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{garden update}

the 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.}

Continue reading →

Tags: community garden, farmer audrey, food and foto, foodnfoto, foodography, fotography, garden, gardener, gardening, growth, homegrown, local, maryland, nature, organic, organic gardening, photography, progress, updates

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Categories audrey michelle, blogging, DIY, fun, garden, gardening, healthy eating, lifestyle, maryland, nature, organic, the foodie, the foto, 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!

Tags: autumn, homecoming, local, maryland photographer, maryland portrait photography, photography, photos, portrait photography, portraits

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Categories audrey michelle, blogging, editorial, fun, photography, portraits, the foto, whatever

{an autumn stroll through historic yates mill county park}

22 Oct

in the mid-morning hours of a brisk and blissful sunday, in the glory of a charming and colourful mid-october, in a pleasant little nook of north carolina, i took myself {and my camera} on a spontaneous date with nature…

… and we both needed it.

Tags: art, beauty, foodandfoto, foodnfoto, fotographer, fotography, healing, historic art, historic yates milll park, history, local, nature, nature healing, nature photography, north carolina, outside, peace, photographer, photography, photos, the old mill, yates mill

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Categories audrey michelle, blogging, details, fun, nature, north carolina, photography, the foto, travel, updates, whatever

{saturdays in the garden : volume seven}

8 Jul

just a little update on the garden… my posts are not in “real time,” as it were… i’m several weeks behind in keeping up with what’s going on, currently.

for example, most of what you see in the following fotos, has been pulled from my plot. we are straight up in the heat of summer here in NC, and my tomatoes are just about all that remain. i pulled up all my broccoli, because i didn’t get it in the ground soon enough and it never formed a head. i harvested one beautiful cabbage that i’m currently making sauerkraut with. my cilantro is done… as is my dill and basil, but i planted more of both. i pulled my kale and planted arugula in its place. and my cucumbers are on their last limb, but i must’ve harvested around 200 of them this season. i have pickles for days! 😉

july will be focused on tomatoes. then in mid august, i will plant more cabbage and cucumbers and perhaps try again for more peas later in the month or toward september. i really enjoy making {and eating} sauerkraut, so i intend to plant a lot more cabbage for fall.

meanwhile, here are some pics of what late may/june were like in my plot :

so pretty and ALIVE!

still fascinated by pea tendrils… and i made lots of pesto with my basil!

oh kale, yeah!

harvest!

my beautiful cabbage! Continue reading →

Tags: audrey's garden, blogging, community garden, farmer, food, food and foto, food is cool, foodnfoto, foodography, full circle, garden, gardener, gardening, grow stuff, grow your own, grow your own food, local, local farmer, love, my garden, nature photography, north carolina, organic, organic gardening, photography, saturdays, saturdays in the garden, updates, weekends

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Categories beauty, blogging, eat the rainbow, food, food photography, food stories, fun, garden, health, healthy eating, life, nature, north carolina, nutrition, organic, photography, stories, the food, the foodie, the foto, updates, whatever

{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: eat the rainbow, Farmers Market, farmers market food, food, food and foto, food photography, foodie, foodnfoto, foodography, health, healthy eating, local, nature, Nature is cool, north carolina, photography, strawberries, strawberry, support the farmers!

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Categories blogging, eat the rainbow, food, food photography, food stories, fun, health, nature, north carolina, photography, the food, the foodie, the foto

{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}

: my basil cluster…

: my peas…

: my {donated} san marzano tomato

: my other {donated} tomato – tasmanian chocolate!

: my {transplanted} celery…

: my cabbage…

: my dill…

: my cucumbers…

: my cucumbers… a week later…

: i love my garden!

: i love my garden!

: harvesting some of my cilantro…

: community radishes!

: setting up the drip system…

: we thought this looked cool…

: we got a ton of rain one night and this happened…

: red clover in the community section…

: a labyrinth sits not far from the garden… i like to walk in it from time to time.

: honeycomb from our lovely bees!

: cool mushroom…

: hoein’ 😉

: gettin’ dirty…

: happy farmer…

: one of the other volunteers made these with some kiddos…

: they used some of the seashells i donated from beach-combing… so cute!

: community blueberries!

: basil going strong!

: peas climbing the trellis…

: i’m fascinated by the way peas grow…

: so intricate…

: pea blossoms!

: lacinato kale…

: celery…

: a tomato i started from seed in the ground!

: red kale…

: mmm, cilantro…

: second row of cilantro… i love the little sprouts!

: aerial view of my san marzano…

: cabbage going strong!!

: pulling back cucumbers for vertical growing…

: cucumbers taking over the trellis!

: my first cucumber starting!

: tons of dill!

: from the outside, looking in…

: my 4 x 8 plot!

: my plot!

: 🙂

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: audrey's garden, blogging, community, community garden, farmer, food, food is cool, food photography, foodie, foodography, full circle, garden, gardener, gardening, grow stuff, grow your own food, life, local, love, my garden, nature, nature photography, north carolina, saturdays in the garden, updates, wake county, weekends

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Categories audrey michelle, beauty, blogging, energy, food, food facts, food photography, food stories, fun, health, healthy eating, north carolina, nutrition, nyc, photography, stories, the food, the foodie, the foto, updates, whatever

{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: 100 mile diet, backyard chickens, cooking, details, eat local, eat the rainbow, eating, egg portraits, eggs, farm fresh eggs, farm-fresh, Farmers Market, food, food photography, foodie, foodography, fresh is best, life, local, north carolina, photography, portrait of an egg, portraits

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Categories blogging, details, eat the rainbow, food, food photography, fun, healthy eating, north carolina, nutrition, photography, the food, the foodie, the foto

{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: blogging, community, community garden, food, food is cool, food photography, foodie, foodography, full circle, garden, gardening, grow stuff, grow your own food, growing, growth, life, local, love, my garden, nature, nature photography, north carolina, photography, saturdays, saturdays in the garden, wake county, weekends

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Categories audrey michelle, blogging, food, food photography, food stories, fun, healthy eating, life, nature, north carolina, the food, the foodie, the foto, updates, whatever

{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: blogging, community, community garden, food, food is cool, food photography, foodie, foodography, full circle, garden, gardening, gardens, grow your own food, growing, life, local, love, my garden, nature, nature photography, north carolina, photography, saturdays, saturdays in the garden, wake county

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Categories audrey michelle, blogging, food, food photography, food stories, fun, life, north carolina, photography, stories, the food, the foodie, the foto, updates, whatever

{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: blogging, community, community garden, food, food is cool, food photography, foodie, full circle, gardening, gardens, grow your own food, life, local, love, my garden, nature, nature photography, north carolina, photography, purpose, saturdays, saturdays in the garden, updates, wake county

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Categories blogging, food, food photography, food stories, fun, health, life, nature, north carolina, photography, the food, updates, whatever

{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: blogging, community, community garden, food, food is cool, food photography, foodie, full circle, fun, garden, gardening, grow your own food, life, local, love, my garden, nature, north carolina, photography, purpose, wake county

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Categories audrey michelle, blogging, editorial, food, food photography, food stories, fun, life, nature, north carolina, photography, the food, the foodie, the foto, updates

{farmers market ginger root}

12 Dec

i love finding produce in its most natural state – like this cool ginger root with the actual root still attached. the shape looks like some kind of animal or something, no?! i found it at the farmer’s market {of course} and i bought it mostly because it looked cool, but also because i just like to keep ginger around to nibble on. a lot of times i’ll make it into a tea with some lemon or just shave off a little bit and eat it after meals to accompany the digestion process.

ginger nutritional fun facts :

ginger is great for stomach ailments such as nausea or diarrhea and can be great for helping keep motion sickness at bay. boiled as a tea, it has tremendous healing properties for common cold symptoms. ginger is also {surprisingly} high in b-vitamins. furthermore, ginger has wonderful anti-inflammatory properties, making it a fantastic support for healthy joints.

Tags: 100 mile diet, buy local, eat the rainbow, eating, farm, Farmers Market, food, food and foto, food photography, foodandfoto, foodnfoto, foodography, ginger, local, nutrition, nutritional information, organics, photography

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Categories food, food photography, health, healthy eating, nutrition, photography, the food, the foodie, the foto

{notes from strangers}

21 Feb

a customer left this on a table for me… and i pretty much melted.

it always feels so good to be seen.

❤ ❤ ❤

Tags: art, breathe, compassion, goodness, human understanding, life, local, local love, love, love each other, notes, notes from strangers, pause, people, people are good, poetry, realness, sundays, understanding, universe, weekends, writing

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Categories art, beauty, blogging, life, whatever, writing

{100-mile diet : taco lettuce wraps w/ local grass-fed beef}

24 Sep

i’m kind of obsessed with lettuce-wraps, as of late…

they are so easy to make and they are fulfilling without the guilt – gluten-free {if you want them to be}, quick and simple to prepare, and full of colour!

i also like to eat lettuce wraps during my “transition” months… like september, when the weather begins to change and my body begins to prepare for the heartier foods, but i’m not quite ready to let go of lighter fare. lettuce wraps meld the changing seasons together nicely.

i also LOVE grass-fed beef… for the nutrition, the health of the animal, the health of the planet… and the sense of pride i take when purchasing sustainable, farm-fresh food.

furthermore, i love to eat locally and support a “100-mile diet” as often as i can in my life. the 100-mile diet simply means you only eat food that is raised or grown within 100 miles of where you currently live. for me, choosing this lifestyle is the best way i can “vote with my dollars” in supporting a food-system that is sustainable, healthy, and good for our planet earth. i pair that choice with seasonal and organic eating, and it has proven to be the best lifestyle for me.

almost everything in these lettuce wraps was locally grown/made :

grass-fed beef
mexican spices
red leaf lettuce
cherry tomatoes
red onion
black olives
manchego cheese
homemade salsa
guacamole
yellow corn tortilla chips

once you brown your meat {try really hard not to overcook grass-fed beef!} and add in any spices you wish, simply pile it all up on a clean lettuce leaf and wrap it up and eat it!

i created my wrap in this order : lettuce leaf, beef, cheese, tomatoes, onions, olives, salsa, guacamole, tortilla chips..

and then…

nom nom… nomcrunch.. NOM NOM!!!

Tags: 100 mile diet, audrey michelle, cooking, eating, farm-fresh, food, food and foto, food photography, gluten-free, grass-fed beef, healthy, lettuce wraps, local, local eating, organics, photography, recipes, simple cooking, simple recipes, sustainable

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Categories audrey michelle, blogging, food, food photography, fun, the food

{thirsty thursday : new belgium’s pumpkick brew!}

17 Sep

it’s just around the bend… that wonderful feeling in the air, as summer transitions to autumn… this is, afterall, my favourite time of year… and i humbly and somewhat eagerly welcome the change of seasons {both literally – in nature, and figuratively – in my own life} as i toast with a yummy, beautiful brew — pumpkick, from new belgium… and goodness, they sure know what they’re doing when it comes to beer!

and i’m slowly learning what i’m doing when it comes to life…

SLAINTE!

Tags: adult beverages, audrey michelle, autumn, beer, blogging, change, colorado, drinking, food and foto, food photography, fort collins colorado, fun, life, local, new belgium brewery, photography, pumpkick, pumpkin, seasons, thirsty thursday, whatever

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Categories audrey michelle, blogging, colorado, food, fun, life, photography, the food, the foodie, thoughts, whatever

{“jimmy nardello” sweet peppers}

18 May

i think these are so beautiful!!! i just love the interesting shapes they take on…

—

and did you know red peppers are loaded with vitamin c?!?! 😀

Tags: eating, eating local, farming, farms, food, food and foto, food photography, foodography, healthy, jimmy nardello peppers, local, local food, organics, peppers, produce, spring

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Categories food, food photography, fun, photography, the food, the foodie, the foto

{foto friday : “snake melon”}

17 Oct

have you ever seen such a thing? i sure hadn’t… but thanks to my awesome new job, i have been exploring all kinds of new produce. this is called a “snake melon” but also formally known as an “armenian cucumber.” the one i bought looks kind of like a question mark… yeah?

these interesting melons can grow up to 3-feet long! and did you know that all cucumbers are melons?! i sure didn’t. something else new i learned, recently. makes sense, though – right?!

😉

this cucumber was more like a melon, for sure. had a similar texture to an english cucumber, but with a little less “crispness” and a much sweeter flavour. not too sweet, but noticeably different than a regular cucumber. i totally chowed down on some! i hope you all get the chance to, as well! 😉

Tags: armenian cucumber, cucumbers, eat the rainbow, food, food and foto, food photography, local, melons, organic, photography, produce, seasonal produce, snake melon, specialty produce, whatever

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Categories blogging, colorado, food, life, photography, the food, the foodie, the foto

{september bounty – eat the rainbow!}

19 Sep

between farmer’s markets, my new job, and cool new people in my life – i’m one blessed {and grateful!} lady! ❤

Tags: bounty, colorado, colourful, eat the rainbow, eating, farm to table, farmer's markets, farming, food, food and foto, food photography, local, love, photography, produce, september, western slope

Comments 5 Comments
Categories the food

{speaking of peaches…}

14 Sep

…what is it with things growing together lately?! 😉

Tags: colorado, eating, farm to table, farm-fresh, food, food and foto, food photography, life, local, organics, photography, produce, things grow together, weekends, whatever

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Categories the food

{food photography : watermelon radish}

7 Sep

how cute are these?!

i don’t even know what to say about this adorable vegetable. when my new boss {i left the corporate world last week – details to follow!} told me that this looked like a watermelon inside, the first thought in my head was, “well, that would fotograph just perfectly with black lava salt!” 😀

now, i am not the biggest radish fan on this earth, but i do occasionally get cravings for them. i roasted some once, which totally changes their flavour – almost making the “bite” more tolerable. radishes are high in vitamin c and potassium, and they are a very low-calorie food.