it’s been too rainy here to see the moon lately, so i’m sharing a picture i captured with my iPhone from the blue moon last month. 🙂
Tag Archives: autumn
{final tomato harvest of 2022}
14 Octthis foto captures only a fraction of the amount of tomatoes i harvested a couple of weeks ago…
easily, upwards of 10 pounds of tomatoes were on the plants before i decided to pull them up. i lovingly called them “jelly bean tomatoes” and to be honest, i think they may have been a self-seed/rogue plant. they are so prolific and delicious! i am going to save some seeds in hopes of planting them again next year…
since so many of them were still green, i pickled some for the first time ever. and i also made some sauce with a blend of both. 🙂
{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!
{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 – oktoberfest : from sierra nevada!!!}
1 Oct
it’s that time of year!
don’t you just LOVE autumn?!
the colours, the crisp air, the leaves falling, the clothing, the smell of pumpkin everywhere…
and it’s the time of year during which the only beer i’ll be drinking is oktoberfest! {pretty much}
and usually i’m sippin’ on some sam adams, cuz i just love that stuff. but i literally squealed with excitement when i discovered this sierra nevada oktoberfest!
i’m somewhat obsessed with sierra nevada. however, i only recently starting drinking their beers… and my goodness are they ahh-mazing!
a friend of mine told me that sierra nevada has been tested/known for their extremely clean water… and in my opinion, this greatly effects the taste of their brews. i don’t know quite how to explain it, but there is something distinguishably different about sierra nevada beer, and not just this wonderful oktoberfest. it makes sense to me that it could have something to do with the natural cleanliness and quality of their water.
furthermore, i love SN’s oktoberfest because it was brewed in collaboration with an old-school 19th century german brauhaus, using their recipe!!! the brewery is one of the oldest in the country… and i mean, it doesn’t get much more authentic than that!
and this stuff tastes incredible!
sierra nevada claims this is a ONE TIME ONLY release – so get your hands and taste-buds on some as soon as you can!
SLAINTE!
———
are you a sierra nevada fan?! and if so, do you agree with my theory regarding their water?!
{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!
{october round-up}
1 Novhello, november!
this is definitely my favourite time of year… even though it always shocks my system a little to do this whole daylight-savings-time thing… seriously, my sleep is jacked up for like 2 weeks after that happens.
c’est le vie, eh?!
at least it won’t be pitch black at 7 a.m. anymore…
anyway, here are a few of my favourite shake-it snaps from recent days. i hope you all had a fun, safe, and happy halloween!
—
sopris never gets old…
this is the time of year when they move the cattle down to graze in different pastures…
this kind of colour is pretty much totally gone, now…
but i made sure to soak it all in…
i just love it…
mmm, apple pie………….. soooo good!
i did a little dog-sitting last month… and our shadows were GIANTS! teeeheheeee….
i also did a little chicken-sitting… and had the freshest eggs i’ve ever eaten! like, 40 minutes old – fresh!
frost!
sopris… again.
i’ve been making and eating a ton of sauerkraut…
and making and taking a bunch of pointless selfies…
i dunno, this just looked cool…
so did this…
fall!
this time you couldn’t even see sopris…
fiery sunsets!
a rainbow over my tiny house!
i’m so in love with lense-flare.
oh yeah, one day i found these guys in a head of broccoli… they both took a poo on my hand – hysterical!
mmmmmmm, nothing like cozying up by a wood-fire!
an archery target! which i SOOOO want to use some day soon!
weird stuff you find on hikes…
… like the pumpkin graveyard… 😉
—
have a great weekend!
{refusing to let go of autumn…}
29 Octi went for a hike a couple weeks ago in snowmass, where i used to work last winter.. and i was shocked at how much colour was left on the trees all around! the aspens were still an amazing mix of colour and no colour… i just love them so much! the peaks were dusted with snow, and it was a sight to behold!
when i very first came to snowmass last year, it was october 22nd. it was the day of my interview and i remember seeing very little colour left on the aspens in the area. i though to myself, ‘what a sight this must be in autumn!’ and i was soooo hopeful i would get out to see it this year! i’m way grateful there was still some amazing colour on the trees and hills in this beautiful mountain town!
we went on a nice little hike…
some incredible views!! check out that rainbow of colour! Continue reading
{favourite snaps from the week}
24 Oct
beautifully peculiar sunrise!!!
on my bike ride to work one morning, i spotted these people riding a 7-seat “conference bike” … they asked if i could take a picture for them, to which i replied, “i would be honoured! that is the coolest thing i’ve ever seen!” and apparently, former president jimmy carter said the same thing…
{that was the best article i could find about this cool device}
basalt, colorado… which i discovered this week, was apparently volcanic at one time…?! did you know this?! i was fascinated to find this out… so crazy!
yellow!
i ❤ autumn! Continue reading
{homemade sauerkraut}
13 Oct
i’ve been wanting to try to make my own sauerkraut for a while now… as i’ve mentioned in the past, i’ll get on these kicks where i’m all like, “i can make that!” and i think that i can make TIME multiply and have more of it so i can actually MAKE all the stuff i say i can make… silly me.
anyway, luckily this whole sauerkraut making process is super easy and not nearly as time consuming as one may think. well, the actual “making” of it takes a little while, but preparing it does not. it’s quite fun, too. you get your hands involved and you get to “play” with your food, which i always enjoy. 😉 plus, it’s oktoberfest!! and i’m part german, so it’s high time i learn how to make this amazing stuff so every october i can eat it. just kidding, that’s not my only motive. sauerkraut is one of the oldest fermented foods out there. and it’s one of those things that is actually pretty inexpensive to make on your own, but for whatever reason, can be kind of expensive to buy. this small batch didn’t cost me much. i had the salt at home, and this head of organic cabbage was $2. it’s loaded with probiotics and because it’s cabbage, it naturally contains a prebiotic as well. it’s just really awesome stuff. we should all eat more sauerkraut… in my humble opinion.
i digress.
as i said, the process is very simple. and so are the ingredients :
– one medium head of cabbage {organic, if possible}
– 1 1/2 tbsp salt {i chose himalayan pink salt}
– large glass container or fermenting crock {as clean as you can get it}
begin by quartering cabbage and then chopping into “ribbons.” add salt and begin to work in the salt using your hands. this is the fun part. you can literally {with clean hands, of course} squish and squeeze the cabbage all around. this will eventually cause the cabbage to wilt from working the salt in.
it’s quite amazing how it works, and it’s just oh-so-fun. Continue reading
{just some pics from my week}
11 Octhappy october!
happy non-gmo month!!! yay!
lovin’ these gloves i scored at a thrift shop…
they are perfect for halloween! 😉
stewin’ maters…
and makin’ ’em into a meaty sauce… nom nom.
pretty radishes!
scary spider… but not really that scary.
frost in the mornings… it’s a regular thing, now.
feathers on eggs… not a regular thing, but i think it’s SO COOL!
{fall is for…}
4 Oct
wearing beanies…
{crazy over-exposure!}
and aspens… !
and buying yourself flowers…
and eating tomatoes…
and squeezing in final trips to the farmers market…
and seeing snowfall above 10K feet…
and enjoying breezy landscapes…
and making {chicken tortilla} soup…
and eating {chicken tortilla} soup!
🙂
hope you all have/had a terrific weekend!
{fried green tomatoes}
1 Octhappy october! are you loving the fall colours where you live?! this is my favourite time of year – i just love autumn! it’s also when i was born, so i feel most alive during this season. i’ve also been feeling very lethargic and sleepy… but i suppose that just comes with the change in season and light. i kind of wish i could just hibernate all winter… snuggle with callee more and eat tons of comfort food.
i’ve been wanting to make fried green tomatoes for a while now… what, being born in the south and all, it only seemed fitting. i can’t believe i had never tried to make them before! have you?! when i spotted these perfect tomatoes, i was inspired and excited. so – i practiced the KISS method :
oh.so.simple.
and beautiful.
AND delicious!!!!
i fried my green tomatoes in real sweet cream butter after slicing them about 1/3 inch thick, then dipping them in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs with a little S&P. i finished the ‘maters off with a topping of freshly-grated parmigiano reggiano. super simple, super easy, and super yummy!
{reflections of love}
27 Oct“your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” ~rumi
i love love love this quote!
as i was looking for a foto to post today, i thought about reflections… and how as individuals, we are all reflections – of each other. any time you like something in another person, you are really liking or honouring something within yourself – a quality you possess, albeit possibly dormant. and likewise, if there is something you do NOT like within another, it is often something you really don’t like within yourself… think about it.
so i say – let’s just try to focus on the things we love about ourselves and each other – since we are basically mirrors anyway, why not work to be the most benevolent mirror ever – so that when someone is in your presence, the only thing that will be reflected back to them…
…is LOVE.
🙂
i am audrey michelle
i am a minimalist
food & foto 