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.