I was a bit torn on 2 topics and which order I want to post them. So I will start with summer, fun, pictures and DIET?

Summer equals less clothes, more bathing suits and bikinis, beach, sun, vacation and lots of pictures. We all want to look our best for that. So what do we do. We diet, we look for favorable clothes, we go to the gym, we tan to get that golden glow, we eat healthier, or try to anyway. Fresh food that’s not hot and heavy sits better in the summer. Who really wants a hearty stew or even this delicious cornbread in 100 degree weather? OK, so maybe with some cold milk. But still, I am making a point here. 😀 Remember I am in Texas. IT IS HOT. We want refreshing things that cool us off. I want to share some about my efforts, a cool non alcoholic refreshing drink recipe, maybe a fresh idea for food even. And of course photographs! What better way to visualize.

For starters, we diet because we want to look good right? Most don’t diet with their health in mind. So why are we not putting visual appealing food in front of us. Fruit in a bag is much less appealing than presented in a cocktail glass featured to the right! I see that and I crave fruit immediately. Works in my favor since I am on a 60 day juice fast that has worked wonders for me! Definitely not for everyone but if you are curious let me know and I will blog about it. Back to my topic though. You want to look hot and fresh ready to take on the world in the summer. Take the way you want to look and how much time and care goes into that and translate it to eating. Compare a burger to this. Yes burger has lots of flavor, fat, sodium and doesn’t look that great; in my opinion anyway. Take care with your food, take your time with it, prepare it fresh, spend the money and get quality fresh produce, smell it, taste it, savor it. Now I know I already wrote about food photography, but this is not just about food. It is about you and how you can look your best in photographs. Eating healthy and drinking lots of water will diminish skin problems (it does, I eat crappy food I get pimples and I DON”T like them) lots of water will hydrate the skin and you will have more energy. Try it, I dare you. Stick to it for 2 weeks, no crappy processed foods. Tell me in 2 weeks if you feel better. And no salad with lots of ranch dressing, cheese and meat is NOT what I meant. I will hopefully soon write a blog about SPA days at home and photographs and I will go in more detail about skincare, so don’t forget to check back every now and then.

My mom is currently trying my 2 week challenge and stocked up on lots of fresh fruits and vegetables but since she is a photographer at heart, she couldn’t star eating it without taking pictures. I know here in America, fruits and vegetables in their pure true state are extremely expensive. I do not understand why healthy eating is almost not affordable but eating unhealthy is the cheapest option. Again, topic for another day. I will update on my moms success in 2 weeks and I can tell you that I lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks (I did cheat with Saltlick so that wasn’t the best idea) and I have a lot more energy and drive!

What do you do for summer hotness? As in body and Fahrenheit issues haha! Do you have any special drinks you love only in the summer? Food? Diets and gym ideas? Or do you not care? Share your thoughts with us!

So here is a recipe for sparkling strawberry spritzers ❤ I cut down the sugar but if you drink in moderation a little I guess can’t be too bad. Not everything always needs to be sweet though, less sweet is refreshing too!

Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade
adapted from Willow Bird Baking, originally from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book
makes 6-7 cups of lemonade


Strawberry Syrup

• 1 heaping cup chopped strawberries
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• pinch salt
• 2 Tbs cold water

Lemonade

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup very hot water
• 1-1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 1/2 cups cold sparkling water or seltzer

To make the strawberry syrup, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and water in a food processor or blender.  Puree until smooth.  Pour through a strainer into a medium bowl to remove the seeds, pressing down to extract as much liquid as possible.

To make the lemonade, combine the hot water and sugar in a pitcher and stir to dissolve the sugar.  Add the lemon juice, strawberry syrup, and water.

To serve, rub a lemon wedge around the rim of a glass, then dip in sugar.  Fill with ice, then the lemonade.  Garnish with fresh strawberries or lemon slices.  Serve immediately.

Fresh salad! 

I don’t need to put an actual recipe here but make a colorful salad with lots of good veggies, nuts, maybe even some fruit. Unlimited combinations are possible. Here a picture for inspiration!

I will post one more picture about food and hope it gives you a little motivation. My mom wrote the caption in German so I will translate it for you ahead of time. There are people, who want to start “next week” all their life. Are you one of them or are you ready to take up a new challenge?

As always, I hope you enjoyed my blog. If you did, please like it, share it, follow me and please leave comments, ideas and suggestions!

Dee