by Karen Weido

I should start this post by telling you that I am not a foodie. Food at my house comes in the form of quick and simple. More than once my daughter has sat down at the dinner table and asked “What color box did this come out of?”

So when I was asked to contribute to a Bean2Blog edition of Foodie Friday, I pretty much panicked.  But then I remember a super simple Edamame snack I had been making since I returned from Bean2Blog.

While seeking out Edamame recipes, I noticed that everyone did a Roasted Edamame with salt and pepper. It sounded good, but I’m not really a salt and pepper girl, so I decided to make a Ranch version. You’ve probably made Ranch Crackers before – same thing.  It is super quick and easy, and I love snacking on it.

I typically make one cup of this at a time. It makes just enough to provide a good snack for the day.  I take one cup of frozen Edamame and put it in a bowl.

Add in 1/8 cup of cooking oil (I use vegetable) and 2-3 tablespoons (more or less depending on taste) of Ranch Dressing Mix.

Stir it all together and then spread out on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.  Use a spatula to flip them around on the sheet and bake for another 10ish minutes.

Cool and enjoy!

 

Karen Weido is a full time wife, full time mom, and works full time in Healthcare Marketing & Public Relations. She and her family live in Southwest Arkansas.  She has been sharing her family’s stories and activities on Ting’s Mom Blog since 2010.  In her spare minutes she tries to read, is learning to cook, and runs around in the backyard with her kids. Karen can also be found creeping around (and often posting) on Twitter and Instagram.

by Natalie Ghidotti

It’s hard to believe that summer is winding down. Here in just a few short weeks, school will be back in full swing and our carefree summer days (at least for this mommy) will be full of early mornings, extracurricular activities, homework and lots of structure.

Now is the time to savor those last moments of summer, squeeze in all the pool time you can, stay up late, and eat ice cream! What says an all-American summer more than ice cream? I argue nothing. Well, maybe fireworks and BBQ … but all of those combined make for a pretty awesome summer night.

Growing up in Arkansas, we had many summer nights full of friends, family and ice cream. I remember many a trip to Baskin Robbins with my Granddad where he treated us with our favorite of the 31 flavors. Whether it was celebrating a summer birthday with family or spending an evening with friends after a long day at the lake, ice cream was always a part of the fun.

My friend Karen’s lake house was always a fun gathering spot for those of us growing up in Benton. Skiing and tubing on the lake were a blast, but it might have been her mom’s Peanut Ice Cream dessert that kept us coming back time and again.

The recipe is below, but trust me when I say, it’s basically crack in the form of an ice cream treat.

And as I’m known to many bloggers as the “Yarnell’s Ice Cream Gal” (the 80+ year-old company is a beloved client of mine), I would be falling down on the job if I didn’t remind you that Yarnell’s Homemade Vanilla ice cream should be the ONLY ice cream you consider using when you try this recipe. And, yes, I’m plugging a client, but I also don’t want you to mess with a perfectly yummy Peanut Ice Cream dessert. That would be just wrong.

Evidence that #AWBU bloggers love their Yarnell’s Ice Cream.

I hope to see many of you at the upcoming #AWBU conference. Yarnell’s will again be sponsoring one of your breaks, and I look forward to gabbing over a bowl of yummy Yarnell’s. I will be sure to bring loads of our newest flavor hitting shelves this week. Yes, people, Lemon Ice Box Pie is back!

It’s back by popular demand – Summer’s best treat!

Since Yarnell’s return to the market last year, Lemon Ice Box Pie has, by far, been the most requested flavor. And there’s a reason. The stuff is pure summer. Look for us all over the local morning shows next week. If you’re a Farmer’s Market fan, we’ll be out at the River Market Farmer’s Market on Tuesday, July 23 with the KATV Good Morning Arkansas crew hosting a good ol’ fashioned ice cream social with Melinda, Chris and our very own Scoop. Hope to see you there!

Enjoy the Peanut Ice Cream recipe. And special thanks to Mrs. Bragg for always keeping Peanut Ice Cream in her freezer and feeding hungry teenagers by the droves. Now go make some summer memories while you still can.

Peanut Ice Cream

Recipe by Linda Ann Bragg

1 qt vanilla ice cream

¼ c. brown sugar

½ c. crushed peanuts

1 c. cornflakes

2 T. butter

Melt butter and brown sugar. Toss in peanuts and cornflakes. Stir into softened ice cream. Refreeze. This recipe doubled makes a 9×13-inch pan.

 

Natalie Ghidotti is owner of Ghidotti Communications and a strategic partner with Eric Rob & Isaac in Little Rock. Along with Yarnell’s, she works with many clients on public relations, social media and strategic planning, including partnering with Arkansas bloggers to help build brand alliances. She is mom to two young kiddos and wife to an awesome husband. If she ever finds the time, she has big plans to join the blogging world where she’ll be blogging about family travel, which she tries to do often.

Do you have favorite ice cream recipe blog post sharing the yummaliciouness to the blog world ? Please link up that post below, we want to try it.

by Jodi Coffee

All words that come to mind when I think of going to a Farmer’s Market. Okay, that and they all start with “F”. So, yes, there are some other words that come to mind, but since they DON’T start with “F” they have to go in a different list (yes, I’m type A…..about SOME things).

Local

Community

Healthy

 Those are some other words that the market inspires.

I was so excited to receive the email from Debbie asking me to write a “Foodie Friday” guest post about our local farmer’s market. Why? Oh, for several reasons…

•  I am passionate about buying fresh, local produce (well, that’s a farmer’s market in a NUTSHELL).
•  I have been privileged to be a part of something ARWB’s very own Stephanie Buckley, The Park Wife, started (more details to follow).
• I LOVE Farmer’s Markets. (I said that one already?)

These past couple of months have been somewhat of a WHIRLWIND. May 7th of this year kicked off our very first season for Hempstead County Farmers’ Market at Hope (I’ll refer to it as the Hope Farmer’s Market from here on). Yours truly is the market manager (inexperienced, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants volunteer). We joined forces with the Howard County Farmers’ Market in Nashville, AR, and Old Washington Farmers’ Market (ahem, yes, this is the one our gal started) and we formed the Southwest Arkansas Farmers’ Market Consortium. The three market locations are within 45 minutes of each other. This allows growers within a 75 mile radius of Old Washington to sign up and pay one fee to sell at all three markets. A win-win for the growers AND the consumers of this area.

 

So far, so fabulous! Things are really going well and the growers and vendors are supplying our areas with wonderful, fresh produce, fresh-baked goods, and quality, Arkansas hand-crafted products.

I get so excited when I hear of “new” produce coming to market.

 Blueberries

 

Blackberries

First the green,

then the RED tomatoes.

Corn

Purple Hull Peas

Peaches

MELONS, oh my!!

 Seriously, my heart rate increases and my mind races. I scan and google and flip and search for various recipes to incorporate my fresh goods.

I had a hard time choosing ONE recipe, so I decided to share with you a couple of simple dishes that I made after visiting the market. One involves something I had never, ever had before: kohlrabi.

 

The other involves a flavor combo I had never, ever experienced (and in the world of a foodie — a new experience means a lot!). If there is one thing I have learned when cooking and preparing fresh — SIMPLICITY is best! Along those same lines, I have also learned to RELAX when it comes to measurements…(I am the girl that use to measure the water for mac ‘n cheese…yes, I have come a LONG way!). Taste as you go along, and you won’t go wrong!

Cabbage, Kohlrabi, and Cucumber Slaw

Ingredients:
1 small to medium head of cabbage, chopped

 1-2 medium kohlrabi, peeled, and cut into matchsticks

 2 small cucumbers thinly sliced

 

Mustard Dill Vinaigrette:

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

1 clove minced garlic

1-2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Combine first four ingredients of vinaigrette; slowly add the EVOO whisking to combine; add salt and fresh ground pepper.

Drizzle over slaw, toss, and enjoy!

 The second recipe I would like to share is one that should send you to the market as soon as possible. I’m telling you, if you have not experienced the following flavor combination — go and get what you need RIGHT AWAY!!

Peach, Basil and Goat Cheese Salad

Let me just cut to the chase. There is no need for a “recipe”. This is a union of fresh fruit, earthy herbs, and creamy goat cheese. Grab what lettuce you have in the fridge, or if you are privileged to still have lettuces available at market, pick some up. OR, if you don’t have it — you don’t need it. The peaches, basil, and cheese can stand alone. Find some fresh peaches. NOW is the time. Really, NOW (they aren’t here for long, and you don’t want to miss this!)!  Peel and cut up the peaches. Coat them with honey (LOCAL, of course!)  Go outside and prune your basil. Okay, okay, if you don’t have basil handy and you can’t find it at market — call your neighbor, friend, or go to your local grocery store and GET SOME fresh basil. Just do it!! A few leaves are all you need. Stack them. Roll them. And chop them up. Toss them in the bowl. Time for the creamy goodness — goat cheese is best, but if you don’t have any goat cheese on hand, feta will fare just fine (but, of course, you lose out on the creamy aspect). Fold it in nice and gently. Sprinkle a little kosher salt to taste. Time to enjoy!

(I think I used feta in this picture. It didn’t stop me from eating every single bite!)

This made my taste buds do the TANGO! So simple, fresh and light – VOILA!

It is so satisfying to look at your plate and know and see that all or many of the ingredients are fresh and local. Knowing where your food comes from will be satisfying to your mind and palette.

You don’t believe me?

Try it.

I DARE you!

One more thing — if you are ever in the area, please visit one of our fabulous local markets (May through October).

TUESDAYS in Hope from 7a.m. to 11a.m. straight from the backs of trucks in the community parking lot at the corner of 3rd and Elm Streets.

FRIDAYS in Nashville from 7a.m. to 11a.m. in a beautiful custom pavilion at 110 South Howard Street.

SATURDAYS in Old Washington under the huge trees on the lawn of Washington City Hall from 7a.m. to noon.

If you don’t think you will make it around these parts anytime soon, please check us out on Facebook. (Hope Farmers’ Market, Howard County Farmers’ Market, and Old Washington Farmers’ Market) You can live vicariously through pictures…it just won’t taste quite as good!

 

Jodi Coffee, who blogs at The Coffee House, is the mom to three beautiful and energetic little girls that ALWAYS gives her something to blog about. She loves to try new things – food, travel and adventure.

In her spare time…wait a minute. What is that?She enjoys training for triathlons. She has signed up to do her first marathon in December. She is a backyard farmer, a farmer’s market manager, and enjoys helping bring healthy opportunities to the community.

 

 

You all probably know by now that I am not “a cooker”. It’s just not my thing. I tend to think of myself as more of an “eater.”

Yet, I have a slight obsession with cookbooks full of gorgeous images of food. Flipping through the pages of a pretty cookbook takes me to my happy place. {My husband would say that his happy place would include a meal from one of the aforementioned cookbooks. Bless him}.

I tell you all of this to explain why I chuckled when I received an email from Debbie with the subject line: Foodie Friday Guest Post. I thought she was being sarcastic.

Yet, alas, here I am hoping to shed some light {no pun intended} on taking better photos of the delicious meals you all are whipping up. {In return, can you make a few extra servings and drop them by house around 4? I’ll heat ‘em up and pretend I actually made something edible for dinner. I’m kidding. Or am I??}?

Alright, I’ll stop rambling and get to it.

Top 5 Photo Tips for Food Bloggers {or mommas or I-phone photographers…}:

1. Read your manual.
I know. I know. No one in the history of time has ever read a camera manual from cover to cover. {Yes, I made that up but it sounds about right}. But I’m telling you, there really is valuable information buried in those pages. At the very least, use it as a reference tool. {You can also get a “cliff notes” version with Magic Lantern Guides, guides are available for most camera models}.

2. Find the light.
Make every effort to shoot in natural light whenever possible. I also prefer shooting with backlight (where the light source is behind the subject).

Natural light is flattering and creates soft, beautiful images {as opposed to the harsh light created with an on-camera flash}. Give it a try. You’ll see a difference, I promise.

One simple trick for finding natural light when shooting images of food is to move your workspace, or your finished product, to a window. Another great spot for natural light is – and you’re going to think I’m crazy but go with it – inside a garage with the garage door opened. And, bonus, the concrete will also act as a natural reflector for the outdoor light.

Get creative and move furniture around. Open curtains and blinds. Open the front door. Ask for a table near the window if you will be capturing images in a restaurant.

Most importantly, turn off your flash whenever possible. Learn about the basic elements of exposure and how to bump up your ISO in low-light situations to compensate for the lack of flash. {Ooh, I bet your manual can help. See Tip #1}.

 3. Look for different angles.
Hop up on a chair or lay on the floor. Varying angles create interesting photos. Again, get creative with composition in your shots. The emotion of an image will change completely with new angles.

 

 

4. Add interesting textures.
This is just as true for food photography as it is for photographing your kiddos. Textures, vibrant colors and close-up shots create striking images.

 Lyndi and Beth’s posts on food styling included helpful and creative ideas for styling your food photography sessions. {A-hem. Thank you, Lyndi, for that flattering image of me stuffing my face. * That, my friends, is sarcasm* You weren’t supposed to see that}.

5. “Shooting is always more fun than editing.”
A friend once said “shooting is always more fun than editing” after returning home from a trip with a memory card full of images ready to be uploaded and edited. I couldn’t agree more with that statement. Even though editing isn’t exactly fun, it is an important step in the process.

Editing is like icing on a cake. You can eat a cake without it, but it isn’t going to be nearly as tasty or beautiful.

The multitude of choices for simple editing software can be overwhelming. A couple places to start: Photoshop Lightroom { an excellent resource for beginners} or Picmonkey.com {a free online editing tool that is fun and easy to use}.

And, some of my favorite photo editing apps include: Afterlight , SnapSeed, PhotoForge, VSCO, A Beautiful Mess, PicTapGo

So there you have it. A few insider tips on food blogging photography from a PB&J aficionado.

Jenny Marrs is a family lifestyle photographer in Northwest Arkansas. She also offers beginner’s photography workshops for anyone looking to learn how to get their camera off “auto” and get more from their DSLR. In her spare time, she documents the chaos involved in raising twin toddlers, as well as the ups and downs of their family’s adoption journey from the DRC on her personal blog.