her real world

I’m a little obsessed with picnics right now

I’m a little obsessed with picnics right now.

This photo doesn’t really inspire the kind of picnic I’m thinking of right now, but it’s a picnic table and I work with what photos I have. But this is the picnic table where my family and I have shared countless meals. Everything tastes better outside!

I’m going to confess: I’m a picnicaholic. There is something about eating alfresco that makes me quite gleeful. One of my all time favourite shows on the Food Network is Oliver’s Twist, and my favourite episode is where Jamie prepares a picnic in a tiffin tin. I have yet to find a tiffin tin that I like (when I went to Crate & Barrel there was a yellow one that I wasn’t very fond of), but I may have to turn up the heat on my search. Because picnic recipes are out in full force.

Because I’m not able to make a picnic *right this very moment*, I thought I’d share some of the lovely and inspiring recipes that I’ve found recently.

To me, a picnic has to be portable and not messy. Sandwiches, salads and cookies are pretty standard fare for me, unless I have access to a grill. But today I’m thinking about a secluded picnic on a rock near a lake, so nothing too messy or fancy. I also adore fresh herbs and the fact that I finally have all my little seeds in the ground makes me quiet joyous.

So here is a list of things I’d take with me on a picnic tomorrow, hopefully you find some inspiration to have a picnic of your own!

Drinks: A bottle of sparkling water with mint or lemon and lime or perhaps a bottle of nice wine. Or both!

Sandwiches: ahi tuna wraps with avocado, dijon-cilantro tuna salad sandwiches, any sandwich with green chili mayonnaise, bacon egg salad sandwiches with fresh basil

Salad: sour cream cucumber salad with mustard seeds, French potato salad, potato salad with radishes, cucumber and dill,

Dessert: coconut macaroons, lime meltaway cookies, white chocolate strawberry oatmeal cookies 

So who wants to come on a picnic?!

her daily photo – The (curve) of my favourite lamp

I adore my lamp. I used to play photogamer, and this was one of the assignments.  I really enjoyed playing, and it brought out some of my most creative shots.  But then assignments became sporadic and then all of a sudden I wasn’t doing it anymore.  Hmmmm……

I also adore the dust on it in this photo.  I adore the fact that my camera will let me take photos that are well composed with an interesting depth of field.  I love that the dust shows up so well because the foreground is so awesome and crisp.  I spent the evening rearranging my living room instead of doing my laundry.  I figured that I still have enough clean underwear, what’s the bother in waiting another night when I could be adjusting furniture?  I swear I have it arranged close to how I want it, cross my heart and hope to die.

her daily photo – Asparagus

Though I adore the faces that humans (and animals!) can make at me when I photograph them, there is something about food photography that appeals to me.  There have been nights where I have taken three hours to make supper, if only because I photograph each ingredient individually and then each step of the process.  This asparagus was part of a lovely vegetable risotto.