Moving My Blog

I have re-directed my blog to a new site. You can find it here: http://www.jacquelinemalan.com/

Thanks for reading!

Doing Some Good

I am excited to announce that I am going to begin volunteering with The Growe Foundation.

The mission of the Growe Foundation is to educate children about eating and the environment. Through interactive learning, the program attempts to provide a set of tools/skills to help children make healthier lifestyle choices. Enforcing the importance of nutrition and farming, the objective is to create an enriching and fun environment while bringing awareness to health, local farming, and non-processed food substitutes.

I am excited to bring my previous knowledge in the non-profit sector, and love for food together. Looking forward to new and exciting opportunities.

Spice Shop Does It Right

This past weekend I discovered a little hidden gem in downtown Boulder....The Savory Spice Shop.


The shop located in Boulder is one of four locations throughout Colorado. They sell fresh ground spices that are made in house offering more than 140 original seasoning recipes. You can purchase as little as half an ounce or as much as a full bottle. They have everything from very traditional blends to exotic savory concoctions that will dazzle your taste buds.

Another unique aspect of the shop was their very creative gift sets, which are made to match every unique occasion. They included everything from a getting started collection to specialty themed sets. These include everything from a cheese lovers basket to a curry connoisseur's dream.

And in addition to all that, The Savory Spice Shop in Boulder is working with the Culinary School of the Rockies to offer a tasting series.

I will defiantly be supporting this local business for all my spices and inquires. And, I look forward to the tasting classes being held at our local culinary school.

Bluegrass in the Mountains

Last weekend I saw the 36th annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival. It was truly breathtaking to see and hear an array of wonderful musicians against the backdrop of majestic jagged peaks.


The festival itself was not only musically entertaining, but also extremely environmentally and family friendly. Some highlights were a water station where you could refill your water bottles all weekend long for free, and a waste system with attendant's who told you whether or not your contents were recyclable, compost, or trash. These are just two examples of how festival planners redefined typical norms.



In terms of performers, their were so many wonderfully talented musicians (to name a few, Yonder Mountain String Band, Railroad Earth, David Byrne, Elvis Costello, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, and Jerry Douglas). Musicians played both on the main stage in addition to other Telluride venues throughout the course of the weekend. I was fortunate enough to have Night Grass tickets all weekend, which provided a more intimate musical setting (a small old Opera House in town which, held about 150 people). It was at the Night Grass shows where I was able to see my favorite bands 'up close and personal.'


While most of the weekend was about music, we where able to get to do some Telluride exploring. We hiked up to the most spectacular waterfall I have ever seen in the state of Colorado, enjoyed strolling along the local farmers market, had dinner in town (as oppose to more festival food), and rode the gondola to additional hiking areas with breathtaking views.



Overall, it was a wonderful weekend in the mountains with plans to return again soon.

Enjoying the Fruits of My Labor

Last night, I had the privilege of seeing Lucinda Williams perform at Chautauqua Park. A sweet country sound that reminds me a lot of Stevie Nicks, Lucinda's lyrics and harmonic sounds echoed throughout the barn venue.

She sang a song called, "The Fruits of my Labor." The song really struck a chord somewhere. It reminded me of my journey out west, my decision to leave,how things change in an instant, and the simplistic beauties that make Boulder such a wonderful place. As I sat in the theater, I thought about how much things have changed in my own life. Every once and while, it's nice to be reminded how far I've come and how lucky I am.

I have "enjoyed the fruits of my labor."

Rapidly Spreading Technology

We live in a world where web 2.0 and massive technological innovations have created unprecedented potential for collaboration with no regard for geographical distances, or any of the traditional divisions of humanity.

Check out this clip from Us Now, which discusses the power of mass collaboration, media, and the rapidly changing world we live in.

International Aid

International aid in the food epidemic requires forward thinking and new ideas. Throwing money at tried and failed programs is as deplorable as inaction. But new doesn't necessarily mean good.

Cash distribution is something that has been floating around among, many forward thinking scholars. The UN debates:

"In a major endorsement of the approach, the UN's World Food Program, the biggest non-governmental distributor of food, is expected to announce later this month that it will begin distributing cash and vouchers instead of food in some areas according to WFP sources."

Not a bad idea, but keep in mind that most countries that really need international food aid are often not open to the help: Burma after last year's Cyclone Nargis, Zimbabwe for the past 29 years, North Korea - the list goes on. I don't think that distributing direct cash aid is a plausible or logical conclusion.