Tag Archives: “gluten free”

interview series: Kylie Streed

I met Kylie at our mutual friend Brian’s party. Kylie and I were sitting by each other on the couch commiserating about our gluten free lifestyle. We were both eyeballing the cookies while making chit chat. She mentioned she was a hairstylist, and I reported I had just that week gotten my hair cut. I had my hair pulled back and also was wearing a hat. I dutifully showed her what I was feeling rather apathetic about and she responded by saying we should cut it! I agreed!

She cut my hair with regular scissors in the hallway at Brian’s house in the middle of a party. I love her spontaneity and her infectious laugh. She’s a warm and caring person who is now my new hair stylist!

Jamie: Tell us a little about yourself.

Kylie: I was born and raised in sunny southern California, but now I choose to call Portland my home. I’ve been specializing in men’s haircuts for a little over eight years. I feel like the luckiest person alive because I get to make a living doing pretty much my favorite thing in the world. I also love to read; I have at least three books dog-eared at any given time. That’s right– books. The Kindle makes me nervous and doesn’t smell nearly as good as ink on fresh paper.

Jamie: Southern California and Portland, Oregon are practically complete opposites in some ways, yet really similar in others. What do you love about both places? And what do you miss most about SoCal? I’d love to know about some of your favorites places and restaurants too!

Kylie: They really are so different from each other. That’s what’s so nice about still having family in California. I get to enjoy for a few days and then come back to reality– kind of like playing with my friends’ kids. I love the warmth and smell of California. Maybe my olfactory system is super sensitive, but I think all places have a unique smell. I love that in Portland, you can walk to your neighborhood theatre and watch the Country Music Awards or just a basketball game with fellow beer drinkers. There’s such a strong sense of community here. What I miss most about where I grew up is the Mexican food! not many things are fried in lard up here in the northwest, unfortunately. I did find one restaurant that comes pretty close to SoCal- There’s a divey little joint on East Burnside called Ole Ole. The tacos are to die for and very affordable! Which is good, because everyone in Portland is either retired or working on their doctorate. Another place I love specializes in Ethiopian cuisine. No jokes, please. It’s called Bete-Lukas. The owner is a kick and the food is always fresh and delicious. And because I have three stomachs, I can’t forget about dessert. Rimsky-Korsakoffee House in the Buckman area is as out there as it gets. Incredible and interesting hand crafted pies and coffees. But, beware of the bathrooms- that’s all I’ll say.

Jamie: I thought I was a die hard paper book person too, but my friend Jill gave me a Kindle, and I was surprised how much I do like it! It’s been a lifesaver living in a small place. Haha! What kind of books do you read?

Kylie: I’ll read pretty much anything that I’m given or is recommended to me. I get a lot of books as gifts. It’s pretty interesting to see what people come up with. You can always tell what kind of person someone thinks you are by the books they give you. Chuck Pahlaniuk is my favorite author, so I’ve read all of his work. You may know him from such titles as, “Fight Club.” I’m really into science fiction and memoirs. I’m just fascinated by humans; I’ll read anyone’s story.

Jamie: You seem like a brave and fearless person. Does anything scare you?

Kylie: Turning thirty! No, but seriously, a few things do. I’ve always been deathly afraid of heights. Once I’m at 30,000 feet on an airplane I can relax–sort of. But skyscrapers…forget it. I also have a healthy fear of large dogs; it stems from some sort of childhood canine trauma, I’m sure.

Jamie: I used to love flying, but I like it less and less these days. I do like heights though. They remind me of dreams I have had in which I can fly. But let’s circle back around to the hair cutting thing: when did you get interested in hair cutting? And why are you specialized in men’s hair? What inspires you? Tell me all the things!

Kylie: Do you ever fall in your flying dreams? I heard that’s good luck! Hair cutting…let’s see. I’ve been fascinated with the entire beautification process for as long as I can remember. When my parents would have guests over, I’d walk around the room and paint everyone’s fingernails. I’m sure I did great work at four years old!

Whenever my dad would go in to get his hair cut, even if it was early in the morning, I’d go with him. I’d sit in the lobby and watch intently. I loved the sound of the shears snipping the hair and how effortless and graceful the stylists looked while working. Later in life, I was always the first in the house to notice when Dad came home with a fresh haircut. His face looked brighter and he seemed to have a spring in his step. Men’s hair holds my interest because of the precision involved in cutting, and even styling it. Women’s hair is fun to look at and play with, but the technician in me loves dealing with tight shapes and weight lines. It’s also fun to show a man that a good haircut really can make a difference in how he feels and even acts. I feel that the extra time and attention I’m able to devote to my clients gives them a certain confidence and dare I say…swagger?

I love to flip through cheesy magazines like US Weekly to see what the “beautiful people” of the world are doing with their hair. Since my shop is in a men’s clothing store, I also draw a lot of inspiration from expensive suits. I like to give my clients a haircut that will enhance their style and maybe even get them to switch from a polo to a nice sport coat.

Jamie: Would you like to share some internet links?

Kylie: www.facebook.com/hairbykyliestreed

www.schedulicity.com (online scheduling.)

http://www.yelp.com/biz/hair-by-kylie-portland

Thanks to Kylie for participating in my interview series! If you have any questions for her, ask in the comments below! (And go get a hair cut!)

interview series moving forward and some reflective thoughts

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Last year was one full of great changes for me.

David and I left Phoenix to move to Portland at the very end of February. I had lived in Phoenix my entire life. My original plan was to move after college, but it took a little over ten years.

We went from owning a large home to renting a small (725 sq ft!) house! We learned and are still learning to pare down what we have. It helps that we don’t live close to any big box stores full of inexpensive and tempting things. There’s a sense of accomplishment to let go of things we’ve been holding on to both physically and emotionally.

After finally getting my health under control in 2012 and moving at the beginning of 2013, I was finally able to get a job in a new career. I am so grateful for those who saw my potential and ignored my lack of experience. I am grateful for the teammates who help me with the steep learning curve everyday and make my job a fun place to work. I am full of joy to move forward and learn new skills and grow. Thank you: Jarnigan, Jesse, Wael, Jordan, John, Kenny, Mike, Ian, Robert, Lucas, Matt, Will, Grant, Raul, Charlie, Mel and Alison.

I am thankful for my friends and family who have visited me here in Portland bringing pieces of home. I love showing my new city to you. I still have so much to discover each day about this magical place full of artists, trees, and quirky shops. Oh and the food. Thank you Tom, Sarah, Jill, John, Stacy, Erica, James, Tim, Anke, Judy, Chanelle, Gabe, Susan, and Bree. (Am I forgetting anyone?)

And speaking of food, what a perfect city for me! Restaurants that label their menu with gluten free indicators (GF)! Chefs who understand special diets and embrace the diversity of their patrons! Hooray!

Just under the gun, Stephanie slid into Portland. She left Phoenix before I did, but overshot and landed in Seattle. She just moved to the neighborhood last month! I am thrilled to have one of my best friends back again.

We visited Phoenix in May for my little brother’s wedding. It was originally going to be a destination wedding, but they changed their plans. It ended up being just perfect for them: full of friends and family. Dancing, eating, toasting, drinking…so full of emotion and celebration.

I rode my bike to and from work about 10-11 miles round trip along the river on a bike path from the beginning of October to the end of November. So maybe about 460 miles? I suppose that isn’t much for you regular cyclists, but quite a lot for me. I am excited for the mornings to warm up a tad (50 degrees please!) and the sun to extend it’s daylight hours so I can ride again.

In some sense, my blog has suffered because of my new life. I feel compelled to be outside so often. I love exploring and when I am at home, I like to unwind with my knitting. I have met so many wonderful people here though, so I want to continue my interview series and increase the frequency. I can’t believe I only interviewed three people in 2013!

2013 Interviews

2012 Interviews:

2011 Interviews:

2010 Interviews:

food photography: beet and beef stew

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I love stew.

In particular, beef stew. There’s nothing quite as simple and comforting as a slow cooked, filling, and savory meal. I typically have a go-to recipe that I vary little from, but I thought I’d try a new twist using golden beets, celeriac, anchovies, and herbs de Provence. The recipe I used is from Chris Kresser’s site.

Stewing meat, vegetables, and spices together doesn’t get any easier. I like the ease of starting with a lot of fresh ingredients (and perhaps a few shortcuts if you don’t have your own stock or tomato sauce at hand), and ending up with something so hearty.

You start by sauteing the onions and shallots in your heavy bottomed pot. Add garlic when your onions are nearly finished (garlic can burn easily), then add all the rest of the ingredients to the pot save for a couple cloves of chopped garlic that you’ll add at the very end for a little punch.

Golden beets

celery root/celeriac (You could also use turnips, parsnips, or carrots)

red wine and beef stock

bay leaves and anchovies

tomato sauce, tomato paste, and herbs de Provence

grass fed beef

Once you’ve put all the ingredients into the pot, you simply leave it in the oven for a few hours. The low, slow heat does all the work tenderizing your meat and vegetables, and it melds all the flavors.

You can see even more photos of this stew on my Flickr page.

food photography: macarons

Portland Food Photography: Slappy Cakes

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There’s this place in Portland that really has it figured out.

How do you combine pancakes and fun in a restaurant? I know what you are thinking, “Pancakes are already fun!”

And I say, “No, they get fun-er. More fun. Having all the funs.”

I introduce you to: Slappy Cakes.

Slappy Cakes offers several batters for pancakes, but the twist is THAT YOU GET TO COOK THEM YOURSELF AT YOUR TABLE!

You choose your batter:

Buttermilk
Whole Grain
Gluten-free
Peanut Butter
Vegan
Sweet Parsnip

You have choices of toppings and ingredients too! We picked lemon curd and blueberries.

You might be thinking, “I don’t really care for pancakes or waffles or any of the sweet breakfast foods.” And that’s fine, they have a full menu.

Paleo Food Photography: Bacon Wrapped Dates & Goat Cheese

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These little buddies are magical. Just make them paleo food eater or not. They are the perfect combination of sweet, salty, tangy and bacon. Make them for yourself at home (they taste delicious even cold), or prepare them for a party. Although I don’t know how to share something this delicious. It’s difficult, but some of you are more generous than I. You could also make this dairy free by stuffing the dates with an almond or something else, but I recommend the goat cheese if you would prefer to reach nirvana.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees WITH THE BROILER PAN IN IT. That way, when you put the bacon on the hot pan, it’s less likely to stick and pull your precious bacon away with it.

Count your dates.

Cut your bacon in half. (I had ginormous dates, so I did full pieces of bacon for the pictures.) Now, you either have more pieces of dates or bacon. Whichever one you have less of, that’s how many you can make. I am assuming here that you have about eighteen pieces of bacon after cutting them in half. One of the small goat cheeses should do you, but you should always buy the larger one because GOAT CHEESE.

Soak eighteen plus extra toothpicks in a little bowl of water (a couple extra in case any of your toothpicks are janky and break)

Prep those dates-they may have pits if you didn’t pay attention and buy the de-pitted kind. Take the pits out, remove any stems, and use a knife to slice them open from top to bottom.

Then, shove some goat cheese inside with a butter knife. Put in as much as you want. It’s okay if it shows out the side. Stuff them all before wrapping them in bacon. (Trust me, it’s easier and reduces the risk of cross contamination.

(At this point, you could eat these or bring these to a vegetarian party. Or serve up extra dates and goat cheese while waiting for the bacon ones.)

Then, wrap each one with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Do them all, and by this time, the oven and pan should be ready!

Place them all onto the broiler pan (they should sizzle! Be careful!) Give them a little room-no touching! Put them into the oven and turn them once after about 10-15 minutes. They should be done after 20-25 minutes, BUT IT DEPENDS ON THE SIZE OF YOURS! And also your bacon crispy preference. The dates and goat cheese do not need to cook, so the only thing you have to worry about is the bacon.

Enjoy!