Friday, May 16, 2008

Sausage Biscuits and Gravy

I am still on the Cape and made sausage grave and biscuits for breakfast. This is a meal that is so satisfying, so warming, so UNHEALTHY, and should only truly be indulged once or twice a year. Of course, Jeremy loved it and wants me to make it again sooner rather than later.

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

Jiffy Mix
Milk

Follow recipe on box :-)

1lb bulk breakfast sausage (I used McKenzie)
4-6 TBS flour
1 quart half and half
salt
pepper

Brown and crumble sausage in skillet, when cooked scoop with slotted spoon and set sausage aside. Add flour to the pan and whisk to form a loose paste or roux. When a nice light brown color is achieved whisk in the half and half and cook for a few minutes till it thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste, I do recommend a fair amount of each though. Mix in the reserved sausage and spoon over biscuits and enjoy!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Deuces Wild Chili

I am at the cottage on the Cape, enjoying some rest and relaxation. With the cool weather, its the perfect time to make chili. It is one of Jeremy's favorite meals.

I was originally planning on making a small batch of chili, just enough for one meal and a serving or two of leftovers. That plan went right out the window when I started shopping! I made enough to serve a small army, or a large family.

Deuces Wild Chili
2 lbs ground beef
2 onions - minced
2 red peppers (or color of choice) - minced
2 cloves of garlic - minced
2 6oz cans of tomato paste
2 23oz cans of crushed tomatoes
2 14.5oz cans of diced tomatoes
2 14.5oz cans of whole tomatoes
2 14.5oz cans of kidney beans
2 14.5oz cans of black beans
2-Alarm Chili Kit
1-2 tsp black pepper (to taste)
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
2 tsp garlic powder
olive oil

Sweat onions, peppers, and garlic in olive oil till soft. Add ground beef and brown. Mix in tomato paste, 2 alarm chili kit, garlic powder. Stir in crushed, diced, and whole tomatoes, and beans. Bring up to a simmer, lower the heat and simmer at least 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

*** Sometimes I like to add 2 diced carrots as well!!!

Friday, May 09, 2008

Final Project

Graveyards have always drawn me in. I can spend hours wandering through them exploring. For this final project, I decided I wanted to show them for what the stones can be: art. I chose a day with blue sky, but some overcast shadows so there wasn’t a lot of glare. My favorite technique for this shoot was from the hip, and while that meant using automatic features, I was able to get some angles and points of view that I might not have gotten otherwise as I tend to over think my shots.

I wanted to keep the lighting as natural as possible, but used the shutter speed to help blur the background a bit. Editing was simple, I used curves to help balance out the light and dark, and saturation when I wanted the image in black and white.