I like Dallas fine, I guess.  People are generally friendly and my kids attend school in a top notch school district.  But as they grow older I know I will be presented an opportunity for change.  In just a few short years I will begin to decide where to settle for the foreseeable future.  I think I may have found the spot.  My trip to Portland last weekend confirmed what I had imagined.  Although I was only there for 5 days, I couldn’t find a single thing wrong with it.  Granted, I visited during some of the most favorable weather, but even if there had been rain, there was so much to love about Portland.

I was quite busy with the International Food Bloggers Conference, but on my fourth day I found some time to take the light rail into downtown.  As luck would have it there was a street festival in progress just blocks from the stop I chose.  The place was filled with food cart fragrance and street performers.  Block after block buzzed with people moving about examining the wares offered by artisans and crafters.

I am very lucky to have attended the International Food Bloggers Conference in Portland, Oregon last weekend.  It was 3 days completely packed with information, fun, and, as you might have guessed… food.  The city of Portland was welcoming and friendly.  Apparently, I visited on a perfect weekend.  The weather was stuff we only dream of in Dallas.  Foods, and particularly healthy foods, played an important part of the event and evidently in the Portland culture overall.  There are growers and manufacturers all over the region dedicated to healthy food practices.

One such manufacturer is Bob’s Red Mill.  You likely have some of Bob’s products in your pantry right now.  They make many whole and milled grain items.  While I do use the products from Bob’s Red Mill, I never knew just how many useful things they make.  You can bet I will be looking a little more closely at my local market.

Several weeks before attending I received an email inviting me for a tour of the facility along with several other conference attendees.  I am so pleased that I took the opportunity to visit the plant, hear their story, and most of all meet Bob.

Andrew Yenne

The thing about Scotland is it smells amazing.  That's not usually the first thing you hear when some visits the land of Glens and Lochs. Don’t get me wrong, the scenery is magnificent. It truly is awe inspiring, but what knocked me out was the fragrant aromas of this magical land. From the juniper lined walkways of Inverness to the fields of wild heather dotting the Highlands, the aroma of fish and chips wafting down cobbled streets or the combination of salt air, dark beer and old wood that seems to hang in just about every Edinburgh pub... Scotland smells amazing.

After spending 10 days in Scotland and Ireland recently I came to one conclusion, I want to go back. Below are my top picks and tips for what to do when (not if!) you visit the land of Nessie.

We're on a mission to 'take back the weekend'.  It's so hard to balance it all.  Ambition and checklists often take over.  In this life, where the goal is not to enjoy the destination but the journey to it, we sometimes forget to explore the goodness in our own backyard.

This weekend we drove over to one of the gems of Dallas, the Bishop Arts District.  The entire area is just a few blocks total, but they have managed to squeeze in mad taste in a small spot.  Here are some pics from our fieldtrip. Enjoy...