Sometimes, my photography closets (err…folders) get cluttered because I have this silly little habit of photographing everything that I cook or bake. And I rarely leave the house without bringing my camera along to snap a picture of whatever I see fit.
You don’t want to know how many photos I have on my computer. Also, please don’t tell Eric how long it’s been since I migrated my photos to my back up drive! You know, the back up drive that he bought specifically for my photographs? Yea, that would be the one.
But Spring is here, even if I look outside and see more snow than we’ve had all Winter long. In the spirit of Spring Cleaning, it’s time to clean out my photography closets and let some lost but not forgotten recipes take the stage!
But first, some dirty secrets so I can ‘clean’ the air…
- Often, I take pictures of recipes that I don’t post. Duh.
- Frequently, said pictures get buried in Lightroom and I’m too lazy to find them. They die in Lightroom.
- Sometimes, I eat wonderful things that never make it to the blog. Sometimes, I eat horrible things that never make it to the blog. Sometimes, I eat delicious things (but think you will hate them) that don’t make it to the blog.
- It’s complicated.
- Occasionally, I make a tasty dish only to forget ingredient measurements. Note to self: Find pens. Store in kitchen. Get tested for early onset Alzheimer’s.
- Now you know why I take photographs of my ingredients. :)
- Occasionally, I delete photos off my camera by mistake. Poof. Gone forever. Sometimes I don’t even care.
- Once and a while, I lose a recipe (if I do manage to write it down) and then I can’t replicate it even after 3 trials. (S’more Cake In A Jars I’m looking at you!)
- I’m sorry. I really am. I’ll keep trying.
- Rarely, do I let a good recipe fall off my radar completely...
Lost but not forgotten recipe #1: Mango Kiwi Vegan Overnight Oats for no-brainer breakfasts.
I have an OXO Mango Splitter and it helps slice out the pit in one easy motion creating two clean halves to work with. Normally, I’m not big on tools like this, but I really do use this mango pitter every single time! The added bonus is you get to chew the pit as you go!
Do you use any OXO kitchen products? I’m in love with my can opener, citrus juicer, salad spinner, Y Peeler, and of course the Mango Splitter. I tell everyone I know about OXO…their products are life changing.
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Mango Kiwi Vegan Overnight Oats
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 2 cups non-dairy milk
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 mango, pitted & chopped
- 2 kiwis, peeled & chopped
- Splash of maple syrup if desired
Directions: In a medium sized bowl, mix together the oats and chia seeds. Whisk in the milk and extract. Stir in the chopped mango and kiwis and place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, portion out your serving and add a splash of sweetener if preferred.
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Lost but not forgotten recipe #2: Orange Creamsicle Vegan Overnight Oats. Also for no-brainer breakfasts.
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Orange Creamsicle Vegan Overnight Oats
Ingredients:
- 1 orange, peeled & chopped
- 1/4 cup regular oats
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp coconut milk (the cream part from top of can)
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- maple syrup, to taste (optional)
- Sweetened shredded coconut, to garnish
Directions: In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients except for the shredded coconut. Stir well and place in fridge overnight. In the morning sprinkle on sweetened coconut or other desired toppings.
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Normally I’m not a big fan of oranges in my oats, but this was very light and fresh tasting!
Lost but not forgotten recipe #3: Cheezy Nacho Kale Chips from Averie.
I never knew kale could taste this good! Just like nacho chips…only better.
Lost but not forgotten recipe #4: My favourite vegan pesto using the pesto recipe from my Project Food Blog Pizza Challenge!
This big bag of Pesto basil from Whole Foods works great for this.
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Vegan Pesto
Adapted from my Garlic Scape Pesto.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp raw cashews
2/3 cup of my homemade Vegan Parmesan Cheese
4 cups fresh basil, stems trimmed off and roughly chopped
Juice of 1 fresh lemon (3-4 tbsp approx)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil (you can cut this in half for a thick paste)
1-2 small handfuls of fresh spinach
4-5 cloves garlic
1 tsp sea salt
Directions: In a food processor, add the cashews and oil and process until smooth. Now throw in the garlic, parmesan, and fresh lemon juice and process more. Add in the basil and spinach and process until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste. This will make enough for about two pizza crusts worth. I loved this recipe because there was leftover pesto to dip the crusts into!
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It is amazing as a sauce for pizza like I used in my Roasted Tomato, Onion, and Basil Pesto Pizza.
This version I made below is thicker because I cut the oil in half. If you want a more traditional pesto, use the full amount of oil, but if you want a thick spread, cut the oil in half.
It’s luxurious on bread.
Just have a breath mint handy. ;)
Lost but not forgotten recipe #5: Savoury Pesto Oatmeal
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Savoury Pesto Oatmeal
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup regular oats
- 1 cup non-dairy milk (unflavoured/unsweetened)
- Kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- Seasonings & herbs of your choice
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2-3 tbsp pesto
- Stir-fried veggies (I used cooked onion, tomato, minced garlic)
- Chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions: Add oats, seasonings/herbs, and nutritional yeast into a medium sized pot. Stir well and add in milk and oil. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often. When it is ready remove from heat and stir in the pesto and optional walnuts. Serve with stir-fry veggies and a dollop of pesto on top.
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This Savoury Pesto Oatmeal was good, but my favourite savoury oatmeal is still my Mexican Loaded Savoury Oats…
I think I know what I’m making for lunch today…it has been too long!
And finally, a smoothie recipe that I just can’t get enough of lately…
Goji Berry Bliss Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup goji berries (or more to taste), soaked in water until soft and puffy
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 frozen banana
I was creeping in the bulk section of Whole Foods last week and I overheard a fun tip about Goji berries: Grab some Goji Berries. Soak them in water until puffy and soft. Throw them into your smoothies. The soaked berries will make the smoothie a vibrant orange or pink colour (depending on how many you use).
So there you have it. My photography closets are now cleaned out and ready for a new season of delicious eats! Any recipe requests?
Now, it’s time to tackle the baskets. This could get hairy…
Loving that savory oatmeal! I, too, have waytoo many pictures that never ‘make the cut’. They die on my computer too. Sad.
we should have a burial for them :)
Gorgeous photography! I totally know what you mean about cleaning the photography closet! I need to get on that myself! :)
this is probably one of my worst computer habits! I have zero organization when it comes to photos! :( my hubby wants to kill me most of the time!
Your photography is awesome! You seriously should post everything that you make as it all look too good to be true!
ahh im melting from deliciousness on this page! i NEED to experiment with that savory oatmeal!
It’s the worst when something tastes soooo good but just looks too gross in pictures to blog it. I think your orange creamsicle oats sound insane!
It is such a task to file through photos and organize them. I probably take a small fraction of them compared to you, but I’m way behind! I would love to see a recipe for vegan potato salad. My mom always makes it with eggs and mayo to get that creamy taste… but I have faith in you!
hmm that sounds fun!
I need to clean out my photography closet as well! I always wonder if bloggers keep every photo they take or if they delete them after uploading them to the blog. I need to start deleting!
Great post! Yummy looking recipes! I need to do a little photo spring cleaning too! I do the same thing…my photo files are filled with good and bad pictures of food (most of which I never get around to blogging about0. And I hate when I just can’t seem to take a good picture of a delicious meal….maybe it’s time to get a better camera instead of my point-and-shoot.
“Occasionally, I make a tasty dish only to forget ingredient measurements. Note to self: Find pens. Store in kitchen. Get tested for early onset Alzheimer’s. ” – I AM THE SAME WAY!! You would think putting pens in the kitchen wouldn’t be very difficult but mine always seem to disappear!! Love the idea of the savoury oats. I’ve never tried that but I bet it was delicious! Your pesto looks amazing and I think I need to make that soon too! :)
I’m glad these have surfaced, and may you other photos rest in peace.
Aw, Sketchie is such a cutie creeper.
Mango kiwi VOO must be so good! And I have to try goji berries in my smoothies :).
I have the worst computer organizational skills. Ever. It doesn’t help that I have two laptops and things are scattered all over the place. Ugh, what a mess!
Still lusting over that pizza crust!!!!
Everything here looks amazing. I’m glad they were taken out of hiding and posted! I’m drooling over that pizza.
ah yes the joys of organizing and sorting through piles of photography! I know how that is, and definitely remember to use that hard drive! I always have mine backed up.
love all the lost but not forgotten photos
ps: i have my FIRST ever giveaway on my blog, eeee exciting!
Hahahaha what a great pic of Sketchie!
Oh thanks for all the recipes! I’m intrigued by the oranges in the oatmeal…I’ve never thought to do that!
Thanks for sharing all of these Angela — you are so creative in the kitchen is just amazes me!
You should get a camera installed in your kitchen — that way when you forget to write things down you can just go back and watch! If I did that I’d look like a chicken with my head cut off running around the kitchen like a madwoman. But it would definitely be funny.
I love when Sketchie makes it on the blog. He is so adorable and quirky. As far as lost photos go, I know what you mean. My computer is full of photos that don’t make the blog for one reason or another.
Savory oatmeal… Never heard of such a thing. I don’t know if I can go there, as I love my oats sweet, but the picture with the avocados and beans look delicious. I must admit though, the picture when it is all mush in the oats looks ewwww. I think I’d rather stick to the avocados, beans and salad on their own.
That vegan pesto looks delicious!!
I have to try the soaked goji berries again! I tried them a little while ago in a mixed berry smoothie and they were so yum! I think they would taste great with orange for some reason!
I’ve tried to love VOO, really I have, but I just can’t get past the mush and the temperature. Which is sad, because the Mexican style savory oats look so good until I realize that they are the taco salad version of VOO.
Sometimes I get embarrassed to take my camera with me and take pictures when I’m around anyone other than my family, my boyfriend, and his family. BAD blogger, BAD! Maybe I’ll get used to it if I do it more…
I love all these hidden recipes from the dungeons!!
Ha ha nice. :)
I love kale chips. Those Cheezy Nacho Kale Chips definitely step it up a few notches! Yum!
That pesto looks amaze!! I’ve made pesto before with walnuts but never cashews and I love me some cashews! Adding it to my list!
Pesto in oatmeal? You are an innovator. I’m not sure I’m gonna follow your lead on that one, but I salute you nonetheless! However, I think your Tex-Mex inspired oatmeal sounds muy fantastico–I’m guessing it’d be similar to loading it all onto quinoa, which is something I do all the time.
thanks for sharing your “behind the scenes” secrets, angela! lots of surprising facts from you that i would never have guessed! (ie lost photos, forgotten photos).
that urge to spring clean is definitely in the air!
i am sooo bad about backing up files…and my photos are stored on my computer, but could so use some reorganization…
good luck with the cleaning tasks!
Angela, the vegan pesto is the BEST I have ever had – I make it almost weekly, even if I don’t make the roasted veggie pizza. I put it on everything…it’s out of control :) But is AMAZING! Can’t wait for the cookbook.
Such beautiful foods–you really have a gift!
You’re such an amazing cook I’d be quite suprised if you actually had recipes that were major fails. Well, unless you woke up in the middle of the night and started throwing random crazy things in a pot. But for some reason I think even then you could make it look appealing with your awesome photog skills :)
I hate it when I don’t write down a recipe and then cannot duplicate it. I am trying to get all my recipes into one organized format.
Wanted to let you know that my daughter finally got up the nerve to try your hummus recipe, she is now requesting it in her lunch daily! Have you tried making sundried tomato or red bell pepper hummus? I am going to try that. Thanks for all the great food & inspiration!
Oh goodness I want everything on here…
Love the kitty in the basket, too cute! P.S. I made your Pumpkin Gingerbread for a camping trip this past weekend, it was a hit! I will definitely be making this again, maybe even attempting to convert it into cupcakes. The icing might be the best I have ever had!
I love your recipes and your photos – my finished product never looks quite as beautiful. I was going to photograph my green monster this morning, but it was highly unattractive (delicious nontheless!). I would like to see some juicing recipes on your blog. I see more juicing in my future but need some creative ideas!
My husband got me set up on this program called Second Copy and it ROCKS. I have it set so that every time I turn on my pc (or reboot), the program looks to see if I’ve added anything new to my ‘blog’ folder (or any folder you tell it to) and then automatically takes any new stuff and copies it to our external NAS (fancy letters for network attached storage). It’s AWESOME. Then I never have to remember to do it ! I put a link below to their site and there’s even an evaluation copy that you can test out.
http://www.secondcopy.com/index.html?ref=adwords&campaign=Search&adgroup=ranking&ad=001&gclid=CI2egPKL9KcCFQOt7QodmE3kEA
I love my mango slicer, and eating the mango off the pit is half the fun. I thought I was the only one who did that! All of these recipes look and sound amazing. I’m trying the goji berry smoothie today! :)
Ha, almost none of the food I photograph makes it to my blog. But old habits die hard.
Your forgotten recipes look amazing though! I especially want to make that pesto!
I aspire to take photos at the same caliber as you post on your site!!! However, I can only imagine the hundreds that don’t make it on. And I too have FAR FAR too many photos on my laptop. I really need to sort through them at some point soon. Have a great day Angela.
Pesto on bread?!? So simple but so genius!! I bet the cashews give it a thicker flavor.
Wow these photos look amazing! I’m loving the cheezy kale chips! I take a million photos and my photography is definitely not up to your standard, so I can only imagine how many you have to organise!!
I just started blogging (literally, a little more than a week ago) and I keep forgetting my camera’s memory card in my laptop then continue to take photos on my camera’s internal memory. Did I mention I can’t find my camera cord either…?
so cute! I love this post- so many great recipes. :D
I have to try the OXO mango cutter. I love mangos but always feel like I destroy them when I try to cut them!
I love your recipes. I’m allergic to dairy, so I’m always looking for good tasting, non-dairy recipes.
I wonder why that basil is specifically for pesto? Are the leaves less “pretty” because they know they’re going to be ground up? Those Mexican oats look amazing!
I think it is basically just a bigger bag of it because pesto recipes tend to call for a large portion…?
These are awesome Angela! Thank you for bringing them out!!! I absolutely LOVE mangos, and they’re coming in season again soon. It’s been a while since I had goji berries, and that smoothie definitely sounds fabulous!
i’ve been seeing mango all over blogland recently– guess we’re all getting excited for the summer that awaits us :)
do you have a good place to get chia seeds or (cheap) brand you like?