April Newsletter
New menu and thoughts on bringing a little peace to our deregulated lives
Katie J. Liddiard, Spring Bunch, oil
A Note From Amanda~
April whipped in on wild winds and is leaving us with all the blooms, baby leaves promising dappled light and renewal and… drum roll… a brand new menu!
This one was so fun to plan together. In the dark and cold of winter, Lou and I would pull cookbooks off shelves, gather ingredients, practice, taste test on our biggest critics (and fans)The 8 Kids.
Mid-March we tried out a creamy habanero soup on the crowd at Taste of the Nordic at Anthony Lakes. It was a hot summer day in a cup, and we sold every last, spicy drop. It’s a winner and will be included on the soup rotation this season!
Even after all the planning and practice, switching over to a new food and cocktail menu is always a heavy lift, and requires flexibility and pivots. Our staff did an incredible job at helping us launch the spring menu. We’re so excited to share it with you!
Our Brazilian Shrimp and Coconut Rice Bowl is full of bright flavors, and my favorite spring cocktail is the Bourbon Bee. Trust me on this, it’s delightful.
Spring has sprung, friends, let us pour you a drink and make you dinner!
Abundance
in memory of Mary Oliver By Amy Schmidt
It’s impossible to be lonely
when you’re zesting an orange.
Scrape the soft rind once
and the whole room
fills with fruit.
Look around: you have
more than enough.
Always have.
You just didn’t notice
until now.
A Note From Lou~
Here is a list of things to try this spring to make it rich and beautiful.
On the whole, we adults are walking around a bit dysregulated. We keep waiting for the grown-ups to show up and tell us what to do.. I don’t have answers for how to fix that, but here are a few ideas to soften your spring a bit…
1. Put your hands in the dirt. If you don’t have a garden or it is overwhelming to you, start with a pot and put a flower or herbs in it.
2. Add one house plant to your home.
3. Listen to music with no words—just instruments. Somedays, the mystery of melody and instrumental harmony is enough to make your shoulders drop.
4. Step outside and pull 10 weeds.
5. Fall asleep with your window open
6. Start a Marco Polo, Voxer, or voice memo conversation with a fun friend and do a little low-pressure catching up.
7. Get a flower book from the library with lots of pictures. Or grab a magazine from the checkout line.
8. Take a long or short walk.
9. Eat outside, either picnic food or grilled. We all need the smell of BBQ smoke in our neighborhoods.
10. Go hunt for some morel mushrooms.
11. Stare at some art a few seconds longer than normal.
12. Discuss books, food, or film with a friend.
I hope that you will try one or two of these things in the coming weeks and months. Please add to this list and share with us your spring lifesaving ideas that are non-overwhelming.
Onward, dear ones. Cheers!
-Please join us on May 9th at 6 pm for a spring wine release and food pairing, in partnership with Open Soul Wines—message or DM to reserve a seat.
-There are still a couple of spaces left at the Selah retreat June 5-8 in Joseph, OR.