Just Because… #1
Saturday, June 23rd, 2007
Archive for the 'Photography' Category
Food with Love #2: Apple Crisp from Marco
Saturday, November 18th, 2006
Hi everyone. Marco here. It’s been a while since I stopped by. Life has been busy and pretty good for me. Jenna and I are still together. I didn’t think it possible, but it seems as if I fall in love with her more and more, every day. She really is a special woman. I’d like to make our relationship more permanent by asking her to marry me, but there’s something holding me back. I’m not sure about Jenna’s answer. I know she loves me – at least I think she does. I mean I’m pretty sure she does, but I think something’s bothering her. It seems like she’s keeping some kind of secret from me. I’m not sure what… I’ll have to find out what it is before I ask her the big question. I have to admit that I’m a bit nervous. Anyway, I hadn’t planned on bringing this up but since I have, wish me luck. Moving right along: I actually stopped by to give you a recipe. Yes, recipe. LOL! Don’t look as shocked as Jenna when I first made this delicious and simple Apple Crisp recipe. She was so surprised it tasted good and suggested I share the recipe with you all. I don’t really cook but there are a few foods I can make really well. I’m King of Breakfasts. I can make the best flapjacks with sausage or bacon. I also make really good omelets and I make a killer hamburger. It’s moist and tasty. Oh, let’s not forget a good steak meal. I make those, too. What can I tell you? Being a Bachelor, I learned how to make the basics so that I wouldn’t starve when I couldn’t go out to a restaurant. A few weeks ago, we went to an apple orchid. Using some of the apples we picked, I made this Apple Crisp. They say Eve tempted Adam with an apple. Now, every chance I get, I tempt Jenna with this apple treat. I make it with either flour or graham cracker crumbs. The graham cracker crumbs are a winner with her. Jenna likes it a lot and thought I should share it with you on the blog. So here’s the recipe down below. I hope you like it. Let me know. Marco from Vacation Souvenir
Apple Crisp
6 McIntosh apples, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 lemon, juiced 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/2 cup flour or fine graham cracker crumbs 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 stick butter 1 pint vanilla ice cream Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a 9 by 12 baking dish, combine apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar.
In a small bowl, mix flour or graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and butter together using the tines of a fork and your fingers, working until even, small crumbles form. Sprinkle topping evenly over apples and bake 15 to 20 minutes until apples are just tender and topping is golden brown. Top dishes of apple crisp with small scoops of vanilla ice cream. YUM!
Food with Love #1: Tomato Feta Salad
Tuesday, August 1st, 2006
Hi this is Jenna from Vacation Souvenir! How are you all doing? I trust you’re having a great summer! Marco, Chocolate, and I are having a wonderful summer, even though the weather’s been very hot here in New York City. Actually we’re going through a heat wave spell. It’s so hot that I don’t feel like going near the stove to cook anything. We’ve been eating a lot of salads lately. Here’s a simple salad that Marco and I like to eat. Its flavor reminds us of our vacation on one of the Mediterranean islands. Anytime we start thinking about it, we feel like dropping everything and returning there for a little rest and relaxation. That’s where we first met. Have you read our story? If not, you can find it here. The salad I make basically contains cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, red onions, and herbs like fresh basil and parsley. The dressing is made from champagne (or white wine) vinegar and olive oil. I had feta cheese for the first time when I ordered a salad on vacation. It has a tangy and salty flavor, which tastes delicious crumbled over a salad (That’s the classic Greek salad.). Another way feta cheese tastes appetizing is when it’s served with tomatoes and fresh herbs, like my salad. Here, the sweet juice of the cherry tomatoes balances the tangy taste of the feta cheese. The red onions add a bit of a crunch to the salad. The fresh basil and parsley enhance wonderful flavors of the salad. The dressing of champagne vinegar and olive oil nicely bring together the appealing taste of the salad. Even the colors of the salad are cool looking and pleasing to the eye. Make sure you use very good feta cheese and olive oil when you prepare this salad. It makes a big difference in the taste. Enjoy! Jenna from Vacation Souvenir
Tomato Feta Salad Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa 3 pints (6 cups) cherry tomatoes 3/4 pound good feta cheese 1 small red onion, chopped 3 tablespoons white wine or Champagne vinegar 1/4 cup good olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them in a large bowl. Dice the feta in 1/4-inch dice, crumbling it as little as possible. Add the feta to the tomatoes and then add the onion, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley. Toss carefully and salt, to taste, depending on the saltiness of the feta. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
The Bird
Thursday, June 1st, 2006
The Bird suspicious of me Click on photo for larger image
I mentioned my unusual sighting of books in the park the other day. That wasn’t the only interesting thing to see in the park. Another day, as I returned from exercising, I stopped short when I saw a really large bird picking at food on the ground. With it’s size, larger than the usual pigeon or sparrow-like bird in the park, it clearly looked like it did not belong there. Call me a wuss but I was scared to walk past it. I didn’t know what its reaction towards me would be. It stopped eating to looked at me. I suppose, when it determined I wouldn’t approach it, it continued to peck at the ground. The bird was very skittish and kept raising it’s head to watch what I was doing. It was nervous and so was I. However, I wasn’t too nervous to pull out my camera and take some photos. I would have liked to get some close ups but I was too scared. As a result, I clicked away from a safe distance. I took a few more moments to watch the bird and then I moved on. Of course, the bird was nowhere to be found the next day when I passed by. I wonder what happened to it. Can anyone tell me what kind of bird this is? Sort of looks like a turkey? What do you think? Paz
The Bird eating Click on photo for larger image 
The Bird walking away from me Click on the photo for larger image 
These are the normal type birds in the park — pigeons! Click on the photo for larger image
Books on a Park Bench
Wednesday, May 31st, 2006
Click on photo for larger imageLiving in the city, sometimes you find the most unexpected things in unexpected places. Today was one of those times. Every morning, I go to the park to exercise. At that time of day, the majority of the world is still asleep. It’s nice and peaceful. I see squirrels busy foraging for food. I see pigeons and other types of birds doing the same. I see early rising owners with their dogs, and joggers who pass me by. As I reached the spot where I was about to turn around and head back, I spotted something on a bench that enticed me to stop and walk over. To my surprise, I found about 20 old romance books, mainly Harlequins, neatly lined up. They seemed to wait patiently for someone to discover them and take them to good home. I perused the covers of these old books, published between the 1980 and 2002, with great interest. Some of the titles included: This Precious Moment What if We Fall in Love The House of Seven Fountains Hunter’s Snare Forever Summer Lightening Moon Showers Face value The Third Mrs. Mitchel Spitting Image The One Who Almost Got Away Without a Trace Moon Flowers Home for Christmas Tall, Dark, and Irresistible My Very Own Millionaire I was so tempted to pick them up, although returning with an armful of books would have been uncomfortable. And while I would normally jump at the chance to take a book, especially a free one, I hesitated. The last things I need are more books. Currently, several To-Be-Read piles are positioned all over the floor in my room. Each hold up the ceiling. Quite honestly, I knew I wouldn’t have time to read these books. Neither would I have space for them. A quick scan of the books showed me that there were no Betty Neels books. If there were, I would have snatched them without hesitation. I looked at the books longingly but decided to leave them behind. I moved away a few feet and then returned for one last look. Remembering I had my camera with me, I decided to take photos instead. What am I doing with a camera while I’m exercising? Lately, I’ve been taking photos of different scenes and subjects of my surrounding. I’ve become an amateur photographer and am never without my camera. Taking photos was a much easier way to take the books back with me. Tomorrow, I’m sure I’ll find all the books gone. What other unusual discovery will I make in the park, next time, I wonder? I’m reminded of the time I saw a humongous sized turkey-like looking bird. It clearly did not belong in the park – but that’s another story for another time… Paz
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