Little Spark

End of an Era

2011-01-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

Olaiya and I would like to use this space to thank all of our supporters over the years. We have made the difficult decision that 2010 was our last year of operation. We're proud to have made a large number of donations to Women for Women International as well as our largest gift ever to the Cura Orphanage in Kenya. We hope that those contributions will make a lasting impact in the lives of the recipients... that the world will be a little brighter for it. And we hope that everyone that's ever come to a Little Spark event knows that they fueled that light.

Since our infancy, the Little Spark project was designed to tap into a desire that we shared with many friends: To find small but meaningful ways to help repair some of the damage in this world. We had some energy and some ideas... but none of it would have meant anything if people hadn't turned out. I was constantly amazed and heartened to see friends and strangers show up to our events and gladly contribute money toward the cause. There were many times during the planning process when I thought we would never attract enough participants to make this fly. While I had hope, I also harbored doubts that human beings would care enough about each other to support a project like this. I was wrong. And I can't tell you how happy that makes me. You've helped me repair a bit of damage in my own heart. Thanks.

We hope that all of you will remain in contact as we find new and interesting projects to throw ourselves into. Cheers!

Dog Mountain Dinner a Smashing Success!

2010-08-03T14:49:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday was wonderful. Forty people showed up to fill the picnic tables at Dog Mountain Farm and a fantastic crew of volunteers assisted Olaiya in dazzling their tastebuds. The tables were beautifully appointed, and the food sang with spice and color and Mediterranean bravado. All told, we raised over $2,500 for the Orphanage in Cura, making it one of the best Little Spark events ever! We are eternally grateful for everyone's support.

Prepping the Carrots

Kelsey Gathers Flowers for the Centerpieces

Quality Time with Shelby the Farm Dog

Judy and Hayden Set up the Picnic Tables

The Table Settings

Dog Mountain owners Cindy and David Share a Lighter Moment

Judy Returns with Freshly Picked Edible Flowers

Crostini Appetizer with Grilled Haloumi or Lamb

Hayden Takes a Minute to Talk about the Cura Orphanage

Olaiya Introduces the First Course and Wine Pairing

Soup is Served!

The Siel Party Enjoying Themselves

Alex Arranges Salads on the Staging Table

The Entree: Braised Pork with Polenta and Sweet and Hot Peppers

Meredith Smiling

Steve the Sommelier

Keena's Table Shares a Toast before the Main Course

Alex Pours for the Frenkel/Mullins Party

Molly's Table

Linette's Table

Volunteers Man the Dessert Assembly Line

Fennel Ice Cream with Grilled Apricot and Candied Pistachios

Dessert Didn't Last Long!

Unique Farm Dinner Experience: Carrying a Baby Goat

2010 Summer Event Scheduled!

2010-05-08T13:05:00.001-07:00

Little Spark is excited to announce its first official collaborative event with the Creative Visions Foundation. We're planning a July 31st dinner at the gorgeous Dog Mountain Farm to benefit the Cura Orphanage in Kenya.

Little Spark got involved with the Cura Orphanage (pronounced "shura") last year after being contacted by kindred soul Hayden Nichols. Hayden has been involved with the Cura Village orphanage project since its beginnings and convinced us that this was the sort of sustainable grassroots project we wanted to be involved with. Thanks to your support, Little Spark made a $700 donation last year to sponsor a young girl named Loise Wanjiku.

Loise, like all the home's fifty children, lost her parents to HIV/AIDS

Olaiya has served several times as the "guest chef" for Dog Mountain's series of summer dinners at the farm. These are wonderful five-course meals complete with a different wine pairing for each course. The menu is seasonal, and largely dictated by what's available at the farm itself, since the goal is to provide guests with a farm-to-table dinner experience.

Olaiya's peach and blueberry galette from a Little Spark in the Park event

Proprietors Cindy and David will also be on hand to give guests a tour of their organic farm and answer questions. They have also very generously lowered their farm rental rate for us. This will allow us to charge the same rate as a typical farm dinner this year ($100) and still manage to donate over 50% of the proceeds to Cura.

Tables set for a farm dinner last fall.
Here's Olaiya's preliminary menu, subject to seasonal availability:

lamb or roasted red pepper crostini with feta and almond-mint pesto

grilled haloumi crostini with lemon and dill

spicy chilled tomato soup with goat cheese croutons

moroccan-spiced carrot salad with avocado and citrus vinaigrette

braised pork with sweet and hot peppers, currants and almonds over creamy polenta

polenta terrine with sweet and hot peppers, currants, almonds and blue cheese

char-grilled baby broccoli with lemon and garlic

italian plum tart with homemade fennel ice cream

Hayden and her partner Greg are planning a trip to Kenya early this summer and will be in attendance with new photographs and stories about the village's efforts to create their own sustainable organic farms.

Please consider joining us for this wonderful event, or even becoming a table captain. As a table captain, you will host a table of six for the event... filling it with your friends, coworkers or family members as you see fit. You will be able to enjoy the event with loved ones, and receive recognition and a thank you gift from Little Spark for helping us.

July 31st
3:30 to 8:30 PM
Dog Mountain Farm
Carnation, WA
$100 per guest

If you are unable to attend our dinner, but still wish to make a donation we would be honored to accept your contribution. We will honor you at the event at our "virtual table" for our supporters that weren't able to join us. Contact John for more information.

Please be advised that this is a four-hour outdoor event in a farm environment. Your children are welcome to join us but we cannot make special accommodations regarding the seating, pricing or menu. We trust your judgment as a parent to determine if the conditions and dining environment are appropriate for your child.

Just a few of Cura Orphanage's beautiful children.

Whiskey a Go Go

2010-03-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

Little Spark was proud to warm up the oven and our spirits with a Southern Comforts party last January. We came in out of the cold rain to enjoy whiskey-based cocktails, cornbread, baked ham, braised greens, buttermilk biscuits with marmalade and soft cheese, New Orleans spiced shrimp, and succotash. John played bartender, mixing up Old Fashioneds, Mint Juleps, Manhattans, Sazeracs, and the star of the evening: The Brier Patch.

Oktoberfest Pictures!

2009-11-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

The group sits down to an opening round of German lagers and Olaiya's pretzels

Judy sitting, Olaiya "mugging" with her Bavarian stein

Jenny and Steve looking adorable

Riley and Larry (the cocker spaniel) showing that youth is but a blur

Kristin, professional cake model

Judy and Christie discuss the upcoming Little Spark event!

Fall and Winter Dinner Events

2009-09-28T17:34:00.001-07:00

O and I are pleased to announce two events for the Fall and Winter. Our palettes change with the seasons, and we're actually excited to bring summer to a close and start thinking about the warm flavors of autumn. Please consider joining us for one or both of these happenings. RSVP quickly as space is limited.

Octoberfest at Olaiya's House with Backyard Bonfire
Saturday, October 17th
$20 Donation

Homemade Soft Pretzels with Coarse Salt & Mustard
Grilled Sausages/Veggie Brats
Braised Cabbage with Apples
Plum Kuchen
Selected German Beers and Hot Apple Cider

John is happily sampling various brews to complete the menu. So far, Weihenstephaner's Hefeweissbier Dunkel is the only given, as John is completely smitten with this rich wheat beer, full of flavor without being overwrought with hops.

And

Southern Comforts Party
Beat the rain and the post-holiday blues with comfort foods and the warm embrace of artisan bourbons and rye whiskeys.

Straight whiskey tasting will be available for the intrepid.
Otherwise, rounds of cocktails will be served with appetizer courses.

Saturday, January 16th
$35 Donation

Sweet Potato Hush Puppies with Pimento Jam
Cornbread with Braised Collards and Cayenne Creme
Buttermilk Biscuits with Marmelade and Ham or Soft Cheese
New Orleans Spicy Shrimp or Blackeyed Pea Fritters

It Only Seems Quiet

2009-09-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

Actually, we've had quite an interesting buzz this Summer. First, Olaiya and I were contacted by a wonderful woman from The Garden State looking to initiate her own Little Spark organization. We traded tips and gave her our hearty blessing to create a similar project in her own home town of Princeton. Over the years, we've had a few suggestions/offers to expand our project. While we've always been flattered, part of the appeal is to keep this a small, intimate backyard affair. After having spoken with this woman (who will hopefully keep us apprised of her progress) our new theory is that Little Spark doesn't need to grow into a big organization with a board of advisers and charity auctions, etc. But if people want to copy our model and Little Sparks pop up around the world doing similar work... then we'll be thrilled!

Secondly, we were contacted by some local folks that are involved with a wonderful project: an orphanage in Kenya that takes care of children who have lost their parents to HIV. They have sent us some incredible materials detailing their efforts and photographs of the site. Olaiya and I are hoping to meet with them soon and talk about the possibility of Little Spark contributing to their cause as well as Women for Women.

Much of this attention came our direction after the last Little Spark collaboration. Brandon and Molly were fabulous hosts... seating 20+ folks at their new restaurant Delancey. And Molly even gave us some ink over at her fantastic blog Orangette. We both owe them a big debt of thanks and have been very happy to have heard from excellent strangers in Seattle and beyond that want to get involved.

As autumn approaches, O and I will roll out a couple of new Little Spark dinner events. Stay tuned for details in the upcoming Little Spark newsletter. We hope to see you soon!

Delancey Event Photos

2009-07-14T00:36:00.000-07:00

Little Spark/Delancey Collaboration!

2009-06-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce that our good friends and long-time supporters, Brandon and Molly, are about to open their own restaurant. Delancey will feature wood-fired pizzas, inventive salads, house-made pickles and rustic desserts. Little Spark will be teaming up with Delancey to bring you our next event: an exclusive pre-opening dinner! We think you are going to love Brandon and Molly's inspired cooking and hope you'll join us for an evening of food, wine and company. Here's what's in store for the evening:

What: Wood-Fired Pizza Dinner

When: Friday, July 10th, 7.30 PM

Where: Delancey (1415 NW 70th Street in Ballard)

Cost: $35 per person

Menu:

seasonal roasted vegetable plate

assorted wood-fired pizzas including:
shaved porcini, fresh mozzarella, and thyme
brooklyn-style with tomato sauce, two mozzarellas, parmesan, basil, and zoe's pepperoni
creme fraiche, fingerling potatoes, and chives

homemade ice cream with chocolate chip-sea salt cookies

red and white wine

Update: This event is sold out!

May 30th Open Invitation

2009-05-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

Dive into the new season of locally farmed produce! Come and join Olaiya and me for this once-a-year explosion of early summer bliss. Sweet, fresh and tender flavors mix it up with rich herb and mushroom tones. This dinner features my personal favorite appetizer: Olaiya's morel and asparagus melange served with a light cream sauce atop locally baked artisanal bread. I can't wait!

morel and asparagus toasts

arugula salad with roasted apricots, pistachios and goat cheese
wild mushroom crepes (vegetarian entree)
or
rack of lamb with fresh herbs and garlic
spring vegetable sautee
washington state rosé

strawberry rhubarb tartlets with buttermilk ice cream
coffee and tea

$45 per person

RSVP soon to secure your spot!

Fondue Dinner in the Books

2009-05-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

The first guests arrive and enjoy a traditional cherry cocktail

Olaiya prepared sumptuous platters of fine things to dip in cheese

Stringing the molten cheese across the table was just part of the fun!

We enjoyed a delicate riesling with our feast

And, as always, we finished with a delicious flourish!

Spring Dinner with John's Basketball Crew

2009-04-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

Our first event of the year was a exquisite dinner party for John's basketball buddies and their better halves. We hosted ten folks to a dinner that included an appetizer of homemade gnocchi in a bleu cheese sauce, followed by a main plate featuring a mouth-watering squash puree served alongside roasted pork and braised kale. We cleansed the palette with a simple salad before enjoying a cheese course with a trio of artisanal offerings.

The crowd was festive and enjoyed each other's company so much that we hardly had to play host and hostess! We both owe a big thank you to all of them for supporting our project and filling our evening with laughter and enthusiasm.

Olaiya mixing up the bibb lettuce with her own vinaigrette

Espresso with brandy and a gorgeous coffee creme brulee were served for dessert.

Olaiya's table lit up with candles and wine glasses.

The whole gang from the left: Newcomer John, Kelly & Jane, John & Cathy... Roland & Martha and Tony & Abbey are mostly obscured.

Spring 2009 Event Listing

2009-04-13T17:56:00.001-07:00

Please join us for one or both of our Spring events.

The first is a fondue dinner night, served up in a casual European style at Chateau Olaiya on Saturday, April 18th. Plan to arrive at 7pm for the opening cocktail.

kirsch wine cocktail
classic emmenthal fondue
irish cheddar and stout fondue
artisanal bread
roasted vegetables
selection of nuts and fruit
white wine or beer
apple kuchen
espresso
$25 per person

Secondly, we will host a dinner on May 30th celebrating the flavors of Spring. This feast will feature asparagus, morels, fresh English peas, baby radishes, farm eggs, tender greens, strawberries, rhubarb... We will send out further information on this event, but feel free to RSVP early! Four courses plus wine for only $45.

2008 in Review

2009-02-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

2008 was full of unexpected developments. First we changed the name of our enterprise from The Full Belly Project to Little Spark due to a legal dispute about our name. The name changed but the mission stayed the same! We still hosted a variety of dinners and special events, including an all-vegan dinner, a Sunday brunch and an outdoor movie spectration extravaganza.

We threw some wonderful gigs and raised enough funds to make a $900 donation to Women For Women's Congo relief funds last December. We gave at a time when all donations were being matched by an anonymous funder. So we effectively raised $1800 for the women of The Congo!

A huge Little Spark thanks to everyone that came to an event and helped make that possible. We are always humbled and grateful for your support, and look forward to seeing you again in 2009.

Dinner is Served!

2008-08-23T23:10:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to our recent stellar dinner guests: Kelly & Jane, Meems, Irish Molly, Eric, Greg & Linn, Tara, and Brandon & Molly. We were able to comfortably host a party of 12 around Olaiya fantastic new table. The lavish affair netted Little Spark over $300 toward our causes!

Olaiya and I make a rare appearance in front of the camera... Probably because we had guest photographers Tara and Molly in the house!

After the chilled melon soup, roasted hazelnuts and introductory toast, Olaiya served the tomato stack appetizers... featuring both red and yellow heirlooms.

Greg and Linn survey the main course: a fillet of salmon with purple basil aioli; a sweet corn pudding; platter of dressed favas, purple potatoes and green beans; and stuffed globe zucchini.

Brandon wanting to compare a taste of Molly's wine with his own.

The magical aftermath of wine glasses, candles, espressos and cognac. Special guests Kelsey and Alex sit with Eric in the back row.

Two Events for August

2008-07-25T15:12:00.000-07:00

Please consider joining us for a couple of August fundraising events. Welcome Little Spark back into your life and enjoy the blessings of good eating, good company and good causes.

Summer Harvest Dinner

Saturday, August 9th

Featuring a chef's choice of the best of our local farmer's market fare
Think peak-of-summer tomatoes
Juicy ripe peaches
Tender green beans
Foraged mushrooms

Sweet corn
Melons
Homemade ice cream
And a crisp white wine perfect for summertime!

Cost of $45 per person

And

The First Ever Little Spark Spectration Event

An outdoor projection of Stand By Me in Olaiya's lovely backyard garden

Saturday, August 30

White Truffle Popcorn
Spicy Caramel Corn
Popsicles

Real Deal Nachos
Homemade Pretzels
Assorted Candy
Soda & Beer

Low, low cost of $20 per person

A New Name for Our Project

2008-05-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

Old and new friends alike,

Olaiya and I have been contacted by another fundraising agency that has trademarked the name The Full Belly Project. They have asked that we discontinue our usage of that name. Rather than fight their request, we've decided to use this opportunity to ask ourselves: "What do we want out of this endeavor, and is there a better name to capture that?"

We decided on the new title of Little Spark.

We kept talking about our sense that there's an enormous movement afoot to repair this world. We saw that, as a community, our global consciousness is being raised... our environmental and humanitarian instincts are firing. All around us, we see people with good intentions and a desire to help. Olaiya and I felt exactly like that when we first talked about starting this project. To me, it felt like a build up of positive energy, just waiting for an opportunity to express itself... just waiting for a Little Spark to set things into motion.

So here we are, trying to ignite that positivity and continue with our goals. Thank you all for joining us!

Dinner Soiree Another Success

2008-04-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Olaiya and I were blessed with yet another fantastic dinner crowd: This time drawing largely from the guys I play basketball with on Thursday nights. Among other goals, we wanted to fete Brett (first to arrive and last to leave) before he leaves us for the browner pastures of eastern Washington. Anthony, a basketball stalwart, wasn't able to make it, but was kind enough to donate money to the cause even so.

We raised a couple hundred dollars, though we owe an extra thanks to John B. for making trips to TJ’s for extra beer and wine. We definitely underestimated this crowd's thirst! And if not for John, we might have cut into our profits significantly.

Table set with appetizer platters, including pena azul, fava beans, provolone picante, roasted red peppers with fried capers, parmaggiano reggiano, balsamic mushrooms, and copa picante salami.

Dressed arugula with prosciutto and grilled fennel... later finished with buffala mozzarella.

Scallops seared and served with homemade pappardelle pasta tossed with asparagus, zucchini and fava beans in a pesto cream sauce.

Preparing for our opening toast: Brian, Cathy, Brett, John, Cathy, Andres, Dan and Olaiya (clockwise from top left.)

Full Speed Ahead on Two New Events

2008-02-27T11:55:00.000-08:00

Please read below for the details on two new ways to enjoy Olaiya's fantastic cooking and support our fundraising efforts. If you would like to attend, please RSVP as soon as possible! We're hoping to renew the good energy around The Full Belly Seattle, and expect both events to fill up quickly. Feel free to invite a friend as well!

Saturday March 29th, 6pm at John's apartment:

The End of Winter, Last Chance for Soup Group

featuring

Creamy parsnip soup with almond/parsley pesto

Country butterbean soup with marjoram

(vegetarian or with smoked ham hocks)

Platter of assorted cheeses and rustic bread

Tarte tatin with creme fraiche

A deep and round Cabernet

redesigned at the last minute as an Italian feast... a great success!

And Sunday, April 20th, 11am at John's apartment:

April Flowers Spring Brunch

featuring

Blueberry pecan french toast

Fluffy scrambled eggs with chevre

Vegetarian sausage links

Seasonal fruit plates

Tangerine mimosas, coffee and tea

for just $25 per person

Transparency

2008-02-24T21:22:00.000-08:00

This post serves to recap the financial transactions of The Full Belly Seattle thus far.
We set up our first dinner in June of 2007. Between then and last week's dinner in February of 2008, we’ve hosted six fundraising events. We took in $2,300 dollars at those events, and our costs for groceries were almost exactly $1,300. Therefore, the Full Belly Seattle has just raised its first $1,000! Thank you for all your support!

We’ve used those profits for two $350 Women For Women sponsorships; Beatrice in Nigeria and Sadia in Iraq. And today, we just made a $500 donation to Women for Women to go to their relief efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I’ve never had the privilege to give $500 to anything before. Many of you supporters, like us, have to think in terms of micro-change… giving a few dollars when you can. And maybe we’re still only talking about small changes, but I literally trembled as I clicked the confirmation button, waved goodbye to the five C notes in my mind and prayed that it might change a life or two when it lands on the other side of the world. Thank you for helping give us that opportunity.

The reason our total donations slightly exceed the $1,000 in total fundraising is that Olaiya and I have committed to making our own contributions to this fund outside of our Full Belly profits.

Thank you, and stay tuned for an upcoming invitation to new March and April events!

A Soft Landing

2008-02-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

O and I opted to host a very small dinner party last weekend as a gentle start to Full Belly 2008. Since Olaiya is still a week away from finishing her one-month vegan experience, it made sense to try out a fully vegan menu:

Toasted Almonds and Mediterranean Olives
(warmed in an orange peel marinade… mmm…)
Roasted Cauliflower with a Truffle Oil Dressing
French Green Lentils with Fennel
Mangoes Flambe!
And a Dry and Subtle Oregon Chardonnay

Walaka commented it was his favorite Olaiya meal yet… and even begrudgingly enjoyed eating cauliflower for the first time in his life. Since we kept costs low (funny how that happens when you eliminate meat and cheese from the shopping list!) we came close to our $100 per event goal even though our guest list was unusually small.

We have been moved by the recent efforts of Women for Women to help the situation in The Congo. After talking about it, we've decided that instead of continuing with our usual $330 sponsorships, we’re going to start committing our fundraising dollars to W4W’s Congo Relief Fund.

We’re hoping this year to do even more for good causes. We’ve been exploring other event ideas that could possibly increase the amount of money we raise… larger venues, different kinds of events rather than just dinner parties. Olaiya also just catered a fundraising event for a leukemia benefit, giving them a fantastic discount and allowing them to raise thousands for their cause. Please let us know if you have any ideas you’d like to pitch to us!

We’re also looking at finding a school in rural India to partner with. We have a great connection through a recent friendship we’ve made with a former resident of India who has ties back to the rural education community there. As someone who lived there for a year as part of the Rotary Exchange Program, I know just how big an impact we could make with scholarship money and/or supplies for students.

Full Belly Seattle Hiatus

2008-01-21T22:55:00.000-08:00

The Full Belly is retooling for 2008. Some significant shake ups have made the same old routine impossible, but Olaiya and I are both hoping to release a series of events to benefit Women for Women this year. We appreciate all your support in 2007 and look forward to being able to invite you to something great in '08.

Ambitious and Delicious

2007-11-19T13:09:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday night marked the first Full Belly event when dinner was not the main attraction. Instead, the star of the show was a flight of Belgian beers (some of the best in the world!) accompanied by chocolate, tasty sammies, and finger foods. We also experimented in terms of how many folks we could accommodate in our apartment. We wound up hosting 17 folks, which was just about perfect. Only the Summer BBQ event was attended by more... and that was outside so seating wasn't an issue. I wasn't sure we could pull it off, but give people some high-octane beer and they become very easy to please!

We also expanded the guest list significantly... there were a number of first timers among us, including some friends from work (and their dates) and a long lost pal from high school who found out about us on "the Google". I got to give a spiel about each of the beers I had painstakingly researched (thanks Wikipedia!) and about Women for Women. It was nice to feel like we're expanding into new pools of caring, generous people.

We kicked things off with a serving of Duvel Golden Ale

Silvio, Meredith and Diane enjoying a Duvel toast

Calvin, Kyle and (headless) John enjoying the second round: Bornem Dubbel

Dinner intermission included cornichons, crisps and two kinds of grilled cheese sandwiches... some with roasted fennel and others with caramelized pears. I couldn't help but try dipping the crisps in the curried mayonnaise (which sounds like overkill until you actually try it!)

Surprise guests Jenny and Kyle. Jenny and I went to high school together but hadn't seen one another for a dozen years. She RSVP'd mysteriously so I didn't know who to expect until she rang the buzzer!

It was a beautiful crowd ... as evidenced here by Mat and Johna

Round three was a sweet and heavy (and strong... 10.5% alcohol!) brew called Gulden Draak

Brandon and Molly were their usual charming selves, with Brandon serving as an invaluable second server

Kyle, Neelz, Adam and Jenny took over the living room scene

The final sample was a dessert beer... a sweetened cherry lambic

Yojimbo finishes... says "more please."

Fall Dinner Success

2007-11-08T19:03:00.000-08:00

Not only did we recently pull off another successful Full Belly dinner... We also started our second sponsorship. We'll share more details about our sister when information becomes available. Thus far, we've managed to raise almost $700 for this great cause.

Thank you all for your continuing support. We've had quite a few repeat customers for our project. Hopefully we can continue that trend. Our goal is to provide an excellent experience and lure you back with the promise of more of Olaiya's cooking!

A couple black and white pics from the last meal:

Alex, Irene, Andres, Diana, Brian and Meems enjoying the succulent pumpkin soup.

It was cute couple night at the Full Belly!

Andres and Diana starting on the main course.

Fall Events Line-Up

2007-10-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

Since we decided to take a wee vacation in the month of September, we'll be running just two fundraiser events for this Fall. Per our usual format, we'll accept reservations on a first-come, first-served basis.

Saturday, October 20th, 7:00 pm

Fall Harvest Feast

Roasted hazelnuts with thyme and sea salt

Pear with carmelized onion and taleggio cheese

Roasted pumpkin soup with black pepper croutons

Choice of seared organic strip steak with gorgonzola butter

Wild mushroom tartlet (vegetarian)

Turnip gratin

Braised black kale

Vanilla poached plum brulee

Seating limited to eight. $45 per person including wine.

(Event was a success!)
~and~

Saturday, November 17th, 6:00 pm

Belgian Beer Tasting

featuring

A flight of quality Belgian brews including generous samples of:

Duvel Golden Ale (8.5%) A light amber, creamy ale

Bornem Double (8%) A nutbrown delight

Gulden Draak (10.5%) A heavier, sweeter dark amber

and Boomgaard Framboise (4.1%) A refreshing raspberry brew

served with

Grilled cheese sandwiches
with carmelized pear, gruyere and ham (optional)

and relish plate

Seating limited to twelve. $25 per person.

(There's still plenty of seats left for this event.)

How Cool Is This?! Part 2

2007-10-01T18:56:00.000-07:00

O and I just received a second correspondence from Women for Women:

Hi John and Olaiya,
We here at Women for Women HQ were inspired by your series of events that you held to raise money for sponsorships. We are working on a story about how people use the web to raise awareness for Women for Women International and were wondering if we could use your story. We want people to see what they can do to help, and think what you all did was a perfect example. Please let me know if you object. Again, thanks for all you do for women survivors of war.

T.G.
Women for Women International

Of course we emailed right back and told them we'd be honored for them to use us as an example in their story. Maybe the Full Belly Seatle will get a little extra press! Woohoo!

BTW, the Fall lineup of events is coming soon!!!

Third Full Belly Event is Charming!

2007-08-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

For our End of Summer Barbecue, both Mother Nature and the parks department cooperated. We got gorgeous weather after a week of rain and clouds. And Volunteer Park was okay with us hosting a BBQ for 30+ folks, so long as we agreed not to toss our charcoal embers into their garbage cans.

We got a huge boost from volunteers who helped us set up, prep food and serve guests. We can thank Meredith for setting up the badminton courts. Catherine was a huge help with the food, as were Brandon & Molly. And Calvin helped schlep ice and get the grills going. We owe everyone who helped out a debt of thanks. Their efforts, along with the generosity of the guests, enabled us to clear over $300... almost enough for another entire Women for Women sponsorship! Soon we'll have a second sponsored sister to blog about. Thanks everyone!

Guests arrived early and late. Here are Dan and Britta flashing some scooter chic as they showed up.

Diane and Silvio posing with Wendy, who flew all the way from Spain to join us!

Andres rode from Ravenna on his bike.

Andres got put to work helping Calvin and Brandon get the grills going.

Catherine, who was a huge help to Olaiya during the food prep stage, talks to Sachie in front of the dahlia garden.

Guests Walter, Mel, Courtney and Laura were staking out the picnic tables.

Meanwhile, Molly was helping get things ready for the grill.

Molly's hubby Brandon keeps an eye on the stuffed portobellos.

After the food came out, Laura, Mary, Mitch, Carrie and Molly wasted no time getting in line!

Mel, Calvin, Walter, Meredith and Courtney clustered by the picnic tables.

Eric sporting a big smile.

Derek, the spirit of sustainability, brought his own plate and silverware. Clay and Emily look on.

Brandon and Olaiya finally got to eat too!

Olaiya takes a load off and enjoys some of the grilled corn.

The back of Mel's head, and Diane having a good time.

All the cool kids circled up on the blankets.

Mary, Gary and Diane wonder what happened to Lani!?

And, of course, there was an amazing dessert: a peach and blueberry rustic tart.

Important News!

2007-08-06T21:40:00.000-07:00

Based on the funds we've raised so far, Olaiya and I were able to sponsor our first "sister" through Women for Women. Each sponsorship costs about $350, and we're hoping to be able to start a new one three or four times per year.

Our first sister is a fifty year old Nigerian woman with seven school-aged children, looking for support in getting her own business started. I'm hopeful that she'll give us permission to share her picture and more identifying information. I'd love for everyone who attends our events or even just visits the blog to meet some of the people Women for Women connects with.

This is what it's all about folks. O and I exchanged excited emails today when she let me know that the introduction package finally arrived. Hopefully this is just the first fruition of a beautiful community-based project. Thank you all again for your wonderful support.

Minor Set Back

2007-07-20T10:36:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid we're having to cancel a Full Belly event. :(

I guess there has to be a first time for everything. Too many schedules to accommodate, and last second changes. It just made more sense to postpone the Mid-Summer French-Moroccan Feast and turn it into a Fall event instead. This is especially sad for Olaiya since it was her favorite menu going into the season. The good news is that it frees me up to spend time with my father, who is visiting for a week from Mexico.

I'm very hopeful that we'll be able to connect with Women for Women before the August Barbecue and maybe even have a sponsor sister to talk about! We should have enough funds already raised to begin the process.

I read this pair of connected quotes yesterday and thought of the FBP:

"If you eat well, you must speak well" - Yoruba proverb
"The ancient Africans taught that if a person is good to you, you must forever speak good of them... In order to keep the good flowing, you must speak of it... Everything we receive in life is food for your growth. If we eat from the plate, we must give thanks. Remembering, without that food, at that time, we may have starved." - Ivanla Vanzant

Dinner Part Deux

2007-07-15T16:56:00.000-07:00

The second Full Belly Dinner was a privately arranged affair. Last night, we hosted a trio of couples from Jewish Family Service, where I work. The eight of us enjoyed a fantastic four course meal... and I think we kept several participants up past their bedtime.

Of special note: At both of our events thus far, someone has pitched in more than the requested fee after eating the dinner. Thank you to those kind souls, and I'm glad you felt moved after enjoying the evening and Olaiya's great cooking!

Gary, Mary and Bonnie enjoying a pomegranate cava cocktail.

Then the appetizers came out... a cheese course featuring an aged manchego and a Viegadarte goat cheese accompanied by quince paste, spiced marcona almonds, and a sherry reduction.

The second course was an arugula salad with dates, almonds, shaved parmesan and oranges.

The whole gang: Gary, Mary, Bonnie, Steve, Lani and Scott.

The entree was a potato and chorizo (for the omnivores) stuffed red pepper served on a bed of kale braised with raisins, garlic and lemon.

And we finished with this sweet treat: Decadent chocolate syrup over homemade pistachio ice cream.

How Cool is This?!

2007-07-04T00:21:00.001-07:00

Olaiya and I got an unexpected and unsolicited email from Women for Women today:

Hi John and Olaiya,

We here at Women for Women International were passed along your blog about your fantastic dinner. We wanted to say thank you for your generosity. We also wanted to let you know that if you want any materials on the program at your dinners we would be happy to provide them. You are doing a great service and our women across the world appreciate it.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Teisha G.
Women for Women International

I'm not sure how they heard about our project, but I think it's awesome that they emailed us in support. Maybe we'll have pamphlets at the next event!

I did try Googling "The Full Belly" just to check if we could be found on a websearch. Turns out that our blog does show up... but I also found out that there's another outfit that goes by the name, The Full Belly. They're an east coast outfit trying to end world hunger. I wish them all the luck in the world, and hope they don't get pissed that we accidentally stole their name. 'Course, if they wanna rumble, we'll throw down on those hippy tools. Late Edit: Their lawyers get paid more than ours. We're changing our name. :(

Dinner is Served!

2007-07-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Saturday night witnessed the Full Bellied birth of our project! Our apartment had been filled with salivating smells all day long, and around 7:30 we finally had a house full of great people to eat with. We hosted my basketball buddy John B and his lovely wife Cathy, high school chum Andres, former roommate and massage diva Diane, Stave It Off Science Officer Alex Tokar and our Frenchy neighbor Carole, who also served as entertainment for the evening. Our mission was accomplished as we cleared our first $100 that will go toward Women for Women sponsorships!

Here are some pictures of food and friends. I hope all the attendees will give us helpful feedback and spread the word about our events. Thank you all for coming and making this thing work.

Champagne cocktails with cherry

The festive kick-off toast with many thanks given

An appetizing cold soup of cucumber, melon, yogurt and mint

The asparagus and morels served over toasted baguette was gone too fast to photograph it! Just caught Carole enjoying the last of the creamy shallot sauce.

The main entree: a handmade beet ravioli garnished with mint and browned butter... it was amazing.

Alex, Cathy and John enjoying the wine and conversation

Olaiya spies the table from the kitchen... John B, Carole and Andres; and the backs of Cathy and Alex.

O was plating the dessert, a cherry frangipane tart, served with homemade creme fraiche ice-cream.

With the wine flowing, we stayed up laughing and talking late into the evening

A Summer's Worth of Events!

2007-06-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

Even after expanding to include a fourth Summer event, we've now filled the seats for every dinner! The only event that can handle more sign-ups is the End of Summer Barbecue... which we won't have to cap until we get to 20+ participants. I can't express how pleased I am that so many wonderful friends and family members have stepped up to support this idea.

The Full Belly Seattle was born after O and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how we could put resources, both volunteer labor and financial aid, into helping. We wanted to support an agency dedicated to helping people recover from the gross inequities in our global reality. I felt inspired by friends like Andres, who has been volunteering with Katrina Relief efforts and locally with Habitat For Humanity; and Calvin and Meredith who first introduced me to the idea of financially sponsoring a peace-seeking Buddhist monk across the globe. I was moved by the Nobel Peace Prize winning microlending pioneers, and by how compelling this concept is to our fellow first worlders with a social conscious. And most of all, I have been inspired by my fellow social worker Seth Altshuler who walks the talk every day, and has been a constant ally of our planning and efforts.

Olaiya and I are proud to have such a generous, inspiring, supportive group of people around us. We hope to create a memorable series of dinner parties and keep our momentum going. Please give us feedback once the dinners are underway, and any suggestions you might have as we start planning events for Autumn. We look forward to your comments, and we'll try to update the blog with photos and stories.

If you have signed up for an event, expect an email a couple of weeks in advance with directions, time, and suggested payment options. We'll be getting those out for the June 30th dinner right away. Peace.

Fabulous First Wave of Response

2007-06-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to announce that we've "sold out" the French/Moroccan Mid Summer's Night event. I've even had to express regrets to two people who wanted to come but we cannot accommodate. Plus, we already have thirteen (Update: now 16!) reservations for the End of Summer Barbecue! And only one or two seats left for the Spring into Summer kickoff dinner. (Update: This event is fully booked now as well!)

We've also started organizing our first extra event... a supplementary Summer Dinner for some friendly folks from Jewish Family Service. I think we're going with a Spanish theme... "una noche Andalusian" perhaps? (Whoops, this July 14th event is now totally booked as well!)This event started because there was a group of people interested, who weren't very well connected with our other friends/family. So long as we have the energy and availability, I think O and I are excited to be able to create a special event like this. If you have a group of 6 people in mind, feel free to propose anything!

Summer Schedule

2007-05-29T22:43:00.001-07:00

The Full Belly Seattle is happy to announce our first season of events. Please peruse our Summer Schedule below and let us know as soon as possible which event or events you would like to attend. RSVPs will be collected via email and seating will be reserved on a first-come-first-served basis. Events will include two alcoholic beverages, unless otherwise stated. Guests who would like additional beverages are invited to bring their own bottles or make arrangements with the chef. Non-alcoholic beverages will also be provided. All events, unless otherwise specified, will be held at our apartment.

Saturday, June 30, 2007 - Spring into Summer Dinner
Morel, asparagus & ricotta toasts
Summer market greens with shallot vinaigrette
Handmade beet ravioli with creamy ricotta, goat cheese & mint
Chilled green melon soup
Cherry frangipane tart with creme fraiche ice cream
$30 including wine
This event was a smashing success!
Saturday, July 21st, 2007 - French & Moroccan Mid-Summer's Night
Pomegranate champagne cocktail toastSpiced marcona almondsApricot coins with white beans, green olives & peppersPeach, hazelnut & goat cheese saladRoast lamb with pistachio-cilantro pestoorRoasted summer vegetables with pistachio-cilantro pestoWilted cherry tomatoes with fresh mintCouscous
Coffee custard with shaved dark chocolate$45 including wine
This event has been postponed due to scheduling conflicts :(
Friday, August 24th, 2007 - End of Summer Barbecue
Mozzarella stuffed grilled portobellos with balsamic marinadeGrilled rustic sausage or vegetarian bratwurst
Chipotle baked beans
Sweet corn on the cob with chili-lime aioli Homemade seasonal ice cream
$20 including beer
(outdoor location to be announced - possibly Volunteer Park)
We've frozen the RSVP list at 20 people for now!

The Full Belly Seattle Is Born

2007-05-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome one and all. You have been sent a link to this blog because someone believes that you too are looking for ways to help make the world a better place. Please continue on and read about our efforts and about some of the fun and easy ways you can contribute!

Olaiya and I have spent many hours discussing how to put our money where our mouth is when it comes to supporting world-changing organizations. The options are so numerous that it can leave a person feeling confused and frustrated. While researching which organization we would support, we looked for a secular non-profit oriented toward helping people from very disadvantaged backgrounds find sustainable solutions to improve their lives. We believe Women for Women is just such an organization.

Our goal is to raise funds through a series of social events and dinners. The proceeds from these affairs will be used to sponsor individual women in war-torn countries throughout the world. Our initial plan will be to host one event per month, inviting our friends and neighbors to join us for satisfying food and conversation, knowing that all the proceeds will make a difference.

We hope that the project grows and becomes more ambitious as time goes by. However we evolve, we would like to keep a consistent set of values. Our goal is to make use of Olaiya's considerable talents in the kitchen, provide vegetarian-friendly meals and tastings, attempt to cater all events with local, organic produce, and keep costs low enough that everyone can participate. We intend to focus on building an ever-increasing sense of community. Our events will not be hard-sells or guilt-wracked discussions of world affairs. We simply want our friends and family (and your friends and family) to come join us for a great time for a great cause.