No Place like Home.

As i sit and wait at the airport i

replay in my head all that i did while i was home visiting my folks. This visit home helped me realize a lot about myself and where i am in my life. What i realized is i love my life in Portland, Oregon, but there is no place like home. I joke and call my parents house the "Bed and Breakfast." They have worked very hard to make there home very comfortable and cozy, and it is exactly that. Each morning there is hot coffee and some delicious baked good sitting on the kitchen counter waiting for me. My bed is made, my laundry is done and all my meals are included, and i have no concerns about bedbugs!!My parents love to work in there yard and like their home, it is comfortable and cozy. Beautifully landscaped with Hosta's, Ornamental grasses and Black-Eyed Susan's as far as the eye can see. My mom's vegetable garden is filled with delicious green beans, sweet yellow tomatoes and squash blossom's that will eventually be zucchini. This morning i walked around the yard, ate a cherry tomato and enjoyed the feeling of the damp grass on the bottom's of my bare feet, a good memory to leave with.
Normally i am sad to leave because i never know when i will make it back east. I am leaving with only good memories of home, morning walks with my mom and emma, always a little shoe shopping with my mom, stomach pains from laughter shared with my best friends from high school and many conversations with my dad over lunch and several beers. Leaving home this time was very different because in a matter of weeks my family will be migrating west for our August wedding at the coast.
No matter when i return i know a cozy bed, a furry dog, loving parents and fresh baked good await me. There really is no place like home.

Off The Menu, July 15th | Restaurant Jobs - Poached Jobs

Off The Menu, July 15th | Restaurant Jobs - Poached Jobs

A Humbled Girl!

After a great weekend with my Dad in Nashville and a few days visiting with family and friends, i am happy to report auditioning for The Taste has been a positive experience. This challenge has helped me put my priorities in perspective. Had i been contacted by the show i would have had to decline as i have many exciting life experiences to come and not sure if i could commit to a five week filming schedule.                                 

In the next two months, i am getting married, going on a brief honeymoon, visiting my family in Kansas, going White Water Rafting, graduation, creating and making videos for y'all, and working at the best Urban Winery in Portland, the SE Wine Collective as their Tasting Room Chef. I am not sure i could handle one more life experience when i have so much to look forward too!

Your support and love has overwhelmed this girl and helped make this experience such a positive one. I am forever grateful and thank you all. Stay tuned for a new video coming up this weekend! Thank You- Shannon K. Martin

Sangria!!

A great summertime treat to beat the heat.

Sangria is one of my favorite cocktails on a hot summer day, so refreshing and flavorful.  It usually consists of wine, chopped fruit, a sweetener and a small amount of brandy. Sangria is traditionally made with red wine, it gets its name form the Spanish word for blood "sangre." Sangria is served all across Spain, Portugal and Argentina, variations of Sangria are heavily influenced by each region. In Southern Spain you will see Sangria Blanca, which is made with white wine and stone fruits.
I love to make a pitcher of Sangria when i have wine left over from an event or when i am having company . With my recipe you could use either red wine or white wine, but i prefer to use red wine. I recommend serving it in a clear glass pitcher and a wooden, because visually, it looks beautiful.
Please watch our tutorial video and use the recipe to follow along. Enjoy and happy cooking!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbOO0FfIFBk&feature=c4-overview&list=UUkdu7oy8R5mTKUNvo3KX3nA

Sangria Recipe

Utensils needed for making Sangria, a small sauce pot, a zester, a sharp knife, wooden spoon, cutting board, a measuring cup, glass pitcher and a glass for sampling.

Ingredients:

1-750 ml. bottle of red wine (any varietal)
1- Fuji apple
2- oranges
1- cup blackberries
1-cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup water
zest from one of the oranges
ice

Start by making a simple syrup, which is equal parts water to sugar. Pour sugar, water and add orange zest into a small sauce pot over medium heat, stirring frequently until mixture comes to a boil, then set aside and allow the syrup to cool.
Juice both oranges, reserving a few orange slices for garnish, add pineapple juice, blackberries, sliced apple and the cooled orange syrup and lastly add red wine. Stir and refrigerate Sangria for several hours.
The longer this mixture sits, the better it tastes. Serve over ice in a wine glass and garnish with either an orange slice or apple slice. Enjoy!

Our most viewed video on Planet of Food!

Roasted Beet and Potato Salad, Yum!

This video is our most viewed video! Scott and i filmed this episode in my mother in law's kitchen. She loved for us to film at her house, because she got to sample all the food we made in her home. I believe out of all the meals we created, this may have been her favorite! So this post is dedicated to my beautiful, generous, mother in law, Karen Kiedaisch. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeBy9XcPW1w&feature=c4-overview&playnext=1&list=TLyRTAXFrSA70

Welcome Back to Planet of Food!

we are back!

It has been a year since I posted on Planet of Food and for anyone who was following us, I am sorry. Some of you have shown interest in our videos and I am happy to say after a year hiatus, we are ready to get started. We are currently working on a new format for this blog, so bare with us. We are open to suggestions regarding updates to our blog, so please feel free to comment and tell us what you would like to see!
While we have been away, I have completed culinary school at Oregon Culinary Institute. I was so nervous to start school over at 41, but I can honestly say, it was the best decision I have ever made for myself. Scott, is working on his Pharmaceutical Tech license and supporting my culinary endeavors and an active collaborator on Planet of Food. I am happy to report our wedding is just a month away in August, we have been looking forward to this day for a some time.
Thank you for your support and interest over the years and please stay tuned to Planet of Food!

Lavender as far as the Eye can see.

I can report that the Hood River Lavender Daze was well worth the trip. I cannot imagine a more beautiful place to spend a summer afternoon than, Mt. Hood Lavender Farms. Lavender as far as the eye can see, nestled between Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams and a slew of fruit farms.
The funnel cakes and drunken brawls were replaced by the hum of bees feasting on lavender and families enjoying mother nature. Entertainment was provided by local musicians and there were plenty of activities for everyone.
Another highlight of the day was stopping at a local vineyard, Wy' East, for a refreshing glass of their 2011 Columbia Gorge Chardonnay. My last stop of the day was the Columbia River, where i watched Kiteboarders sail across the might river. I should have planned better for the river and packed a bathing suit, instead i settled for wading in up to my knees.
With my car full of lavender, wine and fond memories i headed back to Portland just in time to see the sun setting on the Columbia River. With a full tank of gas and a couple of bucks in your pocket, so many adventures in this beautiful state, i am just scraping the surface!