More from Canada

 

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Happy Thanksgiving weekend, everyone!  We enjoyed a homemade Thanksgiving dinner for two including curried butternut squash soup, roasted turkey breast, roasted brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes, and cranberry apple compote with spice candied nuts and vanilla ice cream!  Yum.

Here are a few more photos from our trip to Canada.  Enjoy!

Oh Canada!

A month or so ago my boyfriend and I spent our "summer" vacation in Vancouver, Whistler and Vancouver Island.  The air was fresh, clean and crisp.  We didn't get a single day of rain - unless you count the mist in the rainforests.  Yes, Vancouver Island actually has rainforests!  They hug the coastline and though they are far less tropical than what you'd see closer to the equator, they're quite stunning.  I'll be posting some more images and details on our trip soon!

Lovin' La Jolla

A few months ago I was asked to participate in a portfolio review for the American Photographic Artists San Diego chapter.  I always enjoy these events because it's exciting to discover new talent and to offer up my 2 cents of advice.  Since the review was scheduled on a Saturday morning, Wendel and I decided to extend our visit and hang out in La Jolla for the weekend.  Neither of us had spent any time in the beach town so it was fun to play tourist.  We stayed at The Grande Colonial, a historic hotel overlooking the ocean.

Here are some photos from our trip....

I'm Back

It's been far too long since I've posted and my apologies for not keeping up!  Things have been busy on my end but I'm going to make a habit of carving out more time for things that I love - like photography and blogging!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post for some lovely images....

More of the Queen Mary

Some more photos of our visit to the Queen Mary ship in Long Beach, CA.  I wanted to capture some details of the boat that you might exactly expect.  The first image is a glass case with rolled up flags. 

Nature in Silhouette

Just a photo I took with my Hasselblad during our trip out to the Kern River earlier this year.

Mac & Cheese Cupcakes

One of my favorite comfort foods is Mac & Cheese.  I'm not too picky on the ingredients unless the recipes start getting into stinky cheese territory.  The downside is the calories but I recently found the perfect solution - Mac & Cheese baked in cupcake tins.  Portion control is key.  I found this recipe on Epicurious.com and it was originally published in Cookie magazine. 

Enjoy!

Mac & Cheese Cupcakes Cookie | May 2007
Rebecca Miller Ffrench
Yield: Makes 24 cupcakes

8 ounces small elbow macaroni
Olive oil
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
2 cups sharp cheddar
Butter
Seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chives, snipped

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cook the macaroni until tender. Drain, toss with a little bit of the oil, and set aside.
3. In a medium nonstick saucepan, whisk together the milk and cornstarch until well blended. Stirring often, bring to a boil over medium heat.
4. Stir in the mustard, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened.
5. Stir in the cheddar until it melts, then fold in the macaroni.
6. Butter two cupcake pans and coat with the bread crumbs. (Be sure to shake off the excess.)
7. Fold the chives into the macaroni mixture. Spoon the mixture into the pans and top with bread crumbs to taste.
8. Bake until golden on top, 15 to 25 minutes.

The Queen Mary

A couple weekends ago, Wendel and I played tourist and visited the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.  If you live in CA or plan to visit, this place is a great spot to check out.  Nestled in the Long Beach harbor, the oceanliner took its maiden voyage in 1936 and served many famous entertainers and dignitaries from around the world.  During WWII it served as a transport ship for soldiers.  It's now a hotel and museum.  I'll be posting more images of our visit but above are a few for starters. 

Kickin' Back

Happy Friday, All!  What are your plans this weekend?  My boyfriend and I are going to a friend's wedding in Palos Verdes.  Should be lovely since it's being held at the Terranea Resort which overlooks the ocean.  Other than that, I'm going to continue shooting some more film.

I shot the image above with my Hasselblad.  Gotta love dappled sunlight and old benches.

Almost the weekend

The week is almost done and so am I.  Looking forward to catching up on posting and hopefully not working over the weekend.  Here's an image I shot with my Hasselblad film camera at the South Coast Botanical Garden. 

TGIF

You know those weeks where you've been wanting to say, "TGIF," all week long?  Well, this happened to be one of those weeks for me.  I survived a busy week at work and am looking forward to catching up on my photography!  For real, this time.  I've actually been shooting quite a bit but haven't had a chance to post anything online but I'll be back in action this weekend.  Also rented a 150 mm Hasselblad lens and I'm excited to test it out!

Have a great weekend.

Monday Blues

Is it really just Monday?  I realize I'm saying this just after a weekend but I wasn't quite ready for the weekend to be over.  We were hit with some heavy rain and thunderstorms/lightning late last week but luckily the storms left before the weekend.  Thunderstorms near the coast part of LA are very rare - I think the last time I heard it thunder was 3 years ago!  Anyway, hope this image will bring to cheer to your Monday.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Hi Everyone!  Sorry it's been a while.  Here's a photo of some statues at Chatsworth, stately home to the Duke and Dutchess of Devonshire.  I shot this during our trip to England a couple years ago.  Some of you may be familiar with Chatsworth from the movie Pride & Prejudice (2005).   It was used to depict Mr. Darcy's home.

Raising the Bar

 

The other week I had a hankering for a good granola bar but all the one's in the shops taste really artificial so I decided to make my own recipe.  Feel free to use any combination of dried fruit.  I added blueberries and cranberries because that's what I happened to have in my cupboard.  Enjoy!

Healthier Granola Bars

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 sunflower seeds, raw
• 6 1/2 ounces dried fruit
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray.  Mix dry ingredients in bowl.  Add wet ingredients and combine until mixed.  Spread into pan and bake about 20-25 minutes or until mixture is set and golden brown.  Let cool.  Cut into bars or break into chunks.

Spaghetti Squash w/ Pomodoro Sauce

Happy Thursday!  I'm back to posting with a minute to spare.  In the spirit of keeping things short and sweet, here's an easy recipe below for Spaghetti Squash.  Enjoy!

-1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
-2 cans of crushed tomatoes
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 T. fresh basil, chopped
-1 t. olive oil
-salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Split one spaghetti squash in half and place on sheet or pan that includes a small raised edge - you need this bit of height so that you can pour in a bit of water so the squash doesn't dry out.  Place squash open side down and pour water into pan.  Roast for about 1/2 hour or until soft.  While squash is cooling, take 2 jars of crushed tomatoes and pour into saucepan.  Add 1 clove of minced garlic and chopped basil.  Add 1 t. olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.  Let simmer until it thickens.  Once squash has cooled a bit, scoop out and place in bowls, top with sauce and shredded parmesan.  Yum.

Zucchini Bake

Apologies again for my absence.  Duty calls and it's been a busy week at work once again.  I have been shooting on the weekends and have a few recipes that I'll FINALLY have a chance to post.

Next up is my recipe for Zucchini Bake.

Zucchini Bake

3 zucchini, shredded
1/2 onion, chopped
1 t. basil
1/4 t. garlic/parsley blend seasoning
5 egg whites
1/2 shredded parmesan, shredded
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lightly coat 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray/oil.  Shred zucchini with vegetable grater.  Chop onion.  Put vegetables in bowl, mix in herbs and parmesan.  Spread mixture in pan and pour egg whites over vegetables.  Sprinkle with break crumbs, salt and pepper.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is set and golden brown.  Cut into squares.

Sunset Surfing

 

Here's another photo from NorCal in Half Moon Bay.  I posted a few photos not too long ago about Mavericks, the world-famous surfing spot outside of San Francisco.  Here are a few brave surfers making their way out to catch some waves.

Home

 

A few images that I shot with my Hasselblad during my holiday break in Rochester, NY.  The house in the first picture is actually a rectory that is part of a divinity school up the street from my house.  I actually shot the images in color but preferred the B&W versions.

Stay Tuned

Sorry to fall off the radar but I'll be back up and posting later today.  It's been a bit crazy at work so I haven't had much down time.  Stay tuned and Happy Monday....

Work It

It's been a busy week so apologies for the lack of posting.  I've been working on an interesting but time-consuming work project that is eating up my days and nights.  So I'll be posting more stuff in the next day or so!

In the meantime, here's a photo of Canandaigua Lake in NY that I took with my Yashica.  It's one of the Fingers Lakes and one of my favorite places to spend in the Summer and Fall.  But I wouldn't even mind kicking back there now in a cozy B&B.

Chocoholic

It's always a sad day when you finish the last piece of boxed chocolates.  On the bright side, it means all the more reason to buy a new box.  :-)  Yes, I'm a chocoholic.  My boyfriend gave me a box from Trader Joe's and it was delish (he helped me out with it).  It had the perfect assortment of nuts vs. caramels, milk vs. dark, toffees, etc.  So many brands, so little time before it hits your waistline but other brands I enjoy are La Maison Du Chocolat, Jacques Torres, Vosges, Cadbury Fruit & Nut, Ghirardhelli peppermint bark, Lindt dark chocolate, Cadbury mini-eggs, M&Ms w/ pretzels inside and the list goes on...

What are your favorites?

Millet w/ Toasted Pecans and Currants

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Even though it was a short work week for me, I'm glad it's nearly done!  It's been crazy in office prepping for an upcoming photo shoot. 

Anyway, I'm finally posting a couple photos of my millet recipe.  If you're bored of couscous, quinoa or brown rice, give it a shot.  It's probably closer to the texture and bite of couscous or brown rice with a slightly nutty flavor.  The pecans add a nice crunch and the currants give it a hint of sweetness.

Millet with Toasted Pecans and Currants

-1 cup millet
-4 chopped scallions
-a large handful of toasted pecans
-a large handful of dried currants
-1 1/2  t. olive oil
-1 T. red wine vinegar
-3-4 basil leaves, chopped
-salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Boil 2 cups salted water.  Add millet to boiling water and bring to simmer.  Millet is done when it's soaked up by water.  While millet is cooking, toast pecans on cookie sheet in the middle rack for 7-8 minutes depending on your oven.  Let cool and chop into small pieces.  Chop scallions and basil leaves.  Once millet is done, add pecans, scallions, basil, currants and mix in olive oil and red wine vinegar.  Finish off with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve cold.  Serves about 4-6.

Mavericks

 

I FINALLY got my new Epson v750 scanner up and running so I've been scanning like a maniac.   For those of you interested in a short product review, I will say that it's AWESOME and definitely worth the cost.  Here are a few photos that I took with my boyfriend's old Yashika 35 mm up in Half Moon Bay a few years ago.  We visited Mavericks Beach which is a world-class spot for surfers in Northern California.  Word on the street is that is popular with sharks too!  Thankfully I never saw any but did capture a bunch of great photos.  I'll be posting more throughout the next couple days.  

I'll also be posting my recipe for Millet, toasted pecans and currants!!  Yum.

Get Your Veg On

I've been on a soup kick lately.  To feed my addiction, I created a variation to my soba noodle soup.  This soup is a bit heartier but it's just as fast and equally as satisfying. 

Here's the recipe:

Kale & Pasta Soup

-3 cartons of low-sodium vegetable stock
-1 small bunch of kale, chopped
-3/4 of a can of chick peas, rinsed
-2 carrots, peeled and chopped
-2 celery stalks, chopped
-1/2 yellow onion, chopped
-1 clove garlic, chopped
-1-2 T. olive oil
-1 cup of pasta
-1-2 bay leaves
-salt and pepper to taste

Sauté carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in olive oil until slightly soft.  Add stock, bay leaves and bring to boil.  Once boiling, bring back down to a simmer and add chick peas and kale once the veggies are soft.  Add pasta that you've cooked separately.  Serve with crusty french bread/rolls.  Serves 4-6

Soba Noodle Soup

 

At long last, I'm posting a recipe for my ridiculously easy soba noodle soup.  

Ridiculously Easy Soba Noodle Soup

-3 containers of vegetable stock (the large size)

-a handful of soba noodles (no exact measurement, it's just how you like it)

-1 cup of shelled edamamme

-2 carrots, peeled and diced

-2 celery stalks, diced

-1/2 onion

-1 clove garlic, minced

-1 T. minced fresh ginger

-2 T. olive oil

-1-2 bay leaves

-salt and pepper to taste

Sauté diced vegetables, garlic and fresh ginger with olive oil.  Once softened, add vegetable stock.  I usually add one carton of low-sodium stock.  Let boil and then bring to simmer until vegetables are softened.  Add soba noodles and edamamme (I buy them frozen and toss them in the pot to defrost).  Done!  Makes about 4-6 servings.

Garden of Plenty

Even in the middle of winter, the vegetables are ready for picking in Los Angeles.

Here are some photos from the vegetable garden in the South Coast Botanical Garden in Palos Verdes, CA.