I Need S'more Time!

This month's theme at The Inspired Plate is 'Seasonal'. You'll find this a broad topic...likely due to the vast differences we are all experiencing this time of year. Seasonal fits whether you are hanging out in the middle of winter in Australia or suffering through 100+ degree weather in southern California. For me, the season is summer which equals family fun and hands on treats. A favorite of my kids is the camping standard s'mores. We worked in a slight variation this time around and instead of the traditional chocolate bar we added a bit of peanut butter ooey gooey goodness.
We found that making s'mores is a sure fire way to test survival skills, create the need for a smoke removing bath and end a drought. We had gone for 30+ days with nary a dribble and the day we roast s'mores we found ourselves with a plastic bag over the camera.
And since no good family outing is complete without some kind of math discussion here is a little equation for you:

Graham crackers plus Reeses Peanut Butter Cups Plus marshmallows plus Fire EQUALS

Pure Summer Time Goodness! 

Next take a trip to Stacey Siegal, Bradenton-Sarasota FL Food Photographer and see what fun seasonal offering she is cooking up!

Breakfast--Good to Go

This month at the Inspired Plate our theme is breakfast.  As I sat down with the nutrition gal at my gym this last week I realized that I had been ignoring the great meal of breakfast of late. I know from my time as a kid that 'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day' but frankly in the busyness of the day breakfast was getting lost in the shuffle.  Let's face it's a jungle out there with work, kids, school, church and life...whatever it is that keeps you ticking also keeps you moving.  My breakfast is inspired by the need for speed, mobility and a nutritious kickstart to my day.



Each breakfast in a bottle parfait pairs yogurt and fruit with the crunchy goodness of peanut butter granola. A great way to start the day and add a little fruit, dairy and protein to your diet.

Strawberry Parfait with Vanilla Yogurt

Banana Parfait with Strawberry Yogurt

Orange Parfait with Vanilla Yogurt

So stack 'em up and get going for breakfast tomorrow!

So grab your breakfast and take a whirl around this month's blog circle starting with the fun and fabulous Kim Kelly | San Diego Food Photographer.  She is cooking up some tasty strawberry crepes. I can't wait to taste what's on her plate.

Green Eggs And Ham

I would not eat them in a house, I would not eat them with a mouse, I would not eat them here or there, I would not eat them anywhere. I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam I am.

Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham

We all know the story...Sam's friend will not try, Sam is persistent going through rain, riding on trains, traveling with goats on boats. In the end, trying is its reward. 

Dr. Seuss has long been a wise sage spreading confidence and urging adventures in imaginative and daring ways.  And coming up in just 5 days we celebrate Dr. Seuss Day.  March 2, 1904 was Theodor Seuss Geisel's birthday. My son just happens to share his birthday and we have a long held tradition of eating green eggs and ham as a kick off to a new adventurous year.    

This year I set a goal to 'Do Bold Things.' I'm off to a decent start but as anyone knows who has tackled a goal there are times of discouragement, self doubt, even despair. So in hopes of bouying your spirits and your confidence (and a bit of my own) I share some of my favorite Dr. Seuss  Quotes:

“Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go! 

 

“When you think things are bad,
when you feel sour and blue,
when you start to get mad...
you should do what I do!
Just tell yourself, Duckie,
you're really quite lucky!
Some people are much more...
oh, ever so much more...
oh, muchly much-much more
unlucky than you!”
― Dr. Seuss, Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? 

 

“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!  

 

“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!”
― Dr. Seuss 

 

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.”
― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax  

 

So tell me...what is 'your green eggs & ham' today?

Get out there try something new, Do something bold, do something true. Be good and be kind, pick yourself up if you fall, for you are the one that is you so stand tall.  And in the words of Dr. Seuss..I meant what I said, I said what I meant (paraphrase) So go out and do it 100%!

And while you are out there...go check out the rest of the Inspired Plate's food photography blircle.  Starting with the fabulous Jen Olson | Localette | San Luis Obispo, CA Food Photographer   and her take on this month's theme--Eggs.

 

    

I Heart U

This month the Inspired Plate's Food Photo Challenge is 'Healthy'.  When I hear healthy I automatically pair heart with it and so at this time of the year when it's cold and drab outside what better way to merge a healthier heart with the celebration of the heart. So I put together a little Valentine treat with a healthy twist to say:

 

This tasty treat is swarming with this yummy goodness...healthy right? :)

It's really quite simple and you can even get your Valentine to help decorate. You just need to start with the crust and here's a great recipe including my secret ingredient.

Fruit Pizza

The Crust : Super Soft Sugar Cookie Dough w/a hint of Lemon
1 Cup Shortening
2 Cups Sugar
3 Eggs (beaten)
2 Cups Sour Cream
1 tsp. Lemon Extract
1Tbsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
5-6 Cups of Flour
Cream Shortening and Sugar. Mix in 1 beaten egg at a time. Add in sour cream and lemon extract. Add Baking Powder, Baking Soda & Salt. Add flour till dough is soft but not sticky.  Chill in fridge 2 hours, if you are in a hurry put it in the freezer for 15 minutes. Shape to pizza crust shape then bake @ 350 Degrees for 8 minutes. 

The Frosting:
1 Brick Cream Cheese
2-3 Cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp Lemon Extract
1 Tbsp Milk
Mix until smooth add powdered sugar to desired spreading consistency.

The Topping: Arrange your favorite colorful fruit on top.
 
        

 

So here is to a happy & healthy way to tell your loved ones that  I ♥ You! And now take a spin over to Jen Olson of Localette | California Food Photographer to feast on her healthy creation this month.

On Black

I've had a thing for black as of late. So much so that I've heard comments to the effect that I should add some color to my life.  To my clothes, to my graphic designs to my photography. I've considered the suggestion and filed it away.  You see, to me black is an anchor, it's constant and it's elegant. It reminds me of a symphony...beautiful notes set off by black, proper clothing. In photography it can do very much the same.

It is however, sometimes hard to photograph.  Exposure is different than 'normal'. There are many 'degrees' of black and of course there is the practicality of black showing every speck of dust imaginable. It can make a subject feel like it's floating, literally in a black hole. Sometimes as photographers we fear it.

You might notice however, that I've utilized it quite a bit. The last two month's challenges were set on black so this month I decided to approach this month's Inspired Plate food photography theme of 'shooting on black' in a way that would be new to me. This time I utilized reflection. I found it to be an interesting challenge to only reflect what you want to reflect, but I feel like the reflection adds a great dimension to black backgrounds.  It adds a sense of place to the subject so they aren't really floating out in the wide world with nothing to hold them down. I found that quite comforting and enjoyable.

So without further ado...My three takes on black backgrounds.

Sprite Slush

 

Harvest Corn

 

Fall Trio

Next take a peek at Stacey Siegal | Longboat Key & Bradenton FL Photographer.  She never fails to amaze!

Texture

"There's an ecstasy about doing something really good on film: the composition of a shot, the drama within the shot, the texture... It's palpable."

William Shatner 

Good 'Ole Captain Kirk hit it straight on.  Texture in a photograph is euphoric and why?  Because an image with texture that you can 'feel' with your eyes has entered into a higher realm  The photograph becomes more than a visual art expanding to one that you can touch...and touching leads to speaking to your soul. 

tex·ture [noun] 1. the visual and especially tactile quality of a surface.

Shadow Berry

 

Cluster

Scars

Trio

This month's challenge utilizes texture in a variety of visual and digital ways to add a new dimension to food photography.  Next check out the talented Tammy Bilodeau ~ Whitecourt, AB Photographer  

Summer Sweets & Treats

An Ode to the Cupcake

small

powerful

elegant

sweet

moist

textured

individual

portable

mysterious

treasured

favored

creamy

precise

versatile

upscale

down home

The Cupcake

 

Now take a spin over to see Stacey Siegal | Longboat Key & Bradenton FL Photographer.  Despite prepping for Hurricane Isaac she has created a delectable summer time treat.

Grillin' Time

This month’s theme at The Inspired Plate is Barbecue.  This word is interesting as it means so many different things and especially different depending on where you live.{Just check out the video on Carey Pace's blog}   So for my readers, here is my first entry from Kat’s Food Blogging Dictionary.

bar·be·cue {bahr-bi-kyoo} noun, verb; The act of cooking AND the celebration surrounding really great food prepared outdoors usually on a grill.  And like most occasions that usually happen indoors but are moved out, there is likely a bit of a celebratory feeling about said food preparation and consuming especially in the month of July.

Now that we’ve got that settled…and the fact that I probably won’t be writing for Webster’s anytime soon despite the fact that I think all Moms should have an open opportunity to work for a dictionary and or encyclopedia company because of their answering endless questions at the drop of the hat on every subject from abalone to zippers, we can continue with the good stuff.

I like to grill.  Probably, because it’s pretty simple. You don’t have to have a lot of ingredients and if you work it right you don’t even have to be the one doing the actual cooking. 

So the first thought on grilling is the standard, the normal and maybe the boring.

The Dog

 

The Dog itself is greatly enhanced with the magic of the grill.  The little bit of smoke and char singed sides makes for a tasty summer treat.  You can go traditional with mustard or branch out for a bit of crunch and texture as well as added flavor.

The grill however, is versatile and welcomes many types of food. (You’ll see everything from veggies to desserts as you round the blircle today).

So without further ado…let me introduce you to the Kabob family…First there is Beef Kabob, Veggie Kabob and Chicken Kabob.

All quite tasty, and equally easy to prepare.  Here's a few tips to help along the way.

Tip 1: You can mix veggies and meat..but they cook at different rates so you might try all veggie and all meet kabobs to streamline the  process.

Tip 2: Cut your meat in similar size 'squares' so they cook evenly. Make your veggies chunky so they can hold up to the grill and stay juicy.

Tip 3: Use a nice pair of insulated tongs to easily rotate kabobs from one side to the next.

Tip 4. Olive Oil is your best friend.  All three preparations were created with a douse of olive oil then a pinch of seasoning.  In this case a mixture of peppers, garlic for the beef, seasoning salt for the chicken and Italian dressing seasoning for the veggies.  YUM!

So enjoy your next BBQ and your trip around The Inspired Plate as you try veggies, meats and even dessert.  Your next stop is to a BBQ down under. Sabrina Wong, Perth Food Photographer.  This girl is amazing she is a medical student by day and a superb Food Photographer…by…well I have no idea how she fits that in.  But she rocks it!

 

Something's Fishy Here

My sister Peggy picked it out right away. Why would the self avowed Fish & Seafood Hater be looking for a local shop to buy said swimmy things? Good question. I guess the answer lies in what won't I do for a photography shoot, oh yeah and my husband. 

This month's food photography challenge is Fish 2 ways. Since my son is off working at scout camp for the summer, I have no fisher people at my disposal. And frankly, if you know me, you know I hate fish. (Sorry fish, I'm sure you have good qualities that I should try to understand.) So in contemplating this month's challenge I had a few fears, first purchasing fish. Second fixing the fish. 

What kind of fish do you purchase? There are only several thousand varieties available. And then, what do you do with it? 

 I have vivid memories of a summer living in a tiny, cramped, extremely stuffy attic room in Jackson Hole Wyoming...my cousin and I had a microwave and a 4 x 4 inch electric fry pan to cook with. Downstairs was a kitchen, but regularly our landlady cooked fish. Oh the over powering fishy stench was nearly more than I could handle. I became an avowed believer in never cooking fish indoors because of that experience. So back to this month, what to do? 

 First let me tell you a bit about my patient husband. Not only is he patient with my non-fish loving bad attitude, he also is a very patient photography project guy. Just to illustrate, he pulled a large RV over to the wrong side of traffic once just outside of Sedona for the sole reason to allow me to photograph the magical fog that was developing over the light dusting of snow on the vivid red desert rocks. That's a patient husband. And well he likes fish. So I decided if I was going to attempt this challenge (and just try to tell me I shouldn't) I would at least attempt a fish that he would eat. 

Me: What kind of fish do you like? 

Him: Halibut 

Me: I wonder where you can find Halibut in Utah? 

 It's a bit tricky as it turns out. You see Utah is not known for it's seafood specialties. The only thing that lives in the Great Salt Lake is Brine Shrimp and well that's food fit only for birds or other small organisms or well just not people. 

 So began the Great Fish Quest of June 2012. I would have gladly sacrificed by taking a trip to Alaska to get it fresh, but shucks I was simply short on time (and money). I learned that fresh fish should not smell fishy. So that eliminated my usual grocery stores. (excuse me while I step away from the counter) However, thanks to prompting from my facebook friends I discovered a Whole Foods market in downtown Salt Lake City. 

 Meet 'Joe' My fish guy. :) (I think he's used to people taking his picture when they buy fish...he didn't even flinch!)

And meet Hal...I named him that just for the Halibut. (I kill myself) 

A quick tip I learned when grilling halibut (works with chicken too!) I basted the fish with a light olive oil then sprinkled seasoning salt. Grilled one side for about 5 minutes, flipped and repeated. (Never flip again...it's the rule of the grill--I learned that from Bobby Flay)

To top it, I created a light and tasty fruit salsa then bedded it on some lettuce greens and slice of grilled pineapple. The meat of the fillet was a beautiful white, moist and flaky. It had great flavor. I can now say I've eaten Halibut...and I enjoyed it. My husband got his first ever fish grill for Father's Day and my kids were great sports and came a long for the ride. I even had a bit left over and had a tasting with the neighbors. Being fish connoisseurs on that side of the street I was awarded with a 2 thumbs up.

Seems I've faced a fish fear and I came out better for it. But please don't tell anyone that I don't hate fish anymore.

To continue this fishy adventure take a look at what the awesome  Carey Pace | Kingsport TN Photographer is cooking up!

It's A Cover Up

Food isn't just for eating anymore. Food is an event, it's a journey and it's a story.  We've seen the popularity of television food shows sky rocket, but the good old fashioned print media still has a strong hold of food followers. This month at The Inspired Plate our assignment was to find a food magazine cover and  be inspired by it.  The interpretation of how to be inspired was left up to the eye of the beholder so our entries my vary. I decided to 'recreate' a cover using the elements of design in my inspiration cover. I chose the June/July 2009 Food Network Magazine Cover.  Who could go wrong with a Bobby Flay Burger? 

 

Before I show my rendition, let me explain what I saw and what I set out to emulate.  First the burger was HUGE, Tall and of course very tasty looking. I found it interesting that the burger was almost entirely covered with cheese. I noticed the grill marks on the  bottom bun and the bazillion sesame seeds on the top perfectly shpaed bun. I also noticed that the colors in the text and even the logo were dependent on the colors in the food and accessories. There weren't many accessories in this example.  Something I latched on to and appreciated quite frankly as I don't have a huge prop closet. So before I even set out to design, I had color, height, use of space and food quality on my mind.   Some things I ran into that were challenging was the actually toasting of the bun. I think the bun in the first image is probably a bit more crunchy than I would like with that much char. ( I wanted to eat mine after so I went a little lighter with the toasting.)  I do think it adds a bit of drama and intrigue to the first image that mine might lack. I also wanted to skip the tomato...no reason really but everyone puts a tomato on. I was hoping to use some different toppings that might add some interest. I chose the red towel to compose my picture to keep the red tones that inspire appetite in the image. I also opted to use the yellow peppers instead of the cheese for yellow element. As an aside...mine did have cheese...my butcher stuffed it when he made the patty, it was a black and bleu burger...and oh yeah was it yum! I liked that this cover had clean lines and while it advertised many parts of the magazine it also had a simplicity about it.

So without further delay, here is my mock food magazine cover...

Side by Side...
So come on over, I'll fire up the grill and we can find lot's of tasty toppings to decorate your BIG Burger.  And while you're here, take a look at what the talented Carey Pace | Kingsport Photographer is cooking up on her magazine cover.

Pasta unPrepared

Welcome to Pasta month. Going around my food styling circle, I'm sure the gals from the Inspired Plate are going to be showcasing some awesome ways to prepare pasta. But as for me? I'm calling in a cheater card this month. 3 weeks out of ACL surgery and I'm still on crutches...not exactly conducive to pretty pasta preparations. In light of that I thought I'd take a closer look at Pasta...unPrepared.

Egg Noodles

Lasagna

Tortellini

Ziti

I love the form, the lines the curves and the ridges. Pasta brings motion and art to the dinner table. So to combine form and function check out the talented Laurie Vengoechea | San Diego, Riverside County Food Photographer and see her artistic and delicious take on Pasta.

Splish Splash watch for Glass

It's appropriate, I think, to mark the start of Spring with a Splash Challenge in this month's food styling blog circle. Or blircle as Amanda Eller calls it. I really wanted to see some serious movement with my splashes so I brushed right past the ice and went for something heavier, well it worked!






But be advised in the game rocks vs glass...rocks win.



Burning through two vases was well worth the collateral damage though I'd say.


I am so excited to see what the others have been up to. So sit back and take a peek at the fabulous Kirsten Geyer | Something Cheeky!

Veggies Two Ways

Have you ever considered the Carrot?

This month in the food photography challenge we have Veggies Two Ways. As I walked through the produce section I wondered if Veggies ever get a complex. You see, their cousins, fruits, are often quite beautiful straight off the tree or vine or bush. Veggies on the other hand, well they may have a few self esteem issues with their hairy roots and often subdued colors. Take the potato for instance. He's a hard worker, tastes great, but a bit bland in front of a camera. I decided to go for color. The carrot has a beautiful hue...but it is also a large part of it's difficulty in front of camera. Too much saturation and it can look fake. Thus this month's challenge. I decided to go simple with the straight out of the ground look then a simple steaming. Carrot au natural you might say. Since there isn't alot of extra things going on it was very important to me to get color right and to get movement in the form of steam drifting off the luscious roots. I won't say I nailed it because I can see my errors, but I will say I learned to appreciate the carrot in a new way. And...bon appetite!

Next take a whirl around the food world with Carey Pace | Kingsport TN photographer and her YUMMY look at Cauliflower!

Food Photography Challenge January

I'm excited this year to try something new. I've joined a Food Styling photography group and we are ready to 'cook'. Each month we have a new theme and this month is

FRUIT on WHITE background. It's more of a challenge than you would think!

Here's my image




And now go check out the fabulous Tiffany Dahle over at Develop!