So it is to be HOT again this weekend – what a better time than any to try something new.  Homemade Lime Sherbert done the simple way!

Ingredients

4 cups COLD milk (prefer to use 2% but your choice)

1 cup sugar

3 ounces (1 package) of lime gelatin

3 limes

1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest

1 cup boiling water

Take a large bowl and dissolve the sugar and gelatin with the boiling water.  Add 2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lime juice and the lime zest.  Take and whisk in the milk.  After thoroughly whisked – pour into a 9 inch square pan.  Cover it with plastic wrap and freeze for 2 hours.  After 2 hours, remove from pan into a mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes.  Return the mixture to the square pan and freeze again for 1 hour.  After the hour take and stir the mixture and return it to the freezer for 1 more hour or until firm.  Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Makes about 8 servings and you can always garnish with mint leaves or lime wedges.

Even though it’s a quick and easy recipe to make, it does take some time in the freezer.  In the end……it’s all worth it!  Enjoy!

Something simple in life – easy recipes.  I have a tendency that when I am in antique shops or flea markets I look for old recipe books or recipe card boxes.  Recipes that are hand written or have been put together by a group of people sharing their recipes that have been passed down by family members.  Today, I am going to share with you a recipe that I have adapted as my own – one that will let you add things or take away things that fit your taste buds.

The Blue Cheese Burger

Serving size – 4 Burgers

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground sirloin

1 packet dry onion soup mix (optional)

1 small diced onion (optional)

4 hamburger rolls of your choice

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups half and half

5 oz blue cheese crumbles

Start by mixing together your ground sirloin, dry onion soup mix (optional), and small diced onion (optional).  Season with salt and pepper to liking.  Divide out meat into four equal parts – should make 4 1/4lb patties.  You can grill these on the stove or on the grill to your liking – mine of course is done medium.

While the burgers are cooking – time to make the sauce.

In a saucepan, melt 2 tbsp of butter over low heat.  Add 2 tbsp of all purpose flour.  Cook for one minute stirring constantly.  Gradually add the 1 1/2 cup of half and half over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.  Turn to low heat and add 4 oz of the blue cheese crumbles and continue to cook until the cheese melts.   Remove from heat and sauce will thicken.

Time to plate – place the burger on bun and start to top it with the sauce and take a few of the left over crumbles and add to the top.  Of course – you can add tomatoes and lettuce if you like, but me…I love the blue cheese texture and flavor you get.

Nicely served with good old fashion french fries. (hint hint)

Hope you enjoy this nice a easy recipe. Let me know if you try it and what you think.  Next recipe on tap – home made lime sherbet ….if i can pull it off myself!

I know it’s been a while since I have posted anything, but life has taken unexpected turns, ups and downs.  I have been talking with a few people on the topic of “giving back” and have decided to do a couple weblog entries on it.

First and foremost I would like to meet Nicola Black. (That’s her fiance Todd in the picture.)  Nicola and I go WAY back….well, I’m not going to tell you how far back because then it will make me feel old!  (Ha!)  Nicola was always very active and creative and it didn’t amaze me one bit when I found out that she owned her own design company.  You can check her out here at http://nicolablack.com/ Though checking out her work is awesome and all, there’s another reason why I’m mentioning her.  She has decided to Give Back – that’s right – Give Back.  She will be making a difference and participating in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Walk.  Her personal goal is to raise $250.  That’s really not a lot if we all join in and donate to help give back.  Even if you gave ONE dollar – that’s still giving back in someway, someway that someone else might not be able to give back.

Nicola registered for Walk MS because she wanted to do something for the people who have been diagnosed and because she wanted to help prevent more people from learning what it means to live with this disease. Today, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, and with a diagnosis occurring most frequently between the ages of 20 and 50, many individuals face a lifetime filled with unpredictability.  The National Multiple Sclerosis Society will use funds collected from Walk MS to not only support research for a cure tomorrow, but also to provide programs which address the needs of people living with MS today. Because we choose to walk for those who sometimes can’t, because we choose to donate to the MS Walk, we are getting closer to the hour when no one will have to hear the words, “You have MS.”

I applaud Nicola in doing this and so should you! Take a minute and check out her MS page and please donate if you can!  Walk MS

So the time has come to say goodbye to 2009 and reflect back on the year at what all was done and to focus on the New Year and what all it has to bring.

Hard to believe that a year has gone by since John and I took a long weekend trip to Dobbs Ferry, New York to attend one of Joe McNally’s workshops,  Lighting workshop.  It was a true blessing to be able to learn and work with such a great Photographer.  Here are three shots from that day – Jasmine,  Alex, and Cristina.  Such wonderful models to work with also.

In February, our camera club, Arundel Camera Club, took a field trip to The National Building Museum in Washington, DC. Was the first time in many years that I have been able to go to DC for the day.

Something happened that day, a very memorable moment, something that will live with me for the rest of my life.  After we left the museum we decided to go further into the city and walk around all the monuments and memorials.  The last place we visited was the Vietnam Memorial….The Wall.  A wall with 58,195 names of people that lost their lives. We started walking down the path, looking at all the names listed, all the flowers, pictures, and all the things placed at the memorial by family and friends of those whose passed.  Then we came across a gentleman with his family.  He’s standing with his hand on the wall, just standing there with tears flowing from his eyes.  The longer we watch the more intense it got.  He starts taking his hand down the wall and stops over a name – the person he lost to the war.  As he is down on his knees, he starts crying, sobbing for the one he lost. Then his grandson kneels beside him, crying too. As we stood with the rest of the family, there wasn’t a single one of us without a tear in our eyes.  Feeling his pain, living in the moment.

How could I continue on after experiencing that? I did, We did, we all do.

Time passed and before we knew it, April was here.  My Birthday month!  YAY!  Well, we did quite a few things for my birthday.  We took two weekends and went shooting different places.  But of course, work came first.  The National Aquarium in Baltimore invited me to come and shoot their new show featuring the dolphins.  How could I say no to The Aquarium.  I love all animals.  After shooting and posting my pictures for the Aquarium, they emailed me letting me know that they would be using my pictures for their online viewers and their brochure.  I couldn’t of been happier that day, it was my birthday, and the perfect present.

To finish that first weekend of shooting, we did a Tweet up of Twitter friends.  That’s when John and I got the chance to meet Scott, Melissa, and Sami.  Can’t wait to shoot with them again!  The second weekend, we went north! Yes, North!  We went to Longwood Gardens.  Never been there. What a beautiful place to go and photograph every type of flowers and plants inside and out.  On the way home,  John decided to surprise me and take me to Conowingo Dam.  A place I wanted to go ever since I heard about it.  The main attraction for this dam is Bald Eagles and Gulls.  This was the first time I ever saw a Bald Eagle flying in the wild.  Such a beautiful and peaceful site to see.

April seemed to be the month of local travel.  We ended up traveling to Pennsylvania for another long weekend spending it with my parents and taking the time to photograph a wedding for an old high school friend.  While we had a nice relaxing weekend, even though we had to work, we had a little visitor to the cabin. Of course there are always deer, bear, and different kinds of birds flying around, this time we had a little fellow climbing in and out of the drain.  A cute little chipmunk. We ended up putting out some peanuts down at the end of the drain so he would come out and “play” with us.

May and June brought our BIG Photography trip for the year.  Each year we try to take one BIG trip.  This trip was out west again. We covered quite a few states: Nevada, Arizona, Utah and California.  The main reason for this trip was to experience what is know as Canyon X in Page, Arizona.  We had about a 7 hour guided hiking tour through the desert with a wonderful guide and experienced slot canyon photographer,  Jackson Bridges.  If I ever have the chance, I will definitely be going back and seeing Canyon X again.

Our time flew by out west.  Just in time to come home to cover the Ocean City Maryland Air Show.  What a thrill! Especially when the THUNDERBIRDS flew over.  Every time they passed, it gave you chills. The things they can do in air is amazing.  The air show also performed a marvelous mock rescue by the United States Coast Guard.  Truly spectacular!

The summer seemed to have passed us by so fast that before you knew it – summer was almost over.  I had the opportunity for the first time shooting speed boat races at Kent Narrows.  Looking forward to shooting them again next year. Speed always gives you a different thrill.

October brought an unexpected, very short, planned trip, but something that was not new for us.  We went back out to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 2009.  This trip turned out to be one no one will ever forget.  It consisted of covering shots from riding in a Hot Air Balloon and also following the Chase Crew.  After signing his life away,  John had the opportunity to cover shots by air. Please take a look as to what it was like for him from above.  He had the pleasure of riding in the Outlaw!

If you look close enough or click on the picture of the balloon, you can see John there with his camera taking pictures.

Not long after we returned, it was time for me to pack the camera away for awhile.  After dealing with back pain for over a year and seeing specialist after specialist, I decided to go forth with back surgery.  Doctors had told me that if I didn’t have the surgery, most likely two years down the road I would be confined to a wheel chair.  Well, that wasn’t an option, not if I wanted to continue to travel and photograph the world.  The Monday before Thanksgiving was “D-day.”  A little more than a month and a half later, I am back on my feet shooting when I can and looking forward to many more photographic events this year.  Glad I had the support of my family and best friend through this time, encouraging me along the way.

January 29th, 2010 will be the first real trip since surgery, but I’m not quite sure where I will be going.  John has decided to do a three day Mystery Photography Trip.  All I know is that I could be developing a roll of film in a hotel toilet. Yeah, you read that correctly, you don’t have to re-read it.

We have our Press Passes for Ocean City Air Show again in June and hopefully in the fall will be going to California for our BIG Photography trip of the year.

Traveling…….shooting digital and film…….meeting new and old friends…….whatever 2010 has in store and however I get there…..I’m ready.

Decided to take a look at a few photographers and their work over the next couple blog entries.  These Photographers have some way inspired me and have encouraged me along the way.  Starting today with two very unique individuals.  John Milleker and Scott Wyden.

Let me introduce you to John Milleker.  He is a photographer that I met when I moved to the Baltimore, Maryland area.  Unlike most photographers he has two ways of sharing his photography and talent. First, through his photographs. When he shoots, he sees the scene as a whole.  Making for quite detail in his work.  Second, his teachings.  Whether it’s speaking to a group on travel photography, or giving a lesson in Photoshop, he drawls you in and makes you want to learn.  This making him both a right brain and left brain thinker!  He visualizes and processes his Photography in an intuitive, simultaneous, analytical, and  sequential way.   So take a moment, check out his work and his blog.  He always has something to share.   John Milleker Photography If you ever get the chance, meet him, photograph with him at a meet up, or sit in one of his classes that he teaches/lectures at. You’ll not only learn a lot, but find a friend in Photography.

Now onto Scott Wyden.  He is a New Jersey Photographer that I met through Twitter.  Twitter is a wonderful way to interact with people who share the same interest as you.  So of course, Scott’s photography caught my eye.  Scott started Scott Wyden Imagery right out of high school doing graphic design.  Then as the years went on he did different kinds of photography for newspapers and magazines expanding his career to what it is today.  Scott also does something that is dear and close to my heart – donating to no-profit charities.  In Scott’s recent Auction and Donation, the money goes to the highest bidder’s charity of their choice.  Check it out and donate to a good cause.

Take the time, check out John and Scott’s work, drop them a line and say hi. They are very helpful too if you have camera or photography questions.  Also, if you get the chance – go on a photography trip with them.  I did! One of the best, fun days I have ever had.

My Oh My! I was not expecting a BLIZZARD!  When all said and done we had just over 22 inches in less than 24 hours.  What a better way to enjoy a blizzard than to be snowed in with your best friend and adopted family.  We tried to make it out to go sledding but just couldn’t find the right hill.  Took my camera out – got a few shots – here’s my favorite of the day.

Now, what about you? How did you spend the day during the Blizzard of 2009? Post a link below to your pictures and I will create a post so everyone can see!

Drive Safe if you must go out and stay dry!

On a cold, wet, snowing Saturday in December, The Simple Things In Life blog comes to life.  I am hoping that through this blog I will be able to share things that intrigue me, but will give you a chance to think, dream, or thrive towards doing the things  yourself.  I’m not just going to post on Photography, but different everyday things too.

And so it begins……the first blog.

The Simple Things  In Life

Take a minute today and look out the window or take a step outside. What do you see? Sun? Rain? Snow?  Look around and just take everything in. No matter what part of the world you’re in, it’s the beauty of nature. Enjoy what’s out there today.

For me…..today is going to be a fun filled snow day.  Building a snowman, sledding, making snow angels….you name it!  May even take part in a town wide snow ball fight on Federal Hill.  Taking in what nature has given me today.  But then of course comes the relaxing, drinking hot chocolate by the fire.