Winter Food Styling and Props Guide

Hey fellow food artists, photographers, and stylists!

I absolutely love props when it comes to food styling, it’s my favorite part of the process. It allows me to be creative and think outside the box while elevating a photo. Now that we are in full blown holiday season content creation, here’s a list of some of my picks for props for food styling all of your winter themed content.

1. Holly Plant - Got this at my local farm for $5. This just screams holidays for me, I can’t wait to use it in a photo.

2. Michael’s: Reindeer Pick Topper Set and Merry Christmas Topper Set - Both were $1.19/each. Think these would be great for a cheese board photo and really easy for guests to pick up their favorite cheeses, meats, or olive snacks.

3. Michael’s: Dried Orange Slices - On Sale for $5. I feel like I could use these for food styling all year round.

4. Trader Joe’s Cookie Mug Hangers - $2.49 each

5. Trader Joe’s Decked Out Tree Cookies - $2.49 each

6. Fancy Mug Marshmallows: I got these from Target but have also seen them at Sur la Table and Starbucks. Great for a hot chocolate photo shot.

7. Fresh Herbs: Sage and Rosemary

8. Foliage: Twigs and pine from a Christmas Tree/Christmas Tree Farm, Pinecones

9. Spices:

   • Star Anise: (Got this small packet at Shoprite for $1, they also have cinnamon sticks for a $1).

   • Cinnamon Sticks: I had already picked up some cinnamon sticks from Trader Joe’s but think they were a few dollars. Always great in drinks or to style.

10. Holiday Sprinkles… always…. Can find fun ones at Target, Home Goods, Walmart.

11. Fruits: Whole Cranberries, Pomegranate Seeds

12. Twinkle Lights: Can find these cheap at Michael’s or Target adds a bit of sparkle to your photos.

Food Tour: Nashville, Tennessee - 12th Street South

On another adventure with Secret Food Tours, we took to the 12th Street South area of Nashville, Tennessee. This area is about a 10 minute drive from downtown and was even more up and coming then when I had visited 6 years ago.

Our first stop on our food tour was Taqueria Del Sol where we had their Memphis Taco with pulled pork, bbq sauce and jalapeño coleslaw. Here our guide explained a few of the regional differences in BBQ. Memphis has more of a tomato based sauce. Rest of Tennessee has more of a vinegar tomato base. Texas more of a dry rub where meat is king and sauces are secondary. Kansas City doing their own thing where they have a thick, sweet molasses and tomato based sauces.

Memphis Taco at Taqueria Del Sol

Our next stop on the tour was to visit Christie’s Cookies. Home of the famous Doubletree Cookies. Obsessed with their flavors and napkins y’all!

Next was a local Tennessee specialty dish, Hot Chicken at Edley’s BBQ. Made of fried chicken breast, thigh, or wings that has been marinated in assortment of spices and heat. I don’t tend to like spicy things but this was delicious! Our tour guide also told us the secret to controling your taste buds and it isn’t milk… Milk has acidity to it and can actually make the heat worse. Soda is too sweet and carbonated. The best way to beat the heat is with… Southern Sweet Tea! I can vouch for this, because it really did help my mouth out instantly.

While we walked from one spot to the next we also stopped and the “I Believe in Nashville” mural and a mural of all the TN state wildlife native to the area including the construction cranes.

BurgerUp was the next stop for some mac and cheese balls, fried pickles, and potato skins. We did not have a burger, but this restaurant sources their menu from local farms practicing sustainability and humane treatment of animals. Much of their beef comes from local farmers in Franklin, TN.

We were then off to Las Paletas, a frozen treat similar to an ice pop, made with fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts. Our tour guide said the sisters and owners moved to Nashville and couldn’t find the same tasty treat from Mexico and wanted to share a bit of their culture with the community, causing them to build a business here in 12th Street South.

Finally we took a long walk over to Martin’s BBQ and on the way got to pass by Sun Records.

At Martin’s we have smoked turkey and broccoli salad. My husband and I had gone to another Martin’s location closer to Vanderbilt and was a little underwhelmed with the hype of their BBQ. What I do like about this place is they give you free mini chocolate Moon Pies and the turkey was very juicy.

Overall, our tour guide was incredible and very knowledgeable about the area and cuisine. We tried a lot of things I wouldn’t have known about or would have gone to on my own. I learned a ton about BBQ, sweet tea is the cure, my favorite hotel cookie came from Nashville, and construction cranes are Nashville’s state bird. (The more you know… 🌈)

As usual Secret Food Tours did not disappoint!