July 1, 2010

There’s something about this time of year that inspires me, maybe it comes from those sunny, beachy memories from my childhood.  Summers smelling like the last bit of chill in the morning air before it heats up, and the scent of freshly cut grass.  Hours of playing outside in the sun, the twinkly sound of the ice cream truck nearby, and picnics…

Picnics always seemed to turn any day into a special occasion, its own Holiday.  Coolers and totes filled to the brim with sandwiches and salads, and always a few treats.  The mere though of it makes me feel the warm sun on my shoulders and grass under my toes.

All of this picnic dreaming made me realize that within a matter of days, we will have the king of all Picnic Holidays ~ the 4th of July!  What is more American than potato salad on Independence Day?, I had to ask myself when I thought about the upcoming festivities.

And inspired by the thought, here is a tasty potato salad recipe to add to your holiday picnic menu!

Literally translated, the French call potatoes Apples of the Earth…pommes de terre.  It wasn’t until this year that we had eaten fresh potatoes, newly dug from the ground.  BOY oh BOY it is a different world from the store bought potatoes we have been accustomed to!  Creamy, fresh, springing with vitality… I truly understood what the French were talking about.

For my Potato Salad, I used tiny New Potatoes bought from the Arroyo Grande Village Farmer’s Market.  I added some fresh arugula to make this more of a salad, and inspired by a wonderful food blogger, Bea from La Tartine Gourmande, I added some marinated cucumbers and radishes.  A fun and colorful idea!

A sprinkling of thyme and parsley added to a light dressing, making it perfect for travel, finished off this yummy meal.  It was a hit with J and even baby J couldn’t resist some for dinner.  Perhaps we’ll have to repeat this lovely meal on our upcoming Holiday…

HAPPY 4th OF JULY, FRIENDS!!

A big thank you to SLO Veg for the amazing produce I’ve used here:  pink and purple radishes, purple onion, cucumbers, and arugula. It’s no wonder that SLO Veg is celebrating 1 year in business with 1000% growth with such great produce and service, congrats on an impressive first year!!

Read on for the Recipe…

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July 1st, 2010 | Category: Food, Inspiration, Main Dishes, Recipes, Veggie | Comments (2)

May 5, 2010

Everyone needs a sweet treat every now and then (or more)!  I was lucky enough to recently win a quartet of Amy Bakes Cupcakes famous Chocolate Merlot cupcakes!   Yes, they are as fabulous as they sound.  I held myself back from eating the entire box at once in order take a few photos to share with you!

Amy has become a local fixture around the Central Coast, gaining attention for her baking skills, sunny blond hair, and super friendly and fun personality.  She takes much care in fulfilling all of your cupcake needs, whether that be a birthday treat or wedding for 200…oh and did I mention her vegan and gluten-free options?  Check our her adorable website to learn more!

And yes, I’ve been super absent from Localette lately… I’m already in the thick of the Joi Wedding Season, finishing one wedding, about to have another… who could blame a girl for a little cupcake break?

May 5th, 2010 | Category: Food, Inspiration, Locally Made | Comments (1)

January 27, 2010

Just a heads up to all you art lovers in the area!   This Saturday between 5-8:30pm SUPPORT LOCAL ARTISTS and come to an awesome show at the Sanitarium in SLO.  Featured artists are joey Salazar, Vincent Bernardy, Joe Tomei, Rober MAJA & Suzie Bliss.  Art, live music and wine tasting at this free, open to the public event.

This Saturday, January 30 from 5-8:30pm.  The Sanitarium is located at 1716 Osos St., on the corner of Osos and Leff in San Luis Obispo, CA.  For more info, contact Vincent Bernardy or Suzie Bliss at (805) 544-4124.  See ya there!

January 27th, 2010 | Category: Desserts, Inspiration, Local Places, Locally Made, Snacks | Leave a comment

November 20, 2009

WOO HOO! The new and improved Joi ~ Jennifer Olson Images Website is LIVE!

There are always things to add, things to change, things to fix, but it’s up, baby!

I’m so happy I finally have a proper venue to display the photos that I hold so dear, and the new ones to come.  Thank you all for your support.  It makes me feel that what I’m doing and what I want to do in the future is not some crazy unatainable dream… but something I can make happen.

xoxo, Jen

And yes, now that this is up I will get my butt back into the kitchen and start cooking!

ps:  I’m offering a crazy good Holiday Portrait Special to celebrate the website launch…see details on the site ~ Holiday Specials 2009 under the Info tab!

November 20th, 2009 | Category: Inspiration, Joi ~ Baby, Joi ~ Love | Comments (7)

August 21, 2009

Yup, in love with this one.  One week ago, Jesse arrived and it’s been awe inspiring, exhausting and beautiful all at the same time.

We love you, little guy.  Thank you so much for choosing us.

August 21st, 2009 | Category: Inspiration | Comments (11)

August 11, 2009

My new favorite blog: Joie De Vivre

August 11th, 2009 | Category: Inspiration | Comments (4)

August 6, 2009

August 6th, 2009 | Category: Inspiration | Comments (4)

July 20, 2009

The next of Joi ~ Weddings!  Nat and Jonathan are such a fun, loving and good-looking couple and I’m so happy that I was able to capture their special day for them!  I want to thank them for trusting me to be their photographer (especially at 9 months pregnant!).  The entire day was gorgeous from the warm sunshine at their ceremony to the magical misty beach where we took some very special photos.  Now that they are back from their honeymoon and have their photos in hand, I wanted to share a few favorites with you…

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July 20th, 2009 | Category: Inspiration, Joi ~ Weddings | Comments (8)

July 8, 2009

So I HAD to force myself away from finishing up some important jobs to share a couple great things with you!  Our baby shower was a while ago, but here are some highlights….  okay, you got me, yes they are the edible kind of highlights.  (What else do you expect from me?)

First of all, I was so excited about my favors!  My little wedding favors didn’t even come close to what Megan at Saylor Studios made up for me!  (She’s lucky she wasn’t around here during the wedding, I would have had her make about 3 times the amount she made this time.)

Each guest got at least one cute take-out box with a HUGE dark chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting, so good!  I also got surprised with these adorable mini brownie cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (green to match everything, of course!) for snacking during the festivities.   Visit Saylor Studios for any of your cupcake needs!  *Drool*

What did we eat besides cupcakes, you ask?  One of my favorite local blogs is by an amazing whole foods chef instructor, holistic nutritionist and blogger, Correne Quigley-Faysal.  Did I mention she’s also one of us Central Coasters?  Check out her blog Seasonal Cuisine.

Correne has the most tempting healthy recipes and I had to use one for shower snacks: Artichoke-Pine Nut Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms.  Oh if these just SOUND good to you, wait until you TASTE them.  I actually had to make a second batch of the artichoke pesto because….um…well…I ate too much of the first batch to finish the recipe.  Oops.  Check out Correne’s blog for some other amazing recipes!

July 8th, 2009 | Category: Food, Inspiration, Locally Made, Recipes, Snacks, Veggie | Comments (6)