Month: August 2008

  • home comforts: thirty-one





    When one of my nephews, Jay, arrived at our house yesterday, he said, "Uncle theother23 said that he was going to buy me work gloves and I thought he was joking. HE WASN'T!" 

    Needless to say, there's some yard work getting done around here today. 



     










  • home comforts: 29 -- a simple vegan recipe





    Since I first posted about doing the Quantum Wellness cleanse back in June of this year, I've had hundreds of hits just looking for "Quantum Wellness cleanse recipes".  I suppose that it doesn't help that while gluten is not allowed on the cleanse, the recipes in the back of the book CONTAIN GLUTEN. 

    What the hell?!

    Anyhow, I'm no chef, but I thought that I'd share an easy, versatile GLUTEN-FREE (I think) dish that can be adjusted to suit vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike.

    (Note: I originally found this recipe in The Vegan Family Cookbook, and have adapted it to suit my own taste and that of theother23.) 


    "Mexican-Style Stuffed Peppers"

    1/2 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
    1-1/4 cups vegetable broth
    2 bell peppers (red, orange, yellow, or purple)
    1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
    1/2 onion, diced
    1/2 can diced green chilies
    1/3 cup salsa (more if not using chilies)
    1/3 cup frozen corn
    1/3 cup of shredded vegan (or regular) cheddar cheese
    1 teaspoon kosher salt

    optional:  1/3 cup kidney or black beans; 1/4 cup sliced black olives 

    Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In saucepan, combine rice and vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 40-45 minutes.  Cut peppers in half vertically, clean out membranes and seeds.  Place in baking dish (or on baking sheet if you like them darker), and put them in the oven for approximately 25 minutes. 

    Heat the oil, and then saute the onion until tender.  Mix together cooked rice, onion, chilies, salsa, and corn.  (If using beans and/or olives, also add at this time.)  Stuff peppers with mixture, and place them in baking dish/sheet.  You might want to sprinkle cheeze (or cheeze) on top at this point.  Place in oven and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. 

    Two servings (?)

    (An aside:  The second photo?  Some peppers that I put in the fridge for theother23 to eat later.  And, though you can't really tell from the photo, I used purple bell peppers.) 







  • and, this is X folding her laundry.





    j:  Don't try to tell me what I'm thinking.  You're usually wrong.
    X:  The fact that you say that implies that I'm usually right. 
    j:  What?! 
    X:  Psychologically speaking. 
    j:  [silent]
    X:  There.  You have your quote. 

    (home comforts: day 28)

  • ketchup

    home comforts: day 25, 26, & 27









  • some sunday linkage





    I have a little spare time this morning, but nothing else to share ... so, here are some links that I have enjoyed over the past few months. 

    Also, home comforts: day twenty-four.

  • keep your lens close, but keep your foes' toes closer





    Just a quick note about the 'unmasked' series ...

    I have received quite a few AWESOME and diverse masks from some long-time blog friends, and I am very excited to photograph them, but I have been lagging a bit with time and, most especially, costuming.  For me, the most difficult (yet fun) part of setting up the shoots is coming up with a dynamic and monochromatic outfit.  Once I work out those kinks, shooting will again commence. 

    In the meantime, thank you Tim, Aimee, Jennifer, and Helen for the brilliant masks.  You are all amazing.


    Speaking of photos, I have been watching another long-time blog friend, Jackie Donnelly, begin a successful photography business, and I am especially in awe of her wedding captures.  (She also specializes in food/wine photography and the female form.)  Beyond amazing. 

    Just look at THIS PHOTO.  And, WHAT ABOUT THIS?  Or, THIS

    To see more of her work, either check out donnellyimages.com or her Flickr portfolio.  If you are interested in contracting her services, she works in the Pacific Northwest area of the United States and Canada.   

    If/when X gets married, I'll be flying Jackie to the top of Fujiyama, where X claims to be getting hitched.  I'm not sure that I'll go, but at least I know that there'll be really good pictures of the event. 


    One last photography note:  My print sale has been extended (because I kept forgetting to post that it was nearing its end) until Sunday, August 24th.  I'll be ordering the prints on the following Monday.  For more info, please see the original post HERE

    The prices are as follows: 

    • 4 x 6" -- $7 OR $4 each for two or more. 
    • 5 x 7" -- $12 OR $8 each for two or more.
    • 8 x 12" (or 8 x 10") -- $20 OR $14 each for two or more. 
    • 11 x 14" (-ish) -- $36 OR $25 for two or more. 

    So, for example, two (2) 5x7" photographs would cost $16 and three (3) 8x10" prints would be $42. 

    After Sunday, I will not be selling prints for approximately one month while I reconfigure my business goals, build a storefront, and create new products. 

    Thank you!!

  • still flooded after two months


     

    I don't know how many of you remember the torrential rain and flooding in Wisconsin during the month of June.  Two months later, just fifteen minutes from my village, many locations are still flooded (and rotting and moldy). 

    That's my lame video above (in Spring Green, the focus of the following article), which I shot in June. 

    Here is THE ARTICLE.  If you check it out, be sure to click on the photos on the right-hand side of the page.  Haunting, yet beautiful.