Archive / Portland

20 Days of Handmade: House of Six Cats

I was lucky to be next to some great people at my local craft shows this year, including today’s pick for 20 Days of Handmade. House of Six Cats uses original photography to create unique coasters, night lights, and more. I am partial to this set of 4 library book themed coasters but he has lots of Pacific Northwest and Portland specific items to choose from as well, such as this set depicting Multnomah Falls.

Got a special idea for a custom order? Send him an email and he’ll be happy to work with you. See House of Six Cats in person at the Handmade Northwest Formal show on December 20!

20 Days of Handmade: Blue Bird Sews

There’s nothing better than doing a craft show with other great vendors who put time and effort into not just their product but their displays as well. Blue Bird Sews has been at almost every show I’ve done this season and it’s always a pleasure to see her work.

Her vintage inspired: modern handmade tagline really sums it up. Her quilted and sewn works have an updated feel while retaining a classic aesthetic.

Get a set of sewn stars and put one on your tree and stuff the other in the stocking of your office mate instead of some coffee sampler from the gift area of big box store. Or send me a quilt so I can hibernate for the next few months in style.

20 Days of Handmade: Jeanette Zeis Pottery

If you read any vegan blogs then you’ve seen the pottery of Jeanette Zeis and know why she’s today’s pick for 20 Days of Handmade. Her cupcake stands and vegan bowls and mugs can be spotted in many the blog post.

I have long loved her clean lines and colors and was pleased to see she has a new line of work that features carved, glazed, and hand painted jars. The amount of detail and work in these is fabulous.

Jeanette Zeis will be at the Handmade Holiday Pop Up Shop at Herbivore in Portland, Oregon, on December 18th from 4-8! Stop by to see her work in person.

Portland Craft Fairs this Weekend

Panda With Cookie will be at 2 Portland, Oregon, area craft fairs this weekend.

On Saturday, December 6th I will be at Lewis Elementary School from 10-4. There will be all handmade vendors as well as a tree sale.

On Sunday, December 7th I will be at McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse from 12-5 for their 6th Annual Holiday Market.

Stop by and say hello!

Panda’s Portland Oregon Vegan Recommendations

Veganstock comes to Portland Oregon, this September! I have assembled a list of Panda’s Picks for all comers. These are some of my preferred places to get a vegan meal in the Portland Oregon area.

First up! Dovi Vivi pizzeria. I love the corn cashew pizza with cornmeal crust. So good. They use a homemade cashew cheese which is preferable to many of the local places that use Daiya.

Departure is the place to go for a ‘fancy’ meal. The prices are still reasonable and I’ve yet to have a bad menu item here. Asian-Fusion-y served as small plates. Excellent when you have a group so everything can get shared around. Chili lime Brussells, spicy carrot avocado salad, salt and pepper tempeh, oh yes.

Sweetpea Baking Company, for the sweets and sandwiches. They have a line of breakfast pastries that include croissants, almond rings and danish. The lunch sandwiches are also worth checking out with a mix of housemade seitan and tempeh meats.

Falafel House at Slabtown has the best vegan falafel in town. The whole menu is vegan and includes seitan gyros and tater tots.

AND Cafe is my favorite breakfast spot. Good waffles, good housemade sausage, good sandwiches, love their meatloaf. I love the biscuits and gravy Soul Bowl.

DC Vegetarian is a food cart downtown that has a good selection of sandwiches. I prefer the burger but a lot of people like their cheesesteak.

Flavour Spot for their maple pecan waffle taco. Yes.

Cellar Door Coffee Roasters have bagels with Tofutti and good coffee and teas.

Palio also offers coffee and tea with vegan dessert options, including fabulous Irish oat cake.

This is obviously not a comprehensive list of vegan food in the Portland Oregon area. It’s a list of places that I frequent and would recommend to others. The real estate market here has costs going way up, so lots of places are closing and opening with short notice. Check all hours and websites before you go.

Earth Burgers Veggie Food Cart, Portland, OR

Earth Burgers, a new veggie burger food cart, opened in Portland in late May. I was waiting in much anticipation since the closing of Off the Griddle. I love a good veggie burger and it’s usually my meal of choice if there’s a good menu option.

Earth Burgers has a selection of five different burgers and a small selection of non-burger items such as Field Roast franks. They also have a number of add ons, such as grilled onions and guacamole. French fries are available as well, and I love me some fries.

I’ve been to Earth Burgers three times thus far, getting a different burger each time. So far I’ve sampled the Casbah (a chickpea burger with tahini, cukes, pickled onions, and greens), the PDMex (a black bean and sweet potato patty with red onion, guac, salsa, and more), and the Beautiful South (a black bean patty with slaw, greens, and barbecue sauce)(pictured).

My favorite by far was the Beautiful South (which will surprise no long time readers of my blog). The barbecue was just spicy enough and went great with the cool crunch of the slaw and the black bean patty. It was a little saucy to eat, but in a good way. The casbah was a bit dry for me but the pickled onions on it were excellent. The toppings on the PDMex were also excellent and I love that all their patties are handmade and not just a packaged veggie burger from a box. I don’t have the french fries pictured, but they were perfectly fried and plentiful the single time I got them. And I really need to head back for more.

Earth Burgers moved this past weekend and is now located at the Tidbit food and garden pod at SE 28th Place and Division. Their current hours are Wed. through Sun, 12-3 and 5-8 pm (or until they sell out). Closed on Mon and Tues. They do not have a current website but can be found on Twitter. Prices range from $7-$8 per burger.