ABC Wednesday - O is for Orchard

One of my favorite places to visit in the autumn is the apple orchard.

One is completely surrounded by the aroma of fresh apples.

The tree branches are heavy with them and they all are very tempting to pick.

Each one perfectly grown and they do taste the best when just picked from the tree.

The orchard we visit is on top of a hill that has beautiful views of the distant mountains - they even have a map that names each of the peaks for those curious visitors.

I have never been in the springtime, but that orchard must be something to see with all those apple blossoms on the trees!







This is the twelfth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details. 

ABC Wednesday - S is for Savory

The aromas around the house today have been just the best.

And tomorrow and the next day they are going to be just as good as today's.

The savory smells coming from the oven have had our mouths watering all day.

Preparing for the Thanksgiving Day meal might be a big job, but it is certainly one that is appreciated by the nose.

And the tastebuds will be too happy to have their turn on the big day.

Hope you each enjoy your Thanksgiving Day holiday in your own special way!

ABC Wednesday - M is for Munchies

M is for Munchies..........




 

Come about three o'clock in the afternoon, they set in.

The munchies.

And my snack of choice - why chocolate, of course.

Most go for the salt, or perhaps the fatty snacks, but a sweet piece of chocolate is just right for me.

And it doesn't matter the form - semi-sweet, milk, with nuts, caramel, or simply plain.

They are all so delicious, especially when you let it melt in mouth to keep it around as long as possible.

I think it is time to go search for some, even the chocolate chips will do at this point!

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - H is for Herbs

  

H is for Herbs..........




This herb is my most favorite. And this year's harvest will be the best I have ever had. Basil - so fragrant and delicious. I love to grow it, harvest it, dry it, use it in many dishes, and best of all, smell it. Doesn't this look like a lot of it? I had four trays of it in the dehydrator, so you think I wouldn't run out each year.

 But this is what it looked like after it dried, And once it is de-stemmed and crushed up - there is very little of it. I will be harvesting my crop in the next week or two - I like to let it grow as long as I can. My house will smell so good as it dries!

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - X is for Xanthophyll

  

X is for Xanthophyll............




It's in there - the xanthophyll. All eggs, even these hard boiled ones have it in them. Are you ready for what it actually is? The xanthophyll is the yellow carotenoid pigment that is in the egg yolk. I know it's a stretch for X this week, but it works, even if you can't see it in this image. 



This is the eighth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - P is for Prawns

  P is for Prawns............




 Supper was very yummy last night. Shrimp Primavera was on the menu. I love making this meal - it's full of fresh veggies and of course the shrimp. And the best part - it makes enough for at least another dinner and perhaps a lunch as well. Leftovers - they sure make life easy sometimes, and this is one of those dishes that taste better as it sits. The flavors blend together to make it even more delicious!




This is the eighth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - R is for Radish

R is for Radish............







They don't look it, but the radish in this bowl is cut into very tiny pieces.

I am not a big fan of this vegetable, but it's pungent taste is needed in some dishes.

So, I figure the smaller they are, the less shock they give to the eater.

I mainly use them in potato salad, and their pretty red color looks really good against the yellow of the egg yolk in the salad.

I really can't stand the potato salad either - but my family has given mine rave reviews for many years.

I'll stick to the green salads - they can have those eggs and potatoes all to themselves!








This is the seventh round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - B is for Bean Blossom

B is for Bean Blossom............







A couple of weeks ago, the green bean plants in the garden were filled with these pretty little blossoms.

Green beans are such quick growers, we have had two great meals of them already.

We staggered the planting over a couple of weeks to try to stretch the growing season of them out a bit longer.

We will get another meal, but I fear they have pretty much produced all they are going to for this year.

The few that will be left will be for the hungry gardener who loves to eat them raw - just picked from the plant - Me!








This is the seventh round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Fiddleheads Ready - My World

Fiddleheads Ready - My World






Last week I posted about the fiddlehead ferns just coming up from last year's growth.

When we went up this past weekend - many of them were ready for picking.

Karen, over at Chatbug Karen, left a comment about preparing them, so I thought I would let you know about that this week.

First, it is very important to make sure you are harvesting the correct kind of fern.

There are many varieties out there, but not all of them are edible. In fact, the wrong ones will make you quite sick so really take a good look at my two photos for identification.

If you see a fern with any kind of "fur" on them - they are not the edible kind. The kind for eating have a smooth brownish, almost golden coating that splits apart as the fern emerges.

You can kind of see it still hanging on the bottom of the fern in the above photo.

When they look like the above photo - they are ready for picking. If they are a bit taller, you can take up to two inches of the stem.

When you get home - wash them well - I soaked mine four times to remove all those brownish pieces of the coating.

Fill your pan with water about halfway up to the amount of fiddleheads you have in it, and cook them until they turn an olive green color - they are not the vibrant green they were when they were raw.

Don't overcook them - they will get too mushy. A tad of butter on them in your plate, and they are ready to eat.

Enjoy!

ABC Wednesday - G is for Green Pepper

G is for Green Pepper............







We use a lot of these guys in many of our recipes, so cutting them up has become quite an easy chore.

The sun happened to be coming through the window at just right time and amount one afternoon and it lit up the inside of the green pepper on my cutting board.

Positioning it just right and washing my hands, I then went to get my camera.

My family is used to the camera appearing at the oddest times, but when all things come together just right, one has to take advantage of it.

It I had waited until the next time, that light would have never been right.




This is the sixth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - C is for Chocolate

C is for Chocolate............







Gooey chocolate covered cherries.

A treat for my family around the holidays.

Not one of my favorites but my kids love them.

Actually, I think they are just about the only chocolate that I don't like.

I have always considered chocolate to be one of the food groups - a necessity that we cannot be without.

A bite of the dark variety each day is considered to be very good for you.

Glad to be doing at least one thing right!




This is the sixth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - Z is for Zucchini

Z is for Zucchini............







I'm late in posting my ABC post today, but there is a reason for that.

I had a very hard time finding a topic for this letter.

I had no photos of anything Z, they had all been used before in the previous ABC rounds.

So, I figured I would pick up a couple of oranges at the store today, and do "zest".

Never made it down town to the market, so I was back to square one.

But my Z topic was in my refrigerator the whole time, and it only took the preparations for dinner for it to finally dawn on me.

Preparing a stir fry, I started slicing my first ingredient.

And there was my Z - zucchini.

I think I need a vacation or something - the thinker was certainly not with it today!






This is the fifth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Photo Tip Friday Will Return After the Holidays

Photo Tip Friday - Returning After the New Year







As the holidays draw nearer, my plate is becoming overfilled with many projects, obligations, and family.

I will have to postpone new Photo Tip Friday posts until after the New Year.

Until then, my friends, grab a piece of this delicious chocolate fudge and enjoy it's rich, smooth flavor.

Many batches will be made in the coming weeks so there is enough to go around.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving







The preparations for tomorrow are all set.

The ham will go in the oven in the morning.

The family is set to arrive about noon.

And what a great afternoon we will have together.

Hope you all are enjoying this day with those who are special to you too!

Photo Tip Friday - Setting the White Balance

Photo Tip Friday - Setting the White Balance







In the days of old, we never had to worry about setting the white balance on our cameras.

But we did have to purchase the correct film for the lighting conditions that we would be shooting in.

Many of the point and shoot cameras today have an "auto" setting for the white balance, and the camera determines what it is before it takes the shot.

It somewhat works - most of the time.

But we have all seen those "yellow-hued" photos that we get sometimes when shooting indoors under artificial lighting.

The camera didn't choose too well that time.

These settings can all be set manually depending on where you are, and what the lighting conditions are.

My DSLR has outdoor settings that include bright sun, overcast, and shade. And I must remember each time I am outside to adjust for the correct setting.

There are also settings for indoor use and the different artificial lighting conditions.

The camera also allows one to make a custom white balance setting for any of these conditions.

The camera is aimed at a gray card and it determines the correct "balance" for the light.

It is more accurate, but I have found there to be little difference between that method and the preset ones in the camera.

Of course, I usually only shoot outdoors. If I did a lot of studio work, this method would be the one to use.

So if you find that you are sometimes getting some funky colored photos, or the colors don't look just right in the view screen compared to the actual scene, try adjusting your white balance.

It will make all the difference.

Friday's Photo Tip - Redirect Light

Friday's Photo Tip - Redirect Light









Shooting stock photographs that are set against a white background can be very tricky at times.

It took me a lot of experimenting to get it just right.

Shadows were always plaguing me, and most times my subjects always looked so dark and drab to me.

Using studio lighting isn't my favorite, but I was determined to make it work.

I found that by using a reflector or two I was able to bounce the light around.

That certainly brightened things up a lot, and it helped with those dark shadows too.

And another thing I have found to be helpful - make sure I wear a white shirt when doing these shoots.

Even that small detail can help to "add" or "direct" more light towards my subject when I am standing in front of it.

Some of the props I use are far from professional, but I have some darn good ones that work pretty well.

And looking at the final result, nobody would ever suspect how crazy some of them are.

What a good feeling it is when it all works!

Crazy Corn on the Cob

Crazy Corn on the Cob









The corn on the cob is just starting to come into season in our region.

While shucking a recent bunch, I have been discovering something a bit strange as I peel back the husks.

There were actually three ears of corn growing in this one.

I noticed last year that once in a while there would be one of these little ears in with the big one, but this one was certainly a surprise.

In all my years of corn eating, I have never run across this.

I can only think that it must be all the genetic engineering going on that is creating these abnormal veggies.

I must say though, it certainly hasn't affected the taste - they are so delicious!

Two Gala Apples for Green Thumb Sunday

Two Gala Apples for Green Thumb Sunday







Green Thumb Sunday Blogroll

How to join Green Thumb Sunday



I haven't done a Green Thumb Sunday post for a few weeks, so I will post this image of two Gala Apples for this one.

It was taken last fall, and I just couldn't resist them while walking through the orchard.

There were gorgeous specimens everywhere, but this one seemed just perfect with the light.

You can eat while you pick, and they tasted so good!

Friday's Photo Tip - From a Different Angle

Friday's Photo Tip - From a Different Angle









First - I must apologize for my lack of posting and missing last Friday's Photo tip.

Life has been quite busy with a few unexpecteds thrown in which demanded my attention.

I have got a very interesting post for this week.

I received a question from Martha, over at Stir, Laugh, Repeat. She asked:

"Do you have advice on taking pictures with a digital camera. I write cookbooks and some of my recipes are stored on my blogs. I like to take a picture of a new dish to add to the post but my pictures don't always give the dish justice. Any tips?"

She has a few blogs, and after looking through them (many of the recipes sound so good!),
I got quite excited - I can actually help!

My first and biggest piece of advice is to experiment with different angles.

It seems the most sensible thing to photograph the food from above with most of the plate included.

It is a pretty set-up with beautiful plates and placemats, but you want to showcase the food.

Try taking the cheesecake, pie, or cake from a side angle to show it's height and all the goodies it has inside.

And don't be afraid to get closer to the food. Macros (the close ups) will show some great textures - especially if it is a casserole or salad dish with many colorful ingredients.

It is amazing how moving yourself around the plate, higher, lower, eye level or angled will change the whole composition of the photo.

And don't forget the props - a knife with a pat of butter beside a muffin that has been cut in half and then photographed at eye level rather than from above.

And sometimes just the edge of the plate leading the eye into the food that takes up the rest of the photo works well too.

I can remember when I was in my first photo class. I was given a roll of 36 exposure film and was told to use the whole thing on a tree outside the school.

I was thinking, how can I possibly take 36 different photos of this tree. By the time I had finished, I could have easily filled another roll.

I don't have too many food photos, but here is a link to my gallery that contains some. Hopefully some of them will show you what I am talking about.

One more thing - don't forget the background. As you change your angle be sure to check what else you are including in the shot.

I like to prop up a white sheet then set the subject on and in front of it. Keeps everything clean and uncluttered, and it helps reflect the light onto my subject.

A digital camera allows you to experiment to your hearts content at a very low cost. Have fun exploring new angles and simply delete the photos that don't work, and try again!

An Uplifting Sight

An Uplifting Sight








The snow banks are piled high - the dark brown starting to settle into them along the outer edges.

The cars drive by on this overcast day, splashing more of the salt and sand mixture on the banks.

As ugly as they are, we are glad to have them there as it saves us from getting that muck splashed on us as we walked along.

Winter is wearing hard this year - another extreme cold snap on the way has us dreaming of spring's warm sun and summer's gentle evenings.

And then our walk takes us by the florist shop on the corner.

The owner is quite in tuned to this dreary season and her shop has a way of taking you away from all the gray and cold of these long days.

Now, I know that it is her advertising display of Valentine's Gifts for the upcoming holiday, but I see it as my own personal oasis.

It isn't just the beautiful roses or the sunny faced daises and mums that draw the eyes to the window.

There are heart shapes of every size - some in satin, some with gold trimming, and others with big, bright bows decorating boxes that are filled with delicious chocolates.

And some of those boxes are opened - tempting one to reach through the glass for just one taste.

All that chocolate - dark and light with nuts and caramels

One glimpse is all that is needed to brighten the mood of the dreary afternoon.

The flowers, the chocolates, and knowing that one of them will find their way to our home on that special day in February makes one feel warm all over.

Simple pleasures are always the best!