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Fairmont Orchid Hawaii

July 17, 2018
We recently returned from an 8-night trip exploring nearly every part of the Big Island of Hawaii. This is the start of a few picture-full travel recaps. If you are looking for what to do, where to eat, and where to stay on the Big Island. Look no further. On our last night, the Fairmont Orchid partnered with me to offer us a one-night stay while I got to photograph and enjoy the grounds. This post is about that excellent experience.

Vacationing in a Postcard | Fairmont Orchid - Big Island Hawaii | FakeFoodFree.com Travels

We pondered the idea for only a few minutes before our minds were made up. Once we were ready to book our flights to the Big Island we realized that it was more affordable to fly back on Sunday versus Saturday. We’d booked our lodging before our flights, like we normally do, so we had seven nights booked at rental houses, three in Kona and four in Hilo.

Flying back on Sunday would put us on the island for a night with no place to stay just yet, but we were too tempted by an extra night in paradise so we clicked purchase on the flights. 

We’d figure it out.

I started looking at resort hotel accommodations. We’d planned to be on the go for most of the trip, exploring the island and picturing what it might be like to own a plot of farmland in the middle of such a peaceful place.

But the idea of completely relaxing that last night with no hikes to take and no drives to dinner was growing on us.

At that, knowing a colleague had recently stayed at the Fairmont Orchid, I reached out to their marketing team to see if they might work with me for a one-night accommodation. They responded with a generous offer of a night on their beautiful Gold Floor.

I will admit we are not the types to stay on a resort for our entire trip when traveling to Hawaii. We don’t travel with family, simply as a couple without children. We take on a lot of exploration and pack light-ish, making a washer and dryer beneficial.

All that being said, we’ve already started discussing staying a few nights at the Fairmont Orchid on our own to end future trips to the island. I don’t know if it was the friendliness of the staff, the comfortable room, the grounds, or the food and drinks. Probably a combination of them all. It was so nice to wind down from an adventure inspired trip and completely relax a little while before heading back home.

This is a little bit of why we loved it so much…

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Roasted Garlic, Pear and Pork Ravioli

October 17, 2017

Switch things up this holiday season with a hearty pear and pork ravioli filled with rustic autumn flavors!

Thanks to Nugget Markets for sponsoring this post!

Roasted Garlic, Pear and Pork Ravioli Recipe | Sponsored Post | FakeFoodFree.com

Sometimes I feel bad for pears.

They are the underdog of fall ingredients. As soon as temperatures begin to dip, apples are all the rage. The leaves start turning and we simply cannot hide our affection for winter squash. 

Meanwhile, there sit the pears. Beautiful in their green, reddish-brown, and tan fall colors, but second place to the front row attention-seekers. 

I’m not sure why I turn to apples and pumpkins over pears, but more often than not, I do. Guilty. 

So when Nugget Markets gave me the opportunity to do a fall-inspired post, an alternative to the traditional holiday meal, I set my sights on pears. At the very least, I owe the fruit some time in the spotlight. 

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Shawarma Spiced Fava Bean Vegetarian Burger

July 6, 2017

This post is sponsored by Sahadi’s

Shawarma Spiced Fava Bean Vegetarian Burger | Vegan and Vegetarian Recipe | FakeFoodFree.com | Sponsored

Food access is important in my line of work. Well, if you love food, regardless of the type of work you do, it’s important. But when you are tasked to make specific foods or need to photograph a certain ingredient, you have to find it. 

I’m the first one to admit that regularly accessing what I need isn’t always easy around here. Of course, this comes after spending 10 years in the surprisingly excellent local food scene of Central Kentucky, and then a few more years in the Bay Area. Which, I mean, come on. What can’t you find in the Bay Area? 

Internet shopping for groceries is not only a fun pastime these days, it’s often a necessity. 

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Dry-Rubbed Grilled Whole Chicken with Chili-Lager Barbecue Sauce

June 13, 2017

This juicy grilled whole chicken is brushed with a rich and tangy barbecue sauce made of dried chilies and beer. It’s the perfect recipe to ring in a season of grilling. 

This post is sponsored by Petaluma Poultry – Home of ROCKY® and ROSIE® Chicken.

 

Dry-Rubbed Grilled Whole Chicken with Chili-Lager Barbecue Sauce Recipe | Fake Food Free | Sponsored Post

This probably sounds silly, but the first time I grilled a whole chicken, I considered it a huge culinary accomplishment. I say it sounds silly now because it is really not that difficult at all.

It looks fancy, sure. But it’s one of the most hands-off forms of grilling you can do. Once you rub down the bird with the herbs and seasonings of your choice, you simply place it on the grill and let it cook while all that flavor gets sealed inside. 

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California Ripe Olive Grilled Flatbread with Basil Ricotta, Provolone, Lemon Greens, and Edible Flowers

June 6, 2017

Thank you to the California Olive Committee for sponsoring this post. Although I was compensated to write this post, all opinions are my own.

 

I drive by olive trees on a regular basis here in the South Central Valley.

I’m a little obsessed with them.

One, they are some of the prettiest trees out there, all willowy with draping branches and a color that can turn from deep green to steel blue depending on how the wind blows. Two, I am a heavy consumer of both extra virgin olive oil and ripe, or table, olives. 

I was informed of a small fact soon after my identification of the olive tree, though. The olives that make these two products are not one in the same. Basically, there are oil olives and ripe olives. Their varieties, oil content, color, and culinary use is different. 

I’ve learned quite a bit about oil olives over the past few years, but my knowledge of ripe olives was minimal. So, when I received an invitation from the California Olive Committee for a trip to St. Helena at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Greystone to fill my gap in knowledge, as you would expect, I quickly accepted. I soon hit the road for a lovely four hour drive from California’s Central Valley to the Napa Valley. 

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Chicken Herb Soup with Bone Broth Recipe

March 9, 2017

This hearty chicken soup is simmered with a bone broth recipe. It’s full of fresh herb flavor and ideal for cool spring days. 

This post is sponsored by Petaluma Poultry – Home of ROCKY® and ROSIE® Chicken.

Chicken Herb Soup with Bone Broth Recipe | Fake Food Free | Sponsored Post

I’m not trying to be overly dramatic, but homemade soup is life changing.

Once you have a bowl that has been simmered long enough to blend flavors and infuse broths, the thought of going back to canned feels like a death sentence to your taste buds. 

If you’ve eaten a lot of canned soups in your lifetime, like I have (hello, diet food!), then you know they simply taste salty. And if you buy any type labeled diet or healthy, then you are in for even worse of a treat. Bland with a capital B.

Make it at home, though, and put in little effort, but a lot of time. Consider your soup world rocked. 

 

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Citrus Roasted Whole Chicken

December 8, 2016

Perfect for the holiday season, this citrus roasted whole chicken is packed with the flavor of oranges, grapefruits, rosemary, and thyme.
This post is sponsored by Petaluma Poultry – Home of ROCKY® and ROSIE® Chicken.

Recipe for Citrus Roasted Whole Chicken | Fake Food Free #sponsored

Chicken has saved our family holidays on more than one occasion. While most of us lean towards turkey or ham during this season, if there is a mishap, guess who is there to bail you out of an emergency dinner party situation.

Yep, the chicken. 

I was just talking to my mom about this last week. I didn’t make it back home for Thanksgiving this year, but apparently the turkey had some problems. The solution, run to the store and grab a chicken. And I know that shredded chicken has made its way into my grandmother’s stuffing recipe instead of turkey more than once in the past.

Whole chickens are easier to find fresh, thaw faster if they are frozen, and take little effort to turn out tender, juicy, and full of flavor. To be honest, I’m a bigger fan of chicken myself. 

So I say it’s about time we stop treating the chicken as the understudy in the holiday dinner play and go ahead and give it the leading the role. I’m starting with this recipe. 

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Grilled Bone In Chicken Breasts with Garlic Sweet Onion Barbecue Sauce

May 25, 2016

These bone in chicken breasts are glazed in a barbecue sauce made of grilled garlic and sweet onions and cooked over the fire until tender and juicy. This post is sponsored by Petaluma Poultry. 

Grilled Bone In Chicken Breasts with Homemade Garlic Sweet Onion Barbecue Sauce Recipe | Fake Food Free #sponsored

It took me a long time to get comfortable around a grill. I’m not sure if it was the dancing flames or maybe it was our society’s perception that grilling is a guy thing. For whatever reason, I could most often be found on the sidelines watching others flip the patties, chops and legs on the grill. 

Then I found myself at a point where I had no choice but to start grilling.  More of the recipes I was developing for clients needed to be grilled and I also got some print writing assignments on best grilling practices. This all led to a lot of research about the craft. I also could no longer wait for the weekend or evenings to have my husband around to fire up our kamado-style grill.

I had to jump in, tongs first. 

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