Christina Branco, Starving Artist Food Photography

I genuinely enjoy oatmeal. I have memories of my dad making it for me as a kid and loving his oatmeal the best. Looking back, I realize that it was probably 50% brown sugar. 🤣 I was excited when @kodiakcakes said they’d be sending these protein oats my way, and couldn’t wait to give them a try. Peaches and cream is another oatmeal flavor I was crazy about as a kid, and I’ve been wanting to remake a more grown up version that doesn’t come in a tiny packet, so I decided incorporated the Protein Oats into it: 1/2 Cup of Kodiak Cake Power Oats 1 Ripe Peach 1/8 Cup Brown Sugar + 1tbs 3/4 Cup Water 1/4 Whole Milk Cinnamon Pecans (optional) 🍑 Cut peach into tiny chunks and remove skin. Toss with 1 Tbs brown sugar and summer on low heat until the sugars start to caramelize. Add oats, remaining brown sugar and water. Simmer until the water is incorporated and then stir in milk and remove from heat. (or add half and half if you want it extra rich) sprinkle with cinnamon, and toss in some pecans for added crunch. Try not to burn your mouth as you impatiently wait for it to cool! #denambassador #kodiakcakes #proteinoats #peachesandcream #oatmeal #oatmealbowl #peaches

Homemade donuts are well worth the effort. Today’s variety include chocolate, strawberry and marbled vanilla and chocolate (not pictured) You need to plan ahead because the dough has to rise for an hour, and then again for another 30 minutes after you cut them to shape. Then there’s frying, cooling, frosting, and finally the best part - eating! No scrap of dough is ever wasted by making donut holes too. I think my kids actually prefer the mini bites over the big ones! Perfect Donut Recipe by @alyonascooking #donuts #homemade #frommykitchen #sprinkles #donutsfordinner #pandemicbaking #momlife #njfoodie #njfoodphotographer

I had the pleasure of shooting at @annamariasdeli this week. They’re a delicious authentic Italian deli in East Rutherford. One of the perks of my job is getting to taste the food, and everything was perfection. #eastrutherford #eastrutherfordeats #njeats #njfood #njfoodie #njfoodphotographer #italianfood #italiandeli #espressoshot

Life hack: If you water down your kid’s lemonade, they think it becomes more lemonade, and you’re giving them less sugar. 😅 #lemonade #refreshingdrink #naturallightphotography #dreamylight #lifehacks #sweetlemons #lifestylephotography

Lemonade is so refreshing on a hot summer day. 🍋 I had to consume that glass rather quickly for this stop motion animation. What should I animate next? #foodanimation #lemonade #animateddrinks #stopmotion #njfoodphotographer #animatedgif #summerdrinks #catholiccreatives #lemon #hydrangea

I successfully lit a sparkler indoors and didn’t burn my props or set off the smoke alarm. 😅 How are you celebrating The 4th of July this year? #independenceday #4thofjuly #sparklers #icecream #summerfun #covidsummer2020 #funwithfood #foodiefriday

Fun fact: Lavender is a member of the mint family. 🌿 I just love how pretty these cookies are that I recently shot for a client, along with a variety of other baked goods. #lavender #tooprettytoeat #cookies #hautecuisines #njfoodphotographer #sweettreats #foodstyling #foodstagram #foodpicsofinstagram

Cheers to @latiendatapas on your opening day! 🎉 #newarkeats #newarknj #njeats #njfoodie #njfoodphotographer #njoutdoordining #hautecuisines

I gave my website a much needed refresh this weekend! Did you know I also provide web design services? You get a major discount when you combine photography with a web design package. Message me for more details! #njwebdesign #foodphotography #njfoodie #njphotographer #njfoodphotographer

@latiendatapas was such an inspirational space to shoot in today. I can’t wait to share more photos with you! Go give them a follow, and be sure to visit when they open. You will not be disappointed. One of the perks of my job is getting to sample the food, and it was all delicious. #newarkeats #newarknj #newarkrestaurants #njfoodphotographer #foodphotography #tapas #njeats #njfoodie #newarkfoodie #naturallightphotographermiami

I make pancakes every Friday. I found this recipe down the Pinterest rabbit hole years ago, and it never fails. It’s easy to double, it takes add-ins well, and they’re always fluffy. 1 cup flour 2 tbsp sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 of milk + 2 tbsp of white vinegar Or lemon juice. (or just use buttermilk instead) 2 tbsp melted butter 1 egg. 1tsp vanilla (optional) Makes 8 pancakes if you use a 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. #pancakes #pandemicpancakes #breakfastforlunch #fluffypancakes #whattoeat #catholiccreative #whatsforbreakfast #njfoodie #njfoodphotographer #njfoodblogger

I made myself Biscotti for Mother’s Day. The recipe is from @williamssonoma and is my new favorite. Dark chocolate chips, nuts (the recipe calls for walnuts, but I had pecans on hand) and espresso incorporated into a triple baked cookie that’s perfect for dunking into your favorite coffee. Did you make something for your mom/yourself? #biscotti #darkchocolate #williamsonoma #guittardchocolate #baking #imsomartha #breakfastofchampions #njfoodie #njfoodphotographer #frommykitchen #mothersday #quaratinelife

A few months back I had the pleasure of shooting 2 new flavors for the @numafoods packaging - Coffee and Coconut. I’m excited to see they’ve launched! If you’re looking for a tasty and healthy snack, be sure to give them a try. (You can buy them online!) #healthylifestyle #healthysnacks #tastytreats #quaratinefood #productphotography #foodphotography #photoshopedit #packaging #njfoodphotographer #numafoods #chewysnack #coffeelover #coconuttreats

Happy Easter! I typically use Cadbury mini eggs to decorate the carrot cake, but I kept forgetting to add them to the shopping list, and since I’m trying to only send my husband out when really necessary, I wasn’t about to make a special trip for candy. I told my daughter we could decorate the cake with frosting instead. My 6 year old was thrilled with the final product and said it would be the “best Easter ever!” It wasn’t our usual Easter, but it’s been a festive day! #easter2020 #quarantinelife #quarantinekitchen #carrotcake #creamcheesefrosting #catholiccreatives #eastercake #happyeaster #quarantinebake @moretosugar

This has been the longest week, and it’s only Thursday. I’m sure many of you can relate! I gave up baking for lent, but am making an exception for St. Joseph’s feast day, as my kids and I put some scones together as a special treat... (also wondering if we can call these dinner since I made them so late in the day) My husband is currently out of work because TV productions have totally shut down. I’m seeing local businesses have to close temporarily and restaurants forced to reinvent their business models quickly to survive. We’re all cooped up at home, but we’re together and healthy. I’m 38 weeks pregnant and baby could come any time now, so I’m officially a hermit as I really need to be especially careful about practicing “social distancing.”🤰 #ibelieveinhome #scones #homemade #kidsbaking #njfoodphotographer #catholiccreatives #coronavirus #comfortfood #cinnamonscones #hermitlife