pan-seared mahi mahi – crusted with old bay and lemon juice, served with homemade roasted corn and shishito pepper succotash, and a glass of miller high life – ‘cuz we fancy. 😉
what are YOU having for dinner??
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{savory split-pea soup}
19 Janthis is a dish that i find myself craving during cold winter months. it is full of healthy protein and fiber, it is super comforting, and it is loaded with flavour. this can be made vegetarian or even vegan, but i added some ham to mine and simmered in my home-made chicken bone broth. it is so simply delicious!
savory split-pea soup…
i used a dried soup mix that i had in the pantry with split green and yellow peas, red lentils, dehydrated veggies, and a spice blend. i also used about equal parts homemade broth/water and seasoned to taste. i didn’t use a lot of extra spices in this soup because i honestly just love the flavour of the peas after they’ve been simmering in the broth and with the ham and hints from the bacon fat permeating throughout. although i did add in some dried parsley and of course S&P.
you could easily just use dried split peas for this recipe, and add in whatever veggies you want, chopped or frozen… typically a mirepoix mix provides the most aromatics, and that is my go-to.
i sautéed a diced onion in some bacon fat {i know!} until tender, then i deglazed with a little white wine vinegar… {typically i would use a dry white wine but i didn’t have any at the time.}
to the stock pan, i added the liquid mixture of about 2 quarts chicken broth and 2 quarts water and brought to a boil, then added in about 2 cups of the split pea mixture. i cooked the peas down for about 15 minutes on high heat, tossed in some ham, then simmered on low-medium heat until i found the consistency i wanted…about another 30 minutes.
i added in some diced ham at the last minute, because it was already cooked and thinly sliced… then simmered again on low for an additional 5-10 minutes. this made about 3-4 quarts of soup in total. i shared some with a friend and also canned a couple of pints for the future.
it totally hit the spot! i have been eating it for 2 days and will probably have some more tonight! it’s also one of those soups that gets better the next day! 🙂
before and after 🙂
nom nom, slurp slurp.
{happy holidays and happy new year!}
5 Jangreetings!
happy holidays and happy new year! {also – happy mercury retrograde for all you astrology fans out there!}
i hope you all are doing well! also, i wanted to welcome my new readers to this tiny little space on the world wide web. thank you for taking time to subscribe and follow along – i truly hope you enjoy the time you spend here at food and foto dot com.
as a personal goal, i am working to post new blogs at least once or twice a month… but ideally, my aim is to post once a week. as usual, you can expect the topics to include all things food and foto related – as well as the great outdoors, cool people and places, occasional astrology jargon, and general musings/ramblings from yours truly.
for example :
even though our temps have been in the mid 50s all week, this morning i was thinking about the weather and how i really never liked winter… this became particularly true when i lived in the high country in colorado and worked at 12,000 feet elevation {brrrr!}. i don’t enjoy the cold, although i do know that some people really do! the winter season is just not my favourite. however, i have recently learned to embrace each season for different reasons.
as humans, we are just as much a part of nature as nature itself. i sometimes feel we have really lost that connection and we often forget that we, too, have seasons. whether it be the “aging” process, or a relationship, or a job, or relocating/moving, or any other variables in life, we all go through seasons. and i believe that the winter season is a time to relax, reflect, and regain strength for spring. it’s a time to hibernate and go within, and most importantly – a time to REST!
personally, i {now} enjoy the downtime that winter has to offer more than I ever did in the past. of course – a lot has changed in my life which has offered me new perspective on this time of year… but nevertheless, i have certainly learned to embrace this season in a different way. plus, {in true introvert form} i enjoy working on a lot of puzzles this time of year – one of my favourite hobbies. 😉
also, i am not really big on “resolutions” – but i did make a short list of things i want to do more of this year. that includes :
- practice my piano/keyboard
- learn how to use {and use!} my sewing machine
- spend less time on social media and more time on my blog
- grow a vegetable and flower garden closer to my home
- get back into my exercise routine
- volunteer somewhere in my local community
- welcome more ways to sell my greeting cards
do you have any resolutions or goals this year?
{inspired by : stracciatella}
1 Octthis simplistically yummy soup was inspired by the same instagram account i mentioned in a previous post {see recipe here} which i stumbled onto one night while scrolling and searching for recipe inspiration. i had never heard of this dish, but then i did some research and found out that it is derived from roman culture and the word stracciatella actually translates to “little rags” – which i think is both adorable and poignant. it was created to use up kitchen scraps… as {in my humble opinion} some of the best meals always are!
this soup is so simple and easy to make. the chicken stock is the most time-consuming part of this recipe. sure, you can buy it… but homemade is best! in my kitchen, i tend to make chicken stock about once a week. i use it for everything and i sip on the bone broth a lot during cold winter months and/or freeze or can it for future use. and now that we are officially in the autumn season, and the weather is cooling down, i am truly enjoying this soup even more. although, i tend to enjoy soup year round.
as you know, we appreciate simplicity around here at food and foto. quality in = quality out. simple, healthy, clean ingredients lay the foundation and make for the most enjoyable meals.
this is one of my new favourite soups! so soothing, so comforting, so simple, and so delicious.
- 8-12 oz chicken stock
- 1-2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup parmigiana reggiana
- 1/4-1/2 cup fresh spinach
- S&P to taste
- parsley, optional
a crumbled up parmigiano reggiano swirl via stovetop sauté pan – also optional. {but adds some great flavour and crunch!}
method :
heat stock on medium to high and wilt in spinach. drop in the egg{s}. stir in grated cheese and season as desired.
#sipsip #nomnom
{homemade chow chow}
14 Sepi had never heard of chow chow until i lived in the south a few years back. y’all know i’m a big fan of sauerkraut… and this has similar ingredients, but with a different taste and process. chow chow is not fermented, although i’m certain you could change the ingredients and i bet a ferment would also taste amazing!
what i enjoy about making stuff like this is you don’t have to be so specific. you can play around with different measurements and/or sizes of veggies, combinations of veggies, etc. being in the kitchen is all about exploring, and i love to “play” with my food… and that is something i will never stop doing! 😀
some recipes that i explored suggested adding green tomatoes and/or spices or hot peppers… but this is what i came up with :
simple ingredients :
- cabbage
- onion
- green pepper
- red/yellow pepper
simple brine :
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1 cup water
start by heating brine ingredients in a sauce pan on low-medium heat until salt and sugar dissolve, then allow to cool to room temperature.
if you find that you have extra brine, you can always save it for something else like pickles or whatever other veggie you may want to use.
meanwhile, finely chop up all of the veggies…
pour {slightly cooled} brine mixture over the ingredients…
take some pictures, if you fancy…
then, add lid and store in the refrigerator for about a week. you can also use this same recipe and then pressure can or water-bath can and store in the pantry.
i made it both ways and both were delicious! i have one more jar left in the pantry, and i have been using the jar in the fridge for all kinds of fun stuff! it is SO GOOD with sausage or on a pork roll/bun… it adds the perfect balance of sweet to the savory. and it’s also good as a little snack or adding it to a charcuterie board or on a cracker, etc.
one thing I do like about the “canning” method is that the texture is a little softer. heat-processing this does break down the veggies a bit more and although i like it both ways, i do prefer the canning method. the nice thing is, canning is always an option even if i start with the fridge method.
do you like and/or make chow chow?! please share your comments and/or recipes below!
{i’ve always wanted one of these!}
29 Juli have some of the best people in my life! thoughtful, genuine, generous people… and i’m so thankful!
for my birthday last year, a dear friend gave me this awesome feather pen and quill ink stamp kit. i have always wanted one! i casually mentioned it to this person, and one day she brought it to me and i just shrieked in excitement! 🙂
i have since written several letters and sent them out to a select few people… it is just so much fun! i found this cool stationery that i had been holding onto for years, and it was just perfect for this kit!
my thoughts are like this – the internet and social media and all of that have great perks… but i also tend to be a little old-school… in that, i will always love sending and receiving mail! so this is just a perfect addition to my artistic studio!
would you like a hand-written wax-stamped letter from me? go to my about me page and fill out the form with your mailing address information and let’s be pen pals! 😀
{blue cheese steak salad}
11 Juli love to enjoy food leftovers the very next day… and it’s even more fun when i create something different with the leftover item i’m using. for example, after making this meal, i use the steak the next day for a yummy salad with blue cheese. it’s one of my favourite go-to meals these days. light and refreshing, but still flavourful and filling. high in protein, and always a crowd-pleaser.
simple ingredients, as per usual {measuring with the heart and “some” of each :
- leftover room-temp steak {i typically use grass-fed strip loin}
- hard-boiled egg{s}
- blue cheese crumbles
- chopped crisp romaine lettuce
- chopped scallions
- blue cheese dressing
- croutons {optional}
- tomatoes {optional}
this is a staple in the food & foto household. it’s also a big hit at parties or gatherings and is packed with nutrients and flavour! it also makes a good lettuce wrap! i opt for grass-fed meats whenever possible… they are higher in nutrition and i believe they taste so much better!
{praying mantis hatching}
20 Juni thought this would be a good post to celebrate the summer solstice! 😀
i have always been somewhat obsessed with the praying mantis. for as long as i can remember, i just thought they were so cool, and when i was a kid i used to look for them everywhere i would go! i saw one giving itself a bath one time and it was just about the most amazing thing ever. until i saw THIS! something i have had on my “bucket list” for a while…
backtrack a bit – when i lived in north carolina, a friend of mine found a praying mantis pod {aka ootheca} and saved it for me. i, of course, totally freaked out about it and immediately went to read about how to care for it… then i took a bunch of photos of it and eventually put in my garden…
i did not get to see that one hatch at that time, but this year… i totally made up for it. i found at least a dozen of these in my garden earlier this year. and in late spring, they all began to hatch… and all of these baby praying mantids started to emerge!
IT WAS SO COOL!!!
fun facts :
baby praying mantids are called nymphs. they hatch by the dozens {or sometimes hundreds} a while after the mama creates her ootheca pod {which tranlates to “a place to keep.”} praying mantids are so good for the garden! they are beneficial predatory insects… which basically means they prey the harmful insects which would otherwise harm or eat plants! and i just totally adore them!
{strawberry full moon}
15 Junobviously i have a little theme going here, lately… 😉
all things strawberry!!!
upon waking {accidentally super early} this morning, i went down to the park and captured a few fotos of the beautiful full {strawberry} moon. while there, i made friends with a few ducks, and even finally got to see some baby ducklings for the first time this season!
please enjoy these lovely fotos!
i just love that gradient sky! good morning {and good night} moon! ❤
see the blue herring?!
i just love a pier on a summer morning…
mama and baby ducks… they followed me around for a bit… it was so cute!
baby ducklings splashing around…
aaahhhhhh, morning golden hour! the best!
how was your morning? have a great day!
{garden update – volume 2}
7 Junthis update is a little late… so much has been going on at the garden! we had a lot of rain here, and so the plants are growing and thriving so well!
i typically plant seasonally. so i started with my cool season crops like radishes, peas, beets, spinach, kale, arugula, and lettuce… most of which i have harvested lately. i also harvested the garlic and onions that i adopted from last year. the peas are starting to produce fruit which is exciting, and the lettuce is still thriving and i planted more this week. i started planting my summer crops – cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, squash, and more lettuce. i also planted flowers this year, which is kind of new for me – nasturtiums, calendula, and coneflower.
here is a progress report on what my overall garden plot looks like. i currently have a lot of seeds in the ground, and i take some pride in having beautiful soil and very little to no weeds. i am so excited to continue to watch the growth and progress! 🙂
do you have a garden? what are you growing?
{garden update}
30 Aprthe weather here in Maryland has been so confusing for the last two months. i think we even had a frost last week! however, i do believe we are finally hitting that spring stride… and i’m so ready!
i’ve been steadily getting my garden ready, also! currently, i have lots of sprouts coming up, hooray! i also have a lot of weeds, boo! but i’m holding off on doing too much weeding just yet so i make sure not to pull any sprouts. typically i don’t have any weeds and i take pride in that… but i’ll just have to be patient for now. 😉
here are some pics to show the progress. {if you follow me on instagram, you’ve probably already seen these… and if you don’t, please do – here.}
{nature hike}
30 Marnothing like a stroll in nature to clear the mind, connect with the earth, and welcome the new season!
it’s been a little chilly here lately {boo!} but just recently, i took a little walk with my cousin through a beautiful trail nearby and we both had our cameras in hand.
here are a few of my favourite images from the day.
happy spring, y’all – hope it’s springing where you are!
stumbled onto this along the way!
had a little fun taking pics of it…
these trees kind of remind of me aspens…
nothing like sunset over the water…
how’s the weather where you live?
{belated full moon post}
19 Febi took some pretty pictures of the moon a while back and never got around to posting them. since we recently experienced a full moon, i thought i would share some of those images here with you.
also – my favourite quote :
“to be nobody but yourself in a world that is doing its best to make you something else, is to fight the hardest battle you are going to fight… never stop fighting.” – ee cummings
{new garden season!}
15 Febhey y’all!
it’s a bit early in the year for such things, but this area in the northeast offered some nice weather this past weekend, so i was eager to get outside and get my hands in the dirt! as you know, there isn’t much that makes me feel happier than being in nature – and especially, being in a garden!!!
#farmeraudrey
it pleases me to say – that i finally found a community garden that is only about 15 minutes from where i currently live. i am so excited about it! i was also pleasantly surprised to discover that the plot i adopted is about 3 times the size of the last one i took care of in north carolina! this gives me so many ideas on what to plant, and i am feeling so grateful!!!
please stay tuned… as there will be more updates to come… but for now, here’s a brief overview of the work i did this past saturday when the temperatures were in the high 50s!
before…
during…
after…
the person who took care of this plot last season planted lots of beautiful garlic and onions… which apparently are mine now! and although i am very grateful to have them, i will have to figure out what to do with some of the crops since ultimately i will need to have access to the foundation before it’s time to harvest them…
also – i feel like it doesn’t look like i did much {haha}… and i still have a lot of work to do… but i was there for about 3 hours and i was able to clear out a lot of weeds, etc… i also brought a souvenir home, in the form of a slight rash on my arms from all of the random things i was pulling out of the ground and off the fence line, in my attempt to start prepping the soil {haha!} but fret not, my body and skin are just fine now… that said – next time, i ought to consider and/or be more conscious about wearing longer sleeves… sometimes i just get right into the thick of things, without thinking much… 😉
are you prepping for a garden this year? please comment and share what you plan on growing and any tips you may have! i love to hear from and talk with fellow gardeners! ❤
also – please follow me on instagram for more updates!
{autumn is for all things pumpkin!}
31 Octparticularly on halloween, right?!
as you know, i prefer to eat seasonally so i’m on my squash and pumpkin kick at the moment. the farmers markets are closing this weekend or next, so i want to get out and stock up before they are done for the season.
contrary to popular opinion, i don’t do pumpkin lattes. they are too usually sweet for me. i do, however, tend to eat my weight in pumpkin seeds!
i simply cut a pumpkin open, carefully dig out the seeds, soak them for about an hour, then toss them with some olive oil and S&P and throw them in the air fryer for about 15 minutes. they don’t last long… they are so crispy and delicious! this was the firs time i tried making them in the air fryer. i have always baked them, but i’m so glad i tried it because they turned out amazing and in less time! i am eager to make more.
once i’ve devoured half of my pumpkin seed supply {haha!}… i scoop out the roasted pumpkin guts, add a little water, blend in the vitamix, pour in a large pan with some homemade veggie stock, add some spices, and serve with pepitas and mini toasts… NOM NOM!
i made a huge batch of this soup and so i froze some, canned some, and shared some…
both of these recipes are on par with my motto – KISS – keep it seriously simple. they are also healthy and support the 100-mile diet concept. i hope you enjoy and please comment if you try or have ideas of your own to share!
oh, and here’s the costume i wear every year – my “pumpkin king” onesie!
happy halloween!
{homecoming portraits : mister C and miss R}
29 Octwould ya just look at this adorable couple!
i had such a great time taking some cute and fun fotographs of them right before they went out for their first homecoming experience! {ahhh, remember those days?!}
these types of portrait sessions are my absolute favourite! i love spending time with the youth, they always make me laugh and bring out the best in me! i especially love it when we establish an instantaneous connection! the lighting and weather in northern maryland were just perfect on this late october evening just before dusk, with the colourful autumn sky and leaves changing and falling. this sweet couple were both full of personality and instantly connected comfortably with my camera. i just love it when that happens so naturally!
here are a few of my favourite images :
i loved fotographing these cuties!
i loved their colour scheme!
i loved their laughs!
i love the preset filter i used for this image!
i loved their spontaneity! at one point, i asked them for a “silly” pose and this is what they gave me – haha!
i loved this candid moment! the struggle was real – trying to pin his boutonnière on properly.
i loved this solo moment when i asked miss R to “twirl” for me!
i LOVE this image! it is my favourite shot of the day… i LOVE the light and the chicken coop in the background!
i loved this portrait session so much!
{DIY up-cycled candles}
25 Octi love to repurpose things! do you feel the same way?
i know from personal experience that so many items get tossed out and/or thrown away, unnecessarily. i spent a large portion of my career in grocery retail trying to educate people on this subject… but i still don’t know if most people are acutely aware of where our “trash” goes. i feel like our society tends to have this mindset of “out of sight, out of mind.” that said, it is known that some of the highest physical peaks in parts of this country are not something like a mountain-top, but actually more like the tip-top of a landfill.
take that in for a moment… isn’t that crazy to consider?!
all of that said, i love to find ways to “up-cycle” items that would normally get thrown away or would end up in a landfill. recycling is a great option, but sometimes i think we tend to forget about the fact that we can also repurpose things. it’s easy to throw a decent glass jar into a recycling bin… but have you ever considered if you can reuse it for something else?
case and point : i have been loving these yummy french yoghurts that i have recently been buying at my local grocery store. i like them for many reasons… yes, they taste great! and that’s a major selling point! but the main reason i like them is because they come in glass jars. i LOVE to support and also repurpose products that choose to use glass… i’m all about minimizing plastic consumption!
i’ll get off my soapbox for now, but i encourage you all to think about what you throw away… and perhaps {re}consider a creative way to reuse some of the items you may normally toss out or recycle.
and now… onto today’s blog. 😉
a friend of mine gifted me some old candles that had been stored for a long time. the wicks were no longer usable, but the candles were in good condition and still had a great scent! so – i decided to take them home and reuse them to make some DIY {repurposed and up-cycled} homemade candles.
as i mentioned, i had been saving these yoghurt containers. i also repurposed some old candle containers.
i used my double-boiler that i scored at a local antique store {YAY!} i purchased the wicks and wick-holders online, and then i simply re-melted the wax and allowed it to cool slightly before pouring. this is not exactly a perfect method. there is a bit of science to candle-making, which i’ve recently discovered. temperature plays a factor, and in this case my DIY at-home method typically created a ‘sink-hole’. however, i also discovered that in my case, this issue was easily rectified with a second pour. plus, i’m not generally aiming for perfection with this project. {wow – can’t even believe i’m saying that!}
so – overall, i think they look awesome and i am proud of myself and the dedication to creation!
have you ever made your own candles and/or repurposed old ones? i would love to receive your feedback!
happy creating!
{fantastic fungi – local edition}
30 Sepy’all – i LOVE mushrooms! i always have. they fascinate me. i recently watched a super cool documentary that i highly recommend you check out – fantastic fungi. in discovering that film, i learned that mushrooms aren’t really a plant and they aren’t really an animal… they are like their own category. understanding that made me love them even more! i wish i could articulate just how amazing mushrooms really are. essentially they have an entire underground system in which they are all interconnected… and in some ways, mushrooms connect all of us, too! it’s just mind-blowing to learn and think about!
the weather has been just gorgeous here in maryland as of late. simply and purely perfectly autumn – warm sun, cool breeze, crisp air… the best! which means i want to get outside as much as possible! and so i went on a beautiful nature walk the other day and i must’ve seen at least 30 different kinds of mushrooms! i was constantly stopping and marveling at them. i snapped some pics with my phone and so i wanted to share what i saw.
i hope you enjoy and i truly encourage you to watch that film. i think i’ll watch it again and again!
{thirsty thursday – homemade komucha on tap}
22 Jul
i totally need to make a detailed post about this very soon.
i have been making my own kombucha for about 3 years now and i love it so much!
my favourite flavour is ginger, which is what is pictured in this batch.
are you curious about kombucha? it’s so easy to make and it is a wonderful health tonic full of minerals, amino acids, and gut-supporting probiotics. i’ve been consuming kombucha for almost 2 decades and a few years ago i finally started making my own.
stay tuned, and i’ll post more about my scoby {lovingly named “scooby”} and all of the other fun things that go into brewing kombucha at home 🙂
{sunday (funday) snacks}
18 Julspeaking 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
i am audrey michelle
i am a minimalist
food & foto 