#kitchencandy alert! Yes, I just got my hands on a new cookbook with beautiful photos and mouthwatering food styling inspiration!!!

 

 

I opened Erin Gleason’s book up and just flipped through the pages.  It was love at first sight.

 

 

I love how here recipes are laid out!

 

 

Yeah, I’d eat that.

 

 

Oo, that looks good too.

 

 

This too.

 

 

Oh purple potatoes, now I need some.

 

 

This would be good with cheese I’m sure.

 

 

Yes, strawberries!

 

 

Apple season will be here before you know it.

 

 

Hold on, I can make this now! I have all the ingredients in the house.  Talk to you later, I’m off to make a mess with chocolate so I can lick the spatula.

 

 

The photos were so captivating that I never did find out who the photographer was or who the food stylist was.

 

I like the basil lemonade so much that I tried Strawberry lemonade too!

…And it’s all gone.

 

 

Fresh or frozen strawberries work, I only had frozen.

 

 

Fresh squeezed lemon juice with some lemon zest if you like lemon zest.

 

 

Toss it all into a blender along with  water, honey to taste.

 

 

Add ice cubes and blend until strawberries are smooth.

 

 

 

Serve garnished with lemon slices.

 

Strawberry Lemonade

ingredients

1 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup honey (add more or less if you like it sweeter or tart)

1 cup water

2 cups ice cubes

 

Blend together. Taste. Adjust to your liking. Serve.

 

I woke up one morning and thought I heard something out by the road. So I grabbed my camera and went out to look.

 

 

This is what I saw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wanted to get some photos of them actually trimming trees but they went off into the woods in the thick poison ivy and there was no way I was going to walk into that in shorts and sandals!!!

Maybe another time I can get the rest of the story photos.

 

Whigg Meadow is is on the Tennessee North Carolina line accessed by the mud gap trail, Benton MacKaye trail or a long winding forest road.

Some people were  there seriously picking berries but I just ate all the berries I picked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This basil lemonade is perfect for a hot summer day!

quick and easy to make.

 

 

You’ll need some lemons, but maybe not this many, I was making two kinds of lemonade here. I’ll post the strawberry recipe next.

 

 

You’ll need juice from a few lemons depending on the size and juiciness. 

 

 

They say local honey is good for you and helps with allergies.

 

 

zest one lemon, or part of a lemon.

 

 

into a blender add lemon juice,

 

 

honey,

 

 

basil,

 

 

water,

 

 

ice cubes and lemon zest. Blend until basil is smooth.

 

 

serve and garnish with lemon slice and basil sprig. 

 

 

 

 

Fresh Basil Lemonade

ingredients

 

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 cup water

1 cup ice

4 table spoons raw honey

1 tablespoon minced basil

a couple basil sprigs  and lemon slices for garnish

 

In a blender, blend lemon juice, honey, water, ice and minced basil together. Serve garnished with lemon slice and basil sprig.

 

So PhotoADay hasn’t worked out so well in July for me. But here are the few that I did get done.

DNF is better than Did not start right?

 

 

This is the #FMS PhotoADay list I started with great intentions.

 

 

Red and White. Day !

 

 

Begins with K. Day 2.

 

 

Match. Day 3.

 

 

Stars and on the table. Day 4 and 5.

 

 

First pickles of the year. Day 7.

 

 

I’ve never seen a cute puppy and kid I didn’t want to stop and say hello to. Day 8.

 

 

Alive. Day 9.

 

 

Sharp, day 10.

 

Look down. Day 13.

 

 

More. Day 11.

 

 

 

Old school and torn. Days 14 and 15.

 

Torn, to use or not. This photo’s from June. Yeah that’s it. Maybe I’ll start on September now and get a head start on it.