Park Photography

I'm fortunate enough to live within a 10 minute drive of one of Maryland's best state parks, Patapsco Valley State Park. I actually worked there for 10 months, so I've become even more accustomed with the trail system and photo opportunities throughout the woods. Here are a few pictures I took on an overcast day, similar to today, when I was experimenting with my then-new camera. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Oreos

When I found a recipe for Homemade Oreos from Smitten Kitchen, I had to try them. Since I usually add a dollop of peanut butter to the center of my store-bought Oreos anyway, I decided to save myself the effort and make a peanut butter center. The filling is super sweet but it can be made slightly more salty the addition of another 1/2 cup of peanut butter and 1 tsp of water.

Here's my personal version of this recipe for sweet and peanut buttery oreos. Enjoy with a tall glass of milk!

Peanut Butter Cream Oreos

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar [see recipe note]
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
• 1 large egg

Cream Filling Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup room-temperature, unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp water

To make the cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
3. Add the butter, then the egg, while continuing to mix until dough forms a ball.
4. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or a generous coat of cooking spray. Use only one rounded teaspoon of batter for each cookie and space them two inches apart (I'm infamous for baking cookies that run together because I use too much batter on each cookie... and these cookies spread more than most! Needless to say, my first attempt produced one big cookie rather than 20 separate cookies.) Flatten each cookie slightly.
5. Bake for 7-8 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once in the middle of baking.

To make the cream filling:

1. Put peanut butter in microwave on defrost for 1-2 min to increase creaminess and make for easier mixing.

2. Use a mixer to combine butter and peanut butter.

3. Add in the sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Then beat in vanilla and water.

4. Mix on highest seating for 2 to 3 minutes to achieve a light and fluffy cream filling.

To assemble the cookies:

1. Scoop filling into a pastry bag or gallon sized freezer bag. Use a 1/2 inch round tip on pastry bag or simply cut of a small corner

of freezer bag to pipe out filling.

2. Pipe filling onto cookies, a little more than one teaspoon of filling per cookie. Top with an equal sized cookie and give a little squeeze to spread the filling.

3. Repeat this process for all cookies. Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies.

My Mistress' Sparrow is Dead

Usually, I'm not one for short stories. I'd rather have a full-length, fully engrossing novel that requires time and dedication to complete, rather than a single piece that requires less than an hour of my time and interest. But I couldn't help picking up My Mistress' Sparrow is Dead when I saw it at the library. Edited by Jeffrey Eugenides, author of The Virgin Suicides and, one of my favorite novels, Middlesex, this book boasts stories from some of the most winning and varied writers around: Raymond Carver, Eileen Chang, William Faulkner, James Joyce, Miranda July Milan Kundera, Bernard Malamud, Alice Munro, Robert Musil, Vladimir Nabokov, and George Saunders, to name just a few.

The collection of love stories is by no means your standard boy meets girl, falls in love, and lives happily ever after. These stories cover all sorts of love and the various ways in which it alights, struggles, dies, forces people apart and brings them back together again. Love in all its many forms, faces, shapes, and sizes.

This anthology is a true find that will leave you encourage you to reconsider your notions on love at each story's end. It plays almost like a literary Paris Je'Taime (a great compilation of short films about love in the world's most romantic city, Paris) in that the multiple stories may not intersect at face value, but they all show a very particular version of love and share great continuity in that.

De-framing Polaroids

Polaroid film is great fun to work with, but when I go through periods of Polaroid-heavy crafting, I get sick of that perfect white frame surrounding each and every photograph.

I don't remember exactly how I discovered Patrick Winfield's Composites, but his multi-Polaroid sans-frame pieces inspired me to try to isolate some of my images from the standard white border. Upon incorporating these de-framed Polaroids into collage cards, I have created something that isn't likely to be immediately recognized as a Polaroid, but has an interesting appeal nonetheless.

Removing the frame isn't quite as complicated as you might think. Simply finding a loose edge or corner and peeling is all that the process really requires - as long as you're careful not to rip the actual photograph, your image should be fine.

Here are a few of my results!

Parsley Almond Pesto

Around this time of year, I have much more fresh parsley growing in my backyard garden then I know what to do with. I love the flavor of parsley and decided to try to create a parsley pesto to make the most of that great taste. And to bring the cost down a bit while increasing the nutritional value of the pesto, almonds are replacing the pine nuts.

This pesto pasta can be personalized however you like. I used angel hair, but any pasta shape will do. You can also add veggies and proteins (I used red pepper and chicken) and serve it hot or cold (just pop it in the fridge for at least an hour before serving). The recipe doesn't call for Parmesan cheese (making it friendly to all your lactose-intolerant friends!), but a sprinkling of cheese over top is a delicious touch. Make it your own and enjoy!

Parsley Almond Pesto Pasta

• 3/4 to 1 lb. pasta
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 cups flat leaf Italian parsley (try to remove as many of the thicker stems as possible)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup blanches almonds
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

2. While pasta is cooking, drop garlic and parsley into food processor with a dash of salt. Puree to achieve a relatively fine chop. Then continue to puree while gradually streaming in olive oil.

3. Add the lemon juice and give a quick pulse.
4. Add the almonds and pulse until finely ground and everything is well-incorporated.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Drain pasta, reserving at least 1/2 cup pasta water.
6. Combine pasta and pesto sauce. Add pasta water gradually to thin sauce out, if needed or desired.

Great served hot or cold or with any add-ins you like! I went for some chopped red pepper, shredded Parmesan cheese, and chicken breast, all of which I added after combining the pesto and pasta. Enjoy!

The Big Apple

I just got back in the wee hours of the morning from a weekend in New York City with Mike. He got a slot for an open mic night at the famous Gotham Comedy Club, and we decided to make a weekend out of it. We ate well, explored all over, and walked until our feet were covered in calluses and blisters. Not only did we managed to tour Central Park, Manhattan, Greenwich Village, Coney Island, Brooklyn, and a bit of Chelsea all in less than two days, we had a fabulous time doing it. From browsing through $1 vintage magazines and art catalogues at Strand (which will hopefully be incorporated into some collage art soon) to tasting a slice of the Food Network's favorite pizza in New York at Bleecker Street Pizza in the village, and attempting to eat the largest Greek salad I've ever seen at the Carnegie Deli, we made the most of our weekend on the cheap. Here are a few shots from our lovely, inspiring, affordable weekend in the Big Apple!

The beautiful, spacious apartment we were fortunate enough to stay in for the weekend. Located in Manhattan with a view of David Lettermen's studio, we really couldn't ask for more.

Trying to get this picture in Strawberry Fields in Central Park was quite a task with so many tourists on a beautiful summer day. Never got a full shot of all the mosaic work but I'm quite satisfied with this one.

Another photograph of the lovely Central Park (though the dirty green lake water leaves much to be desired).

Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge in the rain wasn't quite as bad as you'd think and it was definitely an experience I'd love to try again.

Egg and Barley Vegetable Stir-Fry

I'm a huge fan of the food blog From Scratch and especially loved Emma's recipe for Stir-Fried Cabbage. As delicious as it was healthy, I loved the simple, slightly sweet dish that finally gave cabbage a chance to shine. Unfortunately my fiance Mike isn't a huge cabbage fan, so I built from Emma's recipe and created something with a bit more kick for a healthy, colorful, slightly sweet Egg and Barley Vegetable Stir-Fry (which can easily be made veggie-friendly by omitting the eggs!).

The basics are the same: cabbage, onion, rice (though I opt for barley instead) and egg. But a little bit of sweet brown sugar, some crunchy red pepper, bright corn and peas, and crisp broccoli add color, texture, and even more flavor to the table.

Egg and Barley Vegetable Stir-Fry Recipe

1 cup barley

1 cabbage (medium to large)

1 medium onion

1 red bell pepper

1/2 medium broccoli

1/2 cup peas (frozen or fresh will do)

1/2 corn (frozen or fresh will do)

2 eggs

Olive oil

3 Tbs soy sauce

3 Tbs brown sugar

1/4 cup water

1. Cook barley (usually bringing 3 cups water to a boil for 1 cup barley and cooking 30 mins will do)

2. Chop cabbage, onion, red bell pepper, and broccoli.

3. When barley is nearly done (5-10 mins remaining), coat bottom of pan with olive oil. Saute onions until they begin to soften, then add in cabbage, red pepper, broccoli, peas, and corn.

4. In another bowl mix water, 2 Tbs soy sauce, and 2 Tbs brown sugar. Pour over vegetable mixture and lower heat so as not to overcook the vegetables (the cabbage and red pepper should still be slightly crispy and crunchy).

5. When barley is done cooking, add to pan with vegetables. Push the rice to the side and crack eggs into the pan. Allow eggs to cook for 2-3 mins, then mix into barley. Allow egg to finish cooking.

6. Drizzle remaining 1 Tbs of soy sauce and 1 Tbs of brown sugar overtop. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

A Beatles Tribute

I'm still into my screen-printing phase and wanted to share one of my most recent creations. By simply tracing the silhouettes of the Beatles from the cover of their Help! album, I created an easily identifiable, wearable tribute to John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

Last Night in Twisted River

Don't let the fact that the first chapter of John Irving's twelfth novel is focused almost entirely upon a logging accident in the New England town of Twisted River deter you from picking up this phenomenal book. As an Irving fan, I'm familiar with his work but never before have I been as completely engrossed and impressed with the novelist as when reading Last Night in Twisted River.

Though the story begins with a logging accident, it ultimately moves away from the town of Twisted River and on to settings throughout New England, the midwest, and even Canada. When Dominic Baciagalupo, the cook at one of Twisted River's few eating establishments, and Daniel Baciagalupo, his 12-year-old son who becomes a writer as an adult, have to hurriedly escape from Twisted River, they leave behind their close friend Ketchum and what few other ties they have to learn to create a new life elsewhere. Circumstances are continually forcing them to relocate, settling down in new towns with new restaurants, friends, and women. An elaborate story strung together by friendship, family ties, and secrets both dangerous and dark, the novel nearly spans a whole lifetime but never once falls dull.

In classic Irving style, this intelligent story slowly unravels and then comes back full circle, complete with startlingly true characters and a teasing interplay with the novelist's own past.

Mason Jar Candle Holders

A great idea to create some ambience, outdoors or inside, these candle holders are made from recycled glass containers. I save pretty much all glass containers that I use (from salsas, jams and jellies, etc.) for a wide variety of projects, and they accumulate pretty quickly. To get the labels off, a good soak in warm, soapy water and a little elbow grease usually does the trick. Then these jars can then be filled and hung inside or outside, artfully arranged as a centerpiece, or lined up on a windowsill. An inexpensive, environmentally-friendly way to bring some soft lighting into any space!

These particular candleholders are hung using hose clamps secured at the mouth of the jar. Then I used soil and white stones to fill the jars enough that a small citronella tea light candle could be dropped in and easily lit.

Some other fun variations include using sand, just stones, or whatever sort of materials you may find in your backyard. You could even create a mock-terrarium candleholder using soil covered with a bit of moss and a candle. Also try grouping together a variety of sizes and shapes of glasses or create a more modern, streamlined look by lining up identical jars.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A Life

Recently I embarked on a daunting and arduous task: completing Gerald Martin’s biography of Colombian writer Gabriel “Gabo” Garcia Marquez. For Martin this was the work of a lifetime, quite literally; the biographer devoted 17 years to this passion project, conducting research and intensive interviews with over 300 individuals all in Spanish (though the book was first published in English).

While I never thought I could complete such an exhaustive study of one single, though undeniably worthy, individual, the biography reads much more like a narrative rather than an intensive listing of the events, places, names, and dates that make up a life as many biographies can quickly become. In fact, Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A Life is highly reminiscent of the famed subject’s classic novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, though this may be because so much of his fiction is based on his own life (or maybe because of Martin’s serious emulation for, and unintentional imitation of, Garcia Marquez). And for anyone who has struggled with keeping the Buendia family tree straight, don’t worry: Martin offers a much more easy-to-follow genealogical record of his subject.

A praiseworthy biography, not only for the nearly two decades that Martin devoted to it, but also because it provides a careful, honest, and engaging profile of Colombia’s beloved Nobel Prize-winning novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Red Velvet Cake

I'm not a huge fan of cake, unless it's of the Red Velvet variety. But even among this delicious and colorful flavor, few versions even compare to my Red Velvet Cake.

Okay, maybe it's actually Paula Dean's grandmother's recipe but it is the only one worth bothering with. The first time I made this cake, I would find any occasion to bake another one. At family gatherings for every holiday or event, I would bake a Red Velvet Cake (though sometimes I'd change the color to be seasonally appropriate - a layer of blue for the Fourth of July, a layer of green at Christmas-time, school colors for graduations, etc.) until my mom told me that she and everyone else in my family was sick of Red Velvet.

Maybe one day I'll be ambitious enough to try this one:

I hope you try this recipe, and try it again and again until you have eaten so much delicious Red Velvet Cake, courtesy of Paula Dean, that you grow sick of it too! There's no reason to mess around with any other kind of cake once you've tried this!

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 ounces red food coloring
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon vinegar

For the Icing:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup melted marshmallows
• 1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. 

3. Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. 

4. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. 

5. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture. 

6. Pour batter into 3 (8-inch) round greased and floured pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting.

For the Icing:

1. Blend cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl. Add marshmallows and sugar and blend. 

2. Fold in coconut and nuts. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cooled cake.

Screen-Printed Dylan T-shirt

So I am doing a lot of screen-printing these days and decided to get even a little more creative with this one.

I've been looking online at poster art, fan T-shirts, and album covers for inspiration for musically-inspired shirts. As a huge Bob Dylan fan, I wanted to create some Dylan-esque shirt eventually. My Bob Dylan search on Google Images yielded Milton Glaser's iconic poster that was featured in 1967's Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits album.

With this poster as my inspiration, I set to work creating a design. It was a two-step process: first I filled in all the black areas, then I re-cut the design to create a frame for the hair, which I would paint free-hand. Though not an exact replica of the original poster, I must say I am quite satisfied with the result (as you can tell by my cheesy smile).

Newport Folk Festival - Streaming Via NPR

NPR is currently streaming full sets from some of the biggest names featured at last weekend's Newport Folk Festival. Included are The Swell Season, Jim James, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Brandi Carlile, The Avett Brothers, John Prine, and A.A. Bondy, to name just a few. Listen here.

Black Bean Chicken Chili with Hoisin Sauce

Adding hoisin to the seasonings found in my favorite chili recipe, this Black Bean Chicken Chili with Hoisin Sauce pairs perfectly with barley and Monterey Jack cheese.

Black Bean Chicken Chili with Hoisin Sauce

1 cup barley

3 cups water

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

4 chicken breasts

2 Tsp cumin

2 Tsp oregano

4 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 Tsp salt

2 cups tomatoes (fresh or canned), diced

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 bay leaves

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, optional

1. Heat three cups of water until boiling. Add barley once water reaches a boil. Set timer for 25-30 min. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Once water has been absorbed and barley is ready, remove from heat.

2. Over medium high heat, heat oil in large soup pot. Add onion, cook until tender and slightly translucent.

3. Once onions are done, add chicken breasts. Season with cumin, oregano, chili powder, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and salt. Allow chicken to cook through.

4. Once chicken has been cooked on both sides, add tomatoes, broth, hoisin sauce, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.

5. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken and let rest. Once cool enough to handle, dice chicken into bite-size pieces.

6. Add chopped chicken back into chili and add beans. Allow to simmer another 5 minutes, then remove bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Serve chili over barley. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired.

8. Enjoy!