finger food is my favourite! i believe in touching and playing with your food!! 😉
and i’m kind of obsessed with tomatoes… i eat them with almost every meal, it seems. i love the colourful variety of them. little, big, funky shaped, speckled… deep colours, bright colours…
i especially love to make little snacks with tomatoes – any way i can.
and so, i present to you… the most adorable mini-caprese stacks ever. at least by my standards.
i get on these kicks where i think i have all the free time in the world to constantly be making my own food… particularly, easy snacks. i’m such a label-reader, that i’ll look at the ingredients and be like, “i can make that!” 😛
this time, it was granola.
i had a gigantic container of organic rolled oats sitting around, waiting to be turned into breakfast vitamix cookies, but i kept forgetting to buy jelly! so as i was grocery shopping the other day, it came to me. “dude, audrey – you should totally make your own granola!” what inspired this was my other new favourite obsession right now – yoghurt. i know it’s nothing new to a lot of you, but i never much cared for yoghurt and suddenly – just like sauerkraut, and eggs – i can’t seem to get enough yoghurt. so – i was completely stoked when i saw my favourite brand, noosa had introduced a coconut flavour!!! holy smokes dude. AHH–MAZING! and i love noosa because they use milk from pasture-based cows. LOVE THAT!
anyway, to bring it all full circle, i was like, “self, you should just buy some coconut flakes {super cheap} and use some pantry items to create your own granola to compliment this amazing yoghurt discovery!” {sometimes i do talk to myself like that} and so i did it – i bought some organic coconut flakes for about $2.00 and had the rest of the ingredients at home. as per usual, i didn’t exactly measure – so i don’t have an actual recipe for you, but if i can wing it, you can wing it! 😉
ORGANIC HOMEMADE COCONUT FLAX GRANOLA :
– rolled oats
– maple syrup
– vanilla extract
– coconut oil
– flax seeds
– coconut flakes Continue reading
a little recipe from the archives – and a totally delicious way to celebrate the holiday!
enjoy the weekend, friends! 😎
happy independence day!
july 4th-themed red-white-and-blue sugar cookies
independence day sugar cookies
this meal was a total inspiration from a co-worker who i spotted eating this on his lunch break at least twice last week. so – i totally begged him to give me the recipe. i added my own variations, of course… and you can make as much or as little as you want, but the base is simple :
– sausage of choice {i picked buffalo andouille from the buffalo guys – they have great ethics!}
– zucchini {cut into 1-2 inch strips}
– red peppers {also cut into 1-2 inch strips}
– sauerkraut {i chose bubbies brand}
and, i chose to add in a handful of shredded carrots because i had them around… and about a cup of kelp noodles, which i’ve written about here.
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
have you ever used garlic scapes?! they are also referred to as “green garlic”…
first of all – how fun and wild-looking are they?! …reminds me of my hair in the mornings 😛
you can start to find them popping up in some specialty stores, organic grocers, and maybe even at a farmer’s market…if you’re lucky to live where you can shop at one now!
i just love garlic scapes! they are not nearly as strong as garlic itself, and provide a fun texture to a dish. the “scapes” are the “flower stalks” of the plant, and are typically pruned or discarded in gardening practices. however, this foodie knows better and has learned that they can be an amazing substitute for garlic itself. Continue reading
i’ve been wanting to try to play with millet for a while now. i have had a package of it on the shelves for a good bit now and i thought it was high time to give it a whirl.
i like to store things in glass jars… packaging just annoys me! 😛
millet is a tiny grain that reminds me of something from my youth… when cooked, it is almost like a pilaf. i read online that it also can turn into more of a mashed-potato like consistency, if cooked the right way. Continue reading
no, it’s not a typo. i called this dish “rainbow rainbow quinoa because… well – look at it. 😉
i wanted to use up some stuff in the fridge – like my shredded carrots and leftover cabbage… both of which, to me, can be a challenge to use up for one person. i find that quinoa is a great “anything goes” kind of dish. so when i’m looking to use up fresh veggies, i usually throw them in with quinoa. another reason i love quinoa is because it is a complete protein. basically what that means is it contains all 9 essential amino acids. this makes it a great grain for vegans or vegetarians.
rainbow rainbow quinoa – ingredients :
– 1/2 cup rinsed rainbow quinoa
– 1/2 cup chopped red cabbage
– 1/2 cup shredded carrots
– 1/4 finely chopped onion
– 2 cloves diced garlic
– 1 cup raw baby spinach
i noticed a few new followers have joined the fun – thank you and welcome!
in case you don’t know this about me, i love to eat anything with colour. i believe in living by the motto… well, a lot of “mottos” really – but one of them is “eat the rainbow.” if your food has colour naturally, it is good for you! this dish definitely meshes with that motto. i whipped it up last week when i was doing a short veggie cleanse. i just love mushrooms – do you?!
this is a great vegan dish, or a healthy random way to get in a ton of veggies all at once. sometimes i’ll construct meals entirely of vegetables… this one i just made up on the spot, when inspired by the fresh-looking produce in the market.
simple ingredients : portabella mushrooms, zucchini, purple cabbage, shredded carrots.
i’m fascinated by the intricate insides of certain vegetables – like cabbage. Continue reading
i’m a little late on posting today – it’s snowing here in colorado… and, sigh – i’ll just go ahead and say it – i’m over it! can we please be in spring now?! i’m just dying to put on my sanuks and put away my wellies.
i’ve been making a smoothie every morning since we are ‘officially’ in spring now – but i admit it’s just not as satisfying first thing in the morning as a warm cup of coffee or tea. but i’m determined to start cleansing my body out, preparing it for a different season, and lots of different veggies to compliment!
in the meantime, here’s another smoothie recipe. i created this one in mind as more of an evening smoothie. tart cherries and tart cherry juice are good for insomnia, remember?! i call it “sweet-tart” because i used sweet frozen cherries and tart cherry juice… and it turned out rather delicious!
cherry sweet-tart vitamix smoothie :
– frozen sweet cherries {1/2 cup}
– 3 frozen strawberries
– 3 frozen pineapple chunks
– 1 pitted date
– 1/2 cup coconut milk
– 1/2 cup tart cherry juice
how’s that for a title?!
vitamix-ing {and really, smoothie-making in general} is all about experimenting. sometimes you nail it. sometimes you don’t. more times than not, it turns out amazing… like in this case. 🙂
purple-ish vitamix smoothie :
– 1/4 cup frozen blackberries
– 1/4 cup frozen pineapple
– 1/4 cup red/purple cabbage
– 1 pitted date {for sweetness}
– 2-3 dehydrated apple wedges {i like to dehydrate stuff}
– 1/2 – 2/3 cup coconut milk
– splash of orange juice
– sprinkle in a little raw protein powder
—
and the fact that it tastes amazing is a huge bonus to how incredibly healthy and good for you it is!! 😀
check out that colour!!!
it’s been a while since i wrote a vitamix post!! green smoothies are always fun, and this is fitting for the holiday. this week i decided to do a short cleanse. partially in honour of the moon, partially in honour of the upcoming solstice, and partially because i have been eating donuts almost every day for breakfast for about 2 months… not even kidding. *ahem* anyway, i was super excited to bust out my vitamix again! Continue reading
this is one colourful dish! and fun to eat, too!
simple ingredients :
– 1 pound organic grass-fed beef {i choose 85%}
– 1/2 pound fingerling potatoes {any potato will do, i just had leftovers}
– 1 medium shallot
– handful sugar snap peas, shelled
– organic shredded cheese of choice {i went with cheddar}
i saw this somewhere on the web recently and i’ve been so eager to try it. i mean – isn’t is so apropo for food & foto? simple, easy, delicious, and healthy!
two ingredients: {3 if you decide to sprinkle cheese on top…}
– 1 ripe avocado
– 1 medium egg Continue reading
it’s a little sad for me to admit that i just haven’t been cooking as much lately. i lovelovelovelovelove my tiny home, don’t get me wrong… but it has been a bit of a challenge to fotograph my recipes in action within 180 square feet.
so, i’ve just had to change the way i do things a little. and that’s okay. i’m super forever inspired by one of my favourite bloggers – i mean she’s cute as a button, and she is into the same stuff i’m into regarding eating healthy and with the seasons. i love her style of fotography as well; so simple and elegant and she’s such a new yorker – so classy.
i’m still working out the kinks to finding the perfect way to fotograph inside the tiny home – but for now, here’s a simple recipe i made up this weekend that turned out delicious! Continue reading
soooo – the broncos lost the superbowl. yeah, in like a MAJOR WAY! *sigh*
i’ll leave the rants for the professionals – all i’m going to say is it’s a good thing i was surrounded with fun people and lots of delicious food.
it was a “soup-or-bowl” party – bring a soup or a bowl of salad. i brought maryland crab soup. so i thought i’d share the recipe 🙂
i had never made this before – though i remember eating it almost every day for lunch when i was living in aberdeen, maryland many years ago. my favourite little cafe on the side of the highway always had the biggest vat of it simmering all day and it smelled so amazing!
i just made it based on what i remembered and “winged” the rest… Continue reading
i like food you can consume without utensils 🙂
and there’s something about the word “artisan” that makes things more fun and enjoyable to eat 🙂
when i spotted this bag on sale at the market, i nabbed it up. it looked super fresh and crisp and i had some leftover polenta at home that i just knew would go great with it.
so i made a simple red sauce with the remains of a jar of marina i had in the fridge. then i tossed in some extra garlic, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and a little cheese, and boom! – i had a simple and delicious red sauce to pour over my polenta.
foodie side note : i only use organic corn products – corn is THE MOST genetically modified plant out there. and it’s in everything. do your own research, i highly encourage it 🙂 Continue reading
hey friends.
{i just want to preface this by taking a moment to express my gratitude to the Universe for being ALIVE and well. i had quite a scare last week and it has given me a whole new perspective on life…}
as you may have noticed, i haven’t been writing as much over the last few weeks. i plan to update you on my life very soon… there have been even more changes 😉 but i haven’t been creating as many recipes lately. for a few reasons, really… but fret not, creating and cooking and fotographing will recommence very soon.
part of it is becoming acclimated in my new mini kitchen. as a reminder, this is what i’m working with :
i LOVE my tiny home, don’t get me wrong… i’m just trying to find my niche and the best way to cook as i fotograph… it is somewhat of a challenge right now. a few final changes are coming together in the kitchen, i just need to start coming up with recipes again. Continue reading
the holidays are officially here!
here are a few of my favourite recipes from 2013… any and all of which celebrate the true meaning of this season – EATING! 😀
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buffalo chicken wraps {perfect for the game!}
pasta primavera with fresh-grated parmigiano reggiano
grilled leek and shitake mushroom risotto
pomegranate smoothie {it IS pomegranate season!}
egg nog… please.
hey friends! a while back i wrote about hilary’s eat well veggie burgers… they have quickly become a staple in my tiny home. i love the burgers, but i must admit that after trying the bites, they are definitely my favourite. i like “bite-sized” things anyway and hilary’s doesn’t disappoint.
you can read all about the company in my last blogpost – here. hilary’s eat well foods is a transparent company that is locally-owned and operated and they are also part of the non-gmo project – those are two of my favourite things about them. i’m such a fan and supporter and since i’ve collaborated with hilary’s eat well, i now have the fun opportunity of offering a giveaway!
all you have to do is go to hilary’s eat well facebook page and “like” them. then comment below telling me you did so, and i’ll enter your name in the drawing! Continue reading
food & foto 