I just had one of the most tastiest dinners ever and thought I might blog about it tonight. I don’t usually diverge too much from the photography side of things but I think this is the start of something good and something new. You see, I want to blog every day. I wish I could blog every day… but sometimes, if limited only to topics on photography, I have to admit… I don’t have enough to blog about on a daily basis. So, time to expand the horizons a bit… just a wee bit.

By day, I’m a licensed naturopathic doctor (ND). I own a clinic with two other ND’s in Toronto. By night (or weekend), I’m a photographer. I guess, by definition, that sort of makes me a superhero, doesn’t it? Kiiidding. I love naturopathic medicine… I love the philosophy, love the healing, love the lifestyle, love it all. And I think that’s why you’ll be hearing more about it from here on out. It’s such an integral part of who I am and by keeping it on the sidelines watching forlornly, it’s no wonder I feel unsatisfied and a bit stir-crazy…

…Which brings me to the Recipe Box. Cooking is a sweet pleasure of mine. The sound of onions sizzling in the pan or the smell of perfectly baked chicken makes me giddy all over! Like a chemist in a laboratory, experimenting with different compounds and measuring out liquids is what I love to do. The kitchen is my personal laboratory. And from that lab comes a very simple recipe that is mouthwateringly tasty. Pair it with a perfect medium-rare steak and it’s heaven… pure heaven.

Sauteed Mushrooms + Onions

• 10-15 white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 medium onions, sliced in thin rings
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Pinch of sea salt

Heat butter and coconut oil in a heavy pan on medium heat and add the onions to the pan. Listen to the sizzle! Fry the onions until they start to brown in colour… mmm, caramelized onions.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic. Spread the mushrooms evenly in the pan and let them fry for a minute. You’ll hear the liquid from the mushrooms start to escape and hit the hot pan causing even more sizzle! Stir occasionally. Add a pinch of salt and the Worcestershire sauce and stir thoroughly.

Fry until mushrooms and onions reach a caramel-brown colour. Once it’s ready, scoop the mixture on top of a perfectly cooked steak and enjoy!

Happy Wednesday!

Interviews are always a funny thing for me. I never know what to say and of course, I don’t want to come across like a complete idiot so it takes me a while to come up with answers. So when Sally of Psalms 91:1 Accessories called me up and let me know she wanted to include an interview with me in her February newsletter… I gladly accepted but then quickly when into “OMG… what am I supposed to say about me?!” mode. After a few moments of hyperventilation and an hour of writer’s block… I finally pulled something together to send back to Sally. I breathed a big sigh of relief when I got back an email from her saying, “LOVE your responses. Thanks! It’s nice and short, clear to read, I enjoyed reading it myself so I’m sure others will too!” Whew… so here goes…

Get to know : Jennifer Yun of Jennifer Yun Photography & Adara Integrative Clinic

When people ask Jenne what she does, her answer usually sparks a bit of interest in people. She is a busy entrepreneur maintaining her practice as a naturopathic doctor (ND) and co-owner of Adara Integrative Clinic at Yonge and Davisville, and she is also a lifestyle photographer and owner of Jennifer Yun Photography.

As an ND, Jenne sees many different types of people in her practice but she loves focusing on the health of entrepreneurs. Being one herself, she gets it… she knows first-hand what her own health means to the success of her businesses. Maintaining an optimal level of health is key to a thriving business and Jenne loves working with entrepreneurs who understand that!

On the flip-side, being able to go out and capture some of the most amazing moments in life from behind her camera is something that she would never give up in a bazillion years! She loves capturing blissful snippets of laughter, glances and emotions with the click of her shutter and freezing each frame for a lifetime. To Jenne, there is nothing she would rather be doing than empowering people to realize their potential for health and documenting some of the most fabulous moments their lives.

Psalms: What are you most passionate about?
Jenne: Balance. I know… It’s a funny thing to be passionate about but as I’ve developed both my naturopathic and photography careers over the past few years, my life would not be the same without it. Whether it’s finding balance between the art and science of naturopathic medicine or carefully framing the balance of subjects and objects in my images… I love balance. It’s yin versus yang, night and day… It’s what defines my entire life.

Psalms: What/Who inspires you?
Jenne: All of the people I have ever met in my life. There is always some aspect of a person that I can draw from and use as a source of personal growth and creative thought. Whether through photography, naturopathic medicine, my friends and my family, each person I meet shapes who I am and helps me to realize my potential for accomplishing everything I set out to do.

Psalms: How do use jewellery to style your wardrobe?
Jenne: I love earrings. Can you believe I didn’t have my ears pierced until a few years ago?! I don’t know how I lived before then. The right set of earrings can transform my style from a frumpy hobo to a chic doctor or fab photographer in seconds! My latest fave addition to my collection is the Pizzicato earrings from the How Precious collection. Pizzicato + my yummy leather jacket equals a rockin’ day out!

I lurrrve these babies!

Sally: You are a brilliant designer and I can’t say enough about you and your creations! Thanks for the feature. Your humble and beautiful nature is yet another inspiration in my life! Much love, Jenne.

I’ve never been so sore in my life and oh man, was I sore this past week. Getting up last Saturday morning was just the prelude to how insane my body would feel for almost another several days. Barely being able to initiate my abs to roll out of bed, I planted my feet down and rose to start my day only to be severely scolded by my calves to sit my butt back down! You’re probably sitting there thinking, what the heck?! What could possibly make me feel like I ran a mile while carrying a 500 pound man and getting beat like a punching bag in Oscar De La Hoya’s personal gym? Well… the punching bag is related at least.

I just started boxing classes at Wayne Bourque’s Centre Ring and holee crap, did I ever get my butt kicked. Which brings me to this edition of Hugs + Shrugs.

* Wayne Bourque and his craaaazy boxercise classes. I know it seems counter intuitive to give a hug out to a class that kicks my butt but there is some awesome adrenaline that comes from flurries of punches to a boxing bag and ridiculous amounts of push-ups. All the hurt and pain is soo worth it!

* Psalms 91:1 Accessories and the brilliant designer behind the line, Sally Han. She is one incredible woman with an amazing collection of distinct, unique jewellery and she interviewed me this month for her February newsletter! I’ll be sure to post more on that later and on an upcoming photo shoot with this uber-fab woman!

* Cheesy popcorn fingers. Don’t get me wrong… I love cheesy popcorn but the cheesy mess that remains post-cheesy popcorn feeding frenzy? My keyboard is not so happy and cheesy fingers don’t taste nearly as yummy as cheesy popcorn. If someone invents cheesy popcorn minus the post-cheese residue, I will love you forever and ever!

* Slacking bloggers. Yup, that would include me. But I’m working on it… I promise. Going forward, I’m working on some changes to my blog and the content will vary a bit more to include other aspects of my life like naturopathic medicine and health tips, so stay tuned!

Happy Friday!