Tag Archives: health

{drink the rainbow! – chartreuse vitamix smoothie}

30 Apr

this one is SUPER yum and i just love the colour!!!  another great post-workout drink!

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– frozen mangos {about 1/4 cup}

– frozen pineapple {about 1/4 cup}

– frozen bananas {about 1/4 cup}

– coconut milk {about 1 cup}

– splash of orange juice

– handful of fresh spinach

– a couple pitted dates

–  sprinkle in some golden flax seeds

i’ve somehow almost got it down to a magical science now- that whatever i put in my vitamix makes *just enough* for this glass jar i drink out of {which i believe is about 12 ounces}:

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isn’t that colour awesome?!?!

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{drink the rainbow! – clementine creamsicle vitamix juice}

23 Apr

this is super delicious, as you can imagine!!

my only issue with this drink right now is that i want one, and yet it’s snowing outside, so it’s just kinda weird… have i mentioned how i’m so beyond ready for spring?!? – even though technically it ought to be here by now…! sigh…

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for this creation, i used some clementines i bought in a bag and just pre-peeled some for smoothies and snacking…

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– clementines {about 3/4 cup}
– coconut milk {about 3/4 cup}
– ice

blend on high until desired consistency is reached and ENJOY!
coconut milk is wonderfully creamy and makes drinks like this extra delicious and frothy.

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{not the prettiest vitamix juice on the planet…}

17 Apr

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but a damn good-tasting one! and good for you, too!

the recipe is something like…

– frozen mixed berries {1/4 cup}

– frozen mango {1/4 cup}

– frozen pineapple {1/4 cup or less}

– frozen banana {a few cut pieces}

– a few dates {pitted}

– 1/4 apple of choice

– fresh kale {about 1/4 cup}

– orange juice {about a 1/2 cup}

– almond milk {about a 1/2 cup}

– ground flax seeds

…or just wing it like i do and get a different creation each time! 😉

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{meatless mondays – kaniwa endive “boats” featuring spring-welcoming english peas}

15 Apr

happy {meatless} monday everyone!

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these are SO SO SO SO SO GOOD!  i planned on just eating a few and saving some for lunch the next day, but i ended up devouring the whole batch in under 5 minutes!  so delicious!

i’ve introduced you to kaniwa a few times now… and this is one of my new favourite things to do with it!

i am all about texture – i love it in both food and foto.  kaniwa has plenty of texture and the most fun little crunch.  you know how quinoa has that little “pop” kind of crunch going on?! – well kaniwa is like that but it’s much smaller and it’s just so fun to eat!  i also love belgian endive for that reason – fun to eat and TEXTURE! so, when i combined the two in this recipe, my taste buds and senses were dancing because it was just so completely delicious and enjoyable!  and healthy and simple and easy and all of those things i like to promote here at food and foto dot com!

so without further ado, here is a recipe that’s great as an hors d’oeuvres, snack, light dinner, fun brunch… or blog-worthy dish 😉

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another amazing item i will have to blog about again soon – english peas.  there are only a few other produce items that make me think of spring like english peas do.  i’m trying to encourage it to hurry and get here – we are due for more snow this week, blast!  i know we need the moisture, but i just wanna wear flip flops and t-shirts already! 

i digress –

ingredients {makes about 8-10 “boats”}:

– 1 medium-sized belgian endive

– 1/4 cup tomato, chopped

– handful of fresh english peas, shelled

– 1 cup kaniwa {you do not need to rinse it}

– about 2 tablespoons honey {preferably local}

– pat of your favourite butter {or substitute}  Continue reading →

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{champagne mangos — it’s like making-out with a piece of fruit!}

11 Apr

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have you ever had a champagne mango?

not quite the same as your common mango, which are typically more oval-shaped with green and red hues to the skin.  champagne mangos start off green, but are yellow when ripe…

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the champagne mango is shaped almost like a tear-drop or in some ways to me it is shaped more like a nut…

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fun with shapes… 😉

champagne mangos originate from mexico… and they are just heavenly. Continue reading →

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{drink the rainbow! – “pineapple island dream” vitamix juice}

10 Apr

another good one… i’m hoping all of these tropical-type drinks will convince nicer weather to stick around, instead of more snow!  {we got another 6 inches or so here in colorado – boo!}

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– frozen pineapple

– fresh mango

– fresh kiwi

– coconut milk

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and if you want, throw in a little frozen banana…

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this one is a nice balance of sweet and tart, it’s very refreshing, and makes me want to be on the beach!!

and it also needs a little umbrella…

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{drink the rainbow! – “strawberry sunrise” vitamix juice}

8 Apr

i LOVE this one!

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– fresh strawberries

– frozen pineapple

– 1/4 frozen banana

– coconut water

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*glug glug* – what a pretty colour! cheers!

side-note : i use frozen bananas because i believe it takes over the flavour too much when using fresh, plus it’s a cheap way to save overripe bananas.  just chop ’em up and freeze ’em. then you can use a little at a time.  some things are just better fresh, and others work fine frozen – like berries or pineapple.  last week i just happen to catch fresh strawberries on sale, so i hooked it up!  plus, mixing it up with frozen and fresh helps the smoothie stay cold.  if you want to use only fresh ingredients, just make sure to throw in a little ice 🙂

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{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.

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{vitamix smoothie w/ dehydrated fruit}

2 Apr

so yesterday i showed you that i made some dehydrated fruit, right… delicious mangos and honeycrisp apples – nom nom, right… well, may i just first comment on the difference in flavour from a fresh mango and a dehydrated one? i really believe the taste is very different. i mean they are both outstanding, i don’t have a favourite. but they do taste way different.
and i suppose that applies for apples, too… but mangos – i just love love love dried mangos! something about ’em…

i {barely} saved a few of each and threw some in with a smoothie that included frozen mixed berries, fresh spinach, 1/2 a banana, some orange juice, a little grape juice, splash of almond milk and some ground flax seeds.

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one is never really certain just what colour the smoothie will turn out. at least the way i do it sometimes… lots of colour in there, doesn’t always blend to the prettiest, but this turned out great! and a pretty dark reddish-purple. oh, and it was for sure delicious!

cheers!

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{homemade dehydrated fruit}

1 Apr

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i need a dehydrator. it just feels like a really good investment to make, and you know me i’m all about DIY in the kitchen! my former roommate let me borrow hers when i was living there, and i became an insta-fan! there’s something about dehydrated fruit – particularly apples – that i just love!

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and these little honeycrisps steal the show, no doubt. Continue reading →

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{drink the rainbow! – red-beet & antioxidant vitamix juice}

29 Mar

well folks, unfortunately i haven’t been feeling so great over the last few days… aches, pains, watery-eyes, stuffy-nose, sore-throat, the whole {nasty} bit… it’s okay, i will patiently let it run its course… but what better way to cure what ails me than to drink some colour…

MAGENTA, in this case 🙂

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– frozen mixed berries {about 1/4 cup}

– orange juice {about 1/2 cup}

– 1/2 fresh pear or apple, cut in half

– 1/2 large boiled red beet {could also do raw}

– 2 or 3 pitted dates {one of my favourite go-to sweetners}

– splash of almond or coconut milk

– squeeze of lemon or lime

– filtered water

i heart the vitamix. you just throw this all in and crank it on high until well-blended. then drink, enjoy, and watch your skin glow and your system restore itself!

have a great weekend! i’ll be taking mine nice and easy…

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{post-st. paddy’s day green health tonic}

18 Mar

this juice may help with any post-st-paddys-day feelings of lethargy… hey – no judgement, but if you had maybe one too many green beers to celebrate, this drink will help you recover and feel replenished! 🙂

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– 1/2 apple

– 1/2 pear

– 1/2 frozen banana

– few frozen pineapple chunks

– one or two dates to sweeten {or honey}

– almond milk

– orange juice

– LOADS of spinach – gives it that pretty colour, but you can hardly taste it.

i also put a smidgen of my green powder mix in to boost the nutrients…

throw in the blender {vitamix is my bff} for a minute or so and chug it down!

and it feels so good to be back! taking even a week or two off from blogging felt so weird. but it gave me time to adjust to my new apartment and learn my way around my new kitchen.  i can’t wait to show you guys my new stove/oven… it’s so retro!  i’m switching things up a bit too – no more rigid monday through friday titled posts – just blogs about things i love to eat, things i see, and things i feel.  i will still share recipes and photos, but the format will be different.  i found myself getting a little too obsessed with coming up with new recipes all the time… food and foto will be more like a diary of some of my favourite things – to include recipes, photos, and life experiences.  PLUS – i’m going to have a small garden this year – so watch for info on that! i also want to talk about astrology and energy.  things are changing, a shift is happening and i believe it’s vital to talk about what we are experiencing, as it continues to unfold rapidly!

thank you as always for reading and for your dedication and support!

have a wonderful day!

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happy birthday, food and foto!

11 Mar

today is food and foto dot com’s first birthday!  woohoo!  i’m making my favourite snack, amazeballs, in celebration and instead of cake. 🙂

on this day in 2012, i created a wordpress website and turned it into a dot com.  food and foto was created with the idea of educating readers on healthy eating options as well as sharing my passion for fotography.  it has since molded into a collaboration of recipes, ramblings, and images from my canon.  with over 220 posts, i must say this blog has transformed into such a fun and healthy outlet for me to share the things i love most.  i am humbled by the amount of support from the wordpress community, and i am honoured to have as many followers as i do. my dream is to see this blog transform into a lifestyle blog that inspires people to create.  i enjoy cooking and sharing recipes, but i also enjoy sharing information about overall health and wellness… and living a simple life.  and since i’ve become rather good at manifesting, i’ll just throw this out there –

my dream is to make this my FULL TIME JOB!  and it can happen!

and so, now i am brainstorming new ways to tailor this blog into something slightly different.  i like consistency, but i am also a huge proponent for change and i think it’s important to keep things fresh.  so i’m working behind the scenes over the next few days, coming up with new ideas for this ever-growing blog, food and foto dot com.

let’s reflect for a moment, shall we?

i believe i’ve come a long way since my first post…

and in case you missed it, here’s my first recipe blogpost…

one of the most delicious recipes i created was this…

although – it has a very close tie with this…

okay, you may want to try this, and this, and this, too…

alright – and no doubt, you may want to throw a party just to make these…

one of my favourite blogs i’ve ever written is right here…

and speaking of cleansing, people always ask about my 5-day DIY version…

but don’t get me wrong, i’ll put away about a dozen of these, as well…

it’s all about balance, really. balance, and this…

i also sometimes get all philosophical and talk about stuff like this…

and don’t forget – i do a lot of other things with my camera – see?!

i want to thank you ALL from the depths of my soul for being an avid reader, for following and taking time to comment, and for making me really feel like part of a community!  you are my muse, the reason{s} i keep this up, the fire i need to stay inspired.  YOU, my faithful readers — you know i do this for you, right?!  i do it for me because i love it, but i do it for you because you appreciate it.

so, HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOOD AND FOTO!

here’s to many many more years of health, food, and fotos!  xxoo

 

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{thirsty thursday} — vitamix juice w/ grapefruit, spinach, and apples

28 Feb

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super healthy drink with fiber, vitamin c, iron, calcium, antioxidants, and loads of other goodness!

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– frozen mixed berries

– whole apple {honeycrisp is my pick, seeds and stems included}

– baby spinach

– grapefruit

– grape juice

– orange juice

– almond milk

and i always add in a little protein powder and ground flax seeds.

then let the amazing vitamix do its thing – amaze.

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{thirsty thursday} — vitamix juice with pears, grapes, and spinach

21 Feb

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i just love the colour!

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fresh, organic, wholesome ingredients – nothing wasted… Continue reading →

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{meatless monday} — cute, crunchy, colourful : kaniwa

11 Feb
honey drizzled kaniwa with mushrooms and red peppers

honey drizzled kaniwa with mushrooms and red peppers

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i’ve written about kaniwa – i’ve only eaten it once before but i totally loved it and wanted to try it again.  you can read a little about my first experience here. i really love the stuff.  it’s similar to quinoa but with a little more “crunch” and it’s much smaller in size – so tiny!

there’s not a lot of nutritional information available in the US about this great ancient grain just yet – but it is loaded with protein and fiber, so it’s great for vegans, and it is naturally gluten-free. there’s talk of it being a superfood. keep your eyes and ears open for more information as it surfaces on this amazing little grain… Continue reading →

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{thirsty thursday} — still lovin’ the vitamix

7 Feb

when i tell people i have a vitamix they usually ask two questions :

1. do you love it?

2. how often do you use it?

and i always say, “yes.  and every day!”

and i really do.  i use it at least once a day to make a smoothie.  usually for breakfast or with it or before i head to work in the afternoon.  i use my vitamix every single day.  and i love it!  i’m working on perfecting recipes to share on the blog of other amazing things it does.  for example : nut butters, soups, flours, and sorbet to name a few.

but it was still love at first sight and i’ve been falling in love more every day. how can i not?!  heavy duty, all one-piece, little to no food waste, easy cleanup – what more can you ask for in an all-purpose kitchen appliance?!

this creation was one of my favourites to date :

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{thirsty thursday} how to eat AND drink a pomegranate

20 Dec

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pomegranates are so pretty.  look at that colour!  i just love it.

i’m sure you’ve had pomegranate juice before, it was all the rage for a while. it’s still amazing, but i wondered if everyone knew how to actually cut and eat the whole pomegranate itself.  it can seem intimidating if you aren’t sure. so here are the steps i take when buying this seasonal deliciousness.

i figured i’d buy one since they are only 2 bucks on sale right now, and just use the seeds to throw in the vitamix with my smoothies.  pomegranate juice is usually kind of pricey, so i thought this was the most cost-effective way to get my antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin c out of this amazing fruit. Continue reading →

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{whatever wednesday} — a repost; about how cool nature is.

12 Sep

so, i decided to change “wordy wednesday” to “whatever wednesday” — i just can’t put that kind of pressure on myself anymore – haha 😉

so, in honor of my first “whatever” post, i am going to repost something i wrote a while ago that i find awesome and should be shared with as many people as possible. when i first posted this way back when i started my blog, i got more hits than any other day, and more facebook shares than any other day… so i figure, this is information people actually care about…

as you know, i’m a huge foodie.  i love anything with colour – so basically anything that has been in the ground, grown in soil, rich in nutrients from the earth, fibrous, healthy, and completely natural.  so basically, i am pro-veggie. i firmly believe the human body has the power to heal itself using diet. we truly are what we eat. and when i discovered that some foods actually look like the body parts they help heal, i was floored. talk about intelligent design!  we are truly incredible human machines.

oh and in case you’re wondering what my stance is after that whole organic vs. conventional stanford study, i don’t care… and i actually didn’t even read it, i don’t need to.  it’s just like when they supposedly found this brand new thirteenth astrological sign suddenly – what was his name? whatever, it doesn’t matter. i’m still a sagittarius/scorpio cusp with cancer rising and a capricorn moon, i’m a total product of my natal chart, to a T – some random astronomer isn’t going to come along and suddenly tell me i’m not who i feel i am. and some fancy rich group of college kids isn’t going to come along and change why i eat organic food, either.  {sorry, do i sound snarky?!} Continue reading →

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sesame portobellos topped with asparagus slaw

24 Mar

i’ve been thinking about this blog a lot lately.  i am kind of pouring my heart and soul into it, really. i am so beyond passionate about good food and it’s because over the years, i’ve filled my brain with as much information as possible when it comes to the subject.  and, being around the goodness all the time helps. Continue reading →

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