#TenThousandthSpoonWorkshop

So, through my food adventures with Sabrina and Mothers Who Brunch, I have had the pleasure of meeting some fun foodie friends.

One such foodie friend is Jaclyn Garcia of @tenthousandthspoon.

Sabrina and I met Jac and her sister Jayde when they agreed to collaborate on an event where we were able to teach our momma friends how to take better photos of their food creations.

It was a wonderful morning filled with lots of photography lessons from both Jac and Jayde. 

Since Jac lives abroad, we often communicate through Instagram. Checking in one another, sometimes even sharing recipes and challenges that we meet as moms. One year, Jac even virtually participated in my #MnMCookieSwap. I was so honored that she was willing to join my simple gathering of cookie bakers.

Recently, Jac came home for a quick visit. I heard through Sabrina that she was inviting us to come and hang out at her parents’ place. Sabrina suggested that we make desserts to bring along and share with the other foodie friends that were joining us for this special workshop that Jac was putting together for us.

Of course I happily agreed. 

Sabrina wanted to showcase how to assemble an Ube filled Crepe Cake, while I decided to put together a Mango Pili Nut Tart with Kesong Puti and Native Honey. All we had to do was reserve our Saturday afternoon for the drive out to Laguna, and luckily, Gia decided she would like to join us too.

Here are some of the photos that we shot with Jac’s help, during our time together. 

Honestly, each photo was better than the one before it…

I’m not sure what fruit this was, but Jac said she hadn’t had it in years. Do you know what it is?

Even Iana got to shoot some photos for her @coffeecupseries account.

Is there anything better than drinking coffee with your friends in a setting like this?

Actually…

Yes, there is.

Being lucky enough to enjoy a feast lovingly prepared by Jac’s momma.

Can you say yum?

I mean the food just got better and better and was seriously enough to feed a small barangay.

Did I mention that we were just a few girls?

There was just so much food, I actually felt like taking a nap from the food coma that was induced. 

But I was too excited to start shooting all the different vignettes that Jac and Jayde and Agnes had prepared.

I mean check out all these props that we could use and have fun with!

Something as simple as photographing a love letter from a season that has passed, had me thinking about the times when Nino and I lived in separate countries and would send one another letters through snail mail.

I actually took that opportunity to mention to Gia just how her father and I would write like this to one another.

Seems so long ago, when I look back on it now…

Yet, just like yesterday…

But more than shooting still life photos with fruit and and flowers, Jac also asked to shoot us preparing the desserts that we brought to share.

Like this series of Sab with her crepe cake is LOVE. 

And this photo of Gia getting in on the action before our lunch.

And this series of the preparation of the Mango Pili Nut Tart is something that is so special for me.

It’s not often that someone takes photos of me doing something in the kitchen like this.

This is LOVE x 2.

But this shot?

This is amazing!

And all of these shots were so carefully guided and styled by Jac that I found myself wondering how I could every replicate something like this at home, with Gigi.

I mean we love to cook and shoot the fruits of our labor (and even the process ) but our photos NEVER come out like this…

OR THIS

Even this shot which was prepared by Hazel.

Hazel has also collaborated with Sabrina and me during another workshop that we offered for Mothers Who Brunch as well.

So, as I publish this post, I find myself wondering when Jac will be back to visit again.

When we can get together in the kitchen, and when she will again share her love of photography with this lucky duck.

Hmmmm. It also has me wondering if we can’t put together a workshop like this with Mothers Who Brunch…Perhaps an overnight in a country setting where we can chit chat, eat, shoot, and bond over Filipino Food with some new friends who have the same interests.

Does that sound like something YOU would like to participate in?

Let me know by commenting here on this post.

Perhaps we can convince Jac to open something like this to a small group of individuals who would enjoy this type of workshop…