more killer korrespondence

If you have read any of my recent entries, you may have noticed that they are mostly pretty doggone short. It seems that the more I have to write about, the less time there is to write. You probably know what I mean.

Anyway, I've been saving some of these up for you. Don't hesitate to add your own, ok? I love them!

Dave

Hi Dave,
I'm a Portland Farmers Market regular, and always enjoy bringing home a loaf of your bread.
Thanks for coming to the Bridge Pedal today. I liked the "Good Seed"
T-shirts you all were wearing, and one of the people working with you suggested that I could order one from your website. However, I don't see how to do it there. Am I missing something? Also, based on what I saw today, it appears that the shirts come in Black and Red, short sleeves. Are there other colors? And are there long sleeve shirts available?
Thanks,
Scott

You can order them from at http://daveskillerbread.com/ Click on the 'Community" button and then "killer gear". If you can get over to the bakery--1170 NE 63rd, off Halsey--they are 8 bucks for a t-shirt and 10 bucks for the spaghetti-strap version. Black and red are the only colors available.

Or you can hit me up at the market and I will see what I can do.

Dave

At the end of the ‘dave’s story’ section of the website, you end with your brother welcoming you back.
I’d be interested in what happened next. Well, obviously you got back into the bread world, but how did it evolve?
How did you begin creating your line of breads? How long has that process been?
To put it as radio commentator Paul Harvey would say, “The rest of the story.”
By the way, love your bread.
Thanks for your time. Best wishes.

I'm working diligently to get the rest of the story out there--but I'm a long ways from getting it finished. I think I will start by publishing chapters on my blog shortly.

Dave

Thanks for letting me know about your bread. I really enjoyed tasting healthy, wholesome, great tasting bread at the bridge pedal.
Suzanne Franklin
PS It's great for kids to think of bread as a treat!

Dave,
I saw how much bread you and your staff brought to the bridge pedal and should have been enough for the day, except that your bread was so good many people, myself and son included went back many times for more. We were with many riders and I didn't here of one person who disliked the sample. My son and I have already purchased a loaf from our local store and have turned many of our friends on to your fabulous products. I wish the best to you and your company hope to enjoy your products for many years to come. Hope to see you at other events and at next years Bridge Pedal.
Steve and Jarret

Hi,
Love all your Bread’s. My daughter has Celiac Disease, do you make a gluten free bread? Thanks, LM

Hey there,
Are any of your breads gluten-free? Is sprouted wheat digested as gluten?
Thanks,
Kate

Nope...sorry, but I don't know how to make gluten-free bread. And yes, sprouted wheat is digested as gluten. If it was, there would be no need for gluten-free bread.

Hey Dave, I first picked up your bread about 3 weeks ago cuz it had a cool bag that made me want to try i which I did.. AMAZING. It tasts soo good and healthy. I love the fact that there is NO corn syrup in it. it's so hard to find quality bread. Seems like any bread that looks like it's healthy for you ends up having corn syrup in it which is stupid and crappy. So great job. Just knowing you live and produce your killer bread here adds to my pride of being a Portland resident(also a former mass. resident. place sux) Anyway I was just snacking on the 21 grain and for the first time took the time to read the story on the back which after I did I was compelled to check out the web site to get the full story which I also did. Very impressive I think it's great you put your full story there to be read by all. It's great, so great that you have a happy ending to such a dark time in your life. I can relate to your story about drugs taking over a part of your life. not to get into that, I just wanted to tell you that your bread and your story moved and inspired me. Thank you for sharing both. Later, dan

Our family is in love with your bread! We fight over who will get the heel which is not our normal behavior.
I just wanted to give you a shout out… when I use a product exclusively I like to let the manufacturer know.
Keep up the “Good Seed” work..
Tina

I was wondering if any one does or could carry your bread here, in the Columbia River Gorge.
I tried it on top of the Marquam Bridge during the Portland Bridge Pedal and it was great! My 13 yr. old son loved it, too. We were unable to make it back into Portland for the coupon offer, but I would I would like to be able to buy some in the area!
I live in White Salmon, WA across from Hood River, OR. There are many athletes (windsurfers, kiteboarders, Mtn. bikers, hikers, skiers, etc.) that I believe would love your bread.
The closest Fred Meyer is in The Dalles, but perhaps Thriftway in WS would be interested. They have increased their organic and health sections considerably. Rosauers in Hood River has a substantial health food section and might be a possibility also. Let me know if you make it to the Gorge!
Thanks for listening!
Kristi

DKB is now available at Rosauers in Hood River!

Dave

So glad you are flourishing because we love your bread. I am trying to watch my overall calories and wonder if it is possible to make a loaf that has thinner slices with still the yummy seeds. Don't know if you can slice such meaty bread thinner without it falling apart.
Thanks Dave
Cheryl Ford

It's in the works--a smaller, thinner 75 calorie DKB. But it will require the acquisition of a different slicer. Hopefully, by the end of the year.

Dave

Dear Dave,
My husband and I have been enjoying your bread for some time. Today we picked up a flier at the Beaverton Farmer's Market and just now read your story on the website while enjoying a ham and cheese sandwich on your Rockin Rye.
Many of us make unfortunate choices out of personal pain. Some people have the courage to look at what they have done and get help to make different ones. Congratulations!
We will stop and say Hello the next time you are there. Thanks for sharing part of your story.
Carmen & Charles

You made my day. I picked up a loaf of your bread, read your story on it, and will be a faithful customer from here on out. I found my loaf at Fred Meyer in Klamath Falls. I live in Dorris, CA. It was so incredibly uplifting to see what positive thinking can do.
Thanks for the ray of sunshine I felt.
Sincerely,

Kris

I just wanted to let you know that I picked up a loaf of Dave’s at 82nd/Foster Fred Meyer today and it is some of the best bread I have ever had in my life. Well worth the extra cost.
Thanks,
Steve

Just got finished eating my first piece of Dave's Killer Bread, the 21 Grain. It is excellent. I will continue to buy more-- even though I don't shop at the Metropolitan Market (Queen Anne, Seattle) that often. Any chance you will be getting stock into the Seattle Town and Country Ballard Market on 15th St, or the Ballard Fred Meyer? You will have a tremendous following up here in Seattle! Try PCC and Whole Foods too and good luck to you.
Loved reading your story. I taught at the Monroe State Reformatory for almost 10 years working with inmates and psychologists. I learned as much as I taught. I appreciate you telling your story and showing people that there is a way out--out of addiction, out of crime and out of depression. Bravo!
Karen

Hi there—
I was so thrilled to meet you a few weeks ago at the Beaverton Farmer’s Market. After over a year of swearing by your bread I finally got to meet the man behind it all. I’m a motivational speaker at a hypnosis center (and an aspiring author)—I help people look at their life differently and I’m only able to do it because I had a very full life that forced me to learn certain lessons earlier than most. So I certainly appreciate a good inspiring story when I see one. :-D So thank you for your marvelous bread (since most of my clients are working on weight loss we talk about nutrition a lot and I always bring up your bread) and thank you for your story. I’m reminded of a quote by Marianne Wiliamson who said that “as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give others permission to do the same”. Nelson Mandela used this quote in his inaugural address and it seems to apply here.
So have a wonderful day—it was a pleasure meeting you!
~Cyleste

HELLO!
My sister bought a loaf of bread at the Metropolitan Market in West Seattle and served it at a dinner party a few days ago. All I can say, is OH MY GOD!! This bread is beyond great and even better healthy and delicious!.
I took the empty bag to my local Fred Meyer in Renton and spoke with the bread guy there and seriously requested that he start to carry this bread. I noticed that you are in some Fred Meyer stores in Vancouver Wash so maybe they will.
Please tell me that you are working on perhaps carrying your bread in Whole Foods or Trader Joe;'s or somewhere in Seattle with more stores than Metropolitan market. In the meantime, I asked my sister to please buy me a few loafs of your bread for me. She will have to be supplier until I can find a closer source. haha
In any case, I am now a believer and will continue to pass on the info on this delicious, healthy and great tasting product.
Keep up the good work and thank you! You have indeed found your talent.
God bless you!
Bonnie

Please stay tuned...lots of Seattle stores will be carrying it very soon. Besides Metropolitan Markets, those signed up so far include Marlene's (Seattle and Tacoma) and Whole Foods!

Dave

"dave's killer bread" documented on pike's peak

If you look closely, you can spot the dkb sticker on Sam's jacket. The family was visiting Pike's Peak (picture taken near the summit--14,110 feet). They are regular visitors to the Portland Farmers' Market, including the Dave's Bread booth. Dave



Howdy Dave,
Great chattin' with you today. I have to admit that every Saturday when we bring the Sam and Tim to the farmer's market, the first thing they want to do is visit our long-time friends Chris and Amy of Square Peg Farm. Immediately after they scurry around there, they are wanting to go to see if Dave is there. They love your bread and get all giddy when they see you around.
Great fun, great bread, great people. Thanks!

Scott, Christina, Samuel and Timothy

the damn tasty! vegan baking guide

I recently had the pleasure of attending a birthday celebration for a fellow named Jim Holechek, who was celebrating the last of his 20's. Jim is an engaging cat, as were the rest of the attendees--in particular his wife, Kris, who happens to be the author of the above-mentioned book, which you can find out more about with this link:

http://damntastyvegan.com/

Anyone who knows me knows that I mostly just work--that is my life. So visiting with the Holecheks and their friends was a treat. I wish I could have stayed much longer, but I had actually committed to another engagement that evening.

Anyway, Kris hooked me up with a copy of her great book, which has given me some ideas for future projects.

You can read her blog at:

http://squirrelsvegankitchen.com/

good seed planted in the smoky mountains

Dear Dave, ;
You probably thought I'd forgotten your request for a photo of me in the "Good Seed" T-shirt you and Shobi sent last month, but I haven't.
I've been waiting to get some shots from the home of a neighbor, with the picturesque ridges of the Great Smoky Mountains visible in the background. Unfortunately, we're in the midst of a drought here in Western North Carolina (almost a foot short of rain since Jan. 1), visibility is affected by haze and the photos I want will have to wait until there's a good rainstorm and the air clears. Patience...
In the meantime, my daughter took a couple shots last week of me in the T-shirt in front of a big rock in our backyard. They are attached.
(You can judge the size of the rock from the tiny white toy dinosaur on top of it (to the right of my head.)
Incidentally, I wore the T-shirt to the North Carolina Apple Festival in Hendersonville over Labor Day weekend, advertising Dave's Killer Bread to thousands of people walking along Main Street, which was lined with vendors' tents. Kind of like the Saturday Market on steroids...
Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera.
--Marv

balance THIS!

Late '05--Amy Troy from Channel 8 News did a story.
Spring of '06--Shobi (my nephew and DKB partner) and I hit LA beach for a 30-minute break during a Natural Foods Expo.
As we were creating the current version of the DKB packages, we tried several poses for the back label. This one didn't make the cut.
An ill-advised trip to San Fran to play a few shows with MDC.

"Dancing" on the Marquam Bridge during the Bridge Pedal cycling event in July of this year.

My farmer's market friend Sharon tells me--kindly--that I need balance in my life. Others have alluded to this fact, too. I've been out of prison for 32 months now. As anyone who has done any serious time would say, "I can do 32 months standing on my head". In a sense, I'm still doing that time. I'm still mostly keeping my own company, because I'm the only one I know who hangs out with people like me.
As a prison inmate, I became "obsessed" with work as a drafter and with playing my guitar (both of which were tremendous blessings for me, I might add), and got my recreation by running the track and hitting the weights. For the most part, that put me in the "1 percentile" of inmates who are actively making every effort to grow as people and overcome the cycle (my number. But one percent seemed quite generous to me).
What has changed? Not much. I hit the ground running when I was released in late December of '04. Adhering to the same principles by which I had found success in the joint, I set out to fill the creative void at NatureBake, a family company started by my parents and now owned by my brother, Glenn.
If you had told me 3 years before this that I'd be going in this direction, I would have said you were out of your mind. I had learned to cherish my independence from a family situation that I had resented and found depressing as a youngster. I had been my own boss for decades, even if most of that time I'd acted the fool. I had been gifted with a chance to learn computers and computer-aided drafting while incarcerated and I knew that my skills would be very applicable in a creative field somewhere. The last thing I needed was to be in a stifling family-controlled environment.
But here I was, with seemingly my work cut out for me: just make some really great stuff that people want. Great. If anyone could do it, I could. I had embraced the following concept of humility: be who you are--no more or less. Be accepting--even welcoming--of your "failures" and missteps as learning and growing "opportunities". Be just fine where you are, as you work your proverbial ass off on your way to the next level.
I must say, this principle has guided me well so far. Not to say that I've always been humble. And perhaps my greatest stumbling block is that I have a hard time accepting others' lack of effort and commitment, by my standards. But if I was perfect, there would be no "next level".

Anyway, as much success as I enjoyed in prison, I have found a great deal more on these streets. But I still don't hang out, go to parties, golf, or even play much guitar anymore.

If you understood where I have been, perhaps you could see why "balance" may not be what I need just yet. This crazy, full, lonely life is my best bet.

But thanks for the love, Sharon. Thanks for the concern. Perhaps, in another year or two, I will have the luxury of finding that balance.

In the meantime, any other workaholics wanna get together for a jam session?

raisin spelt bread returns!

Hello,
I had a sample of your experimental raisin spelt bread at the Beaverton Farmer’s market, and am wondering where I can purchase it? Every time I go back to the market it hasn’t been available. It was absolutely delicious!
Thank you for your help,
Jenn


I just brought that variety back to the market this last week, due to demand. it is one of those varieties that has given me trouble--doesn't always look as nice and pretty as I'd like--so I had to shelve it for a bit. It will be at farmers' markets for the rest of the season, but I don't imagine I will have a whole lot of loaves available. So my advice is to come early!

Dave

but what if I had to ride a less-spendy bike?

Our first time ever riding mountain bikes--Denise and I had the good fortune of riding some pretty amazing bikes. The one I was riding costs $7100, and it was a beauty. Nobody got hurt because we rode like old folks. Had a really great time at Moutain Bike Oregon this past weekend.

Here is our friend Mason, who became disoriented while riding and somehow wound up falling off his bike and into the ice-cold water--without a stitch of clothes on! The rest of the photos are not fit for this family blog, but I have filed them away in case I ever need a special favor. (He just kept saying "but it really is cold in that water...really!)