Continuing from last week’s Mexican food them, here’s a simple recipe to make homemade Spanish rice. This goes great with enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 c brown rice (not instant)
2-3/4 c hot water (or according to package instructions)
6-12 oz tomato sauce
1 small tomato diced (roma sized)
1/3 smaller yellow onion diced
1/2 green bell pepper seeded and diced (optional)
2 tbsp oil
1/4-1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add rice and stir to coat. Lightly toast rice.
2. Add water and cook until all water is absorbed and rice is fluffy. Stir often (or it will burn and stick to the pan).
3. In a separate pan, heat the remaining oil. Add onions and peppers and cook until onion is translucent and pepper is tender.
4. Add tomato sauce, cumin and salt to taste. Mix in tomato, onion, and pepper. Cook until heated through.

See, easy peezy and super yummy!

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Courtesy of Mom*tog

I get asked a lot by both photographers and clients what my policy is on letting my clients post their images to their blogs and facebook account. I personally love it when my clients post their family pictures on their blogs, facebook, etc. It shows me that they truly love their images! I encourage my clients to copy their pictures from my blog to use on the internet. Here are a few do’s and don’ts that you should think about when reposting your images:

1) DO ask your photographer what their specific policy is on taking pictures off of their blogs. Some photographers encourage it and some don’t allow it. If this is important to you this is something you should ask BEFORE you hire your photographer!

2) DO include your photographer’s name and website under the images (a link would be super nice!). That’s just the polite thing to do

3) DON’T crop out their logo. Most photographers use their blogs to advertise their work and do so as a courtesy to give their clients a sneak peek. If a client crops out the logo then how will other people know who took the picture?

4) DON’T edit the picture in ANY way. Taking the pictures is only half of a photographer’s job. The other half is editing. If you think you can do a better job or want to edit out some of your wrinkles or use selective coloring please don’t. That is super insulting. If you don’t like your photographer’s editing enough to want to edit it yourself than maybe you need to find another photographer next year.

5) DON’T try to print from the files on the blog. For me specifically I know that the files I upload to my blog are too small to be printed in a 4×6 size. It’s not cool to invest in a family session and then print the images off of the blog and not pay for prints. Make sure you know how much the prints cost before the session to avoid sticker shock. Same goes for scanning prints that you already bought. Not cool (and illegal)! Some of my family members are guilty of printing images off of my blog. It makes me cringe when I see them FRAMED in their homes with my logo still on there! To be fair, I’m also not great at emailing them the file when they ask for it

*used and edited with the permission of the author*

Ok so now you ask what exactly are your policies on this?
I have no problem with you copying the images from my blog to use on Facebook, MySpace, your family blog, etc. In fact if you ask I will even email you the watermarked copies of the blog pictures and any that you order. BUT you are not allowed to edit them in ANY way. Do not crop out the logo (or really even crop at all) and give credit to the photographer (please tag me if we are Facebook friends). If you would like I will post them on Facebook and tag you in the photos so that you can share them without having to worry about it. You are in no way allowed to edit your photos-I edit them in my style which is what you hired me for. The photos are a representation of my work-I do not want my work associated with your bad edit. Do not print these photos either, they are a low resolution to protect me from theft and you from unscrupulous people stealing them and using your image for a purpose you may not like (think advertising for a disturbing product, it’s happened to many people). If you have any other questions on what you can and can not do with your photos, please ask me. You don’t want to accidentally break a copyright law that could cost you a lot.

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I’ve pretty much lived in Arizona my whole life. Being from the Southwest, I really enjoy this side of the border Mexican food. I say that because real Mexican food is actually quite different from what we consider Mexican food. But what you can get here is very different from what you eat in other parts of the country-most are really tamed down and extremely Americanized. I mean do you really think Velveeta cheese and store bought precooked meat are authentic? Authentic Mexican food is really about fresh ingredients and food prepared with love (meaning a long time to cook ). My chicken enchilada recipe won’t take hours but for the most part it is made from fresher ingredients.

Ingredients:
10 burrito-sized tortillas (I do use store bought-the kind that are made daily if possible)
2 16 oz cans enchilada sauce (I prefer green, you can use red. and I’m guessing on the can size :O )
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 3 smaller ones)
1/4 c water or chicken broth/stock (broth/stock adds more flavor)
1/2 c finely chopped yellow onion (sweeter, you can use whatever you have)
1 clove pressed garlic
1 c shredded cheese (shred it yourself-it’s cheaper and tastes better, we use cheddar you can use your favorite but not Velveeta)
1 6 oz can of sliced black olives (optional)
sour cream

Directions:
1. Put chicken breasts and water/broth in a crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2-4 (I usually throw them in frozen, even if it’s against the directions but it works for me). They are done when they fall apart as you try to take them out.
2. When chicken is done, preheat oven to 350*. Lightly grease a shallow baking dish-13×9 is a good size.
3. Using two forks (or your hands if you can take the heat) shred the chicken. Place in a bowl and mix in 1 can of enchilada sauce, onions, and garlic (and some olives if you like them).
4. One tortilla at a time, put a large spoonful of mixture spread down the middle longways. Don’t overdue it-it has to make enough for all of the tortillas.
5. Time to roll the tortillas! Fold both ends up about 1 inch. Bring one long side over the filling and tuck under the mixture. Roll it up the rest of the way.
6. Place them in one layer (can overlap some) in the baking dish. Pour the second can of enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled up tortillas. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top.
7. Bake 15-20 minutes until they are turning golden and the cheese is all melted. Top with sour cream and olives if you want.

Serving suggestions: beans (black, pinto, or refried), guacamole, chips and salsa, Spanish rice-super easy to make (check for the recipe next week)
*you can definitely make your own tortillas and enchilada sauce but for the price and time saved I choose to buy these-just get the best tasting sauce and the freshest tortillas*

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Another installment of Wednesday Wisdom where I will try to answer FAQ, share articles and inspiration. Today’s FAQ is about crop ratio or why an image is cropped the way it is.

Often customers wonder how I choose to crop their photos or how their photos will look at each size. Most cameras (including mine) produce photos that are a 2:3 ratio (equivalent to a 4×6 or 20×30). This means that when you want an image of a different ratio (ex. 4:5 or 8×10), some of the image must be cropped away. As a photographer, I try to take into account for this and leave extra room within an image to allow for an appealing crop that doesn’t lose important parts of the image. Even then not all images will look good at all crop sizes. To help compensate for these differences, I proof my images at a 5×7 size so that it is a pleasing crop somewhere between the more rectangular 2:3 (think 8×12) and the nearly square 4:5 (think 8×10). When you order your prints at a different crop ratio than your proof shows you need to remember there will be a difference between your proof and your final print. I will use my artistic judgement when I crop at these ratios to ensure that all important elements are included and that the image is still appealing. If I feel that a certain crop will not work for an image, I will let you know so that we can make a decision together for the best choice of the display of your portraits.

Here is a visual to help you see the differences a crop will make on one image.

Please keep this in mind when you order prints from our session.

If this doesn’t answer all your questions on the topic please feel free to contact me and I will do my best to help. If you have any ideas for future posts please let me know!
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We love all kinds of food in my family, but so many of our favorites can’t be eaten by my youngest the way it can be ordered at a restaurant. So we find ways to modify recipes at home that we love for him to eat. One of my husband’s absolute favorite foods is chicken parmesan-if we go to an Italian restaurant I can pretty much guarantee that’s what he’ll order. Here is my recipe and how I’ve modified his version:

Ingredients:
2 large or 3 smaller boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 c shredded mozzarella (can substitute other meltable cheeses)

-for the breading-
6 slices of bread (I save the heels and freeze them to make bread crumbs)
1/4-1/2 c oatmeal (optional)
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1/8-1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 c grated or shredded parmesan cheese (more if you want it stronger)

-for the sauce-
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 clove pressed garlic

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425*. Put the bread, oatmeal (it creates a slightly crisper breading), and the spices in a food processor until it becomes a fine bread crumb mixture. Add the cheese and mix together.
2. I cut the chicken breasts in half through the long side so that I have 2 squarer pieces. You will need wax paper, plastic wrap, or parchment paper (what I used), a flat surface you won’t damage (I use a cutting board), and something heavy and not breakable like a rolling pin for the next step. Place one chicken piece at a time into the parchment paper or other material and fold over to cover both sides of the chicken piece. Pound the chicken piece until it is about 1/2″ thick.
3. Moisten the chicken pieces one at a time (you can use egg, milk, or water like I did) and coat both sides in bread crumb mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish and bake 8-10 minutes or until they look slightly browned.
4. Mix the spices and garlic into the tomato sauce. Spoon over the chicken pieces. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the sauce. Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

To make this dairy and egg free:
After creating the bread crumb mixture, I used water to moisten the chicken piece and I breaded his piece before adding the parmesan cheese. I also left off the mozzarella cheese.

Ok you are right, that’s not mozzarella cheese. I was almost finished making it when I realized that I didn’t have any so I substituted cheddar-not quite the same but it worked.

Delicious with steamed broccoli!

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It’s Wednesday-time for another installment of Wednesday Wisdom where I will try to answer FAQ, share articles, reviews, and inspiration. This week I’ve decided to do a product review/recommendation for Photojojo.

Photojojo is more than just a quirky name. The first thing you see when you hit their website is the phrase “We believe in doing one thing, and doing it very, very well. We find the best photo shiz anywhere.”

They sell some really unique camera gear and kits for cool projects (think pinhole camera, sun prints). Where else can you find a Super-Secret Spy Lens, a Motherboard Frame, a Helmet Camera Mount, and a Bottle Cap Tripod all in the same place? They even have a book (Photojojo! Insanely Great Photo Projects and DIY Ideas) full DIY photo projects like how to create temporary photo tattoos. **Hint: this would make a great birthday present for me in March

So now on to my review. For Christmas my husband and I decided to pick out our own gifts and keep them small. I knew what I wanted: a sweater dress from an online boutique that I’d been eyeing forever waiting for my size to be in stock (I’ll review that lovely store when I finally get a picture in my dress ) and a slim case for my point-and-shoot (aka p&s or purse camera) so that I could throw it in my purse without my keys destroying it. I had searched online and in stores for awhile trying to find just what I wanted without a lot of luck except for at Photojojo. I kept coming back to it-the perfect little compact camera case. It’s made of neoprene (think wetsuit) which makes it water-resistant and hand washable, it has a sturdy core and fleece lining to protect the camera, and there are 3 different varieties (Hoodie, Pouch, and Scoop-which I don’t see at the store at the moment). I wanted a case that closed but was easy to open so I chose the “Hoodie” (which also has a small pocket for batteries or memory cards and a wrist strap). Now came the dilemma: red or polka dots? Seriously. I love polka dots but red is my favorite color ever. I resorted to eenee meenee and got….RED! Besides as I’m writing this I decided I could get the polka dot one for my phone and to put my driver’s license, debit card, and business cards when I’m on a shoot rather than bringing my purse. Psttt…somebody let my husband know that’s what I want for Valentine’s Day, k thanks.

Here is my beautiful case:

Not only do they have fantastic products at reasonable prices, they also have fabulous customer service with fast shipping and free shipping on orders over $50. So go check them out at the Photojojo store and follow them on Facebook to get heads up on sales and new products.

Oh did I tell you that they send a little dinosaur with their orders? Well they do and my boys thought that was awesome!

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We love pizza in our family, but having to pick the cheese off the youngest part and hoping that the residual amount wouldn’t cause problems wasn’t working. So when a fellow photographer posted she was making homemade pizza a little while back, I had to get the recipe for the dough. She sent me the link for the one she was using and it was delicious! You can make it as a quick recipe and make one pizza or go through the proper method and make 2 pizzas.

Ingredients:
3 c. flour
1 .25oz yeast pkg
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 c. warm (110 degree) water
cornmeal

Quick Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients in slowly, knead on lightly floured surface if needed. (I used the dough hook on my standing mixer)
3. Roll out into a pizza crust shape. Dust the pizza stone or pan lightly with cornmeal and lay the dough on it. Roll the edges to form a crust if desired.
4. Top as desired and bake for 18-25 minutes.

2 Crust Directions:
1. Follow steps 1-2 in quick directions above.
2. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel for 40-60 minutes to rise until nearly doubled.
3. Punch dough down and let rise covered again for additional 20 minutes.
4. Split into 2 pieces and shape into balls.
5. Follow steps 3-4 in quick directions above.

*Suggestions*
Per pizza:
2 cups shredded mozzarella
2-3 tbsp pizza sauce (I make my own by starting with canned tomato sauce and adding 1/4 tsp ea. parsley, basil, and oregano and 1/2 clove garlic)
toppings-pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, pineapple, ham, whatever you can think of

*I used wheat flour (what I hand on hand) so the color is a bit different*

I used the dough hook on my stand mixer, it was much quicker than by hand

cornmeal on the pizza stone

rolled out pizza dough, I was told making the little finger indents kept it from bubbling up-don’t know it it’s true or not but mine didn’t bubble up

the sauce spread out about an inch or so from the edge

the finished product (yes there is a spot missing cheese, that’s for my youngest), it was delicious but the boys did like it better with regular flour when I made it again

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I had the joy of photographing this adorable little guy this past weekend, but boy did he have a mind of his own! This cutie started out life determined to do it his way by coming two days before his scheduled delivery. And during our session he was determined to be wide awake and squirmy, but I waited him out and got some great shots of him. He pretty much slept through the session after that, even after I snagged his pacifier, but he didn’t make it easy for me He even decided when the session was over-he turned his head away from the camera and refused to be messed with anymore; we got a pretty good laugh at his stubbornness.

Look at his adorable little face! Love that curled up squishy goodness!

Don’t those tiny fingers and toes make you want another baby? Sure doesn’t help my baby fever

This was the last picture before he completely scrunched up his face and turned away.

Congratulations again to mom and dad!

If you are expecting a bundle of joy any time soon, be sure to contact me as early as possible to schedule your maternity and newborn session.
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As a photographer and artist, I try to constantly be on the lookout for places/things/people that inspire me to try new things-push myself farther. I often look at other photographers’ work for inspiration, it’s a great way to get the creative juices flowing. One of these photographers inspires much more than just by his photos-the eloquent way he speaks from his beautiful soul captivates me. I often go back and reread his blog posts and twitter/facebook updates over and over again. There is something that always reaches out to me-like a call to action to grow in some way. As the new year begins, I find myself wanting to reach out and grow in new ways, both photographically and personally. So when I sat down to start thinking about what goals I’d like to set, I went back to a post he wrote back in July that really motivates me to look at things from a fresh perspective.

From one traveller to another (life)
by Jesh De Rox

you are where you are.

let’s start with that. it’s true, after all, and denying it, fighting against it, pretending otherwise amounts to nothing more than a waste of these precious few moments of life we’re gifted with.

you are where you are.

and it is a lovely place to begin. even if it’s painful, even if it’s not where you saw yourself 10 years ago, or 10 months, or 10 days. it’s lovely because it’s what you have, and what you have is so much more than so many others are gifted with,,, more than you often give yourself credit for.

imagine yourself on a map. are you limited as to which direction you can go? certainly there are circumstances of terrain that may provide greater ease or challenge, but the vital truth is and will always remain that any direction is available to you.

even if it’s a direction you’ve never gone before, even if it contains unknowable obstacles,,, the power of choice rests or rises with you.

you are where you are.

and you, as the traveler, now have the privilege of deciding where to go from here. just as, where you have been in no way dictates where you must go, it is equally true that your past cannot decide your future.

yes, it can be scary to leave the paths you have worn, over so many years of dusty repetition, but when the roads you know don’t take you to where you know, in your heart, you must be,,, it is time to quit lamenting the fact and blaze off bravely in the direction of the undiscovered.

what a miracle that you have feet! what a miracle that they will take you in absolutely any direction that you tell them to go! you are blessed with a vehicle far more marvelous and sophisticated than anything the human mind has yet to or ever will conceive.

it is one thing to sit upon the sidelines of life and bemoan your fate, and it is another entirely to shake yourself free of mentally-cobwebbed ideas and start moving.

move!!!

move until your amble becomes a walk, until your walk becomes a jog, until your jog becomes a run, until your feet find their gravity-escaping rhythm and you take flight.

are you facing a fire? it is when you are stuck - motionless - that flames burn the worst,,, remember when, as a child, you moved your finger through the candle flame fast enough, it had no power to touch you.

remember the joy of that, the triumph in it, my friends, and move.

move until the air before you becomes a cool wind on your face, until the scenery rushes past in a celebration of your speed.

move until you find yourself in the clearing you are looking for. i promise you, it exists on the other side of whatever lies between you and that place of rest.

when caught in the frustrating mazes of life, we are often closer to freedom than we realize. a view from above adds the clear perspective we are blind to when we think only on ground levels.

when you cannot go left, and you are blocked from going right,,, when the way in front of you is too tangled, and you know you must leave what is behind,,,

go up, my friends, go up.

you will find there the far-view,,, drink in the picturesque scenery of hope that every weary traveller at some point needs.

you are where you are.

perhaps because you are learning things now that are seeds for blessings in days to come, for plantings you have not yet imagined.

you are where you are.

perhaps because you are accumulating experience that will someday be the common ground on which you meet the love of your life, your greatest friend, or your self.

you are where you are.

because the sometimes difficult, but ground-shaking truth is,,,
you are choosing to be.

we can’t always control where the winds of this life blow us, how far they might veer us from the flight-paths we’d projected,,,

but until the moment our last spark of life passes from this vehicle of our body and moves into the next,,, it remains our choice to rise up from wherever we are, no matter the obstacles, no matter the challenges, no matter the odds, and to move, one precious step at a time,,,

footprint by footprint, handhold by handhold, until at last we find our home.

i love you so much, my beautiful friends, i pray every day that the wings you’ve been keeping secret will one day be loosed.

until that day,,,

jesh *
posted with author’s permission

I hope you are as inspired and touched by his words as I am. And since I’d hate to leave you without a photo, here is one I went back to today and reworked from a different perspective:

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With a sick boy home this week, I made homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner. Nothing says love and comfort like a warm bowl of mama’s chicken noodle soup

Ingredients:
2 16oz can chicken broth or chicken stock (add more if you like a more liquidy soup)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg of noodles or pasta (whatever kind you prefer)
3 carrots or about 12 baby carrots
1 celery rib
1/3 large onion (I prefer sweet yellow onions)
1 clove garlic
1/2 c water
1 tsp parsley
salt & pepper to taste (I used a pinch of pepper and about 1/2 tsp salt)

Directions:
1. Cook the chicken breasts however you prefer. I put them in a crockpot on high for 2-3 hours with the chicken broth.
2. Cook your noodles and drain. I used spaghetti noodles that I broke into fourths before cooking since that is what I had on hand.
3. Chop carrots, onion, and celery separately. In a small pot, add water and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add celery onion and pressed garlic. Cook until carrots are tender but not squishy.
4. Cube cooked chicken. If you cooked your chicken with the broth strain it into a large pot. If not pour the broth into a pot.
5. Add the chicken, noodles, and pot of cooked veggies (including the water). Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Heat until all is warmed through
Serve with saltines if you like.

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