Every Road Leads Somewhere

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Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:23:25 -0500

My blog has moved! Click here for Photography, Recipes, & More.

Sweet Potato Recipe #1: Baked Goodness

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:35:00 -0400

My old roommate Lauren would put me to shame with her healthy dinners, while I fried some shrimp or defrosted a Stouffer’s lasagna. She cooked simple, healthy meals, and I always admired her commitment to eating well. She shared this recipe with me, and at first, it sounded like a bizarre combination. Sweet potato, black beans, tomatoes….? She convinced me to try it and upon first bite, my eyes widened at how delicious this combo tasted.This recipe is now an old favorite if ours, and I pull it out at least twice a month. Each time I make this recipe I think of sweet Lauren and our late night dinners we shared on an African mat in the kitchen. Ah, the good ole days!

From EatingWell.com

Baked Sweet Potato with Warm Black Bean Salad

INGREDIENTS

4 medium sweet potatoes
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a medium microwaveable bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, oil, cumin, coriander and salt; microwave on High until just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. (Alternatively, heat in a small saucepan over medium heat.) Keep Warm.

2. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork in several places. Microwave on High until tender all the way to the center, 12 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place in a baking dish and bake at 425 degrees F until tender all the way to the center, about 1 hour.)

3. When just cool enough to handle, slash each sweet potato lengthwise, press open to make a well in the center and top each with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Add a spoonful of guacamole if you’d like!

4. Spoon the bean mixture into the well & enjoy!

It’s delicious goodness for your body. Also, it’s quick and easy to throw together!

Smiles & Wagon Rides

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:57:00 -0400

I hope one day, looking back, they’ll be transported back to warm, summer days full of silly giggling & bumpy wagon rides with friends.

Just One Year Ago...

Sun, 05 Jun 2011 00:40:00 -0400

Just one year ago we were married. I can hardly believe it’s been a full year since that incredibly special day. Although the year sped quickly by, we savored each and every day together. Each day with its ups and downs, laughter & tears, was hands down the happiest days of my life. And this is just the beginning of the rest of our lives together. Happy one-year anniversary to my extraordinarily kind, noble, and loving husband!

Our incredible photographer and friend, Amanda Robinson, captured our special day! Check out her blog: http://lovelikethisphotography.com/index2.php?v=v1

Summer Stud

Tue, 31 May 2011 22:57:04 -0400

Sweet Ireland

Tue, 31 May 2011 22:49:00 -0400

Best Friends & Butterflies

Tue, 31 May 2011 22:45:44 -0400

A Pre-Memorial Day Feast

Tue, 31 May 2011 01:07:24 -0400

Feast your eyes on the goodness of grilling below! Our dear friends shared this Mexican feast with us Memorial Day Weekend.

Good Golly, Miss Molly!

Sun, 29 May 2011 02:38:00 -0400

This sweet girl is the daughter of our good friends, Mike & Meaghan, and boy, is she a cutie! She’s changed quite a bit since our last visit together when she was just 6 months old. Now, at a blooming 8 months, she’s a girl on the go with striking blue eyes, and a sweet disposition! She was irresistible in her yellow romper & daisy headband and our afternoon together last week was just a delight.

Farmer's Market Photos & Your Feedback

Sun, 29 May 2011 02:13:00 -0400

Words from food photographer Penny De Los Santos have really inspired me to daily practice the craft of photography. Almost every day, I’m photographing roaming kids or cold food (cold from me attempting to photograph it just right) in hopes that practice DOES in fact make perfect. I think one of the most helpful parts of Penny’s food photography workshop was during the photo critique, when workshop participants shared their photos for Penny to sift through and comment on. Her comments were honest & rich with instruction, and taught me about the composition of photos & much, much more.

It reminded me of college days in piano studio, listening to and critiquing Debussy preludes, and Rachmaninoff piano concertos. “Note that fleeting trill & try to make it a bit more subtle. Do you hear how Chopin is using that leading tone? Drop down on that to emphasize the dissonance.” Listening to those comments made me a better pianist, a more disciplined student, and a more insightful teacher. I need to hear similar comments about my photography to challenge and strengthen my approach & execution.

Please use the ‘Ask Me’ feature on the menu up top to give me feedback!

I never post my worst photos, so what you see is the best of what I’ve shot. I wish some of the images below were sharper & cleaner with better angles, but I’ll try harder next time, I’m promise!

What I do like about some of these photos is the human element. Mostly arms & hands reaching for or replenishing baskets. The human element guarantees a story of some kind. Is there enough in these photos as a group or individually to tell a story? Let me know in the “Ask Me” portion at the top of the page.

Is this a moment? Or a moment waiting to happen? Did I capture a moment, or should I have kept shooting to capture THE moment? You can decide & let me know.

My next & final attempt to photograph the buzz & color of the Syracuse Regional Market will probably take place in late June. Give me some feedback! Your comments will help me become a better photographer!

Cheesy Stuffed Avocado With Steak & Warm Summer Salad

Wed, 25 May 2011 01:00:00 -0400

Ripe, soft green avocados are like chocolate to me. I can eat one with a spoon (and maybe a shake or two of salt) right in its shell, savoring every fresh, buttery bite. Until today, I had only ever eaten them raw, and never thought to bake them. Mostly, I’ve just sliced them up for fajita toppings, or mashed them with garlic & tomatoes for guacamole.

A co-worker shared this recipe from Cheap Thrills Cuisine by Lombardo & Bui and it caught me by surprise. As much as I love food photography, the artistry & details in these comics are both charming AND educational, and just this evening, I found myself in love with these illustrated recipes & cheesy stuffed avocados.

Cheesy Stuffed Avocado From: ArcaMax Publishing’s “Cheap Thrills Cuisine,” by Bill Lombardo & Thach Bui (4/30/2011) (copyright of Bill Lombardo and Thach Bui, distributed by The Washington Post Writer’s Group)

Ingredients:
1 semi-ripe avocado
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons shredded Monteray Jack cheese
1 tablespoon salsa
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon shredded Monteray Jack cheese

Directions:
1. Cut the semi-ripe avocado lengthwise. Twist & pull it to separate it. Remove the pit. Carefully fun a tablespoon next to the shell to separate the pulp. Trim the bottom of one avocado half to level. Dice the remaining avocado half into 3/8 inch cubes.

2. Mix the cubes with the green onion, cilantro, Monteray Jack cheese, salsa & chili powder. Form this mixture into a loose ball. Place in the avocado half, completely covering the top of it.

3. Sprinkle the ball with a tablespoon of shredded Monteray Jack cheese. Bake on a greased tray at 325ºF for 20 - 30 minutes until the avocado is fork tender.

While the avocados were baking, I seasoned two steaks with salt & creole seasoning and set them aside.

Originally, I set out to make a chopped caprese salad, but it ended up morphing into a warm summer salad with cilantro, olive oil, and bits of mozzarella cheese mixed in.

I diced a long, yellow squash, 1/2 green bell pepper, and 2 tomatoes on the vine. The squash got sauteed with fresh minced garlic, and once it had softened, I turned the heat off, and stirred in the chopped pepper, tomatoes, & cilantro. Right before serving, I drizzled some fresh olive oil, and mixed in the mozzarella cheese.

The steaks went on the grill and cooked for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side.

The cheesy stuffed avocado was melt-in-your-mouth, and the warm, summer salad (first time making it) was the right amount of tender & crunchy. I piled the salad into the empty avocado skins, and arranged the plate with the avocado and steak.

Taylor ranked the plate in this order: 1. Cheesy stuffed avocado 2. Steak & 3. Warm summer salad, and I couldn’t agree more!

I think we’re going to be eating a lot of this over the summer!

The First of Summer Days

Tue, 24 May 2011 01:31:00 -0400

After enduring a long, cruel winter, we have been craving summer sun, the kind of sun whose rays lighten your hairline & leave tan lines on your shoulders.

Wish granted, and double the pleasure. We sat in that bright sun on our African mat Saturday morning and watched bike races, both pro & amateur, in our beloved park. The participants rode so furiously that a sharp breeze followed their path, and blew through our hair…it was just lovely!

Bikes, buzzzzzz. Breeze, woooooooooosh!

We drank it all in. The lazy morning, the summer sun, the enthusiastic crowds, and all 33 laps.

In her food photography workshop, Penny De Los Santos encouraged photographers to shoot, and shoot, and capture the right moment. This wasn’t food, but the same applies. I’m thinking along the same lines as these two behind the bike rack below, who would probably agree with me that this here, is a “moment”!

Ah! Summer days bring such vibrance & excitement to our lives, and it’s only just begun!

The Three Musketeers

Sun, 22 May 2011 00:11:46 -0400

Rainboots & Mud Puddles

Sun, 22 May 2011 00:06:26 -0400

You may remember these cuties from Umbrellas & Singin’ in the Rain. What fun can be had by all after the rainfall…

Food Photography

Thu, 19 May 2011 23:48:00 -0400

Last weekend, Creative Live hosted a Food Photography workshop with Saveur Photographer Penny De Los Santos. It was an incredible learning experience for me, and Penny is now one of my role models and favorite photographers to follow. Her work and teachings inspired me to be more creative with recipes, food styling, and food photography. I’ll never be a food photographer quite like her, but in my own kitchen, I’ll be trying to capture delicious moments.

Here are few of my attempts at food photography:

Creme Brulee

Blueberries with green tea powder

Family cookout with wind & rain

Penny’s expertise lent striking words of wisdom to over 22,000 viewers that I will never forget. The three-day workshop dramatically changed how I behold food and photograph it. From now on, I will be challenging myself to capture food that is graphic and naturally styled. More food photographs to follow!

Emma Lou Who

Wed, 18 May 2011 10:01:05 -0400

A Family Dinner

Mon, 16 May 2011 00:43:00 -0400

It’s a cool, spring evening, and our extended family has gathered together to share a meal. Laughter is passing quickly around the table like a popular dish, and as I look to my right and then my left, I see the people I love wrapped up in each other while the veggies and salt change hands.

Moments like these are magical and fleeting. I lean back in my chair and listen to the colorful hum of voices I love to hear.

I love that food & family go hand in hand creating special moments, and for me, taking photographs helps freeze these moments in time. Ten years from now, these photos will transport me back to that evening. The crowded table, the taste of wine & fresh vegetables, the sound of silverware grazing plates, and the feel of love and a sense of belonging shared by all that evening.

This is one of many family meals we will share with each other. We are composed of these precious moments, and they remind us of who we are.

Little Landy

Sun, 15 May 2011 22:50:54 -0400

When I Grow Up...

Fri, 13 May 2011 00:37:00 -0400

when i grow up, i want to remember that i always wanted to be about a thousand different things & one lifetime didn’t seem nearly enough.

when i grow up, i hope it’s at the very end when it doesn’t matter anymore anyway. ~ storypeople

A Birthday Like None Other- Part 2

Tue, 10 May 2011 23:11:00 -0400

Following the birthday breakfast at OMA, we headed to a part of Bogota where you can find rows and rows of shops selling custom-made leather jackets. It reminded me of Chinatown in NY where you can buy knock-off purses at every shop for blocks on end. Only in these shops, you get to make your own design by mixing & matching design & hardware from other jackets on display. They measured me and promised it would be completed in less than one week, which was perfect because we would be leaving shortly after that.

It was my birthday present from my in-laws and my husband! As promised, a week later, the custom-designed jacket was finished, and I just loved it.

Here’s a picture of me wearing the finished product above with my husband’s cousin, who caved and bought one, and my sister-in-law who beautifully sported her stylish jacket! All this and more culminated into one of the most memorable birthdays I’ve ever had.