Instagram food photos of the week
News & Notes
- You all know about the health/medical issues I’ve been having lately…have you wondered if my wedding planning has gone by the wayside? Click here to read my latest Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings article about how to deal with an unexpected life circumstance during the wedding planning process.
- Have you been keeping up with my fan photos album on Facebook? I’ve been sharing lots of fun pictures of dishes from Practically Raw!
I’m glad you all enjoyed my elimination diet 3-day food log; I hope you found it helpful.
Today’s post is kind of fun. I finally got an Instagram account last week, and honestly, I don’t know why I put it off for so long. Instagram is a program that lets me take photos on my phone and post them directly to Facebook and/or Twitter. I was under the impression it was complicated or a pain-on-the-ass to use, but it’s easy as can be—I may already be getting a little addicted.
Today I just wanted to share with you a few of my food photos from the past week. These aren’t all the photos I’ve been taking—just some highlights. To see more, feel free to “follow” me—my username is ChefAmberShea.
I fueled up on the road with some of my Famous Five-Minute Blondies (page 195) while running errands last week.
Smoothie #1: Açaí pulp, blueberries, PlantFusion protein, spinach.
Makin’ Raw Chocolate Bars (page 206) one afternoon…
My friend Marisa actually got me out of my house one afternoon last week for some social time (which is quite a feat nowadays), and we grabbed Happy Hour snacks at Extra Virgin. I got the Tostones (fried plaintain patties) with chimichurri sauce…
…and the Marinated Olives, with a touch of preserved lemon.
White chocolate blueberry coconut butter! I basically took this recipe, replaced the strawbs with bluebs, and blended in a little cacao butter and vanilla. Unreal!
I’m a plant mommy! My friend Sarah recently gifted me with spicy basil, rosemary, and orange mint plants, and I rounded out the pot this weekend with chocolate mint.
Matt and I hopped over to City Market on Saturday morning (which we can do now, since we live so close!) to shop for produce for the week. Love this place.
Smoothie #2: coconut milk, frozen cherries, PlantFusion vanilla protein, maca powder, spinach, sunflower lecithin.
Kale, coconut oil, sea salt, that’s it.
I invented this chocolate protein “bark” made with PlantFusion—recipe coming soon!
Finally, just yesterday, I also invented this raw, vegan, gluten/grain/soy/nut/seed/sugar free, single-serving, high-protein cake batter ball. I am coming up with some awesome stuff lately, if I may say! 😉 This recipe is “coming soon” as well.
So tell me:
Do you have an Instagram account?
Do you enjoy these random photo arrays?
Which recipe should I share first: the chocolate bark or the cake batter ball?
3 years ago this week…
Waterlemon agua fresca
2 years ago this week…
Crunchy salted cashew cookies
1 year ago this week…
Matt’s b-day dinner at Eden Alley
April leftovers, part two
Welcome to Living Light!
Almost Vegan 
Sounds super yummy! Glad to “See” you on Instagram. 🙂
Likewise! 😛
raw, vegan, gluten/grain/soy/nut/seed/sugar free, single-serving, high-protein cake batter ball – OMG! I want one NOW!
For being “free of” so many things, they are seriously good!
So excited for the cake batter recipe!!
Thanks for your “vote”! 🙂
I’m always all about the chocolate but I’m so curious to see what’s in the cake batter ball. I’m hoping protein. So I’m of no help unless you count wanting both as a good thing 🙂
Hehe! That IS a good thing, in my book 😉
Hi Amber!
I love your pics (Nice bacardi glass!). Where can I find spicy basil & chocolate/orange mint plants??!! Btw, I lost 3lbs following your special diet!
I was waiting for someone to notice the Bacardi glass 😉
I think my friend bought the basil & orange mint at a lawn & garden store; I got the chocolate mint at my farmers market. Personally, I’d check the farmers market first.
Wow, that is great! Wish I could say the same =X How are you faring with the restrictions?
I’ve been noticing and enjoying your pics on fb and twitter–clueless about instagram myself! Gorgeous-looking food, though–white chocolate/blueb/coconut butter sounds like an immediate winner.
Glad you had a friend get you out, and fried plantains and city market–makes it look like a good place to live.
I’m more curious about the cake batter ball!
love
Ela
KC is a great place to live (and visit!).
So far, I think the cake batter ball is “winning”…
I would love to have the cake batter recipe. 🙂 I’ll continue to lift you up in prayer to learn how to work with your illness and to become whole again. But you are an amazing young woman either way. ❤
Thank you Carolyn ❤
Great photos! Voting for the chocolate bark…
Thanks!
Everything looks super duper tasty! I haven’t jumped on the instagram train yet, perhaps I should consider it. I vote for the cake batter ball recipe!
Thanks! And, you should!
Any recipe that is no sugar would be great for me! Did you adapt the blondies to low sugar? I checked back and they have dates. Was curious if you figure out something else to make it stick.
No, I kept the dates in. My doctor told me it’s ok to have a little bit of high-glycemic fruit like that in conjunction with fat to help me bring my blood sugar up more quickly.
No fair!!! Well if it doesn’t make you feel bad, enjoy!
It didn’t make me feel bad…but then again, nothing is making me feel GOOD 😦 I don’t feel any different…except maybe a little worse than I was feeling a month ago. It’s really discouraging.
Hi Amber!
Cake batter recipe please!!! : ) Did you make your raw blondies with sunflower seeds? Just curious because I’d love to adapt them for a friend who can’t have nuts either : ( Luv the random pics and I’m envious of your city market!
Hi Tara! Sure did – I just replaced all the nuts in the recipe with sunseeds. Come to think of it, I also made it with half dates, half golden raisins.
Um, cake batter ball please.
I don’t have an instagram account as I don’t have internet on my cell (I’m behind the times) but I like seeing everyone else’s food.
The cake batter ball is winning so far!
I’m a foodie voyeur, too. 😉
I like random very much. 🙂
What is this orange mint and chocolate mint plants?!?!
It’s literally mint that tastes like orange/chocolate. It’s wild!
Cake butter balls?!? Yes, please! 🙂 I love the Instagram round-up, although I do follow you there. I’m there at: carrieonvegan. Hugs!
Ooh, I didn’t see you on my “Following” list. Off to look for you now!
I love this “snapshots” post. And I’m drooling over that white chocolate blueberry butter. How gorgeous!
Instagram is too much fun 🙂 I need to make more of that blueberry butter SOON…
Hi Amber, thanks for the information! Your photos are awesome! And that smoothie has my name all over it! Delish! 🙂
Hope you’re feeling well and having a great Monday lovely lady.
Hugs,
–Amber
Aw, thanks! Instagram makes me feel like a great photog, even though the program does most of the work =X
Still dreaming of those lemon cookies of yours! Yum!
I am diggin those little cake batter balls. Can’t wait to try those. And I’m soooo happy you gt to go to the market on Saturdays with ease! It is my FAVORITE place in entire city, and I’m also thankful I live nearby. (I walk along River Front Park btw and into River Market almost every single night. It’s my ‘me’ time.) Maybe I will see you there on Saturday! I typically go in the afternoon when the farmers start marking things down. One day I snagged two pounds of green beans for a dollar, 12 ears of corn for a dollar, 4 peppers for a dollar, and a lb. of jalepenos for $0.50. It felt like winning the lottery.
Wow! Around what time do the farmers start discounting?
I NEED to get back into going for walks – slow walking is the only “exercise” I’m allowed to do right now. But it’s a struggle just to leave the house. Even my stretchy gym clothes don’t fit anymore, and my energy is in the tank. It’s the perfect time of year for walking, too…wish I could make myself do it.
Amber, I’m not sure exactly around what time, but I know that when I go it’s always 2-ish. I think any later and there won’t be much of the ‘good’ produce left. I went one time about an hour before they started packing things up and purchased some corn…didn’t check it because i was in a hurry. I only had 2 good ears when I got home, hahaha. 🙂 Oh well, at less than $0.10 per ear, I couldn’t really complain. Even the produce stores that have permanent fixtures in the market do this–put their stuff outside when the weather is nice and mark it down later in the day.
I know…sometimes it can be like an act of ‘God’ to drag yourself out of the house when you aren’t feeling so hot. I do find however that when I just make myself do it, I tend to get a little energy I didn’t even realize I had. Maybe try ‘asking’ your body if it wants to go for a walk? You might be surprised at the answer. Sometimes our bodies know better than we do. 😉
Damn me and my Ice Age not-owning-of-an-iPhone DOOOOOOM! Instagram looks fun 🙂
Darlingdarlingdarlingdarlingloveloveloveexploreyouareyouareyouareyoulovelovehugssmile.
Forever. xoxo
Hugshugshugs back. Thanks for chatting with me last night (/this morning, for you?). 🙂
Any time of the day or night, you bring joy to my heart.
That white chocolate blueberry coconut butter looks amazing! (And so does the cake batter ball) 🙂
Thanks Aparna! 😀
I vote for the cake batter balls! I am certainly intrigued by them ;). I tried to get instagram on my phone, but my smart phone is not quite nice enough for the program which is a major bummer. I love how you are still eating so well despite all of the restrictions! I was wondering if anyone has any tips on dealing with family members who are against your diet. It has become kinda hurtful hearing all of their remarks. My bfs grandmother even tricked me into eating something with meat the other day. I guess I just have to develop a thicker skin!
That’s terrible, Britny! I’m so sorry to hear you’re going through that. I guess my best advice would be to lead by example rather than broadcasting your eating habits. Instead of telling other people what you’re eating and why, instead, make sure to frequently mention how great you’re feeling, how your skin is clearer than ever, how you have so much energy, etc. (those are just possible examples; fill in the blank with whatever’s true for you!). In other words, make them curious! Other people might disagree with me on that technique, but that’s my stance on the matter. 🙂
Hmmm – I vote Cake Batter. I’ve been using ‘your’ method of juicing enough for a couple of days and it’s been wonderful! I pretty much hate cleaning my Breville, enough to make me not juice. But – if I can juice once and get two days out of it – it’s not so bad. What kind of juicer do you have?
I hear you on the juicer-cleaning! I have an Omega slow juicer (same as the Hurom). I don’t think there’s any such thing as a juicer that ISN’T a pain to clean!
hi Amber! i’m pretty sure i sent you an email twice – but i guess you didn’t get it. it was the correct address too
email is so weird sometimes!
i just had some questions about your thyroid levels and how you got diagnosed because im in a quite depressing situation where everything came back ‘normal’ to the doctors but im not feeling well at all. i have all the symptoms of hashimotos it seems, unfortunately but they didn’t catch any antibodies and said my TSH level was normal when it was a FOUR. i also wanted to know your symptoms and ask you if you have some of the ones i have. anyways, if you want you can direct message me on twitter or something since the emails aren’t working out.
hope you are feeling better on your new diet 🙂 ive been trying to have coconut flour and been making something SOO similar to the balls that i was gonna post a recipe for sometime but have been too tired to do it since my camera charger is nowhere to be found- lol- so im interested to see what yours is!
xo
No, I never got it! If you want, try sending it to amber4d AT gmail DOT com instead.
I am all too familiar with your situation. Yes, please keep searching for answers, and do NOT let anyone tell you you’re fine when you’re clearly not. I put up with that for way too long. Definitely read Dr. K’s book and possibly even search for a Dr. K practitioner near you. Beyond that, PLEASE feel free to sign up for personalized coaching with me – that way, we could talk about your specific numbers/situation! It’s definitely easiest to do over the phone; it’s just also a slightly time-consuming process, so I definitely want to make sure to get you “booked” ASAP if you choose to do some coaching with me. ❤
awesome! just sent an email.. crossing my fingers you get it!
Nothing yet…what is YOUR email? Your comments are coming through with a strange “twitter.example.com” address…
marielxox16 AT aim DOT com 🙂