Life Lately Through Instagram

a day at the beach

a trip to palm springs

visiting family in Illinois and Abraham Lincoln's home.

some very friendly pet goats!

the sky on fire.

sun-bathing in the afternoon.

our cute bathroom. 

watching the sun disappear.

enjoying a weekend away.

A few Instagram photos to hold you over while I make a few improvements to the site. I've got some updates and a few changes coming! I'll also be back to posting more regularly after a nice little summer vacation. 

*follow me on Instagram @thelavenderfield

Some Instagram Photos

I doubt there are many people left who haven't heard of Instagr.am. It's a smart phone app that makes editing photos super easy, and then lets you share them with friends (think twitter, but with pictures and a caption). It used to only be available on the iPhone, but recently they added Adroid users. So, if you haven't yet, and you like photography, think about checking it out (it's free)!! If you don't have a smartphone but still want to look at Instagram photos on your computer, you can find me here (if you already have the app I'm thelavenderfield).

It's really amazing how this app has transformed photography. I wish I could find the article I read the other day (I can't remember where I saw it, now), but I read about a man who had never owned a DSLR camera in his life (the type of camera most professional photographers use), yet he had thousands of followers on Instagram and his photos are professional quality. He had simply gained a following and recognition through Instagram. Not to mention, there are a number of exceptional photo editing apps available for download, to improve your photos before you even post them on Instagram (here's their blog, so that you can check out other people's photos). 

Here are a few of my favorite photos from my own feed, for you guys to enjoy... :)

Have a great weekend, everybody! See you next week with a new recipe and an update on what's been going on around here. 

Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

frying up some brussels sprouts

So, the other day on Instagram I had a really exciting thing happen! 

For those of you who don't know what Instagram is, it's a really fun app for sharing photos with friends and exploring other people's photos. I would say it's like Twitter, but instead of 160 characters, you have a photo and a caption. You can learn more about it, here and find me on there under: thelavenderfield, and if you don't have a smartphone, find me here.

Anywho... I often update my Instagram feed with photos of what I'm doing, scenes I think are pretty, silly things my husband's doing, and of course... what I'm eating. I love food, so it's only natural! 

The other day, a very nice lady came across my feed and asked me how I had prepared the brussels sprouts I had photographed. She explained that she had NEVER enjoyed brussels sprouts but that they looked really delicious in my photo (they totally are!). I happily sent her the recipe and insisted that she let me know how she liked them once she made them herself, and she agreed to get back to me. 

Well, about a week after that, she messaged me on IG to let me know that she had LOVED my recipe and that she was sad that she had to share the sprouts with the rest of her family! lol She then asked me if I had a food blog somewhere since she saw my photos of some other dishes I had made and posted. 

Needless to say, I was so flattered! I didn't think my recipe for the sprouts was anything special since the preparation is so simple and is really just a combination of flavors that I really enjoy. But hey, when I'm searching for new recipes to try out, that's pretty much what I look for: simple with good flavor! 

So, all this to say, I will now be posting my recipes, on occasion! As of right now, I'm unable to make it a regular series, but I will do my best to post more recipes as I perfect them. Although, I would like to keep this primarily as a photo blog, I'm happy to share here!

For the inaugural recipe post, I think it's only fitting to share my brussels sprouts recipe. Enjoy!

Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

• About 6 smallish fresh, brussels sprouts (if they're small, they're more tender and less bitter)
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T unsalted butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• juice from half a medium lemon
• 2 T grated parmesan cheese

Slice off the hard ends of the sprouts, then slice them in half, longways. Warm up the butter and olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, and toss in the sprouts. Stir them around to coat, and sprinkle with garlic powder, a dash of salt and pepper, and squeeze about half the juice of the lemon. Fry for about 10 mins., stirring occasionally. When sprouts are tender (they'll be a little soft when poked with a fork), remove from heat. Put in a bowl and sprinkle with parmesan and squeeze some more lemon juice onto them. Add some more seasonings, if needed. Enjoy!

I usually make these as a snack for myself. The great thing is that you can totally tweak this recipe to suit your tastes. Sometimes I'll add chili powder, and sometimes I'll have to add a little more salt and pepper depending on the sprouts. 

Let me know, if you try them out!

Have a great weekend, everybody. :)