There is something so exciting and satisfying to press the trigger than moments later be able to hold the print. I have much to learn and the camera has seen better days as there appears to be a places in which age has worn little holes into the camera allowing odd pockets of light to enter. It just makes those times when you actually get a print that looks tolerable all the more exhilarating.

Polaroid Land Camera (taken with a Canon 5d Mark II)

Bee’s Knees

The Pantry at Delancey.

Currants, figs, plums

Earlier this month I taught a food photography class at The Pantry. I was beyond nervous. I have no doubt they could tell.

In a kitchen is where my confidence is at it’s peak. I dance between the stove and the mixer understanding it’s every move and not questioning what to add or when to stir, fold, or whip. I still have much to learn but I am comforted by the  unfamiliar level of confidence that I find when I enter into a kitchen. To teach others how to fold dough upon layers of butter to achieve thousands of perfectly formed flaky sheets is a joy but it doesn’t stretch me in the way preparing to teach food photography did.

Seeing myself as a photographer is a very new concept for me. I’ve always loved taking pictures but an innate passion for it was discovered as a result of this blog. Because of this I was so honored for all of the students who showed up to learn from me.

Before beginning the presentation I prepared I had to stop for a moment to thank them for coming. Not a flippant thank you but one in which I wanted to convey that their presence was like a giant pat on the back. To be given the opportunity to teach this subject that still causes an exhilarating reverence within me  was a gift. It caused me to appreciate where I have come and eagerly anticipate where God has yet to take me.

So again, if you came to that class, thank you. You were all a joy to teach. If you weren’t there and would like to have been, we are planning to teach another class in the Winter. Gabe will be joining me and we will spend time working through the “issues” of shooting in the midst of the Seattle gray. The class will be at The Pantry again. I’ll update you as soon as it becomes available to sign up.

“Mama, I was thinking we could go for a date. Maybe walk and get a Macaron then go to the park.” He said.

And that’s just what we did. It’s not everyday that I get asked out by my five year old son, but when I do, everything is dropped and we head out the door. One of the best dates of my life.

Happy Weekend everyone.

p.s. I really like you all. Your comments and kind words about my film has spurred me to pursue it further and to always be taking photos. Thank you all for being so encouraging.

Here are other Film Fridays to peruse at your leisure.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

All images were shot using Kodak Portra 400 using a Canon A1 50mm 1.4. Except for today’s post which was shot with a polaroid land camera.

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Here are other Film Fridays to peruse at your leisure.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

All images were shot using Kodak Portra 400 using a Canon A1 50mm 1.4.

I really hesitated to put that title up there but really I think it is time to start saying goodbye. Not in the sense that it’s time for hot chocolate and apple pie but more to recognize that these warm days are fleeting and so we must really embrace each moment and squeeze in as much Summer activity as they can handle without bursting and spilling sunscreen and lemonade everywhere.

Next week’s forecast is telling us we are in for a very pleasant Summer send-off. Because of this and the longing to soak up a bit more of Summer, Gabe and I are proclaiming Monday and Tuesday as vacation days. No work, just family and sun. And quite possibly boat excursions, pony rides, slip and slides, cold cocktails and ice cream.

So now I feel caught in between the stage of still relishing Summer while also looking back on the images of moments captured over the last few months. It’s a good way to say goodbye, by remembering the laughter, the joy and for appreciating what time we did have. While it is still here, if only for a couple more weeks, I plan to enjoy each bit of sun that warms me completely, I’ll long for that in January. I plan on cleaning up more sticky fingers and wiping chocolate ice cream stained faces. I plan on more tomatoes, zucchini, peaches, and corn.

And then, when all that is done I will greet Fall with it’s apples, squash, scarves, and cider with a genuine excitement. But for now, there’s still a bit more Summer to appreciate.

Fig and Plum Jam

A welcome addition to bread with soft cheese.

3 tart plums, roughly chopped

1 pound fresh figs, roughly chopped

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon ginger

2 cardamom pods, smashed

pinch salt

Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pan with a small splash of water. Cook on medium until reduced and when placed on a plate that has been placed in a freezer, is the consistency of a slightly loose jam. About 15 minutes or so.

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Here are other Film Fridays to peruse at your leisure.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

All images were shot using Kodak Portra 400 using a Canon A1 50mm 1.4.

“To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter… to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring – these are some of the rewards of the simple life.”
–John Burroughs

Today I’m appreciating the simplicity of the garden. In theory it’s as simple as placing a single seed in the dirt, adding some water and sunshine then with a bit of patience you are able to unearth fruits and vegetables of every shape and size.

Now, I do realize that gardening is far from simple. I have found that out after months of watching some things flourish and others stay tiny seedlings in my small garden. Gardening often includes fighting the elements. Fending off the crows from eating the seeds before they have a chance to settle into the dirt and squawking while flapping my arms to keep the squirrels from snacking on the just ripe strawberries. I’m sure the neighbors are highly entertained with this practice.

In theory all it takes is dirt, water, and sun. But what happens when the sun decides to wait until August to show up? Or your dirt isn’t balanced? Or your watering is inconsistent and done by a 3 and 5 year old? Somehow, some things still manage to grow, even if it is only a handful of peas, two strawberries and a prolific sage bush.

Nothing is more simple with gardening than when you are able to walk into someone else’s patch and have permission to gather as much as you want. The hard work has already been done by the gardener and the season. All you have to do is get dirt under your fingernails as you gather a bounty.

It’s my dad’s garden and he’s incredibly proud of it and I’m certain you can see why.

Together we dug up potatoes, plucked beans from the vine, tugged on beets until they released their roots from the tight grip of the earth, cut lettuce from it’s core, and snapped basil from the stem creating a waft of summer’s scent to invade the warm air. All this while snacking on a few, tart raspberries.

Merely fifty steps away from the kitchen little was needed to be done to make such fresh produce taste simply wonderful. Imploring basic kitchen techniques of roasting, braising and sautéing we bit into the richness caused by the soil and tasted the sweetness of the sun. With great pride we enjoyed our dinner even though the complexity of actually growing the food was left up to divine biology. Our part in the process was simple. Plant, pick, and enjoy.

In most areas, if not all, I tend to overcomplicate things. I easily get distracted from the beauty of everyday simplicity because I am focused on the future, what’s to come. And while there is nothing wrong with planning, dreaming and making goals it’s just as important to see the joy in the less complicated. In the present. Marvel at the intricacies of an ear of corn, gasp in delight at the sweetness of a potato having just been dug up, laugh as you fall into the dirt wrestling with a stubborn carrot.

These uncomplicated moments are to be savored, remembered and abundant.

Allow yourself to be pleasantly surprised with the satisfaction of something simple.

Potatoes with Peas, Onions and Olive Oil

adapted from Nigel Slater

You can use leftover potatoes here. Encourage your potatoes to break up and get smashed about. There is nothing fancy about this dish. Simplicity at its finest.

serves 4 as a side

2 1/4 pounds new potoates

4 medium onions, roughly chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups peas, fresh or frozen

1 cup roughly chopped parsley

salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes in well salted water until tender. Drain and cut into rough bite size pieces. Set aside.

In a large saute pan add the olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Toss in the parsley, peas, salt and pepper. Stir in the potatoes. Serve warm.

On a particular morning, not unlike many before, I started to head down a dangerous path in my own head. You know the one – questions arise of the purpose of your path, and why you are not where you think you should be, and a wave of self-doubt starts to build. Usually I wander down that path, taking my time to really explore the scenery. Often unpleasant and dark, dreary and exhausting. It’s a path where the wandering seems to have intention but from up above it’s an endless circle, with no particular purpose except possibly to veer you off of the path you are really supposed to be traveling.

On this particular morning I had just started wondering before I realized I didn’t want to go there. I could tell on this day the there was no hope of it being productive and it was destined to be destructive and dangerous. So I stopped. And I realized that the only way I was going to keep off of that path was to concern myself with others. To take the focus off of myself and to redirect it towards bringing a smile to someone else’s day.

So I went home and baked. Smore’s krispie treats to be precise. My mind was content to focus on the browning of the butter, letting the wafts of soft nuttiness wash away any lingering bits of negativity. It’s hard to not smile when dealing with marshmallows and that’s just what I did as I stirred them into the browned butter.

Any remaining sense of aggression was pounded away as I crushed graham crackers and stirred them together with rice cereal and dark chocolate chips. The incessantly sticky marshmallows and butter brought everything together and just ever so slightly melted the chocolate. Not long after we sampled then packaged the rest up to deliver.

Random Acts of Cookies.

A cookie. It’s such a simple thing, but it’s a guarantee of a better day, especially when it’s completely unexpected.

On that particular day I never even thought to wander down that destructive path again. I was happy to be in the kitchen and even happier to imagine the smiles brought on by the surprise of something sweet. I’ve found a new path that has nothing to do with me and everything to do with thinking of someone else and in that I am filled with joy.

There will be more Random Acts of Cookies. I think we should start a movement. Of course it takes more than cookies to heal the deep pain present in this broken world but it’s definitely a start. A good start.

Smores Krispie Treats

5 tablespoons butter

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

5 cups mini marshmallows

5 cups crisped rice cereal

9 sheets graham crackers (yields 2 cups crumbs)

1 cup dark chocolate chopped or chips

Butter an 9 or 10” square pan.

In a large pan melt the butter on medium heat. Once all the melted the butter will continue to boil and the milk solids will start to bubble up. The butter will foam. Once the foam settles back on itself you will have browned butter. You should notice a nutty smell and there will be flecks of golden butter bits on the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and add the marshmallows and salt. Stir to combine and let sit.

Crush the graham crackers to create crumbs. Keep some pieces larger so you’ll have bits of graham crackers to bite in to.

In a large bowl combine the rice cereal, graham crackers, and chocolate chips.

Continue to stir the brown butter and marshmallows until they are completely melted. This will also help to cool the butter enough so that it doesn’t melt the chocolate chips too much.

Add the marshmallows to the cereal mixture and stir to combine. Press firmly into prepared pan and set aside to cool, about an hour. Cut and serve. Package and give.

Here are a few other Film Fridays to peruse at your leisure.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

All images were shot using Kodak Portra 400 using a Canon A1 50mm 1.4.

We can get there in just over an hour and once I’m there it’s hard to pry me away. I’ve always had a sweet spot for Skagit county and all the lush farmland that surrounds it but now that my parents recently moved there I’ve fallen more in love.

At my core I am a city girl, thriving in the midst of the hustle, comforted by the glare of lights and the soothing murmur of life that rarely sleeps. Removed from the city for extended periods of time and I get itchy for the culture that is prevalent in the form of restaurants, theater, museums and diversity. But with two energetic young boys and a little girl who is starting to cross the line from baby into toddler-hood, we need more than our 10×20 foot yard to stretch our legs.

Directly off the exit for my parents house we are welcomed to farm country with rows and rows of lush greens that hide potatoes just under the deep, dense soil. It’s a county where cows seem to outnumber the residents and the radiant light appears more gold and alive than our familiar city sun. Down any unassuming, country road we are bound to hit a vegetable stand, a dairy farm, cheese stand, gourmet food shops, or an incredible bakery.

Back at the little farm that is my parent’s house my children and their cousins converge to play. For hours on end they roam the yard returning only for nourishment in the form of juice and fruit snacks (it is grandma and grandpa’s house after all, where spoiling is a prerequisite). With dirt under their fingernails they are delighted at the chance to visit the cows and feed the chickens.

Yesterday’s excursion to the little farm brought with it hours of entertainment in the form of the neighbor using a large backhoe to clear out part of the woods behind the house. Seven little children lined up against the white picket fence to view the excitement that no TV show could ever produce. They stood there in silent awe as the neighbor moved the bucket of the tractor up and down as if the tractor was waving to the kids. They laughed in delight then scurried off to the next adventure.

On another recent trip Baron, my mom and I visited a local berry farm to pick our fill of strawberries. We were given the option of walking or riding the tractor to the picking fields. With a five year old boy in our midst the choice was clear – we rode the tractor.

In a scene reminiscent of Blueberries for Sal(a childhood favorite) we picked our berries. Kerplink, Kerplank, Kerplunk. My mom was the most proficient picker while I busied myself taking pictures and Baron snacked on a box of Nerds (again, we were with grandma, spoiling is a must. Having had that same sort of joyous spoiling from my grandma, I am not one to stop such behavior).

A half-hour and fourteen pounds later we packed up our ruby treasure and headed home where I joyfully cleaned and froze all of the berries destined for smoothies, jam perhaps or simply to be saved as a taste of summer when the dreary winter months are upon us.

This morning we are back in the city. I walked a half block from my house to the bakery up the street to grab a coffee and a croissant, showering buttery flakes with every bite. On the short walk home the Space Needle towers over the skyline as Mt. Rainer desperately tries peek out of the clouds that are rapidly fading as the sun (yes! SUN!) begs them to leave. I am happy to be home yet comforted knowing that the little farm awaits our return when our legs and minds need to stretch.

Here are a few other Film Fridays to peruse at your leisure.

1.

2.

3.

4.

All images were shot using Kodak Portra 400 using a Canon A1 50mm 1.4.

This week started off with a block party. Which, in my opinion, is a perfect way to start your week. Pizza by the slice, beer in the sun, bright balloons, friends mingling, kids freely running amok, ice cream, macarons, and little white dresses stained with tomato sauce.

A good week also involves the learning of new things. This week I’ve learned (or re-learned in some cases):

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I am not perfect, nor do I want to be. So stop trying and stop the dissatisfaction when the perfection is not there – because it won’t be.

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Cardamom, espresso, dried cherries and chocolate make a winning combination when bound together with butter, flour and sugar in a cookie.

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Everyone’s journey is designed for them. I have my own. Stop wishing for a new route  because this one was designed for me.

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Being happy for people is a lot more fun than envying them.

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I am in more control of my life than I let myself believe. But I can also rest assured that ultimately it is not me that is in control.

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Thoughts can be good or bad. Stop the bad ones and turn them into good.

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Sweet potatoes roasted with paprika is gosh darn amazing.

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When in doubt, read a good book.

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Somewhere there is a balance of contentment while maintaing a wild imagination that creates lofty dreams. Maybe someday I’ll find it.

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Sometimes the answer is to stop thinking and start doing for other people.

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From now on finely julienned fennel will always be found in my coleslaw.

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Even though our little house lacks in space, enough chairs, and is cluttered with kids and all their things I must open my doors and invite people in and feed them. It feeds me.

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