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.