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!
i think these are so beautiful!!! i just love the interesting shapes they take on…
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and did you know red peppers are loaded with vitamin c?!?! 😀
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! 😉
between farmer’s markets, my new job, and cool new people in my life – i’m one blessed {and grateful!} lady! ❤
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.
these watermelon radishes are so pretty…
and sure enough, are a bright magenta colour inside!
watermelon radish…
so i obviously had to cut them into little watermelon-shaped slices…
sprinkle on some wonderful black lava salt.. for taste, and for effect! 😉
hello, watermelon radish!
nom nom… nom.
i can’t seem to get enough of these gorgeous locally-grown organic and adorable cherry tomatoes, lately…
i fotograph and write about these amazing little gems all the time… i just think they are so beautiful! and they are so incredibly delicious! so flavourful and juicy! i just pop ’em in my mouth like candy… nature’s candy!
nom nom…
and i put them in everything – my salads, my risotto, my frittatas, my sauces, my {awesome} zucchini strips…
these little red ones look kinda like strawberries… teehehe
FOOD IS SO COOL!!!!! 😀
i think it’s so amazing and interesting – how our bodies speak to us.
i find it so interesting how our dietary needs can shift and change over the years, also. for example – i never liked eggs much when i was younger… and over the last 3-5 years i’ve just been love love loving them! i can’t seem to get enough eggs. luckily, i’m able to buy farm-fresh locally raised eggs which were fed a non-gmo organic diet – free of soy, too! afterall, you eat what your food eats. so i choose only organic dairy and meat products for this reason.
i’m so thankful i can purchase these {incredible, edible} eggs close to where i live!
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they are just beautiful… don’t you agree?!
diversity is beautiful…
uniqueness is beautiful…
food is beautiful!!!
i am so blessed. i need to keep myself in check whenever i feel that i am anything otherwise.
i live in this amazing place where i have access to amazing locally grown and produced food – including quality, pasture-raised, grass-fed, fresh beef. now – some of you may be shaking your head at that word, reading it here on this ol’ blog – food and foto. you’re probably like, “wait a second -i thought she was like, vegan or something!? doesn’t she usually do meatless mondays?!” well, yes – yes i do. and yes, for about four months once – i was vegan.
but dude, i’m not anything – i’m everything. and right now i’m really enjoying eating lots of grass-fed beef, butter, cheese, and dairy. i can’t seem to get enough of it. i feel very blessed to have regular access to grass-fed beef products. have you ever had the pleasure of enjoying grass-fed beef?! it simply doesn’t compare… it is just amazing!
while at my personal favourite market, i picked up some grass-fed beef produced from a local ranch where i live and was inspired to create these adorable mini-sliders. nothing special about them, really – other than the fact that this meal is basically farm-to-table! i just wanted to share the pictures and rave about how happy and grateful i am that i live in a place that values the ethical treatment of animals and provides availability of these great quality products to an equally-compassionate and educated foodie like myself! 😀 Continue reading
i miss my mama. today and all week. i’ve missed her since april 14th of the year 1993. this time of year is hard for me – i won’t sugar coat that. sometimes randomly, i’ll think of something that reminds me of her and it will be hard. it never gets easier. however, i find comfort when i spot a penny on the ground, or when i catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and do a “double take” because i look so much like her… and i find great comfort in knowing that i am now living in her favourite part of the world. she was absolutely in love with these rocky mountains – and it’s an honor to live here… for her and for me.
if my sweet mother judi were alive today – i would make her this simple and amazing brunch… which i’ve been eating every day for like a month now. i buy the ingredients from a local store here in town and it’s all organic, fresh, and farm-grown – you know, like how REAL FOOD SHOULD BE!!!! 😀
sunday brunch for judi :
– farm fresh organic eggs
– asparagus
– cippolini onions
– garlic
– bacon cubes
– colourful cherry tomatoes
– herbed goat cheese
– fresh fingerling potatoes
this dish is perfect for one – what with my cute little ramekins and all… but i do have a second one, and would love NOTHING MORE today than to be cooking for my mama and using the other one.
i lined the bottom of my ramekin with avocado slices, to start… Continue reading
this is by far my {newest} favourite beer ever! here are some reasons why :
#1. it’s organic {at least according to USDA standards}
#2. it’s DARK {i appreciate darkness, in more than just my beer}
#3. it’s low-calorie {waistline-friendly libations are just fine in anyone’s book, right?!}
#4. it’s low-alcohol {so i don’t feel guilty or wacky or whatever if i drink 2… or 6}
#5. it’s locally made {kind-of… utah is actually closer to me than denver at this point}
#6. it’s got a black sheep on the can {so, it’s more than fitting for me}
#7. it’s totally delicious!!!
have a great {responsible} weekend! 😀
this was a christmas gift from my awesome landlord/neighbour and i’ve been super enjoying it during this winter and spring longest season ever.
it’s been so relentlessly cold here… dark, cold, snowy, damp… did i mention cold?
nothing warms my bones like a hot salt bath. we all know how much i luuuurrve himalayan pink salt, and i do sometimes throw it in my warm bath water. but since i have had these wonderful {hand-made} bath sand satchels, i have been using them to soak in lots of healing from the powerful dead sea salts and essential oils these adorable packages are filled with.
i just love salt; it has amazing healing properties in so many ways.
sometimes nothing will comfort me like a hot salt bath. to detox the skin, the body, the pores, the aches and pains… and what i love about these great little packages is how my skin feels when i leave the water… so super soft and smooth, and smelly-good, too! 😉 ❤
with homemade toasted rye bread, creamy melted swiss, authentic deli mustard, and colourful coleslaw… nom nom…
i would also do almost anything for a pastrammy from MASTERPIECE right about now… this one i created a while back was pretty incredible {miss E knows how to slice some perfect pastrami!}… but nothing beats a sammy from masterpiece delicatessen… and i lived in new york! – so that’s saying a lot! 😉
if you’re one of my colorado readers, you’ve probably already been obsessed with noosa yoghurt for a while now. if you haven’t, you will be soon…
this yummy creamy treat is made with milk from semi-pasture-raised cows here in colorado. noosa’s flavour is unsurpassed, and i believe it’s in part due to the milk from these cows.
everyone knows i love to support local. and obviously i’m totally down with the all-natural. however, you may be surprised to discover that i love ginger ale. i mean i LOVE IT! almost as much as i love beer… almost.
how happy am i to have recently been made aware of an amazing little local/organic store within biking distance of where i live!!?!??!!!?!?!?!
SO!!!!!! 😀
beautiful cherry tomatoes grown within 60 miles of my home…
exploding with flavour!! i’m guessing they are hydroponically grown… which in my opinion, seems to be the most tasty way to grow tomatoes – just from personal experience, having eaten a bajillion of them over the last few years. 😉 hello, remember my san marzano obsession!? cuz i do… Continue reading
tell me you’ve tried these before?! i’m pretty sure i’ve mentioned them at least once or twice on this here blog of mine… they are definitely a staple in my home! what’s better than colourful carbohydrates?!
i was a little surprised and way excited when i spotted this multi-coloured pack at the market. my favourite way to prepare them is to simply drizzle them with tons of olive oil and S&P and roast them in a 400 degree oven for about a half hour…
the finished product is a sheen, tender and sweet potato ready for poppin!
they make an excellent side dish, and are also great in soups.
when i first spotted this at my local liquor store, i literally squealed, and then immediately grabbed my phone to take a picture. are you kidding?! i mean, you know they’re my absolute favourite, right?! and you know i’m a fotographer, right?! …
i didn’t buy it right away because i was walking… but then just yesterday, as i was having brunch with one of my girlfriends, i totally got to try it on tap!!!!
it is SO DELICIOUS!! super cloudy and blonde, definitely a true wheat beer… full of flavour but not over-the-top strong. it went down like orange juice, and so i had to have another… i am eager to try it from the bottle as well. and then, i’ll take a food-and-foto style pic of it 😉
ohhh, new belgium – you never fail me.
cheers!
so, i randomly and spontaneously my have potentially found my new favourite restaurant. the charming place is called town. and the period is part of the title, so don’t forget it. 😉 if the rumour that their menu changes up frequently is in fact accurate, i may make it official. in the meantime, here is what i had for lunch the other day with a friend.
maple-braised pork belly with caramelized onions, pear, and bacon bits on a bed of brussel sprout leaves… and my favourite thing we ordered — it was just heavenly!
rabbit tacos with some kind of amazing salsa and a creamy mild cheese… shredded carrots, pepitas, scallions, and some other deliciousness. and hey – don’t judge me.
shrimp po’ boy… done a little differently, but still good. shrimp was super tasty as well as the homemade sweet potato chips, and the perfectly dill/sweet combo pickles were also excellent.
i tell ya one thing – i cannot wait to go back for dinner!!!!!!! 😀
aaannnnd, i really want to take pictures of/for them!
food & foto 