Day 1: November 10 - First Dinner

Oh my goodness . . . I realized I intended to post these long ago and never hit the "Publish" button! Now they are good memories!

Everyone serving themselves dessert in their small bowls. SO tempting to take more!

Day 1: November 10 - First Dinner

You know you are excited about a project when you go to sleep thinking about it, and wake up excited because it's starting!
November 10, 2015 - project Portion Plates. The start of a new journey.
I get up to Omaha and get to meet Lauren in her creative environment - the Bemis in Omaha, NE.
It is a phenomenal space and the table setting is stunning.
We are finally able to see the unique, beautiful pottery dishes that Lauren and her interns have created and dinner smells amazing!

It was so good to be able to share, to laugh, and enjoy such fantastic food on our new dishes.
Learning about the locally sourced food, new ways to prepare it and discuss ways we can do the same on our own.

 Green beans with candied walnuts

Brisket with vegetables over mashed root veggies with edible flowers

 Kale Caesar - blown away by her transition of the Kale here

 My meal dished up on my set of dishes

Such an incredibly decadent finish - homemade thyme ice cream and rhubarb pie.

The meal fellowship of the evening left me feeling not only full physically, but my bucket was brimming. We are starting something here. It will be life changing.

This project is so much more than portions. It's slowing down, enjoying the ritual of our meals again and eating to nourish ourselves. No more eating to satisfy emotional needs, not taking family dinners for granted, and creating routine and traditions to continue on our life journeys.

For me - this is #morethanportions

Day 1: November 10 - Lauren Karle's Portion Plates 1st Dinner event

Day 1: November 12 - Portion Plates - First Dinner

Tonight was extravagant - so much time and preparation even to the finest details and the result was a wonderful meal of brisket, Kale ceaser salad, beans with walnuts, mashed potatoes/celery root with carrots and mushrooms, cake, and pie with Italian ice cream. I have never before been a part of preparing a meal so thought out and meticulously executed. It looked great (especially on our ceramic dishes), tasted great, and there was only one problem: having my portions dictated by the size and a pattern on my dish set. For me, I felt awkward trying to decide what food goes into what plate/bowl and deciding for myself what was a healthy serving. Sharing this meal with the Portion Plates group made me feel less awkward and more confident in my portions - and I was able to enjoy a meal with people instead of my usual lone meals at home on my phone.

In the near future I will gain more insight on what portion sizes are right for me and my body. I'm excited to have someone's art directly influence my lifestyle. Art is powerful and a part of our lives in so many ways. This project is not only a food experience, it's an art experience.

Day 1: November 10 - First Dinner

Tonight was wonderful! To have our first meal together was a great idea. I think my favorite part was the potato and celery root purée. One of my goals is to replicate it half as well. I am anxious to use my dish set for the first time at work tomorrow.