Kitchen Confidential: Cooking with SAS

If you've stopped by here recently, you know I spent the last week in DC for work, then stayed for a couple of days to play with old friends. While spending time with my friend Sarah (SAS), we decided to cook her favorite breakfast...it was so yummy it was a MUST BLAHG! ; )

SAS made really yummy Gingerbread Pancakes; the pancakes were delightful, delicious, and addictive. Make them with caution...EXTREME caution, as you are liable to eat far too many!

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brewed coffee, cold or at room temperature
4 large eggs
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Vegetable oil for brushing griddle
Accompaniment: pure maple syrup

Whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a bowl.

Whisk together water, coffee, eggs, butter, and lemon juice in a large bowl. (And yes, the coffee thing did make me wonder if she'd lost her cotton-pickin mind!) Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Let stand 15 minutes (batter will thicken). Brush a griddle or 12-inch nonstick skillet with oil and heat over moderate heat until hot but not smoking.
Working in batches of 3 or 4, pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto hot griddle and cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
Flip pancakes with a spatula and cook until cooked through and edges are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Then eat like you've never eaten before!!! You'll see SAS again later this week as I also took some gorgeous engagement photos of her and Walter...those two crazy kids are tying the knot in June and I can't wait to celebrate with them!!!

AND DON'T FORGET TO COME BACK TOMORROW FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT MY 250th POST GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

PhotoFANatic Friday: Sarah Frenzel

About a year and a half ago, the BLAH BLAH BLAHger attended the wedding of one of my fav younger cousins. At the reception, I noticed the photographer (a childhood friend of my cousin) handed out business cards with my cousin and cousin-in-law's photo and the link to her blog. I thought it was a crafty marketing tool because stalkers like me would be intrigued immediately! The card said to stop by her blog in two weeks to see a sneak peek of the wedding. Naturally, I waited all of 45 minutes.

When the photos were finally posted, I was really impressed. Sarah Frenzel and her husband Derek NAILED this wedding! My cousin and her hubby looked gorgeous and the emotion of the event was evident. The photos were warm and sharp, yet had this lovely ethereal feel to them. As a result, I recommended her to a friend who subsequently hired her and now another one of our friends is using her in June!

Sarah is a talented young woman with a beautiful young family. She's also very kind. Just after Christmas, when I received my first SLR, she agreed to meet me for lunch and go over some tips and tricks on the fancy new camera before I took it on vacation. She's talented, that's a given, and I love reading her blog and seeing each new picture she takes. Through her blog, I've also found out that she shoots a couple of other people I know, too...random, huh?

Here are some thoughts from Sarah on her experiences with photography!

1. How did you first get interested in photography? As a child my parents said I took well-composed shots, so they always handed me the camera at parties and family events. But the first time I shot a wedding was really when I realized, wow, I love to capture people in amazing moments. To experience a moment, then capture it the way I saw it in my mind and have it be held forever is an amazing thing!

2. In your opinion, what makes a perfect shot? For me a perfect shot isn't just about gorgeous light and great composition, although those are important, it is really about the emotion. If a shot can make me feel something, it's a great shot!

3. What's your favorite thing to shoot? My favorite thing to shoot is... my kids! I love to shoot people in love, of course. But let's be honest, I adore the beautiful smiles and happy eyes of my babies, and so right now they are absolutely my favorite subjects!

4. What's the best piece of advice you were given when you first got started? Ummm... I think the best piece of advice I've gotten I didn't get right away, but a bit more recently. And that is to use your camera as an expression of yourself. Let your personality, passion and heart show in your art! Don't mimic other photographers work just because it's awesome; love who you are as a person and let that shine in your work and you will have success.

These are the darling pictures of my cousin Sara-Britt and her hubby Peter. It's hard to believe she's all grown up and married...but aren't these pics FEROCHE?!

And I love these photos from Beks' wedding! She rocked her blue heels and he wore a kilt...gotta love it!

These are a few from her website http://www.sarahfrenzel.com/ that I just love. Incidentally, I know the mama and baby in the corner...small world!

Sarah Frenzel is based in Orange County, CA, and is a great find! Obviously, I've recommended her AND have booked a shoot for my parents' 35th anniversary. If you're in the area and need someone with experience and reasonable rates, please contact her...I know you'll be happy with her work! Sarah, thanks for all your help and for participating in today's PhotoFANatic Friday!

A Nostalgia-filled Week in DC

The BLAH BLAH BLAHger has spent this week in Washington, DC, for work...which has filled me with nostalgia because I began my career here about 11 years ago. I was young, eager to change the world, and loved soaking in all the beauty, culture, and fun a small big city could provide. As a congressional staffer, my salary was pathetic, but my opportunities were huge. At the time, due to limited gift bans, I never paid for a sporting event and felt like I was surrounded by power. DC is called the Hollywood for ugly people because there are so many who react to power like those respond to celebrity...seriously, it's hilarious. But as a staffer, you get used to being around bigwigs and it becomes a part of your every day.

I loved living here. I loved the cherry blossoms in spring, going to Eastern Market for the best french toast you've EVER had on a Saturday morning, seeing plays at the Warner with my roomate, and meeting friends through grad school. Did you know that Living With Lindsay was a grad school friend of mine? We met the first day of orientation...she wore a yellow dress, liked Aerosmith, was from Texas AND was an Alpha Chi Omega just like me. We hit it off instantly and have kept in touch ever since! Lindsay was a far better student than I and I'm pretty sure she enjoyed the program a heck of a lot more than me...but I digress - and don't even get me started on her bachelorette party. Ha!

Being back in DC, feeling the energy and the rush makes me miss that time in my life. But like anything, were I ever to come back, I know it would never be the same. You see, I'm old (ahem, older) now and my expectations for life are remarkably different. I enjoy spending time with friends and family...even on weeknights. I enjoy having hobbies like photography and golf, which take up a lot of time and it's still okay to embrace them. I enjoy being more involved in my church, rather than just running in and out on Sunday mornings. I enjoy owning a home (albeit a shoebox). I enjoy being able to buy things at Target and not worry that I'll break the bank. But there was a moment in time when working long hours, then heading to receptions for free food, then going to happy hour, where everyone's first question was "who do you work for" was okay and fun. I'm happy to be here and to remember that moment in time because it's certainly part of my professional history, but it's also become a part of me, too...and I love that.

The things I miss the most:

Eastern Market

The Capitol!

My super teeny apartment with Laverne and Shirley windows.Local street artists like Dan Kessler.Virginia Gold Cup races.
Meeting up with old friends.

Now that my work conference is over, I'll be staying through the weekend to play and catch up with more friends. I look forward to the rest of my time here, but know that what I've got waiting for me at home is the life that's meant for me. I encourage you all to love the life you're living and not look to greener pastures. If you're in a situation that isn't meant to be, take action and make positive changes in your life, or embrace what you've got! The choice is yours...and mine...and I love what I've got!

Updated: Photo Workshop with Augie Chang

On Saturday, I had the great pleasure of flying up to the Bay Area for a photography workshop hosted by the amazing Augie Chang! If you're from the Bay Area, and in need of a family photogapher or wedding photog, you really MUST look him up. He's delicious...and talented...and full of unending creativity. When I signed up for my photo classes through the Irvine Fine Arts Center, I sensed that it wouldn't QUITE be all I was looking for, so I decided to supplement my classes by finding workshops to attend. I didn't really expect to fly up north, but boy am I ever glad I did!

Augie Chang has been hosting workshops for quite a while. Most of the other 12 students were parents hoping to learn better techniques for catching the moment with their kids. However, a few of us were toying with the idea of going deeper. His workshop was half a day of intensive classroom sessions, followed by a live shoot in downtown Pleasanton (adorable) and then back for critiques. I was super nervous because during the shoot, we were given specific assignments: to shoot in the shade, in direct sun, and with the sun behind the subject. During the critiques, he didn't hold back, but when he came to mine, he actually said he wouldn't change a thing...talk about a way to make a girl crack a smile! : )

Here are some pics from the day that I took and that he took!

My shot of Jasmine with the sun behind her.

My shade shot of Kim.

The adorable Augie (through my lens)!

Hey, who is that girl taking pics with her mouth wide open???
Doesn't she know flies will get in? My partner Kim and I...you may recognize that shot of me. : )
The whole group!

I share this whole experience not to brag about my new hobby, but rather to say that learning something from scratch as an adult is totally mind-blowing. I think that all to often we may have a desire to learn something new, but hold ourselves back. I decided this was the year to take photography to the next level and I'm so glad I did. It's been so rewarding, so fun, and so exciting. Taking this workshop has opened my mind to something I never expected. Not only do I think I WANT to take beautiful photos, but I believe I CAN! I'm hooked and I encourage you not to let your own walls keep you from chasing after your dreams either! Whether you want to learn to golf (like I did two years ago), or sew (like I'm doing now), read more, be more handy around the house...only YOU can stop yourself from doing those things! Reach for the stars and never tell yourself you can't achieve anything you want!!! This workshop WORKED FOR ME and I have no doubt that something similar can work for you!

To learn more about what works for other people, visit WORKS FOR ME WEDNESDAY!

Tuesday Tool Talk

Girl, get yoself a ladder. Sometimes your little step stool just won't do the trick. I held out for a while on getting one, assuming Daddio could just bring his over when I needed help with something high, but that got to be a pain in the buttox (as Forrest Gump would say), as I have severe patience issues. Oh, c'mon like you don't??? Ha!

I can't tell you how many times I've used the step stool to reach for something I should have just used a ladder for...I usually got cranky, sweaty, and most times had to redo my project anyway! Mine is a 4 footer and is great - I'm pretty sure I got it for less than 40 bucks - plus it's easy to store at that size...mine lives in the utility closet on the porch.

Just remember this...four feet is still high up. I know this because I may or may not have fallen straight off of it as I was working on a DIY project with my dad...while holding a drill. Luckily, I learned my lesson and my chiropractor was able to get me all fixed up and even prescribed a few massage therapy sessions!!! : )

Kitchen Confidential: A Kitchen FLOP

The BLAH BLAH BLAHger's little sisty came over for dinner tonight and so I decided to try another new recipe...and all I can say is: NO ME GUSTA.

I tried another WW recipe called the Cheeseburger Bake and this was no cheeseburger. But Sisty liked it so I guess that's all that mattered...

Hey wait, how did Sisty get her hands on the first ingredient??? I realized that I've done a couple of these now and never talked about the wine, so I'm going to start now! I'm allergic to tanins, so it will always be white!

The cast of characters: ground turkey, green pepper, onion, potatos, garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, evaporated milk...and here's where it gets weird, tostitos and velveeta!

I added a nice South Coast Winery Semillion to the mix. It was light and fresh and a perfect wine for the beginning of Spring!

Slice of your potatoes finely, layer in a baking dish and bake on 350 degrees until they crisp up (about 10 minutes).
Brown turkey and vegetables and spices. Seperately micro velveeta, milk, and red pepper flakes. Mix together, then layer over potatoes.

Top with crunched up chips, then bake for about 35 minutes.

And serve.

So, I thought it was bland and boring. Sisty enjoyed it. Being that it's called Cheeseburger Bake, I'm thinking it needs some serious katchup and some other spices. Also, I'd have fewer potatoes because it was too thick...I might also add some more spices when I'm browning the meat.

What do you guys think? What could I add to make this dish turn from flop to FAB?

Fighting the Blahs

I was just looking over some web stats and saw that someone found me by google searching "finding inspiration to fight the blahs." Isn't that something? It got me to thinking that really, that's one of the reasons I blog...not to fill others with inspiration, but to make myself reflect and take notice of the things around me.

My blog stalking does the same thing...it helps me to witness other people's journeys and take note of the wonderful things going on in their lives.

I'm so fortunate to have a beautiful family who loves each other and the Lord and beautiful friends who complete my "urban family." When I feel sad or blah, I ALWAYS have someone to turn to, and when I hear stories about people whose lives aren't as blessed, it breaks my heart a little.

Today, finding inspiration to fight the blahs is going to be something I focus on...I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for beauty in the outdoors, actively engage and listen to the people I speak with, and enjoy a rowdy session of Wii with some of my best friends. I am blessed and today I will do everything in my power to remember that!

For more inspiration, visit The Inspired Room...a blog favorite of mine!

PhotoFANatic Friday: I'm Hooked on MCP Actions!

For a budding photographer such as myself, blog stalking research is critical. I've been blog stalking researching for years now...even before I knew what to do with a camera and kept seeing photographers die over good action sets. As I began to fiddle with Photoshop and tried out different actions, I found one that I knew I HAD TO HAVE. Enter Jodi Friedman of MCP Actions!

My primary focus as I'm getting started in this photography world is portraits. MCP Actions offers a KILLER action set called Magic Skin and another called Eye Doctor & Dentist. I can't get enough of either! The best part about Magic Skin is the price -- $42 bucks is a STEAL for what this set can do for you!!! I also recently purchased the Quickie set and really really like those too, but honestly, need to practice on them more. Even better, in order to try out MCP Actions, a number of them are shared for FREE -- ya, you heard me!

Jodi Friedman is incredibly nice. I emailed her and asked her to participate in my little feature and she was so gracious and quick to respond.

1. How did you go from shooting to developing your own actions? Actually they happened at similar times - well sort of... I started with photography as an eBayer - and got my photos of my kids (infants at the time)and the children's clothing - to look like studio magazine shots. From there I started getting asked to train online store owners and ebayers on photography and especially photoshop. So the training came 1st. Soon after I created the 1st set of actions I started marketing - the eye doctor and dentist. This was 3 years ago. And from there I started developing other sets. In the past year I made training videos to go with each set as well which further differentiates my products. (How cool is that?!)

2. What makes a truly great shot to you? Great light - to me the most important aspect to a shot is light. There are a lot of close seconds too - like focus, composition, ability to relay emotion, etc. But if your lighting is right, it can make a ordinary photo magical. (So far, my biggest challenge...why can't this be easy?)

3. And what was the best piece of advice you were given when you first started out? 1st - It takes time to build a business. Do not rush things. Be patient. 2nd - network with others doing similar thing. If you read my blog you know that I am a HUGE advocate of this. (We bloggers know a thing or two about networking, don't we???)

4. What's your favorite action? Wow - well depends how you define favorite. My main workflow is a personal batchable action - that is a combination (tweaked so I can batch with them) of Color Burst from the Complete Workflow Set, the Eye Doctor, and Magic Skin's Skin Cast Blast. That combination is used on most of my photos. But there are many more I love but use less (like Crackle from the Quickie Collection and Extreme Color from All in the Details). I also use and LOVE my Magic Blog It Boards as they make sharing photos on the web and blog so much easier. (the BLAH BLAH BLAHger is going to switch to the Magic Blog It Boards IMMEDIATELY!)

5. Can you make a Magic Skin Skin Cast Blast in real life to take away my dark circles and wrinkles? (Just kidding, I didn't ask her that. In real life, I use this and this.)

To get a better taste of what MCP Actions can do, please see some examples below!

Before

After

And below are some of her INCREDIBLE photos, too! A wedding and some shots of her darling twin daughters...aren't they so delightful?!

See??? These actions are GENIUS and I highly recommend you run out and get them ASAP! Click on the image below and it will take you straight to Jodi Friedman and MCP Actions!!!


To see what other people are hooked on, visit Julia's site Hooked On Houses!

Being Vulnerable

Soooo, I've been wanting to learn photography for some time now and if you've been a BLAHg follower long enough, you know that I finally bit the bullet and enrolled in classes late last year. I've been blog stalking photographers for several years now and revelling in the beauty of their photographs; one day I realized that I should stop looking and start doing.

I've been threatening all my friends and family that I was going to start "practicing" on them and last Saturday, I had my first chance. One of my BFFs is having a baby in May and we decided to do a little maternity shoot. Of the several photos I took, I think I got just a few decent shots -- I've been playing around in photoshop all week. If you're a photographer, PLEASE leave me advice on how to improve...I'd LOVE some constructive feedback. Please know I'm a novice, though, and just getting started. Showing you all these pictures is showing major vulnerability AND I'M TOTALLY FREAKING OUT!!! Having said that...here's Clare! (Of the sneak previews I've given her she likes them, and really that's all that matters, right?!?!)

Uh hello, sassy mama!

She can't wait to bring the baby through those doors!

Um, perhaps the cutest thing ever!!!

The traditional bump pic...but I still love it!

Is my friend just too cute, or what?!

Say it with me now....ahhhhhh!

Updated: Turning Store Bought Curtains into Custom Beauties!

About two years ago, I starting thinking about changing up my bedroom. I didn't really know where to start, but I knew I wanted to start using more high-end fabrics. You see, I used to have a big fat black cat...and homeboy liked to shed and punish me for working long hours. As a result, I always had darker cotton fabrics on my furnishings to hide his hairballs. Gross, huh?! Anyway, he moved on to greener pastures a couple of years ago...don't worry, he didn't die, he just literally went to a better home with more animals and people to play with him. As a result, I FINALLY got to redecorate. Yippee!!!

I started with some pretty red raw silk pillows and then found a set of matching curtains at Cost Plus that were on clearance...SCORE! I knew that I loved those fabrics and colors and that I wanted to design something classy around them. Here's my bedroom before:

Actually, rewind to 2003 when I first bought the condo...OUCH!
Blahgers, please don't judge me...I've learned A LOT since then!!!

I soon found a beautiful headboard, a duvet and shams from Anna's Linens, and a new comforter from Linens & Things during their going out of business sale. While I was updating my bedroom I found a gorgeous mirrored desk on JCPenney.com, too. My decorating was all happening at a bargain...again: SCORE! Then, I found the world's coolest art installation. You saw me blog about my stripe painting escapade and how I hung the gorgeous dresses. I loved everything now except for the fact that the red stripe went higher than my curtains...it was just too much for my little OCD heart to handle, so I decided to raise them and customize them!

When you have curtains that are too short, or maybe you've got a stain or a tear, don't throw them out! Instead, customize them and they'll look like a million bucks!!!

I started my project by running down to Big Y Yardage, a large fabric store known for a large selection of home decor fabrics. I didn't measure what I needed correctly and I very nearly cost myself a lot of money in mistakes. DON'T FOLLOW MY EXAMPLE...in building they say measure twice, cut once...the same should be true with fabric! Thankfully, I've got the world's craftiest mom and she saved the day -- hey, it's my blog, I get to make statments like that!

Now confession here...I may like to call myself the Queen of DIY, but the freaking sewing machine scares the crap out of me. When I was little, my mom always tried to teach me to sew, but I wanted nothing to do with it...so she birthed another girl child (who incidentally asked if she could take sewing lessons when she was FIVE -- what a show off).

We began by ripping out the seams in the curtains...working with raw silk is tricky and we needed to create french seams...don't ask me what that means, even though I watched, I had couldn't freaking figure out what she was talking about...I was like hablo ingles? PS - isn't my mommy cute?!

We then cut the new fabric into the right width to match up with the existing curtains. Then the sewing began. PS - don't be jealous of my mom's sewing and crafting room...okay, you can be a little jealous.

Ooooh looky here, the BLAH BLAH BLAHger at a sewing machine...can you feel the intense concentration?

Once we got the panels stitched together, it was time to add the trim. I posted recently about how I'm hooked on Fabri-Tac. I'm telling you, this stuff is from Jesus! I also made a valance and Fabri-Tac'd some jeweled trim on and I think the finished product is delightful!!! What do you think?

Isn't this room a remarkable makeover? And for the most part, it's all about fabric tecture! I'm so glad I didn't toss those curtains out because now that I have them customized, they just MAKE the room! I really think the room's look is all pulled together because of the curtains, but hey, it's just what WORKS FOR ME.

To see what works for other people, pop on over to the Works for Me Wednesday site and give a little love to my blog pals over there!!!

Tuesday Tool Talk

It's time for another edition of Tuesday Tool Talk...and because I'm writing this late on Monday night and have to be up early for a meeting tomorrow morning, it's going to be SHORT AND SWEET!

I absolutely CANNOT be your friend if you don't have one of these.

All gals need to have an electric screwdriver around the house...AND if you're really feeling sassy, go on down to Jo-Ann Fabric where they have cute girly ones in frilly colors. I almost bought a second one just because I'm girly and love frilly colors...then I realized that would be stupid. I'll just wait until this one breaks, accidentally gets donated to the Goodwill, or mysteriously falls off my balcony...one floor.

I use this little genius tool ALL the time. This weekend, I added this cute little pull to my trash drawer (possibly my fav part of the kitchen redesign, btw).

I also used it on the floating shelves from hell...these stupid things nearly made me give up any desire to be a DIY Diva ever again...but then I had a glass of medicinal chardonnay and I felt much better. PS - that autographed Wicked program is from my talented friend Alli Mauzey who is starring as Glinda on Broadway...pretty freaking cool, huh?!
I also used the tool on the new bath bar over my vanity.
Without it, I would have been donezo!

See??? There are a million uses for this little gem. Best part is, they're no more than $19 bucks at the bottom end of the line. Please, if you do not have one, go get one...because at the end of the day, I really need friends.