Recently: Feast Portland 2017

In lieu of a “Recently: September,” I’m just going to tell you all about my weekend at Feast PDX. I have this feeling that the reason you all show up here isn’t to hear all about my life twice a month. I think once is more than enough. Plus, there is the fact that my life hasn’t been that interesting so far. It’s been a lot of family — work — special orders — senior photos — that kind of thing.

There isn’t anything better in the world than friends and Ashley is one of my dearest. Does this mean she reads my blog? No. (Cambria, this is your queue to text her so that she can pretend to have read my blog organically). Ashley, it’s time to “lean in.” Okay, where was I? Yes, I spent the weekend with her in Portland when I wasn’t gallivanting around the town feasting on amazing foods and helping prep for the Secret Supper. Gallivanting is a very polished way of saying that I was intensely stress sweating trying to find parking and scouting out who seemed nice enough to talk to on the sly, oh yeah, and there was food.

Ashley calmed me down with a pair of understanding ears when I vented about “that one blogger that threw me some shade” with sage advice: “Um… unfollow her NOW, Karlee.”  She also rejoiced when I met my baking idol, Joy. But more on that later. I’m really not sure I could have made it through that weekend without her, the Olympia Provisions midnight French cheese boards, and that early morning yoga sesh. Times like these give me a deep ache to live closer to my friends.

But the run down? First, let me talk about Smoked! Okay, this event, I’m going to go again next year. Except this time, I’ll go as a person, not as a blogger, and I’ll be going with friends. It was AMAZING, and the only thing that was missing was a friendly face to rave about the perfectly battered quail legs. I also needed someone to laugh at my well-timed reference to Quailman. Not to mention a friend to hold my purse and cover me so I can take my 5^th insulin shot of the night.

But all in all, I had about 7 mini cones of Tillamook’s special batch Whiskey Maple ice-cream, hung out next to the coolest DJ I’ve ever seen, and left early to see the swallows and make sure my numbers were still in range. They were.

The swallows? Basically a bazillion birds fly into one chimney in NW Portland around dusk and it’s wonderful. Also, it left a slight taste of Alfred Hitchcock, and it left me with a very eerie feeling.

Any chance I got that weekend, I sped on over to Tendue where prep for the Secret Supper was being held. It’s gorgeous, and it’s officially where I’ll be hosting my cake decorating workshop!!! You’re going to love it, guys!

On Sunday, I woke up slightly sick from cheese, cured meats, and a late Salt & Straw stop. I raced over to make sure the girls had enough extra hands in the kitchen. Enter: Joy the Baker. I spent that morning prepping her cake pans and cleaning out the kitchen aid mixers between her whipping chocolate buttercream. We laughed over stupid YouTube videos and rapped to Drake (obviously). We talked croissants and fondant. By the end of the afternoon, it was decided… we are kindred’s. Yeah, I love her even more now than ever.

The not so Secret Supper that night was held at a beautiful farm on Sauvie Island, and it was just as whimsical as I remembered. I sat next to some reps from Le Creuset who gave me a killer recommendation for my new podcast obsession: S Town. I’ve already finished it. And, I got to meet some of the sweetest girls from Tillamook! There isn’t a better brand to work with, I’m telling you.

All female chefs curated the dinner: Eva, Ashley, Jessica and Joy. That’s a pretty great starting four, if you ask me. It was such a sweet reminder that nights like that are always about more than the food you eat. It’s about the people you are surrounded with that take life to the next level. That’s what I’ve always loved about the Secret Suppers. They are first and foremost about the people. Danielle and Eva do an outstanding job of making sure that everyone, from the people who are helping out, to the people who are dining, is enjoying themselves.

It was truly a perfect way to end my Feast weekend, in the company of wonderful people. In the company of friends.