August 7, 2013

Burrito Bowls

I’m starting a new series here called EVERYDAY EATS because I really want to show you my quick/easy/go-to meals that we enjoy on weeknights at home. These posts won’t be photographed step-by-step like my other formal recipes because Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That! The best part is that most of these meals will take less than 30 minutes to make. My goal is to give you some meal inspiration while I keep track of what we enjoy at home. It’s easy for me to forget what we’ve enjoyed, so it’s my hope that by the end of the year I’ll have a whole lineup of weeknight meals I can reference. Let’s do this!

Uncategorized

August 6, 2013

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS NEWS!

What are you doing on August 24th? Coming to my Beginning Food Photography/Styling Class that I’m teaching with my friend Denise from Chez Us?!

COOL.

Important information for you:

When: Saturday August 24th 10am-3PM (lunch included!)

Where: Oakland, CA

Why: Cuz you wanna learn some techniques and make your photography even better! Plus, we get to hang out!

Check out additional information & sign up HERE

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

recipes

August 4, 2013

Broccolini Panini

One part bread. One part vegetable. One part cheese. One awesome panini that rhymes.

One sandwich that tastes like a vegetable laden/crispy pizza when dipped into marinara sauce.

One more reason I’m obsessed with my panini press. Seriously. Is there anything it can’t do?!!

Oh. It doesn’t make popcorn. Dang.

my everyday life, Photography

August 3, 2013

My Everyday Life: Week 31

Here’s what this past week looked like:

I switched things up with my walking plan and have been walking after dinner instead of early AM.

Uncategorized

August 2, 2013

I love lists, Friday!

Bears having a hoedown!! This made me smile.
I love when assumptions are proven wrong.
Hello DREAM DESSERT.
The straw thing is pretty cool. I LOVE tips for traveling.
Introvert Myths! This is for my Dad who doesn’t believe I’m an introvert.
Why am I so amused by this?
Thank you, Kate Middleton!
Megan is so dang clever, I can’t deal!
Did you watch Orange is the New Black? You’ll love this.
Panzanella with a Basil Vinaigrette? Sign me up!
Joy blew my mind with her version of a Violet Crumble!
Oh ICE CREAM…I love when you’re slightly melty.
No Bake Summer Peach Tart. You had me at No Bake.
I’ve always wanted to make my own Thai Iced Tea.
Money/Food/Happiness. They’re all intertwined.
11 Things I Wish Every Parent Knew (what a good read!)
This song is my jam this week.

Friends! I’m teaching a Beginning Food Styling Class with my friend Denise from Chez Us in Oakland later in August. If you’re looking for tips & tricks to beef up your Food Photography skills, we’re here to help! I’d love for you to join us!

Wit & Vinegar made my Cheddar Cheese Bread with jalapeños & turned it into croutons!

Batch 22 made my Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt with Nutella!

Katie Lou Who made my Blueberry Pudding Cake

Scrumptious and Sumptuous made my Mango Lassi Popsicles

Good Dinner Mom also made my Mango Lassi Popsicles with ginger!

The Ashley Davis Project made my Grilled Greek Panzanella

recipes, Uncategorized

July 31, 2013

Tomato & Watermelon Salad

I feel like I’ve seen so many versions of Tomato & Watermelon salads out there. They’re usually made with some variation of feta, mozzarella, basil and mint. But as I was passing through this recipe from Dr. Andrew Weil’s (love him!) True Food Cookbook, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw goat cheese & roasted cashews. Now THAT’S different. I just had to.

I expected it to be simple, not Earth shattering. In my head the watermelon would balance out the acid of the tomatoes. The cashews would be crunchy and the basil would give it that oomph it needed. In reality, the flavors were complex. They were different. They intrigued me! I couldn’t stop eating!

This is the type of inspiration I would get from ordering something at a fancy restaurant…yet I sat in my kitchen eating this.

It’s summer in a bowl, folks. And summer is so dang FANCY.

recipes

July 29, 2013

Toasted Coconut Popcorn

I planted a seed in my husband’s head that we needed an air popper. We had one growing up that we loved and I remember it being super easy to make popcorn with one of those guys. Sure, I make it on the stove but in the past year I’ve burned more popcorn than I care to remember. The combination of our pans with our gas stove and my easily distracted kitchen brain produces burnt popcorn. That’s not a smell you want lingering in your house.

After a few hours of research, Casey found the highly rated Whirley Pop Popcorn Popper on Amazon. He excels at researching. This is what he picked out for us. It wasn’t an air popper. I wanted an air popper; I was skeptical. And on the night it arrived at our door, he quickly made our first batch of popcorn and that’s when I fell head over heels for something I didn’t think I wanted/needed. Whirley-Pop! You’re so much better than an air popper.

To say that we’re smitten with popcorn is an understatement. We are straight up obsessed. I am actually a little embarrassed to divulge how many nights we’ve had popcorn for dinner in the past few weeks…It’s a lot. And if it’s not for dinner, we make it for dessert! Which is awesome because Cooper is now on the popcorn for dessert bandwagon. What I love about the popper is that it takes no time to produce a great batch of popcorn. You constantly stir the popper with the handle so there’s no chance of kernels burning. You place the oil & kernels in the Whirley Pop, keep it whirling, stop when you hear the pops dissipate and you’re golden.

We’ve been really into making it with coconut oil and experimenting with different kernels. White, red, yellow, blue- YOU NAME IT. So far we consider the blue popcorn from The Popcorn Professor to be our favorite. Casey picked some up when he was at the county fair a few weeks back. One night last week, I threw in some extra coconut oil and topped the popcorn with toasted coconut flakes and OMG IT WAS THE BEST THING EVER. It tastes like movie popcorn! But MUCH MUCH MUCH healthier. It’s buttery thanks to the coconut oil and the toasted coconut. You’ll love that extra crunch. We’re obsessed/Get obsessed!