a great read

Possibly the best book..............................................ever! I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. It's a quick read, but very interesting in it's approach. I LOVED it!!! Run out and get it. Great read for spring break! xo

new location





Recently I tried out some new locations for my modern teen shoot. Love the way the sunlight hits under the bridge. The railroad tracks were a little scary-need to make sure my schedule is correct before shooting again!

speechless

I..........am...........speechless.

Here I am being a bit selfish lately, worrying about how my family forgot my birthday this year....wallowing really........only to find out that a friend of mine who thougtht she'd out smarted cancer...........hasn't.

Puts a few things in perspective.

And reminds me that no matter what "level" your friendship is with someone, a phone call can make all the difference in the world.

Remember to call those you love, hug those you care about, and tell someone you love them often. Life really is too short.

delicious waffles


Spring is finally in the air here in the Northeast. It was an epic weekend as far as weather goes, and also for the waffles we made.

Recently, I purchased some lavender honey. I have thought about making something with it for awhile, but was not sure what to do with the sweetly scented nectar so it just sat on the shelf. I came across a recipe marrying lavender and lemon and thought I could also include some raspberries, blueberries and strawberries as well. A recipe was building. Here's what I came up with:

Lemon Waffles with Mixed Berry Compote and Lavender Whipped Cream.

The flavors were so subtle, yet delicious and spring-like. Here are the details:

Use any home made waffle recipe. I use the one in the red and white checked Betty Crocker cookbook. It has you separate the egg yolks, whip up the egg whites and fold in for extra fluffy waffles. The only variation is I add a tsp of good vanilla, and 1 1/2 tsp of lemon extract.

For the lavender whipped cream I heated the honey because it had crystallized a bit. I let it cool , then whipped heavy cream in a cold bowl in high adding about 2 tbsp sugar and 1 or 2 tbsp of the lavender honey. You definitely should taste as you go. Keep in fridge until ready to use.

For the berry compote I added 1/2 cup each: blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries with 2 tbsp sugar and 1/4 cup water and simmered until berries were soft.

To serve: make waffle and plate, spoon compote, add berries and use some fresh maple syrup, slightly heated. Then add whipped cream and eat. DELICIOUS!

Serve with champagne topped with splash of ST. Germain liqueur.