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{deconstructed sushi}

30 Sep

this is the time of year when my diet always starts to change a bit… the transition between summer into autumn, the temps cooling off (although – we are expecting temps close to the 80’s again this week!) so i find myself craving different types of foods… on the precipice of being ready for soups and squashes, but also wanting less “light” dishes like salads, etc. (although – i still eat a salad every day!)

this is one of my favourite in-between meals. i’m calling it “deconstructed sushi” 😀

i love sushi in general… but i had also been trying to find ways to satisfy the craving at home without breaking the bank. i saw something like this on a social media platform and i decided to try it. it’s basically all of the ingredients in sushi, but without the rolling mat. 😉

simply mix all the ingredients together – rice (cooking hack : buy the par-cooked bags so you can heat them up with ease!), imitation crab meat, avocado, cucumber, spicy mayo, sesame seeds… nom nom!

serve with nori sheets like a little sushi taco!

furthermore – i sometimes eat nori or seaweed by the handfuls, just on its own… it’s kind of a (not-so) guilty pleasure 🙂 also, maybe it’s because i’m basically a mermaid?! i could eat seafood of any kind every day!


what’s your favourite kind of sushi?! 

{HBD, J}

29 Sep

i love this picture so much! i also love calendula flower so much! {that’s why i grew some this year!} 🙂

celebrating the birthday of a loved one today! ❤


and also celebrating the practice of letting go…

“the end” of something isn’t alway a bad thing… some things need to “die” in order for new growth to occur… i am pretty confident that we can all relate to that in some way…

not to say that loss is easy… but letting go is different.

plants are the best teachers that offer us the chance to channel the connection within the cyclical nature and patterns of life! they remind us that impermanence is part of essentially everything… they also remind us to be present in each now moment… to embrace and enjoy and relish in that which is before us, as we do our best to dance the dance we experience each passing day on this earth.

love those you love with all you have! but also remember – to love yourself first and foremost!

{love is love}

10 Jul

…and i love it! ❤

also, i love {tasteful} graffiti!

{what a view!}

6 Jul

right in my little neck of the woods…

summetime vibes! 🙂 ❤

{my mid-week meal : seared scallops with braised broccoli rabe}

25 May

what can i say?! – i just love alliteration. 😉

i also love anything seafood related… especially scallops! they are one of my all-time favourites! when i lived in NYC, i would make scallops about once a month for my lovely roommate and myself. we always looked forward to it, and she always appreciated it! sharing good food with good people is just one of THE BEST things in life!

i feel like i can confidently say that i have pretty much perfected the method in which scallops should be cooked… particularly fresh scallops. it’s best to treat them almost like a steak in the sense that you want them to be very dry to start, seasoned with good salt, and seared in a hot dry pan {cast iron is my choice.} they are delicate and tender, much like a good steak. i purchased these scallops from my favourite local market and they are locally-sourced and so so fresh! i patted them down with a clean paper towel and added them to a super hot pan for about 2-3 minutes on one side, until they were ready to flip… which is the key step in the process… they should gently and easily remove from the pan when ready to turn. then, the next key step is to add some yummy grass-fed butter {my choice} and baste, baste, baste… for another 2-3 minutes on high heat.

finally, remove from heat and allow to rest for about a minute or so… then use a fork to slice into that buttery sweet goodness with ease and oh my – enjoy every bite!

i served mine with braised broccoli rabe (aka “rapini”) for a complimentary savory/bitter component.

this meal was so divine and delicious!

nom nom!!


p.s. – if you don’t already, please follow me on instagram – @foodnfoto – to further the experience with all things food and foto related! 🙂

{spring is springing… again!}

16 May

i was recently having a discussion with a dear friend the other day about rebirth and resurrection and cycles of life, etc. and i was thinking about how gardening is one of the most fascinating things for me because plants go through all of the cycles… birth through death and then rebirth… it’s fascinating and marvelous to witness. springtime is so incredible because we get to be renewed with LIFE again… each and every time.

it has been a simply marvelous spring season here in maryland! we have had lots of rain lately, so everything looks so lush and green and vibrant! i just can’t help but pause to admire all the beautiful blooms up and down the streets and in peoples yards and gardens! i snapped a few fotos with the iphone, and here are some images of the beautiful flowers i’ve been seeing lately on my nature walks… 🙂

{don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers!}



i am so excited for the next round of blooms! 🙂 ❤ 

 

{audrey and venus and jupiter, oh my!}

21 Feb

and the awesome crescent moon… lookin’ like the cheshire cat smile!!!

🙂

p.s. i love how you can see the outline of the moon, too! 



both venus and jupiter will be visible through the end of february! so, make sure to look up! ❤

and don’t forget to get out in nature! it’s so healing!!!

 

 

 

{i’ve always wanted one of these!}

29 Jul

i 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! 😀

 

{candy cane beets – aka chioggia beets}

19 Jul

these are one of my all-time favourite vegetables! i do enjoy beets, but i mostly enjoy these because of the way they look! from the outside, you wouldn’t know that they looked like this inside. but that’s part of what i love about them!

please meet the “candy cane beet” – also known as “chioggia beet” – aren’t they just magnificent?!

my two favourite ways to eat them are :

  • raw, sliced thin, with himalayan pink salt
  • steamed then cooled to room temp, just as is

fun food facts :

also known as “bulls eye beets” – this unique specialty produce item has a sweeter, more robust flavour profile compared to its other beet cousins. they are named after a region in italy, where they predominantly grow. chioggia beets are an excellent source of manganese, folate, vitamin c, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. the leaves of this vegetable are also edible, and serve well sautéed, steamed, or as a chard substitute. 

 

{inspired by : big salad, little steak}

4 Jul

oops, this email was accidentally sent out last month – my mistake… anyway, happy summer, y’all!

i found this recipe through an instagram account {@katherinewants} and i was inspired to try it.

it’s adorably called – “big salad, little steak.”

i have been eating this at least 1-2 times a week, lately. it satiates me in such a way, and it’s also easy to make {now that i’ve mastered it}. i used to be so intimidated by cooking steak… i would always overcook it and/or ruin the overall taste or quality. so i hadn’t tried making it in years. then i discovered this recipe and method for cooking steak, and i am proud to say i’ve been nailing it every time! i don’t have a grill, so using a cast iron pan is perfect for my apartment lifestyle.

i believe three key factors make the main difference in how this steak is prepared :

  • quality of steack
  • quality of butter
  • basting!!!

the best meals always start with some of the simplest ingredients : 

  • grass-fed strip steak
  • garlic
  • shallots
  • rosemary & thyme
  • grass-fed butter
  • romain lettuce
  • parmigiano reggiano
  • caesar dressing

the best meals also start with some of the simplest techniques :

  • bring steak to room temperature
  • season steak liberally with salt & pepper
  • add steak to a very hot cast iron pan and sear on one side for approximately 2-3 minutes
  • turn steak on its side to render the fat
  • flip steak to other side and add butter, garlic, shallots, and herbs
  • baste, baste, baste – approximately another 2-3 minutes or until internal temp of 110
  • remove from heat and allow to rest

slice steak to your desired thickness. serve with caesar salad {croutons optional} and a glass of prosecco {maybe-not-so-optional ;)}. Continue reading

{praying mantis hatching}

20 Jun

i 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 Jun

obviously 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 Jun

this 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?


          
Continue reading

{homemade infused butter}

29 Apr

i’m calling this “infused” – with grass fed butter, shallots, garlic, rosemary, and thyme…


heated on low for 10-15 minutes until melted and then cooled…

apparently this changes the structure of the butter, but i use it for when i cook steak and it seems to do fine…

i just freeze it after i melt/infuse it and it use it to baste in the cast iron!


what do you think of this method? have you ever tried it?

 

{nature hike}

30 Mar

nothing 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 Feb

i 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 Feb

hey 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!

 

 

{homecoming portraits : mister C and miss R}

29 Oct

would 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!

{fantastic fungi – local edition}

30 Sep

y’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 🙂