Food Photography: Mango Smoothie

Mangoes are my favourite fruit so we bought a case of mangoes and had one a day for about 2 weeks. Once the last few were a bit overripe, I made a smoothie out of them. I made a non-alcoholic sparkling version:

• Blend ripe mangoes until smooth

• Carbonated/sparkling water or juice

• Optional: alcohol of your choice

Food Photography: Avocado Toast

I tried making a few variations of avocado toast. The bacon and egg version was probably my favourite (with or without the avocado). This one has avocado, tomatoes, pea shoots topped with an egg on a slice of sourdough. 

Lifestyle: Farmers' Market Picnic in the City

When I first came across their Instagram photos, I loved the styling and the dishes they made. Philip and Mystique, the creators of Chef Sous Chef, cook with fresh ingredients and share their recipes on their blog. I got in touch with them to document them in their natural element. 

As they often do on a Saturday morning, they picked up a few local and delicious things from St. Lawrence Market and headed to the waterfront for a picnic. See how it all came together:

Fresh, sweet strawberries from a local Ontario farm

Meats and cheese from St. Lawrence Market

Country baguette and peonies, also from the market

Philip and Mystique, you make such a great team.

The delicious spread

Food: Light and Bubbly Drinks

Food: Summer Drinks

With the weather finally warming up, I've been experimenting with different combinations of fruits, juices and our trusty Soda Stream. 

It all started a few summers ago when we were hosting a barbeque. I didn't want to buy carbonated sugary drinks so I decided to try making big batches of healthier drinks. Here are the different ways I tried:

For large parties

I mixed store-bought juice with club soda which dilutes the amount of sugar per cup. Using frozen fruit (eg. berries) instead of ice is great for chilling without watering the batch down.

For 1-2 people

This way is better for making small amounts. Use a Soda Stream machine and instead of their pre-made drink mixes, I put pieces of fruit like fresh ripe mango and add a splash of juice (bought or freshly-squeezed) to make my own flavoured carbonated water.

For small parties

For a smoothie, I blended up fresh fruit like watermelon as the drink's base then added frozen fruit. 

I hope these ideas will help you make some of your own concoctions. Let me know if you try any of these!