soil. Container-grown plants are often grown in a soilless potting medium to prevent compaction. Keep moist, but don’t let it stand in water.

Nasturtium

Tasting notes: Slightly peppery & tangy, like watercress.
Uses: Salads, carpaccio, spring rolls. Seed pods of nasturtium can be used as a “caper”.
Season: Spring – Summer
Growing tips: You can start the seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last spring frost. Plant nasturtium seeds in early spring in moist, well-drained soil in full sun. They can grow in partial shade, but they will not bloom as well. Do well in pots. When planted in the ground, may come back the next year.

Zucchini Blossom

Tasting notes: Delicate and slightly sweet
Uses: Fried or stuffed and baked with herbs and cheese, as an Italian appetizer, used as a pizza topping, in a frittata or a quesadilla. Best when used day of picking.
Season: June-August
Growing tips: Zucchini and squash plants grow with two kinds of flowers: the male flower is large, bright orange and wrinkly, and the female flower is smaller and yellow. Both blossoms are edible.

Lavender

Tasting notes: Sweet, floral, citrus flavor, with hints of minty and rosemary-like aromas
Uses: In the garden, lavender is often teamed up rosemary, and it can be used in cooking wherever you might use rosemary. Roast rubs, desserts, cocktails and teas, distilled into vinegars, infused into syrup or milk, etc.
Season: June – July
Growing tips: Very drought resistant. Grows as tiny purple flowers along a stiff stalk. Rub the flowers off the stalk and discard most of the stalks, which contain essential oils that can be too pungent for cooking.

Elderflower

Tasting notes: Floral, vanilla
Uses: Most commonly used to create elderflower cordial or syrups. Also makes a nice garnish for desserts or drinks. Flowers can also be dried out and steeped in hot water to make elderflower tea.
Season: May – Mid-June
Growing tips: Elder trees grow very well in the Pacific Northwest. Elderflowers turn into elderberries, which is a great immune-boosting berry. If you don’t have time or space to grow a tree, elderflowers are easy to forage. You can also find them at the farmer’s market. They’re best picked when the buds are freshly open on a warm, sunny day.

Dandelion

Tasting notes: Young dandelion have a sweet and honey-like flavour, whilst the mature ones are more bitter and earthy with a nutty flavor. Dandelion buds taste better than the actual flower.
Uses: Use the petals as a garnish in desserts, salads or savory dishes. Leaves are an excellent addition to salads or sautéed. Also used to make dandelion wine.
Season: Spring/Summer
Growing tips: You won’t see dandelion flowers at the grocery store. As with violets, it’s easy to find dandelions in a grassy field or lawn. Don’t pick any for eating unless you are sure that the ground wasn’t treated with pesticides.

Cornflower

Tasting notes: Slightly spicy, clove-like flavor with a subtle sweetness
Uses: They can add color to dishes when used as a garnish for desserts, soups, salads. Can even steep them in a glass of wine or use for mulled wine for an extra zesty taste.
Season: Spring/early Summer
Growing tips: Also called Bachelor’s Buttons, cornflowers can be found in shades of blue, pink, purple and white. In the wild, they tend to enjoy the company of poppies and will pop up to add a hint of blue or purple to fields of red flowers.

Marigold

Tasting notes: Marigolds have a similar taste to saffron, pleasantly pungent and citrus-like with a hint of umami
Uses: Marigold are one of the few savory tasting edible flowers and can be used in place of mushrooms or as a garnish for roasted dishes.
Season: Summer
Growing tips: Marigolds need an area with full sun, and make good bedding and edging plants. They’re relatively drought resistant, self seeding and require minimal care.

Forget-Me-Nots

Tasting notes: Mild, subtle
Uses: Forget-me-nots have very small flowers so they make a lovely garnish for beverages or placed in ice cubes for a playful, confetti-like touch. Great dried and used for tea.
Season: Spring
Growing tips: Forget-me-not is usually an annual or biennial herb with its success being based on its flexibility. The seeds can lay dormant in the soil until they deem it is a suitable time to sprout for up to thirty years and germinate when conditions become favorable.

Chamomile

Tasting notes: Slightly sweet apple-like flavor
Uses: Chamomile is an age-old herbal remedy for many human ailments. It is used as a mild sedative to reduce stress. Use it in calming teas, honey infusions, bitters and as a garnish.
Season: Plant March – May and harvest June – November
Growing Tips: Chamomile is a great companion plant for leafy greens as it deters many pests.Young seedlings easily tolerate spring frosts, and may survive winters in mild climates. The easiest chamomile to grow is a cool-season annual.

Dianthus (Carnations)

Tasting notes: A pleasant spicy, floral flavor, and a light clove and nutmeg-like taste. Remember to cut away the bitter white base of the flowers before eating.
Uses: Dianthus is a powerful healing plant in Chinese medicine and can be made into teas, essential oils or tinctures. They come in a variety of bright colors, making them wonderful as large garnishes on dishes.
Season: Sow in early spring and harvest in the fall.
Growing Tips: Dianthus love full sun and need a nutrient rich soil to flower. Encourage fast growth by mixing an organic fertilizer into the soil before planting. When wild harvesting, it can be found at the hillside, meadow, forest edge, woodland or sub-alpine meadows.

May 23, 2019 0 comment

Home Lifestyle Style

Wu Haus Candle 01: Fresh + Herbaceous

It’s here! I am so excited to officially release Wu Haus Candle 01, the first of a three-part series with some amazingly talented artists and friends. For this month’s release, I’ve partnered with Kelly Harland of CROSBY Elements and ceramic artist Justin Caraco to create a candle that will fill your space with springtime vibes and provide a beautiful vessel to enjoy long after the candle is finished burning. Only 100 of these limited-release candles were created, so be sure to purchase one before they’re all gone!

Last week, I shared how I met Kelly and her journey of becoming a storyteller through scent. Together, we worked with Justin to create a fresh + herbaceous candle that draws inspiration from not only the energy and fragrance of the spring season, but also from Justin’s background working in the kitchen in some of my favorite Portland restaurants, Ava Gene’s and Tusk. With scent notes of basil, ginger, black peppercorn, arugula, cedarwood and white birch, here’s how Kelly describes her approach to creating the first candle scent:

“This one was really driven by three parts: Justin as a person, his creative background via ceramics and food, and the candle’s springtime launch. It made sense to do something more herbal and citrus-forward, and also nice to ground those scents with something a little more woody and masculine.”

I first became acquainted with Justin’s work when collaborating with Shannon Sims of Food Art Love on a snack board photoshoot. I was immediately drawn to his pieces that she’d borrowed for the shoot, and eventually connected with him directly about purchasing some of his work. I love his use of color and texture, and how his pieces manage to find the perfect balance between playfulness and sophistication.

He was still working at Tusk at the time, and it was clear that this side project of his had the potential to become so much more. It has been great to watch his business grow and see him take on ceramics full-time. Working with him on this project has been such a dream, and I’m so thrilled for those of you who get to keep a piece of his art and make it become part of your home and story.

Here’s more about Justin’s story:

Wu Haus: How did you start your business?

Justin Caraco: I started doing ceramics in high school. I originally got into it because of my dad, who was a ceramics and art teacher. He taught me, and I’d use his studio as a teenager. I gave it up like most interests I had as a teenager. I’d been thinking about getting back into it for a long time, and about 5 years ago I bought a ceramics wheel on Craigslist. It was kind of an impulse buy, and I didn’t use it for a year. I’d been a chef for 15 years, and was working at one restaurant that was opening another restaurant where they wanted to bring me over. There were construction setbacks, so I took off a few weeks, which turned into a few months. That’s when I started using the wheel. When the new restaurant opened, the chef and owners wanted my work in there. So I started making things for that restaurant. A lot of my dishes at Tusk are used for hummus and desserts, as well as for garnishes. A lot of my work has been mostly dinnerware and planters. About two and a half years ago, I quit cooking to focus on ceramics.

WH: What are your influences?

JC: Definitely other ceramicists, both local and commercial names that are well-known. I’m inspired by a lot of their glazework. There are so many great ceramicists in Portland. [Tusk] had already been using other artists in town that are an inspiration. I saw the different clays and materials they were working with, which helped me create my own taste and style. I knew what I was using in the restaurant and knew what styles I wanted to see and work with. That’s why I started making things – I wanted to make them for food.

WH: How would you describe your style?

JC: I like to have a lot of clean glazes, a lot of simple colors, a lot of matte. I’m not glossy. I like my work to resemble what I see in nature. I like to show raw clay in the body. A lot of my work has speckles in it, which comes from the properties in the clay I use, like manganese. I also do marbled work with mixed clays. It’s all wheel work, except for the handles on mugs that I hand-make.

WH: What was your process for the Wu Haus collaboration?

JC: I used two different clays – a greyish-white clay with tannish speckled clay to get a grey speckled clay. We went over some shades and glazes and picked out the colors together. Since she’s doing a basil scent, I thought shades of green would go well with it. One’s teal, one’s grassy, and one’s light pastel.

WH: What’s your inspiration when creating pieces?

JC: I get a lot of inspiration from living in the Pacific Northwest and going hiking. Whether it’s from trees, plants or rocks, it’s the colors I see. I relate my work to the colors of the season. In the spring, I use a lot of pastels. In the fall, I’ll use burnt orange and reds. Even the grey skies inspire me. I’ll show that in the clay body, and then top it with a bit of color, like the colors that pop up around here.

I’ve also been a passionate skateboarder all my life, and I draw huge inspiration of style and aesthetic from my favorite skateboarders. They always put an emphasis on their tricks looking right, proper and with finesse. It’s about paying attention to the details and focusing on form, technique and style as the most important. It’s also about limiting what you put out and not trying to do too much. It’s kind of silly, but it relates to my approach with my art.

WH: What do you love about candles?

JC: I think it’s another way to enhance a space. It’s been really cool doing this project, because it enhances a space through multiple senses. You get an object that’s cool-looking rather than just a glass jar, and it’s something you can associate with that scent.

May 8, 2019 1 comment

Home Lifestyle

Wu Haus Candle Series Preview

One of the most fulfilling aspects of my work is getting the opportunity to collaborate with other creatives. By bringing different skills and visions to a project, it’s amazing to see what we’re able to create together while learning from each other.

It’s been a long-time dream of mine to create a series of candles for Wu Haus that not only reflects my brand, but also embodies the creative spirit and talent of some amazing artists I’ve met over the years. I worked with three ceramicists to create vessels that are unique in style and complimentary to the scent of the candle they hold. Here's a little preview of what's to come...

May – Fresh & Herbaceous
Ceramic artist: Justin Caraco
Scent notes: Basil, Ginger, Black Peppercorn, Arugula, Cedarwood, Birch
Color story: Bright green, teal, lime

June – Warm & Floral
Ceramic artist: Amelia Wrede Davis
Scent notes: Geranium, Pink Grapefruit, Rose, Sandalwood, Hinoki Wood
Color story: Blush, nudes, tan

July – Wooded & Earthy
Ceramic artist: Fernando Acair // Fefo Studio
Scent notes: Himalayan Cedarwood, Tobacco, Bergamot, Cypress, Amber, Oud, Birch
Color story: Dark/forest green, brown, dark blue/navy

For each scent, I worked with the inimitable Kelly Harland of Portland’s CROSBY Elements. I serendipitously met Kelly while at a pop-up field dinner on Sauvie Island. I had already fallen in love with her EMERALD hair perfume and was raving about it to my friend when Kelly walked up and said that that it was from her brand. We became fast friends, and soon after had the opportunity to work together on a custom-scented candle for Vibrant, the Houston cafe whose menu I consulted on. The whole experience was seamless and so much fun, and I knew I wanted to work with Kelly again on this Wu Haus candle series. She has been an amazing partner and source of encouragement throughout the whole process.

Kelly has such a gift for listening to ideas and translating them into scents. She took my concepts and articulated them beautifully. Each scent is an expression of Kelly’s craft, and I’m so excited to share them with you all! Here is more about the candles and Kelly’s creative process, in her own words:

Wu Haus: How did you start your business?

Kelly Harland: I was an art director for 15 years and have always worked at design and advertising agencies. I went freelance years ago because I was done doing the full-time thing. My mom’s a retired interior designer and has always loved having other creative hobbies. One day, I was over at her house and she asked if I wanted to help make candles. That little conversation is literally what started Crosby. It started as something for us to do together and share quality time.

She knew I was very specific with scents; I have a really sensitive nose. So she would work on the wax, and I would work on the scent. We’d make candles and I’d burn them at my house. My fiancé and I love to entertain, and I was burning a candle I’d made with my mom when my friends asked about it. Some of my friends either own shops or have good friends who own shops, and they mentioned that I should sell them. And so that got the wheels turning, like maybe this could be something more than a hobby.

The candles turned into hair perfumes, and then perfume, since I’d amassed such a massive library of scents and knew I wanted to explore other vehicles for them. That was important to me, to expand the line beyond candles.

WH: What ingredients do you use to create your candles?

KH: The wax is 100% American-grown soy. I don’t use any additives. I use 100% cotton wick, lead-free. I do a blend of phthalate-free fragrance, the same you’d find in lotions or hand wash, and essential oils. I usually do a 50/50 split or 60/40 split. I do that because I love essential oils – it’s not an overwhelming scent that slaps you in the face. But having the addition of a fragrance makes it a more enjoyable scent in the house. It’s subtle, but not so subtle that you can’t smell it.

It was important to me that I held to my values of trying to put things on my body that are good, and surround myself with things that are as healthy as possible. It was a really interesting finding, in the whole process, of finding how toxic [candles] are. Us choosing to just use soy wax is because we didn’t want to use the addition of stearic acid and paraffin that can make the air really horrible to breathe in.

WH: What’s your inspiration when creating a new scent?

KH: My blending is like how I use to storytell in design. Now I just work in a different material. Now I storytell through scent.

My line is four candles. A big thing for me is to keep a very edited collection. I’m only really drawn to complexity and things that are more unique. I try not to create a scent-for-everybody, or else I’d have 20 different skews, and that’s not what i’m trying to do. Because my background is in design, I work well with concepts. I draw from places I’ve traveled or from a specific memory. All the candles in my line right now mean a lot to me. GOLDTONE smells like sex wax because it reminds me of my childhood surfing in California. EARTHLY DWELLINGS is eastern Oregon-inspired because I was amazed by the beauty – the high desert and all the rolling grasslands. Everything’s kind of tethered back to one specific moment I had or a place I visited, where smelling that candle brings me right back to that space or feelings.

WH: What do you love about candles?

KH: What I do love is, making them now, I find it very meditative and can get into the rhythm. It’s a slower process, so that’s really nice. I can’t rush anything. Candles, if I look at it from a different perspective, has maybe taught me what I love about them now. It’s about slowing down and enjoying it. You’re thoughtfully lighting it, usually with the intention of creating a warm environment. They have the ability to transform and elevate your surroundings and shift the mood. Whether you want to be more relaxed or sensual or comforted, they can really transport you.

WH: What was your process in creating scents for Wu Haus?

KH: The inspiration for those candles was really just looking at the style of the ceramicists, the color palette Alison wanted to work with, and working with her. I always love coming together with other creatives. It was really cool being able to blend both of our tastes and aesthetics, and also having that third element of the ceramicist to build around. And since it’s not something that’s going to be used and thrown away, I love that you get to enjoy the first life of the vessel and then enjoy its second life. Anything that I can be involved in that’s helping create less waste, that’s more meaningful and functional, is great. I’m all about that.

One of the things I love about my business is the community of makers and creatives that it’s helped align. It’s this really happy element of owning this business that’s been able to come out of nowhere. I didn’t expect this to happen. I’ve met so many amazing creative women, especially, and it’s so inspiring in itself to be surrounded by creative, intelligent women. I love being able to collaborate on projects because the sum is greater than its parts. When I get a chance to collaborate with someone on a product, that’s such a cool process. Adding that third element of Alison’s creativity and her vision, me working with the scents, and working with all these talented ceramicists – it’s this trifecta of talent. That’s so cool.

April 29, 2019 1 comment

Home Lifestyle Style

Wu Haus Office + Den Makeover

Very excited to finally share the Wu Haus office + den makeover with you! We started this project waaaayyyy back in October, but then I left town for 6 weeks, then it was the holidays and then it just took me a while to pull everything together to finish the project. What started as switching to pocket doors turned into a full-on makeover with all new furniture and lighting. The main challenge with this project was turning a very small, very particularly laid out room that we use for multiple purposes. If you scroll to the bottom of this post, you can see all the ‘before’ photos.

As you may remember, my husband ended up losing his closet in this room when we remodeled the kitchen. (In case you don’t remember: what everyone working on the project thought was the walls hiding our old oil heat chimney that jut out into the kitchen was actually Chris’ closet. Oops.) So needless to say, one of our main objectives for the new office + den was to find a way for my husband to have some sort of closet (without actually having a closet). We also use this room as an office and a den where we like to hang out in the evenings and watch a show or movie.

In terms of design, I was really inspired by warm desert tones, but I also wanted to bring in an unexpected shade of cool, icy grey/blue. Though I chose the colors before we went on our trip to Morocco, I think I must have known how much I was going to love it there because this room definitely feels inspired by our trip. I decided on the color for the Venetian plaster accent wall before I left on our trip. I grabbed some paint chips for color inspiration, but my contractor ended up tweaking the color based on how it was showing up on the wall once in the room. I’m so obsessed with Venetian plaster, it’s hard for me to imagine doing a project and not including it in my plans.

One of my favorite details is the crocheted Hamimi lantern that I found in Marrakech. I love the light it gives off and the beautiful shadows it creates. I also love the Milena Silvano pillow that acts as a focal piece on our gorgeous custom Young American day bed. The nubby wool pillows are from Pampa and my sweet mama made all the smaller pillow covers. I worked with my dear friend Jake, who designed and built the day bed, to create something that was functional, beautiful and very comfortable. The base is made of ash wood with powder-coated metal legs. It serves as a bed for anyone staying the night and is also perfect for cozying up to read a book or watch a movie. The ottoman functions as both a place to rest your feet and a coffee table. We had our contractor install a floating shelf in place of a side table next to the day bed.

Instead of spending a ton of money on custom cabinetry, we decided to go with a couple pieces from IKEA for the wardrobe and dresser. We were able to suspend two rods (one high and one low) in the wardrobe, so my husband has double the hanging room. We sanded, primed and painted both pieces that were originally white laminate. The wardrobe is STUVA / FÖLJA and the dresser is the 4-drawer MALM. We painted them Olympus White from Sherwin Williams and used gold hardware from Superfront to give it a fresh, modern look.

The new desk area feels separate without feeling out of place. Our beautiful new About A Chair 23 from HAY pretty much matches the Venetian plaster accent wall identically, which is a great tie into the rest of the room. The Copenhagen 90 Desk from HAY is minimalist perfection with plenty of space to work and to house the oversize Edendale Task Lamp from Rejuvenation. I’ve always dreamed of having a Laura Berger print and I love how the colors of this one work so well with the colors in the room. Our contractor made the shelving to match the floating shelf in the corner of the room next to the day bed. Our CB2 filing cabinets help keep all our papers and random office stuff organized.

March 18, 2019 7 comments

Lifestyle

Weekly Shopping and Printable Grocery List

In January I asked you guys if a printable grocery list would be something that would be helpful for your weekly shopping trips, and I got a resounding YES! I totally know what it feels like to be overwhelmed at the grocery store. Those moments when even with so many choices and you still reach for the same items week after week. I created this grocery list to share with you the items that I most often buy week after week. It’s meant to be a starting place for your shopping trips or at least inspire you to add some of these items to your cart. You can print it off, glance over it for ideas or screenshot it so it’s on your phone. Whatever’s most useful for you.

We have a relatively small fridge (as you may have seen), but it works with the way I do the grocery shopping. I prefer to go to the store every few days and stock up on what I know I’ll use. Personally, a super packed fridge gives me anxiety. I like to have a clear radar on what’s in my fridge at all times. I find by going to the grocery store more frequently, I waste less food. I completely understand this is not practical for everyone’s lifestyle. Do what works for you.

I keep my pantry more stocked. You can read all about what items I usually keep on hand, here. This printable grocery list includes the pantry items I use more often therefore need to shop for more frequently. As much as possible, I try to bring my jars to the store with me to refill with items I buy in bulk. Here are some more of my tips for helping reduce waste and plastic use, many of them applicable to our kitchen practices.

I store all my nuts and seeds in mason jars in my fridge, which isn’t absolutely necessary, but it does keep them fresher for longer. Bonus: it keeps your dried coconut chips way more crunchy! Nuts and seeds can also be stored in the freezer (extends shelf life to 1 year). If you don’t have the fridge room to store all your nuts and seeds in the fridge, consider storing the ones you less frequently to extend their shelf life (3 months in the pantry versus 6 months in the fridge). I’d recommend at least storing your almond flour, flaxseed meal, hemp seeds and sunflower seeds in there. Refrigerating bee pollen and spirulina also extends their shelf lives. I store my opened matcha in the fridge as well to preserve the flavor.

Almost every shopping trip, I fill my cart with at least 50% produce. Fresh vegetables and some fruits make the basis of my diet. I find by stocking my pantry with some staples and regularly buying fresh produce, I can always throw together a meal in a pinch combining a starch and fresh vegetables. Though I was a vegetarian for nearly 12 years, I now eat animal protein pretty regularly. I typically roast a whole chicken once a week for dinner and then use the leftovers to throw into lunches throughout the week. I’ve been trying to incorporate more red meat into my diet and have been making lamb or beef at home once a week. Still learning the best ways to cook meat, as my skills aren’t fine tuned with so many years as a vegetarian. I used to eat a lot of fish, but I’ve drastically cut back. With everything happening with our oceans environmentally, I find myself not as interested in eating fish and seafood. I still do occasionally, but I don’t include it on my weekly shopping list.

I hope you find this grocery list helpful for your weekly shopping and perhaps it inspires you to buy something new! Enjoy!

February 26, 2019 2 comments

Lifestyle Self-Care

Talking Tarot

I get countless questions over on the ‘gram about my tarot practice, people wondering where to start and what it all means. I wanted to share this blog post as a starting off point for you to discover the magic of tarot, learn about different decks and resources and hopefully inspire you to create your own tarot practice. I’m by no means a tarot expert or even a very seasoned reader, but I’m always happy to share what I do know and what I’ve learned through my own experiences. My best advice to you as you begin diving into tarot would be to follow your intuition. From choosing a deck to deciding what spread you want to pull on a given day, tarot is all about harnessing the power of your intuition to guide you. Tarot is a deeply personal practice, so I encourage you to make it your own. Seek the knowledge you desire and use the cards to find deeper meaning in your life.

If you’re lucky enough to have the financial means and are interested, I would also encourage you to receive a reading from a seasoned tarot reader. This experience will undoubtedly give you new perspective not only in your life, but also on how to handle the cards, on how someone else reads them and much more. It’s a great way to learn and potentially fine tune your own practice and readings.

I first became interested in tarot about 5 years ago. I bought my first deck – The Wild Unknown tarot – eager to dive in and learn about this practice. At first I would grab for the guidebook that came with the deck almost immediately after turning my cards over during a reading, but with time has come deeper knowing, patience and curiosity. I’ve gotten to know the cards and their meanings, as well as learned to use the pictures/drawings/symbols on the cards’ faces to intuitively interpret their meaning before reaching for the guidebook. I’ve taken a couple tarot workshops, which have been helpful, and I regularly listen to podcasts on tarot. I’ve listed some of my favorite resources for deeper learning and understanding further down in this post. I often use crystals in my tarot practice to clear or hold certain energies. You can read more about crystals in this post. I also use my tarot cards at different points within the moon cycle. You can read more about moon magic in this post.

The traditional tarot deck is comprised of 78 cards. Broken into two categories: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. When doing a reading, it’s good to note if your pull includes mostly one or the other, or if there is a certain suit (wands, cups, pentacles, swords) that comes up more than another. This can sometimes give deeper meaning to your readings.

Major Arcana – 22 cards. Begins with the Fool (0) and ends with the World (21). These cards typically deal with larger life lessons and overarching themes. They represent the universal archetypal energies that live within and around each of us.

Minor Arcana – 14 cards within each suit listed below. 56 cards total. The cards numbered 1-10 within each suit typically deal with the current situation or how things are showing up in your life at the moment. The court cards (page, knight, queen, king / son, daughter, mother, father / novice, student, knower, leader / etc.) often represent actual people or characters in your life or you, yourself.

Wands – Represent energy, motivation, creativity and passion. Wands often show up in readings about life purpose, spirituality and new ideas.
Cups – Represent feelings, emotions, intuition and connectivity. Cups often appear in readings that deal with relationships and the emotional connection with yourself and others.
Pentacles – Represent the physical, health and body, finances, work and material possessions. Pentacles often appear in readings around health, home, career and financial wealth.
Swords – Represent thoughts, words and actions. Swords often show up in readings that deal with communicating your ideas, making decisions and asserting your power.

Decks I Own and/or Love –

Mesquite – My absolute favorite deck. I first got this deck for my friend Lee for her birthday, but then loved it so much that I got myself one a couple weeks later.

She Wolfe – The newest deck in my collection. The imagery and symbolism on the cards is strong and powerful.

The Wild Unknown – I was first drawn to this deck because of Kim Krans’ gorgeous imagery. It remains one of my favorite decks.

The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit – This is not a traditional tarot deck. This deck includes 63 animal spirit cards. It’s my favorite non-tarot deck. I love seeking wisdom from animal energies.

Kawaii– This deck, like its name implies, is cute and lighthearted, yet the guidebook offers in-depth descriptions.

Rider-Waite – This is one of the most popular tarot decks out there. It’s the traditional deck that most modern Western tarot is based of off. Using the imagery on the cards is very helpful if you are trying to get better at intuitive readings.

Mystic Mondays – Recently stumbled upon this deck and totally obsessed with the art.

Kaleidadope – Actually so DOPE!

Uusi Pagan Otherworlds – I love this deck. I don’t own it currently, but hope to add it to my collection soon.

The Fountain – I haven’t personally used this deck, but I’ve heard great things.

Dust II Onyx: A Melanated Tarot – Love seeing more representation in tarot. This deck is beautiful!

The Moonchild Tarot – Love the imagery in this deck. Can someone please buy this for me for my birthday? 😉

I always enter my practice with a sense of openness and gratitude. To be able to sit in a silent place and consult with my deck is a privilege. I’m grateful to be able to have the time and space to practice. It’s important for me to honor that before moving into a reading. It’s also important for me to acknowledge that the cards don’t always give me the answers I want. Tarot isn’t always about finding answers or getting clarity on a situation. Sometimes the cards bring up the difficult realities you may have been avoiding, but that you know deep in your heart to be true. The cards often ask you to face what you’ve been avoiding. I find it helpful to take a photo or sketch my reading in a journal, so I can reference the reading at a later date. Usually when the readings don’t make sense to me in the moment, they become clearer in time.

To begin, I usually formulate a question or a series of questions dealing with the same situation or problem in my life. Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. I’ve found the best questions start with what, why or how. For example: What can I learn from this situation/experience? Why are negative feelings coming up around this issue/person/situation? How can I move forward with my current situation?

I hold my question in my head and repeat it to myself (or aloud) as I am shuffling the cards. I focus my energy on my question/the situation while also opening my energy and the space up to what answers the cards may offer me. After shuffling several times, I split the deck into three piles then placing the piles back together. With my eyes closed, I spread the cards out in front of me in a long line. Moving both my hands over the cards, still with my question in mind, I slowly pull the cards for my spread, placing them face down in front of me. Once I have all the cards placed or have pulled the cards, I open my eyes and slowly turn the cards over. For me, it’s important to sit with the cards for several minutes to see what thoughts, feelings and emotions come up. I study the pictures on the cards and see what symbols jump out at me, which ones resonate and which ones bring up negative emotions.

A Few Tarot Spreads –

Card a Day:
An easy reading you can incorporate as a daily ritual in the morning. A great way to get acquainted with your cards.

3-Card Spread:
One of my favorite and probably most used spreads. Very simple yet always provides deep clarity. You can assign your own meaning Some different interpretations of the three cards could be:

Past/Present/Future
What’s helping you/What holds you back/What realization you need to move forward
Strength/Weakness/Growth potential
Mind/Body/Spirit
Current Situation/Obstacle/Advice
You/The other person/Your relationship
You/Your current path/Your potential’

Year-Ahead-Spread:
Such a special way to welcome in a new year. I usually do this 13-card spread on New Year’s Day or the day after. You can read more about it here, but essentially you pull a card for each month of the year and the 13th card is the theme for the year ahead.

Typically the deck you have will list several spreads you can pull in the guidebook. I also love The Wild Unknown blog that has several other spreads you can work with.

Tarot Resources –

Tarot for the Wild Soul Podcast by Lindsay Mack – Lindsay is an amazing teacher and guide. I was lucky enough to take a tarot workshop from her at my first Spiritweavers Gathering. She is an excellent resource for all things tarot.

Tarot.com – A great, mostly free resource with tons of information.

Visual Magic – Sarah Faith Gottesdiener (aka Gottess) is the author of the Many Moons workbook that I’ve posted about several times in the past. Her upcoming online workshop focuses on the moon cycle and magic practice including tarot.

The Hoodwitch – Love this site!

Biddy Tarot – This site is PACKED with useful information.

October 3, 2018 6 comments

Lifestyle Wellness

My Experience with Contraceptives, and How I Found the Fertility Awareness Method

I want to start this post by saying everyone’s body is different. What may work well for one of us might be the wrong choice for another. That goes for so many aspects of our health and our lives, and it continues to be true about birth control methods. It’s important to educate yourself and/or talk with a trained professional to help figure out which contraceptive method is right for you. And if you’re like me, the right method for you today might not be the right method for you 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 or 10 years from now. We’re ever changing, both physically and in how we want to live our lives, so its important to remember that we often need to adjust how we care for ourselves. Today I’m sharing my experience using contraceptives throughout my life from the time I lost my virginity up until present day. Please keep in mind that this is a personal narrative. Having safe sex and protecting against pregnancy sometimes means taking hormonal birth control and wearing condoms. Sometimes it means abstaining from sex all together. THERE IS NO SHAME IN YOUR CHOICE. I stand by all people and their right to choose what is right for them.

I lost my virginity when I was 15. To my boyfriend at the time. We were together for a year or so. Immediately following the first time, I told my mom I wanted to go on birth control pills. I didn’t tell her I had become sexually active, and though I’ve always felt loved completely and never judged by my mom, we never really openly talked about sex and different contraceptive methods. I assume she knew I had become sexually active, and she made an appointment for me with the nurse midwives where she went and the same group of midwives who delivered both my brother and me. Talk about full circle.

At the young age of 15, I started taking Ortho Tri-cyclen. What would be the start of about 10 years of daily hormonal birth control. I bounced around to different pills and back to the same ones again over the years. Some pills caused me to not get my period for months at a time, which when you’re a sexually active college student is absolutely frightening. As some of you may know, I’ve struggled with digestive issues for most of my life. Starting at a young age when my parents figured out I was lactose intolerant. It will probably always be somewhat of a mystery, but my guess is that many of my digestive issues come from a combination of chronic antibiotic use from age 2 all the way up into my twenties (I was born with 60% hearing loss and had surgery on my ears 3 times before the age of 6 then I suffered about 15 UTIs and a kidney infection starting at the time of becoming sexually active into my mid-twenties) and then long-term hormonal birth control use from age 15 to 24. Hormonal birth control pills essentially act like antibiotics in your gut, destroying the essential microbiome balance, depleting all the good bacteria needed for proper digestion. Some other negative side effects from hormonal birth control include mood swings, headaches, acne, bloating and weight gain, irregular spotting and low libido.

The number one reason I decided at 24 that I was going to finally go off the pill was because I strongly believed it was giving me anxiety, mood swings and depressive thoughts. I finally woke up to the fact that I was putting hormones in my body that were negatively effecting my life. I wanted to take a clean break from all hormonal forms of birth control, so I did. It took my body a little while to adjust back, but after about a year, I felt way better overall. Less anxious feelings and depressive thoughts, higher libido and a greater connection to my body and my natural cycle.

Though in many ways I was feeling better health wise being off the pill, it still left the question of what birth control method I should use now. The first year I relied mostly on using condoms. I always used condoms with any new partner before both being tested for STDs. However, condoms really bother my vagina and make sex burn and hurt for me. I found myself uninterested in sex and disappointed that there weren’t better options for people like me.

So after about a year of using condoms, a friend mentioned an IUD, and I was intrigued. I honestly don’t remember hearing much about the IUD before that time. That’s likely because “comparing 2006–2010 with 2011–2013, IUD use increased 83% (from 3.5% to 6.4%)…” It seemed like every woman I knew was getting an IUD around that time. Sticking with my plan of not using hormonal birth control, I decided to get the copper Paraguard IUD in December of 2011. I never really had heavy periods or bad cramping, so I wasn’t so concern about the side effects associated with the Paraguard IUD, which include heavier and more painful periods and cramping/back pain associated with menstruation.

I’m not going to lie the first 2-3 years of having the Paraguard IUD were rough. My periods were next level. I would soak through a super tampon every 3 hours during the first 3-4 days of my period. Looking back now, I’m honestly shocked I stuck with it. I remember telling myself that it would get better. That it wasn’t THAT bad. I’ve always had a high threshold for pain and always seem to forget it once it pasts, so each month once my period was over, I’d just keep going along until another insanely painful period hit me the next month. A few years in, I started to notice my PMS symptoms were the worse they’ve ever been. Luckily I was introduced to evening primrose oil and that definitely was a game charger for the intense feelings of loneliness that would always strike a week before I started menstruating. Overall, I think I put up with the negative side effects of the IUD because I didn’t want to use the hormonal IUD or go back on the pill, and I really trusted the effectiveness of the IUD (99.2% to 99.4%). I had settled down and gotten married, and the IUD seemed like the best method for me at the time.

A couple years ago, I started to grow wary of the IUD. Mainly because of the insane amount of inflammation it caused in my body. My womb space literally felt swollen, not just when I was having my period, but at various other times throughout my cycle. I started to consider getting it taken out. I began looking into different options, and this time the one that came up and stuck with me was the fertility awareness method. Essentially this is when you track your cycle (using various methods) so you know when you are ovulating (fertile). Then you either abstain from sex or use a barrier method on the days of your cycle that you’re at risk for pregnancy. About a year ago I got my IUD removed. I’ve been using the fertility awareness method ever since.

I started using Daysy in June to help me track my cycle with better accuracy. Daysy is a basal body temperature thermometer fertility tracker that works using the fertility awareness method by learning and tracking your cycle over time. Each morning right when I wake up, before getting out of bed, I pop Daysy under my tongue to get my temperature reading. The easy-to-read color coded system on Daysy will illuminate either red (fertile), green (not fertile) or yellow (not enough information to determine status – the “learning” phase when you first start using Daysy). When I’m in the red (fertile) or the yellow, we use condoms when having sex. With over 30 years of data collection, Daysy predicts your cycle with 99.4% accuracy. Every few days, I sync Daysy to the DaysyView app where I can view findings and see my cycle at a glance. I’m not planning a pregnancy in the foreseeable future, but if/when I do someday, I love that Daysy is also a reliable method for women trying to get pregnant. It’s important to note that Daysy does not protect against STDs. And its only recommended for women with cycles 19-40 days in length. For where I’m at in my life right now, using Daysy to help me track my cycle works really well for me. It’s empowering to feel connected to my body and its natural rhythms in a way I’ve never felt before.

When I first became sexually active, I never really considered any other form of birth control besides the pill because the options seemed so limited to me at the time. Nowadays, it seems like the sex conversation is way more mainstream. It’s less taboo to talk about because, duh, safe sex education is SO important. There’s even great resources like Bedsider that educate you on all birth control methods and help you find which method is right for you. As always, I’m here to support you on your journey. I’m happy to answer any questions as they pertain to my personal experience with contraceptives.

[This post is sponsored by Daysy, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.]

September 19, 2018 32 comments

Lifestyle

Talking All About Marriage

Today is me and my husband Chris’ 5th wedding anniversary! It’s kind of nuts how fast time flies by. My marriage is one of the greatest joys of my life. That being said, marriage is by no means easy or fun all the time. It takes so much patience, understanding, openness, letting go, honesty and trust to maintain a healthy marriage. Both partners must be willing to choose each other every day. It requires sticking together through time and the inevitable difficulties that come up in life. I feel so fortunate to have built a solid base of friendship with Chris before we ever got involved romantically. I really believe this helped our relationship in a major way. Of course, not everyone can fall in love with their best friend, but I think there’s major value in really getting to know each other and investing time into the relationship before entering into marriage.

Chris and I met in 2009 when we were living on the same street. My roommate at the time introduced us. Chris was a DJ, so obviously I thought he was super cool, as well as very cute. At the time I was very committed to my boyfriend, so Chris and I were just fast friends. We would have dinners occasionally and he would share new music with me. In 2011, we both were looking to move out of our houses, so we decided to get a shared house along with my best friend Hannah.

We all lived together in our house on NE Skidmore for about 1.5 years. During that time, Chris and I really got to know each other. We definitely had many moments of bickering and arguing over stupid stuff like whose turn it was to clean the kitchen. Chris was also there for me during some of the hardest moments of my life. Particularly, when I found by way of ending up in the hospital for 8-days with a horrible STD that my boyfriend of 4.5 years cheated on me. This experience was the most traumatic of my life. I was completely heartbroken, living in a bubble of shame, unable to walk for a month and in the worst physical pain of my life. I remember Chris coming to visit me in the hospital with a homemade quinoa and kale salad and a big coffee table photography book to keep me entertained.

Needless to say, my relationship with my ex ended not long after all that. Around the same time, Chris broke up with his then girlfriend. Nothing happened right away. But our best friend Hannah saw a spark and a few months after both my and Chris’ relationships had ended, she gently nudged us both. It was so sweet that she saw how great we were for each other and decided to try her hand as match maker. I remember the first time she mentioned it to me, I gasped, “Chris?!? No way. He’s like my brother.” But after she planted the seed, I began to look at Chris with new eyes. I realized that I did really love him. Chris and I talked and decided we wanted to try dating. He asked me out to a nice dinner at Ned Ludd (where we ended up having our wedding reception), and I gladly accepted. I’ll never forget our first date. We had a completely honest conversation where we were both able to express our fears about getting romantically involved after years of friendship and how important it was for both of us to be completely honest as we started this dating process. But mostly, we were both super smitten with each other and excited to be taking this leap. We went home watched Romeo and Juliet and had our first kiss. Major fireworks!

6 months (yes, that fast!) later, we got married in Portland surrounded by 20 of our nearest and dearest family and friends. Our wedding was a dream come true. We spent the week before our wedding in Kauai and came back to Portland 2 days before the wedding. It was so nice going into our special day completely relaxed from our vacation. Since we had such a small wedding, we had a second wedding at Burning Man with 150 friends and strangers 4 months later. What a freaking blast!

I would say the first 2 years of our marriage were the toughest so far. It took us time to get used to being married. There were a lot of things that came up. I was young (only 26) and still figuring out my place in the world and what I wanted to do with my life. Chris was 30, but it took him longer to get used to having a wife that he needed to prioritize after so many years of being single.

Chris and I are both super ambitious and creative people. He has owned his own business for the last 10+ years and was a major inspiration for me to start my own business. Chris is a designer and screen printer. His clothing company is Rythmatix, and he also does custom work for different clients around the world. Chris is absolutely the most driven person I know. His passion for doing what he loves is a constant source of inspiration to me. Sometimes there are difficulties with both being creative entrepreneurs, but overall, since we both love our work and have the flexibility to do what we want, it really works for us.

In our marriage, we value independence. We both have strong passions and relationships outside our marriage. We by no means do everything together. And we don’t get upset when the other person wants to go out with their friends or do an activity on their own. I think independence is one of the healthiest ways to sustain a long term partnership. Jealousy and fear always lead down the road of mistrust and obsessiveness. Another thing both Chris and I value is fun and sense of humor. We love joking around and making each other laugh. It’s one of the main pillars of our relationship. Being able to be silly and have fun together makes any experience an adventure.

Ultimately, no marriage or relationship is perfect. As wonderful and ideal as things may appear from the outside, there are and probably always will be flaws to accept and hurdles to jump over. We are all such beautifully imperfect humans and when we come together in a relationship it’s really about learning to love each other for all the bright light and all the darkness that comes with. It takes hard work and dedication and the willingness to keep being vulnerable, open and trusting as time goes on. It’s easy to run when things get tough or when we feel uncomfortable, but the magic truly happens when you stick it out, work through the mess and refind the light together.

April 29, 2018 28 comments

Lifestyle Style

All My Favorite Ceramics

I get so many questions over on Instagram about my ceramics collection. I thought it was about time I do a post on all my faves. I’ve been collecting ceramics for the past several years, purchasing them on my travels, working with ceramicists on custom pieces and picking them up locally in Portland. I don’t collect many things, but my ceramics and crystal collections definitely hold a place in my heart. I love supporting people making beautiful things by hand. Handmade ceramics almost always cost more, but they are always worth it. They’re more sturdy and typically last longer than mass-produced dinnerware, as they don’t chip as easily. Handmade ceramics bring great joy to my home. I love picking out which mug I’m going to drink from each morning or which bowl I’m going to eat my lunch out of. My ceramic collection is mostly mix and match, but all have a similar vibe and aesthetic so when I’m setting my table for entertaining it still looks cohesive. If you like an artist’s work but don’t see the exact piece you are looking for, don’t hesitate to reach out! Most ceramists will do custom orders.

Colleen Hennessey – One of my all-time favorites. I especially love Colleen’s bowls.

Fefo Studio – Aside from being an amazing human, Fernando also happens to make insanely gorgeous ceramics.

Alexandria Cummings – Alex and I have known each other for years. It’s been so wonderful watching her work evolve and her business grow. She just made the cutest mugs for one of my NYC workshops.

Justin Caraco – Justin’s work is brilliant. He doesn’t sell online, but shoot him a DM if you are interested in any of his works.

Zamaa Ceramica – I discovered Zamaa when I was in Tulum last year. Seriously stunning work.

Kati von Lehman – I’ve been a long-time lover of Kati’s work. I have one of her tumblers, and it’s definitely one of my favorite vessels.

Anamone Studios – Just discovered Anamone recently, and I’m thrilled that a couple custom pieces for our new kitchen are on their way to me now.

Pigeon Toe – These babes make the coolest stuff, including the rad pendant lights that are going in our new kitchen.

bX Ceramics – Becki’s work has so much depth and beauty. She made 50 mini matcha mugs for my other NYC workshop last month.

Mary Carroll Ceramics – Picked up one of Mary’s mugs at the Portland Airport on my way to NYC last month, and it’s definitely my new favorite.

Brian Giniewski – The most fun! Brian’s work is so original. I have several of his mugs.

Earth + Element – I met Liz at Spirit Weavers Gathering last year, and my best friend and I purchased matching tea bowls from her.

Notary Ceramics – Sarah’s work is understated and lovely. And she’s also an all-around lovely human.

A Question of Eagles – I’ve been swooning over Melissa and Jonathan’s work for a while. I need that soap dispenser!

Earthen – Loving this line from SF. On my wish list!

Helen Levi – I’ve long been a fan of Helen’s work. Her marbled pieces are insane.

Mimi Ceramics – A Portland local. I love how playful and fun her work is.

March 20, 2018 1 comment

Lifestyle Wellness

All About Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a way for consumers to support their local farmers directly by purchasing a share at the beginning of the season. A share is essentially a weekly membership or subscription. Typically each week of the season members get a box of fresh produce direct from the farm. Some CSAs deliver. Others have local pick-up locations on a certain day(s) of the week. Some CSAs offer optional add-ons like dairy, meat, honey and other provisions. Many CSAs these days include or send an email newsletter with suggested recipes using the produce from that given week. If you’re worried about how much produce you’ll get each week and/or think you might not be able to use it all, consider splitting a share with another family or a few friends.

Benefits of CSA:

- The freshest, best tasting produce you can imagine.
- You’ll develop a relationship with and directly support a local farmer. Paying the farmer up front at the beginning of the season greatly helps with the farm’s cash flow. For better or worse, you are investing in the farm. If you’ve ever worked on a farm, you know how long the days are and how laborious the work is. To be able to support people doing this work everyday is a beautiful thing. With a CSA, there is a level of shared risk, which means farmers do their best to have an abundance of vegetables each season, but if a crop fails or something unexpected happens, members are not reimbursed. CSAs are really all about community and the idea that “we’re all in it together.”
- Exposes you to new and different varieties of vegetables that you wouldn’t normally buy at the store. A great way to expand your knowledge and challenge you in the kitchen.
- You know exactly where your food is coming from. Lots of farms even have a CSA day where you have the opportunity to visit the farm.
- Saves you money. If you normally buy organic produce at the store or farmer’s market, joining a CSA will save you money.
- Saves you time, as you won’t have to worry about picking out produce at the store.

I’ve been part of a CSA for the past 4 years. It’s been an incredible way to connect with local farmers and to receive the most amazing, delicious and beautiful produce. I absolutely love receiving my basket each week and feeling surprised and delighted with what’s inside. It’s a fun challenge to cook with veggies I’m not used to buying. Pushes me outside my comfort zone and adds variety to my everyday routine.

Last year and this year, we’re part of the Helsing Junction Farm CSA. I’ve absolutely loved being a member. They deliver to my doorstep, which makes it SO easy, and all of the produce has been amazing. Last year we received both a large CSA share and a flower CSA share (yes, fresh flowers delivered to my doorstep!). Helsing Junction is offering all of you in the Pacific Northwest (yes, Oregon AND Washington!) $20 off any CSA subscription with code: WuHausCSA18 .

I’ve also been a member of Tumbleweed Farm and Working Hands Farm CSAs in past years and highly recommend both if you are in the Portland area. No matter where you are, lots of communities have CSA programs in place. Local Harvest is an amazing resource for learning about and finding CSAs in your area. Farmer’s markets are a great alternative option if you can’t find a CSA in your area. I also love what Imperfect Produce is doing. Below are some photos from Helsing Junction of the types of produce and flowers in their shares in the middle of the summer season.

March 15, 2018 0 comment

Lifestyle

I Love You So Matcha Totes

SO excited to announce I’ve just added these market totes to the Wu Haus shop. I hand drew the I love you so matcha type, my friend Daynah designed the matcha mug, and my husband screen printed the totes here at our haus in Portland. A labor of love and collaboration!

Wu Haus will donate $2 from the sale of each tote to The American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU works daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States.

March 12, 2018 0 comment