Cool dish on a hot day - Oklahoma foodie photographer

I picked up a copy of Southern Lady today and at the same time, grabbed the ingredients for a recipe in it, but I always deviate from the original. So well worth it. Some people claim they can't afford to eat healthy or that it takes too much time. I disagree.
I hate sitting in a drive-thru for fast food, especially in 110 degree weather. Actually when I got into my car today, it said 116! Just trying to do chores was a bit much for this girl who hails from the city by the Bay and spent most of her life living in areas like Colorado or the Pacific Northwest.
Someone said yesterday this could just stay hot like this through September.
But back to the food since I know you are wanting to know how to make it.
I didn't have a ring mold, and thanks to a great foodie who has the most delectable business on Main Street (Distinctive Decor - check it out online and facebook - They ship everywhere!) he suggested I use a tuna can. Perfect.
The quick version is chop up an avocado, sprinkle some lemon juice, salt and pepper on it, put it into your fancy ring mold. In a bowl, mix up blue crab, a Tablespoon of fresh chopped dill, 2 T. mayo, salt, pepper, some lemon zest. That goes in next, then your tomato on top. Yummy.
I added two secret ingredients, but this is the recipe in the book. Oh yes, they had parsley. This was perfect, easy to make and not too much for a hot day.
I also made a tropical sangria, courtesy of the recipe in the magazine. More yummy for a hot day.
Five stars.
"About the dish" - I've had this really neat dish for a long time. It's been packed away, pulled out, considered for etsy, stuck back in the cupboard. I kept thinking one day I will have a great little meal to put on it and get some cool shots. Well, as you see, it finally found its meal.

OKLAHOMA PHOTOGRAPHER | in the mood for red

I've not had a bit of time to do any lovely Valentine-type shots this week, including of my own darling grandchildren, but am so loving the red mood. Especially after I saw some gorgeous red tulips today at the Election Board office. May have to snap a photo of them tomorrow. Meanwhile, I found this old tomato photo I had shot in 2008. Will have to do for now.

OKLAHOMA PHOTOGRAPHER | Love Affair

So the pepper says 'can i be sweet on you dear heart-achoke'...it's the best I could come up with! My attempt at valentine food shot...

Raspberries and chocolate

I love raspberries. I love all berries, raspberries and blackberries seem to be my favorites. Blueberries and strawberries tie for third place. I remember summers in Sebastopol and picking wild blackberries and raspberries with my nephews. We were all about the same age, since my mom had me when she was 50, and the nephews belonged to an older sister. Those were good childhood memories. We'd fill up on those berries right before dinner and of course, we always got scolded since the berries were on the other side of the fence and belonged to the neighbor. I wonder if children these days get to make those kinds of memories. Of playing around town all day long, going swimming or to the country farm for an afternoon or picking apples off the ground in the local orchard. For us, it was just the way our lives were. I'm not sure that our parents even had to worry as we were gone for hours all day. These days, parents would be careless if their children were out wandering the town for that long. Oh and the only thing that would make this photo 'Perfect' of my childhood memories would be if the chocolate was from San Francisco...you know what kind!

Blueberry = beauty

Blueberries! I love them! Absolutely!


I can't say when I first discovered that I had a taste for them. Honestly, I have no idea! I can tell you about apples and peaches and blackberries - all from my summers in Sebastopol, California as a young girl. Especially blackberries and raspberries! My nephews and I, we were all pretty much the same age..long story, but I didn't come along until my mom was 50 and thus began my mom's 'second' group of children. I kind of fell in the middle of 'batch 1' and batch 2. Mom had this crazy idea to adopt triplets when I was 4.
But back to my story. My nephews, Jerry and Joey (Johnny was 'older' so of course, he didn't play our games). We'd sneak through the fence into the neighbor's backyard and eat blackberries and raspberries until we were delightfully full of dessert, then we'd head back and always got caught! I'm thinking now that the juice stains gave us away. Ummm....
Then years later, I enjoyed the delights of picking wild blackberries in Arkansas when I was pregnant with my first son.
But blueberries...I have no idea. I don't ever remember having them as a little girl. No, I really think it was after I got married. No matter, I love them and can eat a massive quantity in one day, just as I can with blackberries.
And everytime I buy them, I think, MUST take pictures first. But then I eat them. Finally I took some photos so I could make some beautiful cards and postcards from them. I've been seriously creating some wonderful images and products that I plan to offer up for sale.
And we all know that blueberries have great antioxidant value.

Trading fun!

I stumbled onto this photographer's work this summer and during the course of e-mail conversations back and forth, we decided to do a trade. Heather picked one image I had featured in my etsy shop at that time, and I found an image off her Web site that I loved! Well, the trade is complete. I got this in the mail this week! It's gorgeous! We both sell cards and prints, and I'll tell you this, I love her photos, which are mostly food related. She inspired me to do some food photography and for those who haven't done this, it is a challenge!

But it is so much fun!
So thank you Heather! Everyone, be sure to visit her site! I have a permanent link in my blog list to the right. heatherbydesigns. Oh and she wrote the nicest thing in the card she sent me: "I am enjoying my print immensely!" So am I!

The one she chose from my shop:

American Idol and mushrooms

OK, now if that doesn't get some attention, feedback, something, oh well ....
My favorites tonight were David Cook, always! Carly and Amanda and Brooke. But the person I really enjoyed watching was Chikezie. Wow, what a dynamite performance! I was a tad disappointed in Michael Johns performance and really disappointed in Kristy Cook's performance. And I really think she's good, same with David Hernandez. Now, the rest of them, they can all go home tonight. That's right, even little Mr. Archuleta. He blew it for sure. He missed the lyrics, not once, not even twice, but three times and you know how that goes, 3 strikes, you're out!
OH, I know, everyone thinks he is worthy of the top 3 spot. I am not so quick to agree.


Mushrooms ... I shot these photos the other night while cooking up a great dinner of chicken breasts with a Shiraz cream sauce, red onions and of course, the mushrooms. Yummy! I didn't do any post processing on these images and the only reason I wanted to post them is so I could point you in the direction of a new foodie/photographer blog I have discovered. It began with a night of enjoying the great photos of Jenifer Altman. From there, I ended up at Matt Armendariz' photography site. One of my high school friends had same last name, so I let him know I liked his photos and the nice memory jog. He wrote back and gave me a link to his food blog. Wow! You have to visit his blog! Not only are the photographs beautiful, his writing is so open, pure and fun to read. And, his archives will keep you from being bored.
So, if you visit him, be sure to post a comment over there and come back here and post letting me know if you liked it! I'm really trying to be a better blogger and get back into writing. I haven't been inspired to write since my mom's death now for three years. Oh, sure I've done some stories at work, and of course this blog, but kind of lacked any direction or inspiration.
But the past few weeks, I've been blog browsing and coming across some great writing, combined with photos, of course. www.mattbites.typepad.com is one of those fun places to visit online.
I'm adding the link to the permanent list here. Hope you enjoy! Oh and here's a link to an online magazine article featuring Matt, nice magazine!