You may recognize her gorgeous creations from her increasingly popular Instagram, @breakfastwithflowers, or the hundreds of people "repinning" her recipes on Pinterest. Upon seeing the intricate, colorful, and floral take on breakfast we were instantly in love (and envious of her skills). Katja has an incredible ability to bring the beauty and nutrition of her garden to the table with an impeccable eye for presentation.
We have been lucky enough to develop a relationship with Katja and little by little learn more about her and her story. We are so happy to have conducted this interview, and can now shed a little light on the life behind those stunningly beautiful images.
Here is her story...
What inspired you to begin sharing your recipes on Instagram?
I started a food blog in 2016, and my students told me as a blogger I had
to be on Instagram. At this time I wasn't into social media apart from
Facebook and I had never heard of Instagram before.
How has it evolved?
In the beginning, I just posted random pics of my food but soon focused on
breakfast recipes – because that's the meal I enjoy most. Posting pictures
on Instagram on a daily base became a routine, and I fell in love with
food styling and food photography.
How did you become interested in edible flowers?
Since I was a little kid, I loved to spend time in the garden, picking
flowers and creating flower bouquets. When I finally had my own garden, I
immediately started to lay out flower beds. In the beginning, I used
flowers for decorative purposes only but soon realized that many of them
were actually edible. Today I always use flowers (fresh or dried) as an
essential ingredient in my recipes.
Which flower is your favorite to use in a recipe?
Cornflowers, because it's very easy to grow them and they have a mild
flavor that goes well with everything. Cornflowers come in different
beautiful colors – rose, purple, blue and white.
Which has the best flavor?
Freshly picked tulip petals taste amazing, like a salad, only sweeter.
Freshly picked rose petals also have a delicate flavor.
What are your recommendations for someone who wants to start an edible
garden?
Start with annual flowers like poppies, cornflowers, marigolds, borage, or
nasturtium. It's best to buy edible flower seed mixes. You don't even need
a garden; they thrive in flower pots on the balcony.
What are your favorite gardening secrets?
It's best to seed summer flowers timely phased so that they do not bloom
all at the same time, but all summer and autumn long. I often allow my
flowers to seed themselves; they somehow find the best location to thrive.
How do you decide what to make next? What is your inspiration?
Usually, I start with picking flowers, and I create a color matching or
color contrasting dish around them, but sometimes it's just the other way
round.
How long does it take to put together your creations?
Usually, it takes about 10 minutes.
How much time do you spend on shooting and editing?
Shootings usually take about 10 to 15 minutes. Editing takes another 20
minutes. You could spend much more time on both, but I have a full-time
job, and I have to run a family, so there is not much time left.
What is your favorite ingredient to add to your recipes?
I love to add any kind of natural food colorings, like fruit powders or
butterfly pea flower tea.
What is your favorite Nature Restore superfood powder?
Beet powder - the color is fantastic, and I also love the sweet and earthy
taste.
Where is your favorite vacation spot when you want to escape from the
day-to-day routine?
Actually, I don't need to travel, spending time in the garden is my
escape and my way to recharge batteries.
What is your all-time favorite thing to eat?
I love all kind of fruits, especially in combination with oatmeal, on top
of smoothie bowls, or chia pudding.
What do you like to do with your free time?
I am a series junkie, but I also love to read a good book.
What advice would you give to those just beginning their blog or trying to
grow their following?
Try to find the one thing you love to talk about, and you love to teach.
Just be yourself – authentic and honest. Don't force yourself to do
something (like being on social media or blogging five times a week) that
you don't genuinely enjoy. Learn as much as you can about food photography.
Eye-pleasing pictures are so essential today.
Do you have any tips you would like to share for maintaining a healthy
plant-based diet?
Keep it simple. You don't really need complicated recipes with fancy
ingredients. Pasta with tomato sauce, brown rice with stir-fried
vegetables or oven-baked potatoes with a big salad is just fine. Reserve
vegan cakes or cookies for special occasions only; indulge in fruits
instead. Minimize your oil intake – there is no other food on the planet
with a higher caloric density as oil. Nuts, seeds, olives, and avocado are
a much healthier source of fat.
We want to thank Katja for taking the time to answer our questions and for sharing her story, as she has so much wonderful insight to share.
Do you want to become a brand influencer like Katja? Click here to start your application!
