Tag Archives: foodie

{first diy reuben sammy}

4 Apr

well i’m just full of firsts in 2024! especially in the kitchen!

recently, i randomly decided to make my own reuben sandwich at home. it is most certainly my all-time favourite sammy! there was a glorious place in denver called masterpiece delicatessen and they made THE BEST reuben sandwich! {recently found out they closed, bummer!} and since then, i’ve been trying to find a place that creates one in the same way… alas – to no avail, i have yet to.

BUT! – as usual, when i can’t find what i want, i try to make it myself. and i feel like i was able to artfully recreate this specialty in my own kitchen, and i must’ve eaten one every day for like a week – haha!

complete with homemade russian-style {aka thousand island} dressing and homemade saurkraut! 🙂

this totally hit the spot… perfectly toasted marble rye bread, superbly savory pastrami {sliced thin and stacked high, of course}, delightfully melty swiss cheese, crunchy and punchy {and gut-healthy} sauerkraut, and slightly sweet tangy russian dressing… *chef’s kiss*

what’s there not to love?!

nom nom!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{first pad thai – ever!}

9 Feb

this is another first…

first time i ever tried making this dish from scratch. and possibly the first time i have ever eaten this dish.

a friend of mine came to visit last year and i asked him what his favourite meal was so that i could cook it for him.. and he was quick to respond :

“pad thai”

and i was just a wee-bit nervous because i had never made anything like that before. but – i sought out a recipe through the magic of the internet, and then i gathered the ingredients and followed the recipe and it ended up being pretty delicious! i love the loads of flavour from this well-known dish. AND – it’s actually pretty healthy!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{first pancakes of 2024}

31 Jan

possibly my first pancakes… ever?!

i am feeling pretty proud of these {cute} little {yummy} pancakes that i made on the morning of new years day… particularly because it was my first time in my adult life that i’ve made them from scratch. i always felt so intimidated, so i just never tried. {silly, yes.}

i know that it may seem so simple, but this is a big accomplishment for me – haha! ironcially, making pancakes is a very simple process and i can’t believe i took so long to do it. these were rather delicious. and simple ingredients of course…

the basics :

  • flour
  • sugar
  • baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • melted butter
  • egg
  • milk

mix dry and wet ingredients separately…

heat in a cast iron skillet with a little butter until bubbly… then flip…

serve with softened butter and maple syrup… and nom nom!

they were rather fluffy and delish, if i may say so myself. 😉

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{diy dehydrated strawberries}

13 Jun

speaking of strawberries… these are like nature’s candy!

i love to make dehydrated fruit of all kinds! one of my other favourite things to dehydrate is bananas. it’s a great way to preserve in-season foods and enjoy them later. it’s also easy and cost-effective.

strawberries are one of my top favourite fruits to enjoy when they are dehydrated. they are so sweet and so delicious! they curb my craving for gummy bears or gummy snacks, and obviously have way less sugar! the only issue is, they don’t last very long! 😉

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{sunday (funday) snacks}

18 Jul

speaking of eating seasonally and such…

on sundays lately, i’ve been curating a platter fully of yummy and healthy snacks to eat in leiu of lunch or dinner. i’ll have it out while i am cooking or relaxing or whatever else and just kind of graze on the snacks… basically all day.

here are a couple of pics of how i spent my last 2 sundays :

chianti-wine aged salami, garlic-herb wafer crackers, fresh avocado, fresh pineapple, locally-grown cherries, blueberries, & peaches, super thin pretzels, roasted mixed nuts, truffle parmesan crisps, dehydrated apples, apricots, dates, various chocolate, and a homemade kombucha spritzer mocktail

homemade tuna salad, organic mini toasts, garlic-herb salami, smoked oysters, mixed nuts, homemade pickles, fermented radishes, locally-grown broccoli & cauliflower, fresh avocado, dates, apricots, locally-grown blackberries & peaches, and a ginger tonic mocktail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{what’s in my refrigerator}

28 Jan

on sundays i like to do my meal-prepping for the week. i have lots of containers and jars for storing my dry goods as well as my make-ahead meals.

here’s what i created to eat last week :

  • raw spinach salad
  • hard-boiled eggs
  • sautéed veggies for an asian-inspired dish
  • blanched broccoli
  • citrus baked salmon
  • roasted garlic israeli cous-cous
  • my famous mashed potatoes
  • raw celery sticks
  • curried lentils with ham and veggies
  • sauerkraut (not homemade)
  • garlic dill pickles (homegrown and homemade)
  • roasted tomato soup
  • homemade beef bone broth 
  • potstickers (to go with asian dish)
  • turmeric tea w/ coconut milk

do you like to make your meals ahead of time? batch-cooking has been something i’ve adopted into my lifestyle over the last few years and it’s really helped me save money and keep my diet in check.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{the most delicious holiday chocolate!}

18 Dec

i am so grateful for fellow foodie friends who get me! and who send me delicious treats like these decadent holiday-inspired chocolates… that look like logs for a cozy christmas fire! aren’t the beautiful?!

and my goodness they were delicious! 

i’m not certain, but i believe the flavours were :

  • dark chocolate almond
  • dark chocolate w/ sea salt and peppermint filling
  • milk chocolate w/ peanut butter filling

needless to say, they didn’t last too long… 

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{brunch!}

30 Jul

a perfect cortado paired with a yummy nutella crepe.

nom nom!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{foodie friday : the teeniest strawberry}

9 Jun

actually, the teeniest strawberries probably grow wild in our back yard…

but i don’t think these are edible… 😉

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{a make-up blog : saturdays in the garden – volume six}

29 May

things are moving along quickly in the garden!! i actually harvested lots of kale this week and my dill is turning into a forrest! cilantro will only be here for a little while longer, and my peas are producing but will also begin to dwindle as the heat increases. i should be able to harvest some cucumbers next week. which means next month, i’ll be making some delicious pickles!! so so so excited about that!

on a community level, we have been donating over 15 pounds of collard greens each week and lots of radishes are going to donation, as well. our beans are starting to blossom, and the blueberries are coming in nicely. we also have tons of healthy tomato plants growing. june and july are the exciting months for gardening, as everything really starts to produce… i just love it.

and since i have fallen behind a little bit on updating on the garden, i am putting these fotos in gallery form, so i can squeeze them all into this post 🙂

{click on any photo to enlarge and scroll through gallery}

 

 

a {sort of} pano of my plot…

from left to right, counter-clockwise-ish :

jalapeños {hidden, back row} basil {back row}, peas {along left trellis}, lacinato kale, tomatoes {middle}, cilantro, celery, more tomatoes {middle}, cabbage, more kale {middle}, romanesco, more tomatoes, {middle}, cucumbers {along right trellis}, and dill.

i kind of planted in a zig-zag pattern…

i also squeezed in a few spinach plants throughout, but i’m not sure how they’ll fare.

thanks for following along!

how is your garden looking??! 🙂

 

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{portrait of an egg}

17 May

farm fresh eggs are just so beautiful! and they are so much more nutrient-dense than store-bought eggs!

 

i hope to have backyard chickens one day in the near future!

i just love all the colours!

and the flavour can’t be matched! farm fresh is the best!

i just love the variety… eat the rainbow!

 

#eggportraits

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{saturdays in the garden – volumes four & five}

13 May

i have been slightly slacking with updates on the garden. i have so many fotos to share, that i’m lumping {2} volumes together 🙂

a couple weeks ago, we had some eagle scouts come help in the garden. it was fun to see the boys get so excited about digging and planting.

 

as we prepped some of the community beds, we found some sweet potatoes! the boys were super excited about this part of the day! they collected probably 3 dozen or so, and i overheard one of them saying, “we are going to donate these!” – so charming. 🙂

i personally got so excited about this little frog i found under one of the tarps… i moved him away from the garden and let him go on his way…

planting beans!

planted okra in these plots…

radishes are so rewarding because they grow so fast!

we also planted some green onions and swiss chard…

i love it when someone brings coffee!

our garden leader shared some honey from last years harvest!! nom nom Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{saturdays in the garden – volume three}

15 Apr

things are moving along nicely at the community garden…

it’s so rewarding to interact with other people who are just as passionate as i am about gardening. having us all come together and work as a team to prep the beds and tend to the crops is just such a marvelous reality. it’s something i really wish that every single person on the planet could and would experience.

last week, we had some eagle scouts come and help work in the garden. it was quite fun seeing their excitement as they helped move tarps and logs and plant seeds. we uncovered some potatoes from last season and the boys were very eager to collect them all and “donate them” – which was so endearing.

i am forever grateful to be a part of this community garden and it pleases my soul so tremendously to engage in it all. my cucumbers, along with other plants, are sprouting and the peas are growing quite nicely… i can’t wait to share those fotos next week!

in the meantime, here are some fotos of recent days at the garden… i hope you enjoy.

 

things are growing!! radishes and lettuce…

kale and peppers…

tools!

laying mulch around the blueberry bushes…

looks so good!

transplanting raspberries…

i can’t wait to get my paws on some of those!!

fig trees! oh my, i’m excited about these, too!!!

happy bees!

side note : would you believe i got stung AGAIN!? this time – right on my nose! – i was shocked. the garden leader thinks it may have been my sunscreen, so i switched to an unscented version. let’s hope that helps! if you follow me on instagram, you saw the story. annoyingly hilarious.  Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{saturdays in the garden – volume two}

8 Apr

some updates on my community garden…

 

my uncle helped me make repurpose some materials and make these trellises for my peas and cucumbers. last year, thanks to a good friend, i learned a lot about vertical gardening… particularly, how it helps in maximizing space. since my plot is only 4 x 8, i was adamant about making sure to get the most food i could growing in there.

in particular, peas and cucumbers. they were the most fun to grow last year, and i had quite the bounty. not to mention the taste – so fresh and delicious!

i do love my garden!

another shot of my plot and trellises…

🙂 Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{saturdays in the garden – volume one}

25 Mar

do you love gardening as much as i do?!

i recently discovered that gardening is one of my most favourite things ever!

last summer, i participated in a community garden when i still lived in denver. unfortunately, i wasn’t able to blog about it due to crazy scheduling conflicts and lack of good computer/internet access. thankfully, that has all changed as of late.

this year, i am fortunate to again have found a community garden to participate in… and it’s right up the street from my house! my plot this year is only half the size of the one i had last year, but i am still super thankful and i can still grow a ton of food in this 4 x 8 plot. last year, i didn’t exactly know what i was doing, and i kind of over-planted. a lot of my neighbours jokingly called my plot the “cucumber farm” because i literally had to give away about half my harvest due to having such an abundance! {which was obviously a good thing, overall!}

this year, i am planting similar items, just not as much of it. i am eager to share the pictures and the experience as i go along, so i will be posting about it on saturdays.

and without further ado, here are some fotos from the journey thus far. i hope you enjoy… and please do leave comments if you wish, as i love to discuss gardening just about as much as i enjoy discussing and sharing fotography.

 

here’s what i’m planting this year…

last year, i made lots of pickles and tomato sauce with my harvest. this year, i’m planting romanesco, which i’ve never grown but as you may know, i’m in love with!

our community has an herb garden, and the mint is already coming up, and {of course} taking over!

there is also a blueberry patch, which i’m so excited about!

lots of little critters make this garden their home, as well…

we also keep bees, which makes me sooooo happy!

getting the garden ready for the season…

laying fresh compost, clay, and manure…

pulling weeds and admiring the kale…

that’s my plot! Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{pan-seared wild-caught salmon}

13 Feb

]salmonsalmon-2

i love salmon! and although it’s not in season just yet, i try to eat it at least twice a month, but ideally i would like to get back to consuming it once a week or more. it’s full of omega 3 fatty acids and healthy lean protein. this particular wild-caught salmon filet was hand-delivered to me by an alaskan fisherman! 🙂

my favourite way to prepare salmon is to pan-sear it. don’t be intimidated, it’s a very easy method.

i simply sprinkle my salmon filet{s} with a little S&P and squeeze a little lemon juice over it, as well.

then, start with a medium-high heat skillet coated with a little olive oil, and place salmon filet in skin-side up. cook for 4-5 minutes, then flip over and finish with skin-side down, another 4-5 minutes. cooking it this way usually allows for the filet to come up easily off the skin when serving. i like to serve mine over a bed of greens or a simple couscous recipe.

bon appetite! 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{seasonal eating : wild chanterelle mushrooms}

27 Oct

chanterellemushrooms-4chanterellemushrooms-1

i looooooove mushrooms, did you know this?!  it was amazing to discover that some mushrooms grow WILD up here in the high country. morels, boletus, and chanterelles, to name a few. and they are all something special.  when we received some wild chanterelles at the store, i eagerly nabbed some up so i could try them for the first time.  they are only available for a short time, and many of the “professional” foragers are extremely secretive about their “finding spots”  – and who can blame them!!?? – they sell for upwards of $20.00 a pound! we had a very rainy august here in the valley, and that made for some ideal mushroom hunting-and-gathering!

the peak season for chanterelles is in the fall… we have had a little frost in the mornings lately, so i’m kind of assuming they’re done for the year… but i could be wrong. i’m also just a little late in posting this blog 😛

i most likely have had chanterelle mushrooms at some point in my life and not realized it.  i’m sure at some fancy dinner in NYC, i had a couple in a dish once… but i wanted to truly truly taste the mushroom – being a purist and all – so i simply sauteed them in some awesome local pasture butter.

chanterellemushrooms-2

chanterellemushrooms-4chanterellemushrooms-5

i sauteed the golden fungi for about 15 minutes, until they were nice and aromatic… then poured the whole mixture over a yummy baked russet potato…

chanterellemushrooms-3

it was a taste of heaven…

do you like mushrooms? have you had chanterelles? what is your favourite mushroom?? 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{artisan salts : black lava}

22 Aug

perhaps you may know by now, that i have a major affinity for salt.  himalayan pink salt being my top pick… in fact, i love salt so much that sometimes people buy it for me or bring it back from france as a gift… {how lucky am i!?}

lavasalt-1

this beautiful salt is called “black lava” and i recently discovered the most interesting thing about it. apparently, it is simply salt from the hawaiian shore that has been “infused” with activated charcoal… typically from coconuts. WHAT!  did you know that??!!  crazy!  therefore, this awesome salt is also very detoxifying and has been used in spas across the country.  furthermore, i discovered that it is considered a “finishing salt”… which i must’ve known instinctively {thanks to my intuitive-eating lifestyle}, because i totally just put some on this delicious tomato the other day and devoured it…

lavasalt-2

it has a slight smokey flavour and i just love the colour!

definitely nab some up if you find it in your specialty department or store. it’s worth the extra expense, and the trace mineral content is also very high in this salt, which just adds to its awesomeness.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{meatless monday – “the av-egg-ado”}

3 Mar

aveggado-8

i saw this somewhere on the web recently and i’ve been so eager to try it. i mean – isn’t is so apropo for food & foto? simple, easy, delicious, and healthy!

two ingredients: {3 if you decide to sprinkle cheese on top…}

– 1 ripe avocado

– 1 medium egg Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

{thirsty thursday : roasted volcanic garlic and a snow day!}

7 Nov

roastedvolcanicgarlic-6

i feel like i eat garlic with almost every meal.  it’s so good for you, so good for the immune system and for your joints, among a slew of other things.  in the late spring this year, i purchased this beautiful braid of volcanic garlic.  the rep from the farm suggested roasting it with olive oil in the oven, for a very unique experience and flavour.

on it! said food and foto dot com.

i have about 5 bulbs left on the braid i purchased… the guy did say, “buy this now and it will last you through the end of the year” – and here we are {6 months later} in early november and i still have some to play with – yay!

and obviously you can use any kind of garlic.  i had actually never made roasted garlic on my own, so i just had to try…

roastedvolcanicgarlic-1

and i did exactly what the farmer told me to do…. Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

← Older Entries