Black and White

These are a couple of my favorite black and whites. I sometimes prefer that my photos look a little overexposed. What do you think?

Bella Movie

My sister recommended the movie Bella a little bit ago. I just watched it this weekend and found it so thought provoking. It shared a good message and made me cry a lot. I pondered death and life and how to make the most of what I have been given. I definitely recommend it while caution that it deals with the death of a child.

C is for Cookie

I am always in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I currently have 4 or 5 recipes that I really like - one has ground oatmeal, another a combination of white and dark chocolate chips with a touch of almond flavoring, another calls for toffee chips. Some have all butter, and others use a portion of shortening or margarine.

I just got my hands on a great recipe. It is my current favorite. I love my cookies to look like this (see above) - blobby, thick and soft instead of flat, thin and crisp. 

This recipe is a definite must try! Do you have any great chocolate chip cookie recipes you'd like to share? I'm always looking to add to my collection. :)

Sozel Flake's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter

1 c. shortening

2 c. brown sugar

2 c. white sugar

4 eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla

5 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

4 1/2 - 5 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk chocolate mixed together are the best)

Preheat oven to 375 - 400 degrees. Beat butter, shortening, and sugars together. Next add eggs and vanilla and mix. Then add flour and the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix well and add chips. Bake 8 minutes. Drop the pan onto the counter when you take it out so that the cookies fall. I always cook them at 400, but if you know your oven cooks hotter, then use 375. If I have cooked some cookies on a pan and I am using it again for more cookies, I will adjust the time to bake them for 7 min. 45 sec. or 7 min. 30 sec.

What a Pout

I caught the sweetest little pout on my friend's little girl. Her mom is in trouble! How could you say no to that sweet face?

Happy Haunting!

May the force be with you!

Fall Fagoli

It's fall and time for good soups! My friend, Lindsay Poulsen (who is an excellent cook), gave me this recipe. It's delicious.

Olive Garden Pasta Fagoli
1 tbsp. oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion
2 carrots shredded
1 cup celery
30 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. red kidney
2 15 oz. white bean
5 cans beef broth
1 tbsp. oregano
2 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
30 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
small pasta

Sauté beef in oil and onion, drain excess fat.
Add carrots, celery, tomato simmer 10 min.
Drain and rinse beans, add with remaining ingredients.
Simmer 10 or more min.
Cook pasta, then add pasta.

Lindsay's personal notes: This makes a large quantity of soup. I usually just put a small portion of noodles in our bowls, pour soup on top, and mix instead of mixing the noodles into the soup (because I usually freeze a portion to use later). When we want to use the frozen portion, I only have to make the noodles.
Jana's notes: I don't use all of the Tabasco or pepper because my kids don't like their food quite that spicy.

Dorie's Cupcakes (courtesy of my sister)

photo by Mary Ann

My sister told me about these cupcakes while I was home visiting in August. She posted them in a different form today on her blog so I thought I would pass them along. They are the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever had. I absolutely loved them and I am not a die-hard cupcake fan either. 

Here is the recipe:

Dorie's Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes- makes 12 cupcakes from Baking by Dorie

Greenspan, pg. 215-16

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin tins or use paper liners. (I used Crisco with Flour spray)

Whisk together the flour,cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Beat the butter at medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until it is blended into the butter. Add the egg, then yolk, beating for 1 minute, after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the vanilla, then reduce mixer speed to low, and add half of the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear. Scrape down the bowl and add the buttermilk, mixing until incorporated, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate and mix it in with the rubber spatula. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin molds.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes are dry and springy to the touch and a knife inserted into their centers comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes, before unmolding them. Cool to room temperature before frosting of glazing.

I topped them with a glaze from her friend Clara's blog

For the glaze

3 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (Valrhona bittersweet 70%)

1 tbsp confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

To make the glaze—

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of shimmering water. Transfer the bowl to the counter and let stand for 5 minutes.Using a small whisk or rubber spatula, stir the confectioners’ sugar into the chocolate, followed by the pieces of cold butter. 

Afternoon Hike

These are a few of my favorites from our Sunday walk into the trees at our little playground.

Any thoughts? I thought the light was pretty and I love the way the leaves in the background blur to gorgeous specks of color. Happy Fall!

Attempts at Black & White

Usually I feel like my black and whites turn out brown and white or gray and white. Here are a few recent attempts to get black and white.

The Blue Castle

I loved Anne of Green Gables growing up. I wanted red hair. I loved Gilbert. I wanted to live in British Colombia and basically be and do everything that was 'Anne'. Last Christmas Melissa sent me this sweet book. It is by L.M. Montgomery and was the perfect chance to slip back into the world that only Montgomery has created for me. It was sweet, short and a great little escape. Have fun reading!

Capturing Will

It is tricky capturing photos of a two year old. I usually only get shots of the back of Will's head as he runs off in pursuit of a new adventure. The few that I do get of his face are when he slows down. But when he slows down it is most likely becuase he is frustrated about something, which results in crying, which ruins my shot. Thus you see my dilemma. Either we see the back of his cute little head or we see tears and a runny nose.

Taken just after some tears
After more tears

Sunrise

I woke early this morning. I was at a retreat for our church's women's organization the Relief Society. I was hoping to sleep a little past 7am, but it looks like my boy's early mornings have set a permanent alarm clock for me. That's ok though. I am always happy when I get up early enough to catch the sunrise!

We were out in the country and two of these deer were clashing their antlers. The sound was quite impressive and quite opposite from the photo which looks very peaceful.

Baby Cassia

I did a little photo shoot for my friend's one year old. It is tricky getting focused on a fixed 50mm when your subject moves as much as this little girl does! I wonder if there are any tricks I don't know about.

Peter and the Wolf

First of all, it is harder to post a photo a day than I thought it would be!!

I grabbed this photo of O while we were playing Peter and the Wolf. This is the expression that he wore for Peter.


Sasha- The Duck

And of course, the Big Gray Wolf!

A Photo a Day

I'm just going to shoot whatever catches my eye!

This was O hiding out in the forbidden spot - behind the sofa!

Fun with Flubber

Have your kids played with flubber? It's awesome! (Sort of a cross between slime and silly putty). We collected our first flubber at my son's school carnival this weekend, and the kids have had a blast with it. J made a flubber worm that ran from the table across three chairs and a stool and down to the ground - and that was all with the small blob of light blue goo you see in the picture!

We are definitely going to be adding to our flubber collection this week. Here is our teacher's recipe for flubber:
1. Mix 2 cups Elmer's glue and 1 1/2 cups warm water. Add food coloring. Stir to dissolve.
2. In a small bowl mix 3 tsp. Borax with 1 1/3 cups warm water. Stir to dissolve.
3. Pour Borax mixture into glue mixture. Do not stir. Wait at least 10 minutes. Stir slightly after it sits. Remove excess water (throw away in trash, not down the sink).
*You can find Borax in the detergent aisle at the grocery store.

Since You Asked For More...

I know you like Feist, Aud. I just think the writers on Sesame Street are incredibly clever. Wouldn't it be a fun job to come up with lyrics for all these songs?!?

Favorite Nighttime Songs

T has found some cute songs that have become our kids' favorites at bedtime.

I have been an Andrea Bocelli fan for years. Pair him with Elmo, and you just don't get much better.

This is E's favorite. She asks for "Canelo" nearly every night before bed.

O's present for Will

O likes to help me sew. He is quite good at cutting and also is pretty good at lacing cards, so we decided it was time for him to start a project of his own. He decided to make a pillow (with my help). I drew lines on the fabric and he cut it himself. Then he helped me thread the machine and held the fabric steady while we sewed the pillow edges. He then finished the pillow off with some hand stitching. He is quite proud of this little pillow and plans to give it to Will for his birthday. He plans to make a bigger one for himself.

Meet Mr. Steve

Steve Songs is our family's favorite children's music artist. We went to his concert today at Wolf Trap. Scott and I enjoy his music as much as the kids do. He has a short segment on PBS Kids too so you might have seen him there. We first saw him at the White House Easter Egg Roll and were rockin' and rollin'. On our recent trip to the beach we listened to his music all three hours there. I would describe him as a John Mayer for kids. I love his music and the lyrics are so much fun. We just love him so we wanted to share! Our favorite songs are Opposite Day and Gravity.

Curtain Catastrophe

I am blessed to have two very talented and FAST friends. My sister Mare can whip up a gourmet meal faster than I can make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and my friend Melissa is the most prolific creator I have met. She sews and reupholsters and paints. I like to make things, but I am not blessed with the gift of speed. It takes me so long to finish my creations. If I don't take my time I always seem to make major mistakes.

Well yesterday I decided that I wanted to work on a project and finish it fast. I had one hour before nap time was up and I wanted to finish my kitchen roller shades. Well they are finished, but unfortunately, I worked a little too quickly and forgot to add enough yardage to the edges. So here is my finished product. Should I just start over? I don't know how people do things quickly and well! Oh well!! At least I won't make this mistake again!

Melissa gave me the great idea of the roller shades by the way!

PS If I do keep them I will finish the bottom with a cute tassle. I just can't decide if they are worth keeping though. I might start over with new fabric. 

PPS Don't worry about hurting my feelings! Say whatever you think!

Bare Escentuals

I just had my first real makeover. I can't believe that I have waited this long. I tried on some of my friend's makeup while we were together in NYC for a girls weekend. (We were totally spoiled by my friend Alexis' husband who paid for all of us to get away for a weekend of shopping, eating and shows!) Both of my friends Alexis and Michele use bare escentuals makeup. I have never really used foundation or much of anything consistently. I tried this makeup on and I felt like I looked great. I looked like I got 10 hours of sleep every night and my skin felt radiant. Upon returning home, I made an appointment to get a facial and now I have my own makeup that makes me feel positively pretty. I really like the SPF Foundation (it is a powder), the lip gloss and the facial wash. If they don't have a store near you, they have a great online offer! It is the best stuff I have ever tried. 

New Finds

Audrey, do you remember last fall in Tahoe when we were discussing our favorite mascara? Well, this summer I found two amazing new mascaras that I love.

The first is Maybelline's The Colossal Volum' Express. This mascara has a big, fat brush, and it claims to increase your lash size by 9 times - which I think it just might do! You can get it at any grocery store for $6 or $7. It's a great find!




The second is Bad Gal Lash by Benefit. I received this mascara as a birthday gift from my friend, Kristin. It is awesome! I looked it up online (wondering where one might purchase such mascara), only to realize that it costs about $19. A bit pricey for mascara, but I will probably buy another one once mine is used up! I'm glad Kristin introduced this mascara to me!


Just a couple helpful hints from a girl who is enjoying having nice plump lashes after too long of a dry spell!

Peachy Keen

We packed up our kids Saturday and drove to a peach orchard for our 2nd annual picking fest. We came home with 32 lbs. - enough to make peach pies & shakes, eat some straight out of the skin, and still have some left over for me to try my hand at canning. I am a total novice, but it was a fun experience - thanks to my dear friend Veronique, who walked me through the entire process - and I think I'll try it again (next time with bigger peaches).


I tried your pie, Aud. It was delectable! I made it with my aunt's crust, which is sweet and tasted so great with your pie. (I've included your recipe for anyone who doesn't have it already). Happy peach season!

Nancy Morgan's Fresh Peach Pie
5 large fresh peaches
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp. cornstartch
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Slice 3 peaches in pre-cooked pie shell. Mash other 2 peaches in pan along with sugar, cornstarch and water. Cook 5 minutes until boiling or thick. Add almond extract and butter. Pour over sliced peaches. Chill.

Phyllis' Ultimate Pie Crust
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 egg yolks
4 Tbsp. ice water
1 tsp. vinegar

Beat together butter and shortening until smooth and creamy and chill until firm. Sift together flour, sugar, salt in medium bowl. Cut the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients. Mix egg yolk, ice water, and vinegar into the dough. Form into a ball and refrigerate for one hour so it will be easier to work with. Makes 1 two-crust pie.

W's Book Choices

W is loving book time right now. Here are his two current favorites: How Do You Make Baby Smile by Philemon Sturges and We've All Got Bellybuttons by David Martin. We seem to rotate genres from week to week. This week is animals, last week was trains and the week before we read about construction vehicles. I love the library!

Sugar City Shop

I just wanted to make sure that you knew that Melissa and Lynne's shop is open. I love their creations. Especially their whimsical wolfie. It looks like all of their stuff sold out in the first day! Here is their link!  Sugar City Shop

Opinions, please!

I need your opinions. I am refinishing a dresser for my room. Which finish do you like better - rubbed edges with white and brown showing through or smooth green paint? Inquiring mind wants to know.

Swishy Skirts

I love wearing skirts in the summer. They are so cool (especially with the humidity) and cute. I have a favorite place that I get my skirts from and I don't want to mention it for fear of making them too popular, but click here if you want to find out:) I usually grab some during their end of season sale when they are really reasonably priced.

Books, books, books

I just finished this book on Monday, and it was both heartwrenching and inspiring - a true tale of victory. It is the story of a Tutsi woman who survived the Rwandan Holocaust by hiding in a cramped bathroom for 91 days with seven other women. While there, she came to know God in a most intimate way. This book really made me contemplate my own relationship with God.
I watched "Hotel Rwanda" several years ago, and I was so upset that I cried for some time after the movie was finished. It was a very touching film, but I thought I wouldn't put my emotions through watching it again. I think now that I have a much better understanding of the conflict and history in Rwanda, I would like to see it once more.

Audrey, I read "A Mighty Heart" by Mariane Pearl while on vacation, and I loved it. What an amazing book. It was so well written. My favorite part, though, was their love story.

Wonder of wonders...

It happened. I actually grew something in my desert soil! Do you remember the teeny starts I planted months and months ago? Well, here they are in all their glory...

and here are the fruits of a day's picking.

It amazes me how the things that used to make my eyes roll as a teenager now bring me such pleasure. I remember learning to can in YW and thinking, "This is the most boring activity ever!" Yesterday I went to the store to buy a water bath canner, and I thought I would flip from the excitement of it all! I am going to can peaches from Apple Annie's Orchard and make my own salsa and freezer jam.

I made wheat bread on Monday, and I think I may have done in my KitchenAid! It actually started smoking!! I might just have to start saving up for a Bosch. I am now "saving up" for so many gadgets that I don't think I'll ever get to them all.

I have loved seeing shots of all your beautiful flora. The before and after photos were inspiring. Do you think now that I'm going to be here another two years I should plant some grass in our pebbled plot?

All Aboard!

This alphabet book is one of the best that O and I have discovered. The art is fantastic. He had a blast trying to find the hidden letters in each of the pictures. Can you find the hidden letters? We checked this one out from the library, but we might have to add it to our permanent collection! Check out All Aboard!: A Traveling Alphabet -by Bill Mayer.

Background

I think that tree trunks make a great background for black and white photos. I really like how this one turned out.

Ready for a Luau

I have been planning a return trip to Hawaii for the whole family. It looks like it won't happen because of the long flights and the expense of 4 tickets. So what to do with all of my Hawaiian dreams?

How about an end of preschool luau? The highlight definitely was watching a volcano explode. The kids used two bottles of vinegar and still weren't tired of the action! I used this super simple recipe from Create Kids Crafts.

We learned the actions to the Hukilau song, ate fresh pineapple, coconut and macadamia nuts and after reading books about Hawaii, used photos of Hawaii to make postcards of our favorite sights.

We also had the best banana bread in the world: Coconut Lime Glazed Banana Bread. Mary Ann hooked me up with this recipe from Cooking Light a couple of years ago and I haven't made a different banana bread since. I love it!

Hydrangea (3 days later)

This is the same bloom 3 days later. It is so lovely. I had to capture it again!

Hydrangea

I am so excited about what is budding out in my garden now! Hydrangeas always make me think of you Jana! Your wedding was exquisite with the beautiful blooms.