Category Archives: Humans

Local Chefs Fight Monsanto With Knives

HAUTEMEALZ KITCHEN, PORTLAND, ORE. (November 6, 2013) As Chef Terry Ramsey (left) dishes us savory, crunchy lettuce rolls, Chef Perry Perkins (right) discusses issues that affect global food supply. Not a fan of GMOs, he talks about his experience on a humanitarian trip to Nigeria in his early 20's. "If I could have walked down the street and bought a bag of genetically modified soybeans to feed the people, I would have done it in a second. Having the political will to make tough decisions about population controls, changing policies that create endemic dependence on foreign aid, and overcoming tribal differences and power struggles that affect the distribution of food are not easy discussion to have or simple solutions to find, according to Perkins. (Photo by Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

HAUTEMEALZ KITCHEN, PORTLAND, ORE. (November 6, 2013) As Chef Terry Ramsey (left) dishes up savory, crunchy lettuce rolls, Chef Perry Perkins (right) discusses issues that affect global food supply. Not a fan of GMOs, he talks about his experience on a humanitarian trip to Nigeria in his early 20′s. “If I could have walked down the street and bought a bag of genetically modified soybeans to feed the people, I would have done it in a second.” Having the political will to make tough decisions about population controls, changing policies that create endemic dependence on foreign aid, and overcoming tribal differences and power struggles that affect the distribution of food are not easy discussion to have or simple solutions to find, according to Perkins.
(Photo by Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

Sharp kitchen knives. That’s how local chefs Perry Perkins, Terry Ramsey, and Chris Renner of HauteMealz.com stand up against a government-sanctioned food industry that peddles processed, genetically-modified food to a frenetic, stressed out generation of Americans who lack the cooking skills to make their own eating choices.

Outreach has always been a priority for the trio, and with their partnership they are not only feeding fish to the hungry, but they are also teaching families to fish. Well, they may not literally be teaching families to fish, but they are showing families how to reconnect around the dining table by preparing and sharing fresh, hand-made meals.

Renner and Perkins have been cooking together for years: as kids in youth group; as young men volunteers in local food kitchens; as caterers for BBQ (that’s where they picked up Ramsey); and now as men with HauteMealz, a weekly menu-planning and food shopping service that streamlines the cooking process for busy families.

The Service

The goal of the program isn’t solely to make meals easier. The stakes are bigger for these three. Their vision is to see families reunited around the dinner table, eating real, whole food; supporting local farmers’ markets; and taking back control of their own health. “It’s getting to the point where we can’t afford to be sick anymore,” said Perkins.

HauteMealz menu plans cost just $5 per month. Chefs Perry and Terry agree that they didn’t want cost to be a reason why people couldn’t benefit from their healthy meal plans. The four different menus - classic menu, lighter-side menu (reduced calorie), diabetic menu, and a gluten free menu - come in a variety of serving sizes.

Each week’s meals are grouped around similar food to save preparation and shopping time and to eliminate food waste. By cooking the “large protein” of the week ahead of time, moms and dads turn meal preparation time into roughly a ten minutes assembly process. The men believe the advanced planning will save families far more than the cost of the program.

HAUTEMEALZ KITCHEN, PORTLAND, ORE. (November 6, 2013) While Chef Perry Perkins chops cilantro for his chicken sausage lettuce rolls, Chef Terry Ramsey cuts carrots. By squaring the sides of the carrots, Chef Terry creates a stable platform for chopping the root vegetable into planks and then matchsticks. As part of their lessons, the chefs explain these kitchen terms to their customers. Chef Perry adds, "We know when our customers have graduated from our service when they start arguing with us." Both men chuckle as they keep chopping. (Photo by Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

HAUTEMEALZ KITCHEN, PORTLAND, ORE. (November 6, 2013) While Chef Perry Perkins chops cilantro for his chicken sausage lettuce rolls, Chef Terry Ramsey cuts carrots. By squaring the sides of the carrots, Chef Terry creates a stable platform for chopping the root vegetable into planks and then matchsticks. As part of their lessons, the chefs explain these kitchen terms to their customers. Chef Perry adds, “We know when our customers have graduated from our service when they start arguing with us.” Both men chuckle as they keep chopping.
(Photo by Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

Cooking Lessons:

Another benefit of the HauteMealz program are the professional kitchen technique tutorials from the chefs. In this video, Chef Perry demonstrates proper knife use.

How to Chop with a Kitchen Knife While Keeping Your Fingers Intact from Kaley Perkins on Vimeo.

More tutorials and resources can be found on Chef Perry’s YouTube channel.

 

The Day the Living Celebrate the Dead

While school aged ninjas, princess ballerinas, and superheroes around the Portland / Vancouver Metro area were accumulating blisters and candy on Halloween last Thursday night, six women in Portland, Ore. were putting the finishing touches on a Day of the Dead celebration, held at TaborSpace on Belmont Street, Friday, November 1.

In Portlandia, Day of the Dead is Part-Memorial and Part-Wake from Kaley Perkins on Vimeo.

Earth-based belief systems around the globe believe that the days surrounding October 31 represent a period in the year when the separation between the physical and the spiritual is particularly thin. Unlike Christian sects that draw sharp distinctions between the living and the dead and prohibit fraternization between the two, folk religions tolerate a fuzzier membrane between the phases of life and have created rituals for acknowledging the contributions of ancestors and loved ones who have passed before.

Enter Day of the Dead.

It Started Like a Funeral and Ended Like a Wake

TABORSPACE, PORTLAND, ORE. (November 1, 2013) Erin Donley, Clara Phoenix, Delila Olsson, Barbari Robitaille, Paula Austin, and Jen Violi are friends who organized the second annual Day of the Dead Celebration in Portland, Ore. on November 1. (Photo by Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist

TABORSPACE, PORTLAND, ORE. (November 1, 2013)
Erin Donley, Clara Phoenix, Delila Olsson, Barbara Robitaille, Paula Austin, and Jen Violi are friends who organized the second annual Day of the Dead Celebration in Portland, Ore. on November 1. They share an interest in scarves, jewelry, deep conversation, and difficult questions.
(Photo by Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

With a cadre of five other women, Erin Donley organized the community event where a crowd of about 150 gathered to make peace with the passing of loved ones, to tell stories of bravery and loss, and to let go of beliefs and emotional blocks which they were ready to release.

The women decorated the altar before participants arrived. Color-saturated sarongs and Mardi Gras beads, draped the alter. Glass jar Jesus candles, statues of Ganesh and Buddha, marigolds, sugar skulls, noise makers, and pictures of departed loved ones met attendees as they made their ways to the front of the sanctuary.

After some brief poetic readings, people were invited to approach the altar. Facilitators Donley and Jen Violi announced that the altar open for individuals to come and interact. “There is no “right” way,” exhorted Violi. People were welcomed to speak or not as they felt led.

Tears and laughs were universal throughout the gathering. Words ranged from irreverent, grateful, angry, and sad. Fond memories and sad losses took turns.

One man brought a basket of marigolds to share with the group. A school-aged boy couldn’t remember life without his dog. He heaved sobs over his dog while his mom hugged him from the side.

TABORSPACE, PORTLAND, ORE. (November 1, 2013) To symbolize the loss that one woman felt, she offered the book "Vagina." She grieved that the women in her family who went before her suffered body image shame. Though none of them had been free to feel good about their bodies, she determined to live with the healthy self-esteem they did not have. (Photo by Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

TABORSPACE, PORTLAND, ORE. (November 1, 2013)
To symbolize the loss that one woman felt, she offered the book “Vagina.” She grieved that the women in her family who went before her suffered body image shame. Though none of them had been free to feel good about their bodies, she determined to live with the healthy self-esteem they did not have.
(Photo by Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

Violi told stories about the beloved mentor and English professor who literally extinguished her during a presentation when her sweater caught fire. Another woman placed the book “Vagina” on the altar and shared how the women who came before in her family all had tremendous body hatred and shame issues. She wished they had been free to care about themselves.

Two friends joined together to speak of a third friend who passed from cancer eight years ago. The one who spoke wanted to finally let go of the anger she had at her friend for not telling them how advanced her disease had been.

Husbands mourned wives and wives husbands.

TABORSPACE, PORTLAND, ORE. (November 1, 2013) "We live such a short time," one woman shared. "For too long I have lived behind this, and tonight I am done with that." (Photo by Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

TABORSPACE, PORTLAND, ORE. (November 1, 2013)
“We live such a short time,” one woman shared. “For too long I have lived behind this, and tonight I am done with that.”
(Photo by Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

One woman laid a mask down and proclaimed that she was finished living behind it and was now ready to live her life in full. Another man placed a mini quilt he had made in honor of his mother who taught him to “Do What You Love With All Your Heart.”

At the end of their times at the altar, each individual shook a noise-maker, and the crowd joined in. The act of making noise, according to Donley’s literature, is corporate acknowledgement for the individual’s intention left at the altar.

The evening ended with the cacophonous shaking of noise-makers and sounding of drums followed by a mix of disco music, milling, and familiar conversation. To keep a finger on the pulse of next year’s celebration, you can follow Donley on Facebook.

November One Begins National Novel Writing Month

This year’s local NaNoWriMo Kickoff event was held at Fort Vancouver Regional Library in Vancouver, Wash.

History

National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, to those in the know began humbly, fifteen years ago as “half literary marathon and half block party,” according to its founder, Chris Baty. Baty and a group of 20 friends spent a month writing novels, for no other reason than they figured novelists have a better chance of getting dates than non-novelists.

According to Vancouver coordinator, Liz Onstead, NaNoWriMo has its own ebb and flow. Here she shares the creative process of NaNoWriMos over the years.

According to Vancouver coordinator, Liz Onstead, NaNoWriMo has its own ebb and flow. Here she shares the creative process of NaNoWriMos over the years.

But the now viral event has grown exponentially. Last year, according to the NaNoWriMo website, 341,375 people earned the right to call themselves novelists by penning at least 50,000 words.

Published NaNoWriMo Novelists

This isn’t just a frivolous exercise. According to Onstead, Water for Elephants came a rough draft of NaNoWriMo author, Sarah Gruen. Lists of books published by traditional publishing houses, self-publishing / Indy publishing, and even foreign publishing can be found on the NaNoWriMo website.

Upcoming Events:

The event which takes place every November is free. To “win,” participants have to craft 50,000 words over the course of the month. To that end local volunteers, or “Municipal Liaisons” are selected by the non-profit corporation and facilitate local events. In Vancovuer this year, there will be over two dozen local events at five locations.

A newly updated (thanks to member donations) digital platform acts as proctor, forum host, and event schedule receptacle, counting participants words and communicating when and where local events occur.

According to Nancy Kelley and Liz Onstead, local volunteers, or “Municipal Liaisons” who facilitate November’s NaNoWriMo, participants have over two dozen events to plug into for support, accountability, and encouragement. NaNoWriMo provides an informative FAQ for people wanting to lurk or find out more.

A schedule of events in Vancouver, Wash. and Portland, Ore., can be found on the local NaNoWriMo website. The map below marks the sites of the month’s events.

Local Parents Raise Second Child with Cystic Fibrosis

Sarah and Brad Jones have a one year old named Brynlee. Brynlee has cystic fibrosis, or “CF,” a disease which renders approximately 30,000 U.S. citizens vulnerable to life-threatening respiratory and digestive issues.

Brynlee Jones has an nasogastric tube attached that runs from her back through her nose, down to her stomach. Her parents hook formula up to the tube at night so that Brynlee can get the nutrition that she needs to feed her body. According to Jones, for patients of cystic fibrosis to have the best long-term quality of life, it is critical that they develop full lung capacity and get maximum nutritional benefit while they are young.

Brynlee Jones has an nasogastric tube attached that runs from her back through her nose, down to her stomach. Her parents hook formula up to the tube at night so that Brynlee can get the nutrition that she needs to feed her body. According to Jones, for patients of cystic fibrosis to have the best long-term quality of life, it is critical that they develop full lung capacity and get maximum nutritional benefit while they are young. (Photo by: Kaley Perkins / Independent Journalist)

In addition to the respiratory treatment in the video above, the family has a protocol to support Brynlee’s digestive health. Born with a blocked intestinal tract, their daughter has struggled to get adequate nutrition from birth. A nasogastric tube or “NG tube” inserted through Brynlee’s nose carries night-time nutrition to her stomach where she is able to receive it without the work normally associated with digestion.

The digestive enzymes which accompany every meal cost $600 per month, and the respiratory treatment costs $2,500 per month.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the national clearinghouse for information and the primary fund-raising arm of the community affected by cystic fibrosis, follows the development of new treatments. Current focus is on identifying and treating the underlying genetic mutations that cause the disease.

The foundation connects families to local support centers and resources for families struggling to find the finances that purchase the medications that keep their children breathing.

For a person to have Cystic Fibrosis, each parent needs to be a carrier of the gene mutation which creates the disease. If both parents are carriers, the child has a one in four chance of developing the disease.

For a person to have Cystic Fibrosis, each parent needs to be a carrier of the gene mutation which creates the disease. If both parents are carriers, the child has a one in four chance of developing the disease. (Created by Kaley Perkins)

For a person to get CF, each parent needs to be a carrier of the mutated gene. Of children born to those parents, one in four will develop the disease, two will be carriers themselves, and one will be unaffected.

But those odds, didn’t hold up in the case of the Jones family who have had two children affected by the disease. Three years ago, the family lost their first-born son, Conner, to the diseaase: Jones says that with Conner, instead of a single tote of medications, they had cupboards full.

Conner was seven.

Conner:

Family friend, Tricia Rodman, is part of the church body that provided critical emotional and practical support to the Jones family as Conner’s disease became more critical. In a phone conversation, Rodman told stories about the family as Conner’s time was getting short.

The family had taken a trip to Hawaii as part of the Make A Wish Foundation. Rodman asked Conner to select his favorite pictures from his trip. “He loved Transformers and Super Grover and so of course we found pictures of those,” reported Rodman. “We traced his hand, and I had him write his name on some transferable paper.”

conner_quilt

Orchestrated by family friends, Tricia Rodman, and Sonja Narvesen, this quilt displays Conner’s favorite family photos, his hand prints, and his signature. The central photo was taken during the family’s trip to Hawaii funded by the Make a Wish Foundation. (Photo used by permission from Sarah Jones.)

Conner had wanted a puppy whom he named Grover, in honor of the Sesame Street character. During one of Conner’s last visits to Doernbecher’s hospital, his parents and some family friends launched “Operation Grover,” according to Rodman, where they snuck the puppy up into Conner’s hospital room. Rodman spoke with joint sadness and fondness for the Jones family and the dedicated group that surrounded them in their darkest hours.

Rodman recounts the day when Conner passed away at home. “After Conner had passed, Grover was just beside himself. He could tell that something was wrong. I took Grover into Conner’s room and I laid him on Conner’s chest,” Rodman said. She was moved by how the puppy immediately calmed down and lay still.

“He was protecting his boy,” Rodman said, with a voice broken up by tears.

Mom Sarah is hopeful for Brynlee’s prognosis. She says her two unaffected boys, Hunter and Bradyn, don’t treat their sister differently until she gets sick and they become very concerned. You can read her family’s journey and see more pictures of the Jones children on her blog.

For more information about cystic fibrosis or to donate, visit www.cff.org.

Note: Special thanks to Tricia Rodman for correcting some details that I got wrong in my initial writing of this article. An update on 10/17/2013 reflects this correction of the details “Operation Grover” and the situation surrounding Conner’s passing.

 

Concert and Swing Band Hits Many Right Notes

Community Ensemble Hits Many Right Notes from Kaley Perkins on Vimeo.

Bright and early Monday and Wednesday mornings is when Cary Pederson and his merry concert band meet upstairs in Beacock Music’s rehearsal studio to practice, laugh, and be together. Pederson took over the directorship of the band after the stores founder, Dale Beacock was killed in a tragic biking accident on the Oregon Coast. Russ Beacock, Dale’s son, asked Cary to take over when the band started to flounder with interim directors.

Pederson, a professional clarinetist and saxophonist, holds a Master’s degree from Portland State University in performance music. When the younger Beacock approached him, Pederson was just back from a stint in southern California where he tried to break into studio music and found the cost of living to be prohibitive.

While many of his fellow graduates have given up dreams of being professional musicians, Pederson has found a way to make it work. But not without cost. He credits his desire.

Pederson teaches over 50 students a week, directs the Concert and Swing Band and the jazz ensemble at Beacock’s, and keeps his own skills sharp by practicing at least two hours a day. He also volunteers at local high school bands and ensembles augment the band directors’ generalism with his woodwind expertise.

Talking about how he feels when friends tell him he is unbalanced and needs to introduce something else besides music into his life, Pederson responds, “Music is my ‘else’.”

Depression is a widespread condition that afflicts large numbers of us as we age. (Click the link ’10 Facts on Ageing’ toward the bottom of the article for a great slideshow factsheet.)

Studies show that some of the keys to maintaining physical and mental health as we age is to continue to contribute, keep learning, and incorporate creativity in areas that bring joy: it’s called active aging. And in Vancouver, this band is finding success.

For a podcast on Pederson’s thoughts on the plight of public school music educators, click here.


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