Tag Archives: vegetables

{bloomin’ onion}

16 Apr

food is alive!!!

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{bell pepper guts}

8 Mar

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what is it about the inside of vegetables that i find so INTRIGUING?!!? 😀

{mini romanesco}

24 Feb

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those of you have been following me for a while {thank you, and welcome to the newcomers!} know that i am obsessed with romanesco. and clearly, i’m also obsessed with “baby” foods… as in, super tiny versions of amazing fruits and veggies.

well, you can imagine my excitement when i saw BABY ROMANESCO at my local grocery store!!?!? i will say, it is not at all organic and it is not at all in season… however, it is still magical!!!

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…right?!?!

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also, how adorable is my cute cutting board?! 😀

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i hope i can find a way to grow these myself some day soon… i would love to find a way to become or marry a farmer… seems like the most appropriate lifestyle for me.

😉 ❤

{eat the rainbow!}

27 Aug

eat the rainbow!

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farm-fresh veggies and homemade ranch dip with simple greek yogurt and herbs.

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colourful mixed bell peppers, olives, sugar snap peas, baby carrots, and mini cucumbers.

nom nom!!

{the smallest veggies ever}

20 Oct

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super cute and tiny veggies to enjoy!   Continue reading

{foto friday : for the love of leeks}

10 Oct

i recently had a random and brief discussion with a stranger about leeks.  he mentioned that leeks are prominent in french cooking, which i found intriguing.  he also said something like, “they have a lot of some magic property that is super good for you…”  which made me giggle… and which i later discovered was polyphenol – the super antioxidant we all love so much.

i’ve always been attracted to leeks, though i never really cook with them much.  i want to start using leeks more often in the food and foto kitchen.

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i plan to add them in a frittata… yum!  which actually, i do believe i’ve done before…

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{my fascination with vegetable guts…}

27 Mar

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…i don’t really know what else to say about it…

 

{glorious golden beets}

25 Mar

another beautiful piece of produce i picked up at the cutest organic store in town….

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have you ever had golden beets?!  i just loooooove them!  i am pretty sure you can keep the skin on – so long as you scrub it pretty thoroughly.  i just peel mine.  these were so cute and little!

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love the colour!

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i usually just steam mine.  i find them to be so delicious, i don’t even add any S and/or P.  i think they have the most unique flavour. i just love to put them in salads or just munch on them alone… so good! beets are loaded with vitamins and minerals and they are just an all around amazing vegetable!

{whatever wednesday – sometimes i just take pictures of pretty vegetables…}

22 Jan

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even though we have a ways to go yet before it’s in season…

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i’m totally craving asparagus lately…

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and sometimes i just take pictures of produce… in case you haven’t noticed 🙂

watching me at the grocery store in the produce section is pretty hilarious, no doubt.  i take a long time to pick out my vegetables, mostly knowing that i’ll eventually have them in front of a camera… so i like them to be pretty 😉

happy wednesday!

{my first tomato ever!}

7 Sep

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this is terrance, my tomato plant.

i haven’t written about him much because i actually thought maybe he was dying… i only got this ONE tomato from the plant and i believe critters got to the rest of the fruit before i could…  i hadn’t seen any new life in almost 2 weeks so i was concerned… but then recently, i started seeing new growth!  i have 10 little tomatoes growing at the moment, woohoo!!

i’m not sure why it seems my terrance is a late-bloomer… most of my friends that have plants are harvesting TONS of fruit right now.  it’s just funny, it seems like everything i own takes on my energy… i’ve always said i’m a late-bloomer… 😉

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this was my very first homegrown tomato – an early girl 🙂

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i picked her at the beginning of august…

stay tuned for the recipe i used this yummy fruit in!

{super cool sea beans}

8 May

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i’m going to bet not many of you have seen these little guys.  in all my 9 years of being around specialty produce, this was a first for me.  i like to look over the produce section this time of year and see “what’s new.”  that’s how i discovered kohlrabi

Continue reading

{the perfect garlic and a pretty heirloom tomato}

3 Apr

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just perfect.

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so pretty.

cook ’em up …and put ’em on something… and eat ’em…  a lot!

because this is one kickass combo for health! and tomatoes are more bioavailable when cooked – did you know that? so what that means is your body absorbs more of the nutrients when cooked versus raw.  lycopene is a big one we know of with tomatoes, but this also applies for foods that are in that same colour family {oranges, yellows}… like red peppers, carrots, corn, etc… there is actually way more lycopene in tomato paste than a raw tomato.  fact check me, it’s amazingly true! 🙂

and this is totally why i want a tomato plant of my own very very soon!!!!

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nom nom.

{thirsty thursday} — another vitamix smoothie!

31 Jan

vitamix – i highly recommend investing in one.  they are incredible machines!  i juice every day now!

i whipped together a different blend of juice this time from random stuff i had inside the fridge…

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{thirsty thursday} — my morning vitamix smoothie

24 Jan

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this has been on the menu for a few weeks now.  eventually i’ll switch it up and try new things.  but i have had a lot going on in my life as of late – however, i believe the dust is finally starting to settle.  and no, i don’t have measurements for you – i just wing it! 🙂  i try to use all organic products, as well… for many reasons.  i ought to write a blog on organics soon…

– frozen strawberries

– frozen blackberries

– frozen cherries

– fresh kale or spinach

– 1/2 banana {a whole one takes over the flavour!}

– 1/2 pear {seeds included}

– a few dates {pitted}

– orange juice

– grape juice

– almond milk

– raw protein powder {this is my favourite}

– flax seeds

– maca root powder {a smidge – stuff is potent!}

throw it all in that amazing vitamix machine on high and blend for about a minute – the consistency is so awesome with the vitamix!  i highly recommend investing in one.  it’s totally worth it!  i can’t wait to experiment more with other things like soups and nut butters… !

SLAINTE!

{meatless monday} — spaghetti squash primavera; it’s kind of one of my favs.

21 Jan

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i make this meal a lot.

it’s basically just a bunch of vegetables.  have you ever had spaghetti squash?! it’s amazing.  i want to make some kind of soup with it soon… ideas are welcomed!

i moved recently, as i think i mentioned… and i’m still getting used to my new kitchen.  i will admit i very much miss the kitchen i used to live in – i just loved how big and open it was and with LOADS of counter space… but i’m grateful for my new home and once we get the garden going, i will be extra joyous!  and yes, i will be blogging all about that adventure!

here’s today’s simple meatless monday recipe.  takes a bit longer to make than most of the dishes i feature on this blog, but this is well-worth the wait! so good for you, packed with nutrients and vitamins and yanno, it obviously tastes amazing or why would i bother?! 🙂 Continue reading

{whatever wednesday} — batch cooking

14 Nov

okay…

this week has been epic for me.  why? you ask… well, i’ll sum it up in my usual cryptic style :

i’m transforming and it’s really kind of kicking my ass. and as some of you may know, i’m a huge astrology buff, and boy is there some major stuff going on up in those beautiful stars… and it’s totally changing my life!  good stuff, but also a lot of purging.  i’ve been meditating longer than normal, and it actually takes a lot out of me, physically.  which is fine because i’m manifesting some BIG changes that need to occur.  i started to blog about it and realized it was a little heavy for some… so maybe i’ll open those doors again later, but for now we’ll stick to the basics – food and fotos. meanwhile, i’ll continue to lovingly work on this planet from behind the scenes…

you’re welcome.

so, having said all that – i bought a car recently and that means reconfiguring my food budget a little.  it’s a good thing, because it kind of forces me to do what i always said i liked doing anyway… batch cooking ahead of time and packing my lunch for work 4-5 days a week.  it’s so easy to spend 5, 10, 15 dollars a day at work just buying food on-the-go and i’ve found i spend half my breaks just buying food.  so, why not plan ahead, save some money, AND save time in the long run… you know how we roll here at food and foto, we KISS – Keep It Seriously Simple.

i’ll just give myself 3-4 hours on my day off in the kitchen and just work my pots and pans out!  i throw on some music or some bad TV in the background, pour a mimosa, and plan my meals for the week.

Continue reading

audrey michelle’s colourful DIY cleanse – DAY #4

19 Jul

today was rough, i will admit that. and i think this photo shows it  – maybe i should’ve photoshopped the bags from under my eyes – hA!  oh well, i’m an honest person – this is how i look and feel on a 5-day DIY cleanse i randomly decided to do and invent 😉

today was harder than yesterday.  but it makes sense now – after i did a ton of research on cleansing and symptoms.  see, this is how i roll – i just wing it… whatever “it” is.  sometimes it works out, sometimes i learn a valuable lesson the hard way, meh.  anyway – i was super nervous about how i was feeling today… mostly because i was unsure if it was “normal,” if you will. and plus, i was abruptly awoken this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep, so i knew i’d be a little irritable, but i worried i was doing more damage than good with this cleanse…

until google clarified it all… Continue reading

audrey michelle’s colourful DIY cleanse – DAY #3

18 Jul

today was different.

i definitely felt the cleanse, or my body detoxing slightly, or the odd sleeping, or something.  something was different.  i don’t feel bad per se, i just feel different.  my head is much more clear, as in not cluttered with stupid thoughts or particularly, anxious ones.  which is good!  mostly i feel a little sluggish, surprisingly, and my head {although clear} feels kind of weird. maybe it’s because it’s clearer, don’t know – but i feel different.

i have been dreaming of food, however.  hAhA! i think last night i dreamt of pizza – no joke. i was browsing the food section on WP late at night, i’m sure that didn’t help – hA.  a reader asked me if was craving anything in particular, and i will say that today i did notice i was missing carbs, starch, etc.  so i made potatoes with dinner, which seemed to scratch that itch – for now.

here’s how the menu went today : Continue reading

audrey michelle’s colourful DIY cleanse – DAY #2

17 Jul

alright.  here we are.  my roommate and his friend are drinking a nice cold hefeweizen in the room downstairs, and i’m sitting here next to my homemade soda water.  *ahem*  and i’m okay with that… actually, i really am. as much as i love my brewskies, i realize that the ones i like to enjoy would and do keep me pretty much couch-bound for the remainder of the evening. mmmm, la fin du monde

it’s odd how my energy levels have shifted.  i’m definitely having a harder time in the morning “waking up” and i tend to get my energy after around 2 p.m., where i’d normally be tired.  it’s interesting.  i kind of like it.  especially since i work at night, or will be again once my vacation is over.

okay, so here’s how day 2 went : Continue reading

audrey michelle’s 5-day colourful DIY cleanse

15 Jul

greetings, you awesome readers, you.

{i’ll be using this a lot next week}

so – i’ve decided to do a juice and raw veggie cleanse for the first time in my life.  i eat very well – 80% vegetables in my diet.  but i binge on my occasional “healthy junk food” as i call it.  and really, it’s not about anything other than i think i need to do it.  my body is telling me to.  this also goes along with an “intuitive eating lifestyle” i always talk about.  i know it’s time to do this.  for me, it’s not just a cleanse.  it’s a chance to hit the “reset” button.  to start over, kind of.  i’ve been living in colorado for a year now, and it was a really rough adjustment after leaving new york city… and i’d kind of like to say, “forget all that hardship, let’s start over”  so, i’m hoping a cleanse of the body will also cleanse the mind and my emotions, and allow me to let go and move on 🙂

i have always admired people who can do fasts like the master cleanse or even just juice or liquids alone. however, i have come to learn that i am not one of those people. i need to chew occasionally!

so, i made up my own cleanse.  mostly a fruit and veggie cleanse void of any meat, dairy, wheat, gluten, soy, oil, sugars {other than naturally occuring}, or processed ingredients.  just raw fruit and veggies in several forms.  and a TON of liquid flushing!  i’ve also decided against any grains or nuts, nutmilks, or anything solid, really – other than veggies and what’s in the protein powder i am using… so, it WILL be colourful!

i’m also adding in a minimal exercise routine – as to not overexert myself.  but also, to keep the body moving and the blood flowing. — isn’t that what it’s all about anyway?! 😉

and – the saddest part : no coffee, no alcohol — womp womp. Continue reading