Photos courtesy of Jo Ann Santangelo

 

Speaking

Want Kate to come to your school, office or event? Look over the range of topics she can cover for your group, private event or conference.

Speaking fees waived for grassroots or community organizers who help to coordinate book-selling events and classes that will cover the costs of travel. Kate builds book tour trips around planning a number of events to cover the costs.

To book Kate as a speaker please send an email outlining your request via the contact form. Please include event date, location and your phone number.

Selected Speaking Engagements Include:

  • March 2012 – Tucson, AZ: Kate discussed how to build a writing career with current UA Honors students at the University of Arizona Honors College.

Presentation Topics:

  • Green Your Cleaning Supplies Cabinet: Learn how to dispose of harmful chemicals and switch to non-toxic cleaning with items you already have in the pantry. Identify alternatives to common chemical cleaners to save money and rid your home of toxic fumes.
  • Gluten-Free Baking and Lifestyle: Adapting to the gluten-free life doesn’t have to be difficult. Learn the basics of baking your own gluten-free goods, including how to incorporate pre-existing flour mixes into recipes and how to make your own cup-for-cup blends.
  • Seasonal Entertaining on a Budget: Learn how to throw a seasonal party without breaking the bank, from easy decor ideas to great suggestions for low-cost snacks and beverages.
  • Small-Batch Preserving Basics: Learn the basics of preparing seasonal fruits and vegetables safely and easily using waterbath canning, pressure canning or fermentation methods. Gain an understanding of what makes food safe to keep sealed at room temperature and get inspired to begin your own home food preservation projects.
  • Sprucing Around the House: Learn how to develop a simple, affordable decorating and design plan for individual areas of your home. Hone your eye for easily improvised solutions to common household problems.

Workshop Topics:

  • Budget-friendly beverages: Start infusing your own liqueurs, cordials and other fancy drink ideas that are sure to please. Serve your friends in style without breaking the bank.
  • Gluten-free Sandwich Bread: Learn to make your own healthy and delicious gluten-free sandwich bread. Gain an understanding about the nuances of producing tender bread loaves with assorted gluten-free flours and yeast.
  • Small-Batch Fermentation and Fridge Pickling: Start making pickles today with this easy introduction to pickling. You’ll learn how preserve small quantities of any type of vegetable (or even fruits) without needing to pull out the canner pot. This course also includes an intro to fermentation and introduces a beginner-friendly method for you to try out small batches.
  • Intensive Lact0-Fermentation: Understand the science behind lacto-fermentation processes and gain a working knowledge of how to ferment any vegetable using a brine or dry-salting method. This course also includes a primer on fermenting fruit scraps into live cultured vinegars.
  • Small-Batch Sweet Preserving: Start making your own jams and jellies using simple ingredients. You’ll learn how to know when a jam reaches a set and other tricks of the sweet preserving trade.
  • Pressure Canning Basics: Start making your own stocks and soups using local, seasonal ingredients. You’ll learn proper methods for how to safely seal jars for shelf storage with ingredients that are not safe to simply waterbath can.
  • Small-Batch Preserving with Kids: Parents, pull out your aprons for this intimate, hands-on workshop where you will learn small-batch home food preserving you can do as a family. In this fun and educational session you and your kids will learn life-long skills for preparing seasonal fruits and vegetables safely and easily.
  • Green Your Cleaning Supplies: Attendees will learn the simple chemistry of cleaning, transitioning away from chemical cleaners and methods for easy-to-make homemade supplies. All participants will take home an info packet with ‘recipes’ for cleaners for different areas of the home. Additionally, workshop participants will make and take home a bottle of a customized scented all-purpose cleaner and a few cleaning tools to get their non-toxic cleaning on!
  • Unique DIY Decor Projects: Learn to make home accents like mason jar pendant lights or jelly jar string lights, seasonal craft and entertaining projects.

Home Consultations:

Work with the Hip Girl herself! Kate helps clients figure out how to not only arrange their space and components better, but also how to live better under their own roofs. Let Kate figure out a personalized home consultation plan based on your interests, from cooking, baking and preserving to cleaning and gardening, Kate will help you feel more confident and relaxed at home. Contact Kate to set up a free initial site visit and to learn more about the consulting options available.