When I launched A Greener Kitchen, I searched endlessly for the perfect “green” apron. The price was always too high and the chic was nowhere to be found. Discouraged, yet determined, I partnered up with my mom’s sewing company and designed my own aprons, sourcing bright and bold organic cotton from Harmony Art.

I recently invited my good friend over for a lunch date to test out the new organic cotton aprons. I donned a full apron with the Garden print and she chose the half apron with the lime green Eyes of the World pattern.

We cubed sweet potatoes for mashing, turned day old bread into croutons for a salad, and rubbed chicken breasts with a dry spice rub. The chicken recipe is a favorite of mine from Cooking Light – Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken.

The finished meal was a winter comfort, hearty and warm.

And our clothes? Clean and ready to wear for the afternoon.

I live in my kitchen, and now in my aprons.

Loving Local Food – I launched this blog in February 2009 after Molly Hoyne suggested I start blogging about my passions. I started falling in love with food when I moved to Seattle six years ago and Loving Local Food was the outlet that finally helped me bring my culinary passion to the next level. I am able to share and connect with friends and family through food, regardless of whether or not we can all sit down at the table together.

Seattle Food Bloggers – I happened to mention Loving Local Food to a work acquaintance and within moments he was introducing me to Keren Brown via email. Keren (Frantic Foodie) organizes food blogger events throughout Seattle and is a master at networking within the food community. I have connected with numerous food bloggers, met professional food writers, and had the chance to take a class by well-known photographer, Lou Manna. The opportunities (or foodportunities as Keren would say) have been endless.

Food Writing Class – I signed up for Candace Dempsey’s food writing class this fall to learn a few professional tips and check an item off my life list. I was inspired to write an ode to my heritage with Minnesota Hotdish: A Farmwife Classic Your Family Will Love. I learned to craft pitch letters, read stories from professional food writers, and received invaluable feedback. The praise and constructive critique I acquired was reassurance I should continue to put words on paper.

West Seattle Winery LLC – This past summer, my husband and I converted our garage into a winery. It is fully licensed and bonded by the state and 2009 was our first commercial crush. We had long weekends and purple-stained fingers, but our wine babies are in barrels and demijohns and we are looking forward to their release in 2010. Next step? Creating a brand name for the winery. Any ideas?

A Greener Kitchen – After six months of researching vendors, building up inventory, and cursing at shopping carts we launched A Greener Kitchen. Officially released to the world on December 31, 2009, A Greener Kitchen was born out of my obsession with the kitchen and focuses entirely on eco-friendly kitchen tools, gadgets, and accessories.

Cheers to the progress made in 2009, and here’s to everything 2010 has waiting for us!