21st Anniversary

I remember when twenty-one years sounded like a really long time...

Happy Anniversary, my love!

Photography Class

Recently, Rachel and I took a photography class together and ventured out beyond the Auto settings of our cameras for the first time.  The results were...varied, but it was a great class and we both learned a lot.  I thought I'd post a few of my efforts.  

See the energy and intensity of those eyes?  This child is very much his father's son!

Lydia--willing to model...

...if she got to make faces at the camera.

Moriah always has a smile, camera on or not!

I love this one of Rachel even though I messed up the light metering.  One of these days , when we get a  photo editing program, I'll try to fix the exposure.  Meanwhile, this will remind me not to make that mistake again!

We visited some old rock quarries this spring  to do some rock hounding.  This particular spot is just down the road from us, and was known for the aquamarine found here back-in-the-day.

A little bit of macro work while the stores were full of tulips.  It was a good excuse to buy flowers every week!
(If one needs an excuse)

The evening reflection of God's glory as seen from our backyard.

This class focused on apertures, shutter speeds, ISO's, and the endless menus of digital cameras.  It was very technical.  Once all of the technicality feels comfortable , we'll go back for the composition class!

Spring

Celebrating this early spring with tulips.
Bring the tulip and the rose,
  While their brilliant beauty glows.
      - Eliza Cook  

Treeschooling

Homeschooling has become so mainstream in recent years that Moriah, never satisfied with the status quo, took it up a notch today and did some treeschooling.

           Kids go a little crazy when it gets into the 60's--in March--in Maine.  Can't say that I blame them!

I find myself baking at least once a week, just to keep everyone's my sweet tooth satisfied.  But I rarely follow a recipe as written.

It's my own small rebellion against domestic boredom.

This time it was a variation on a cream cheese pound cake to give it a lemon twist, because I'm obsessed with lemons like that.

It was a success, but I am getting requests for something NOT lemon next time...

Snow Days

We woke up to snow this morning, 

a little reprieve from the mostly muddy winter,

and it seemed just the right sort of morning for gingerbread.  I remember my mother making gingerbread when I was little, and we ate it for dessert with whipped cream on top, and it was GOOD.
Mine is made for breakfast, and we skip the whipped cream and go straight for a lemon glaze poured over the top while the cake is still hot.  Lemon and ginger make fabulous companions.  And a delectable breakfast!

"And I had but one penny in the world. Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread." – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost

Gingerbread

1 2/3 cups of flour (I like to use freshly ground wheat)
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
3/4    tsp cinnamon
3/4    tsp salt
1       egg, lightly beaten
1/2    cup sugar
1/2    cup molasses
1/2    cup boiling water
1/2    cup vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease and flour a 9-inch pan
Mix dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl, add the egg, sugar and molasses.  Mix well
Pour the boiling water and the oil over the mixture.  Stir thoroughly until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until the top springs back when touched,  35-40 mins.
While the gingerbread is still hot, pour the glaze (2/3 cup powdered sugar  and 3 Tbsp of lemon juice) over the top and cool in the pan.

A New Toy!

I confess, I am a kitchen nerd and I get excited about kitchen tools.

Here's my latest gadget, an Orange X Professional juicer, and yes, it makes ALL that with only two oranges!

                    Juice from a carton, no matter how fresh it claims to be, can never compare!