Showing posts with label photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photography. Show all posts
We are now in week two of the new year and I'm still catching up and tying loose ends from 2010. One of those on my to-do list is blog all the yummy vegan fare we've been eating. As of late, there has been a lot of Thai take-out and I won't be blogging about that except to say, Yay!, we found a local joint I'm proud to announce is my favorite. My knitting has been on hold for a while, but I still managed to aquire some new stash from Spincycle Yarns at Seattle's Urban Craft Uprising. So with an apology for an excess of blurry camera-phone photos, and a snowy nod to this happy New Year, here is the latest from my so-called crafty life.
I stood and stared, picked a color, changed my mind, picked another, changed my mind again. I'm not one for hasty decisions. Two gorgous hanks of handspun did go home with me to be whipped into treasures I'll use as photo props. And dang that camera-phone for failing me. This yarn was such a treat for the eyes to look at, believe me.
Anyone who was at the Urban craft uprising this year probably agrees with me that it was packed. It may not look it from the photo, but once you were in th crowd, you got to know the people around you very well.
Szechuan Green Beans and mixed greens with Goddess dressing. Seriously my favorite way of having green beans; salty, garlicy and spicey. Recipe below.
A vegan Thanksgiving dinner. Ginger mustard seed brussel sprouts, vanilla cranberry and pear compote (which makes killer martinis! More on those later.) complete with Bryanna Clark Grogan's vegan turkey, but with a twist. I was able to incorporate some okara into the "turkey" for a nicer texture and more protien. Recipe mod below.
I managed to pull of a whole meal that looked pretty while cleaning out the fridge. This is a quinoa with steamed asparagus, steamed Chioggia beets (color drained from camera phone and a little over cooking. my bad.), raw carrot-turnip salad lightly drizzled with Meyer lemon olive oil, and roasted cinnamon pepper sweet potato wedges.
Szechuan Green Beans
1 lb green beans
1 T garlic, chopped
1 T ginger, chopped
2 scallions white parts only
1/2 t chili paste
1 T dark soy sauce
1/2 t sugar
1/4 t salt, or to taste
Pepper to taste, optional
2 T vegetable or peanut oil
Wash and trim the tops and bottoms of beans, then cut diagonal into slices approximately 2 inches long.
Chop the garlic, ginger and white part of the scallions.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat.
Add beans and stir fry until they start to shrivel or "pucker" and turn brown (5 - 7 minutes). Remove beans and drain in a colander or on paper towels.
Heat 1 T oil in the wok on high heat. Add garlic, ginger and scallions. Stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the chili paste and stir-fry for a few more seconds until aromatic. Add the beans and the remaining ingredients. Mix together and serve.
Vegan Turkey
This recipe is one of Bryanna Clark Grogans, but for the life of me I cannot find a link to it. If you do find it, and would like to use up some of your left over okara, I simply substituted 1 cup okara for 1 cup of the tofu. I liked the texture a bit more this way than the original recipe.
Last week I spent a few hours at the Picasso exhibit at SAM. I was not a huge fan of the paintings displayed, but I found it hard not to be drawn into the work, especially his drawings. For me, trying to see what he saw before reading the titles and figuring out what it really was, became part of the enjoyment. Your imagination was running full speed trying to keep up with this guy who made a career out of seeing like a child. It is well known he gained inspiration from his lovers along the way; Picasso also found inspiration in the bombing of Guernica and created one of his most famous works.
So with Picasso in mind and that ever constant battle with my artist within, I leave you with this quote:
Saturday is big for JFP; my first photography workshop for the WSU Extention and the Tacoma Art Museum Gala auction which I have two auction items in. If you find yourself at either event, please come heckle me and check out a few of my favorite portraits. Let me know what you think!
This little baby was knit-in-public friendly and super quick to finish. More often than knot my knitting group projects are super basic, otherwise I find myself going into auto-pilot and messing up the patterns. I worked this in Crystal Palace "Mini-Mochi", a washable 80% merino/ 20% nylon blend, that I picked up at the Knittery, along with the pattern. I love the slipped edge and how soft it feels wrapped around my neck. I'm hoping the gift recipient loves it too! Xmas knitting strike one!
I stole this moment as one of my little subjects bathed in the warm summer sun. It reminds me to appreciate how beautiful childhood and all of its innocence is.
xo jen
JFP
xo jen
JFP
For three years in a row we've fostered feral kittens for the Seattle Humane Society. It's a win-win for me and the kittens. They get a loving home that safely watches over them until it's time to be adopted, and we get KITTENS!!! for a few weeks.
Here is one example of how I like to corrupt their wee little minds. YouTube kitten videos. They loved it!
I had a great day paling around with my friend Jodi and our cameras. Check out more of my work on my website and photo blog. Jennifer Finch Photography. Thanks for looking!