Beets

Yes, it's been a while but I have some new images to post. A few months ago I bought a Canon 5D Mark II off eBay and I've been loving it! I still love my Hasselblad but check back for more photos shot with my Canon. Have a great day!

Eeks, It's Been A While

Happy new year, all! Well, it's been a lot easier sticking with other habits like working out and eating right but sadly my blog-writing fell off the wagon. I'm going to give it another shot as I've got plenty of material to post so I'll keep it short and sweet.

Here are a few images from a cyclo-cross bike racing series that my boyfriends competes in every year called SoCal Cross. I'm not much of an action shooter especially with my Hasselblad so I took photos of other things that I observed at the event. The event was held in Oceanside, CA near Camp Pendleton and part of the course ran alongside the ocean for an added challenge.  The day was cold but the sun was blaring.

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.