Thursday, April 3, 2014

A Recipe Collection

  I have recently started organizing all my favourite recipes in one central blog. It's been a gradual process, but I've loved every minute of it! Here are some of the recipes I have so far:

One Bowl Ice Cream
This recipe is amazing! Regular vanilla ice cream only requires two ingredients: evaporated milk and icing sugar. You can add whatever flavours you like; cocoa powder, brownie bits, butterscotch chips, the sky's the limit!


These need no introduction. They are truly a little bite of heavenly goodness.


Butterscotch Toffee
Who doesn't love homemade candy?! With chocolate and almonds?! Yes, please!


 Cream Puffs
Since finding this recipe, I haven't bought another cream puff, fresh or frozen. These are simple to make, and perfect every time.


I hope you get a chance to check out these recipes. Don't forget to like and follow! Stay tuned for more :)

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Photogrpahy Portfolio

    Kari Miller, age 3, is completely oblivious to the intense volleyball game going on behind her Sunday afternoon. People of all ages took advantage of the beautiful weather to enjoy some volleyball and picnicking.  



           
Tourists cross the T. Evans Wyckoff Memorial Bridge as hundreds flock to see the newly-restored Boeing 747 jet belonging to the Museum of Flight

Young lads from a local youth group gather around a campfire for songs and s'mores. 


Pastry chefs from around the world showcased their talents at last week's United Pastry Chef Convention. Pictured is fresh butter-crunch toffee with almonds.
 
Amy, 9, shows off her beach combing finds. The warm weather this weekend brought loads of families to Newcastle Island.

 The ring pictured is apart of a touring museum exhibit titled 'The Last Great Warriors'. The ring was discovered in a Viking burial ground nearly a decade ago, and is one of several pieces of fine jewelry. They are believed to belong to a king's wife, and are all handcrafted by the king. The jewelry is still in mint condition, and are truly stunning. The exhibit will continue touring for the remainder of the year.

A rebel party guest takes off with a bunch of balloons in a blur of purple and green. The balloons were soon returned.
Ryan, 7, takes a moment to combine his two favourite things: soccer and trampoline.

The young bride radiates joy at seeing her husband-to-be while her father contemplates having to give his little girl away to another man.

Sisters Leah, Melody, and Taylor take in the beautiful west-coast sunset on the beach. 

Amy and Ryan enjoy a summer stroll with their puppy, Ruby (not pictured) yesterday afternoon.  

Ezra, age 1, showcases the classic baby-blue eyes and pout for photographers at the third annual Mothers' Exposition.
The bungee-run operator takes a minute to explain to a little guy that the ride has a minimum age and height limit. The bungee-run was just one of many free attractions offered to the public at the 16th annual Love Your City in Maffeo Sutton Park.


Ryan and Amy, 6 and 9 respectively, strike a threatening pose for the camera as they head out for a walk on Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Body in Motion


Motion is my least favourite area of photography, but it’s also my favourite. The countless shots, shutter-speed adjustments, and angle-changing is all worth it once you achieve that perfect shot. 
  For the following pictures, I used a variation of shutter speeds. While low shutter speeds (1/6) capture motion well, it often allows too much light, and my pictures turned out to be nothing more than a white-light blur. I had to find that balance that allowed me to capture motion, and also adequate lighting.
  While I enjoy capturing sport shots, my favourite motion shots are candid, everyday moments that some people might not even consider ‘motion’ or ‘action’. The following two pictures that were shot from behind are probably my favourite. The one featuring two children was taken on a casual walk in my neighborhood. The second one was taken while crossing a glass-enclosed bridge to the Boeing Museum of Flight air field. It has an almost vortex-like feeling to it.
  Some of my shots had humorous outcomes. For example, I had taken multiple pictures of the boys playing volleyball. I didn't realize until later that Kari had managed to appear in the bottom left corner of all of them. I love how oblivious she is to the action around her. 

      For in Him we live and move and have our being.
                                                                             Acts 17:28


Tourists cross the T. Evans Wyckoff Memorial Bridge as hundreds flock to see the newly-restored Boeing 747 jet belonging to the Museum of Flight.
Amy and Ryan enjoy a summer stroll with their puppy, Ruby (not pictured) yesterday afternoon.  
              Members of Super Sonic Youth take to the floor under a disco ball at their year-end dance party last week.
 Left to right: Taylor, Melody, Leah, and Kursty all participated in a beach-photo shoot featuring local talent and locations last Friday. Proceeds from the shoot will be donated to the Wellness Animal Centre.
  Zeke and Sable show off their bike-riding skills at the Village's first-annual childrens bike race last Saturday.
Over a dozen youngsters competed in the annual sack-race at the Oceanside church family picnic Sunday afternoon. Participants and winners alike received chocolate gold-medals.
   Kari Miller, age 3, is completely oblivious to the intense volleyball game going on behind her Sunday afternoon. People of all ages took advantage of the beautiful weather to enjoy some volleyball and picnicking.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Photojournalism: SuperSonic Youth






    The SuperSonic Youth group, aimed for grades 5-8, meets every Friday night at The Junction. The youth get to socialize, learn about God, worship, and play games. The leaders work together to create a friendly, safe environment for these kids, as well as building a Godly foundation in them.   


  SuperSonic Youth leader, Jordan, plays the guitar and sings with the youth last Friday at The Junction.




  Above: Kids and leaders find seats in the Upper Room
 Below: Youth pastor, Kevin, shares on prayer.
  







 


           




                            

   




            
             The night ends with snacks (homemade chocolate cake!) and some campfire songs. 




Friday, March 8, 2013

Motion

  I took advantage of the beautiful weather today, and took some 'action' shots of the kids and the dogs. Enjoy!



 And, of course, the baby:

Monday, January 28, 2013

Non-alcoholic Spanish Sangria

 

  I came across this recipe for non-alcoholic sangria recently. Sangria is traditionally from Spain and Portugal. It is made with wine, chopped fruit, and a sweetener. I fell in love with the non-alcoholic version of this drink because the ingredients can be varied according to preference and it is fairly less harsh than most sugary drinks.

Ingredients:
4 cups cranberry or grape juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 lemon, orange, apple, or lime, cut in circles (You can use as many fruit pieces as you like. I chose to use just lemon)
3 cups Sprite or ginger ale

1. Fill a large pitcher about 1/3 full of ice cubes. Pour cranberry or grape juice over the ice, and add lemon juice.



2. Slice fruit of choice and add to the pitcher.


3. Add ginger ale or Sprite. Stir and serve chilled.


Me gusta!





Potato, Vegetable, and Sausage Casserole


  

  Cold, winter weather calls for comfort food. I usually turn to making soups. I like to start in the morning, double the recipe, and let it simmer on the stove until dinner time. 
  While looking for a potato soup recipe (potato soup is my favourite!), I happened across a recipe for a cheesy potato and sausage casserole. It looked heavenly, but a little plain. 
  So, naturally, I fixed that.

Ingredients:
4 cups potatoes, quartered and boiled
1 onion, chopped
1-2 stalks of celery, chopped
5 cloves of garlic
4 carrots
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
2 cups smoked sausage (you can also use ham), sliced
2 cups cheese, shredded and divided (I used orange cheddar and Gouda) 
2 cups milk
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste
*Note: you can increase any of the amounts to suit your preferences 

1. 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop onion, celery, and garlic. Saute in olive oil in a large saucepan. Cut carrots into rounds and put in a steamer. Add corn. This recipe is extremely versatile, so feel free to add bell peppers, frozen peas, and anything else you have in the fridge! 



 2. Cut the sausage into bite-sized pieces. I had three different sausages left over from Christmas, and I used a little of all three.


3. Add the sausage to the onion mix and increase heat. Place boiled potatoes in a large casserole dish, and add corn and carrots.

4. Once the sausage is lightly browned, add to the casserole dish. Toss lightly with two forks to mix.


5. Now the sauce! Mix milk, flour, and butter in a small pot. Add 1 cup of cheese (I did one cup of Gouda) and stir until the cheese is melted. Pour over the casserole. Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.


6. Cook for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted. I found waiting for it to cook was hands down the hardest part. Once it's finished, serve warm.