Crystal Chick .net

Fauxlaroids

2009-10-06T12:49:00.002-05:00

I don't own an iPhone, but I occasionally steal my co-workers and play with it. :)

These photos were all taken around my office using the ShakeItPhoto app. It's fun.

100 Strangers Project - #1 Debra

2009-10-04T18:20:00.002-05:00

#1 Debra, originally uploaded by Crystal Chick.

#1 Debra

At the end of 2008, I first heard of the 100 Strangers project. I thought about doing it, but due to the lack of foot traffic in this city, and my own nervousness, I decided to do pursue the 365 Self Portraits instead.

As of late, I've been pondering the project again, thinking I'd start it up at the beginning of the year. However, today an opportunity presented itself, and I bit the bullet. I decided not to keep putting it off. This is a great project that can help improve my people skills as well as my photography.

The idea is to approach a complete stranger, explain the project, and ask to take their picture. You're encouraged to get their name and learn a little about them too.

I decided to put a theme to mine: I'm asking each of my participants what they're thankful for. I think it'll be interesting to look back over a hundred strangers and see what blessings they have in their lives. I think it can serve as an encouragement to myself (and to others?) to see this, too.

So, here is Stranger #1, Debra. I stopped at the gas station where she and a few others were performing "random acts of kindness" in the way of washing windows (not for money, purely out of kindness). So, I turned to her and just asked if she would do me a favor and participate in the photo project I'm doing. She was happy to do it!

Debra is thankful for "second chances".

I find that is something we can all be thankful for at one time or another.

Meh...

2009-08-25T06:34:00.002-05:00

Let's call a spade a spade ...

I haven't been posting regularly enough, and you haven't been reading regularly enough. I am so utterly busy in my daily life, that I can't focus on writing a blog about nothing right now.

I kind of blog in my self portraits (on Flickr) now ... in that I write random snippets about my life or my day. I am behind on blogging on my photo blog too. That one's not going away, but I think freeing myself of thinking about this blog for a while (you know, I do have a bit of guilt for not being around) will help me focus on the other places I need.

Most of you already follow me in other places. But if you don't, you've got plenty of options still: Twitter. Facebook. Flickr. Professional Photography Blog. Take your pick.

Sauces: Tomato Sauce

2009-08-23T21:42:00.003-05:00

A vlog about tomato sauce. Your life will never be the same. Oh wait, yes it will. (Oops, did I just ruin the ending?)

Door

2009-08-17T10:39:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday ...

“If your house is really a mess and a stranger comes to the door greet him with, "Who could have done this? We have no enemies."” ~Phyllis Diller

Out in the Country

2009-08-09T07:45:00.002-05:00

We took a drive about an hour outside of Memphis yesterday for a photo session. On the way back we stopped by a couple "Civil War Trails" spots. They've put up these new signs talking about different battles that took place, it's just a neat bit of history. You sometimes forget that the roads you're driving on were not always there, and that many other feet throughout history have walked where you're walking.

Here are a few pictures we took along the way (not of anything "special", just random spots that looked interesting).

I call this "feeling lucky, punk?".

Jibber Jabber

2009-08-07T21:35:00.002-05:00

It's 9:30 on a Friday night, do you know where your social life is?

I haven't been blogging very consistently lately, but I'm hoping, fingers crossed, that things will be running more smoothly now that school is starting back for the boy. Consistency! Organization! Stability! Yay!

I'm planning to make the tomato sauce this weekend. I'm a little intimidated by it. It's going to take a couple hours to cook, that's why I haven't gotten to it yet. After that, one more sauce family, and I'll be moving on to a new cooking topic. Have you guys been cooking anything new lately?

I was pretty happy with my self pics this week. (Except Monday's: I wasn't feeling well most of this week, Monday was the worst of it.) The random daily themes have really helped me find inspiration and not get bored with the project. I'm almost half way through it, if you can believe that!

Click for larger views, and details about each photo.

July was a slow month in the photography business. I have a few bookings in August. I love marketing myself. Almost all of my business has been word of mouth. Friends/clients telling friends, and some Facebook (old high school classmates, etc.). I'm passionate about it all still - the learning, the growing. It can be frustrating at times when I'm not keeping busy at it.

I think that's about all the updates I have for now. I'd love to hear how everyone else is doing! Anybody working a new project? See a new site lately? Try a new restaurant? What's new people? (And thanks in advance to the 2 people who will reply to this. Haha. I don't blame you all, my inconsistent posting makes for more lurkers than commenters!)

Ironing Out the Wrinkles

2009-08-02T21:17:00.009-05:00

You readers know I go through phases of zen and chaos. Right now, I'm in chaos again. Trying to find balance, feeling like I'm drowning in responsibilities. Nothing new, right?

Sometimes I think that surely there were times when I felt less stressed, less busy, less at my wits end. But then, I'm not exactly sure when that time was? Maybe I'm just looking back with rose-colored glasses.

Then again, I know I can't see my current situation for what it is. I know I'm very happy with the direction things are going. Despite the bumps, I'm in a good place right now and things are only getting better. I just have to learn how to balance it all.

160/365 Aug 2, originally uploaded by Crystal Chick.

Still, as I use this blog as a pseudo-confessional at times, I don't know what people must think of me. I know everyone sways, everyone goes back and forth between good and bad, ups and downs, choices that are right or wrong, easy or hard. Yet, everyone doesn't write about it for the world to see and for the world to judge. I've had people ask me about certain changes I've made (or tried to make). They don't understand why I try to make them. And certainly, it smarts at times when I don't succeed in my goals, after having shouted them from the blog-tops. So, I have started shielding myself from writing about these things. What a shame.

I know for me, I have ideas of the direction I want my life to go, but getting to these places is tough. (Places being physical, mental, spiritual, and literal in nature.) I sometimes feel like I'm on the verge of a major breakthrough, like I have this huge idea brewing inside, this "thing" I'm supposed to be doing, but I can never quite get there. It feels like a riddle I can't solve. It's tough dealing with it at times. It makes me feel lost.

Sure I am not alone in this, am I? Surely there are others out there with that feeling of "there's something big and important and full of fire & passion I'm supposed to be doing, now what is it?" On the other hand, I hope there are not a lot of others out there like that. I hope there are many people who *know* what their thing is and feel peace and joy about it. I'm getting there. Every day is another step closer.

I've been all over the place with this blog entry tonight. You can tell that the "thing" is leaving me with a feeling of unrest.

No worries, later this week I'll blog about homemade tomato sauce and all will be right in the blogworld again.

Vacation Photos!

2009-07-28T10:40:00.002-05:00

Finally got them up! Hooray!

This is only a handful of them! Eek! I got so many pictures, but I won't bore you with all 500.

Sauces: Hollandaise

2009-07-26T21:24:00.000-05:00

Sauces! More sauces! Hoorah!

Guys, I have been so busy this week. I did try a new sauce. I even uploaded the pictures for this recipe 3 days ago, in hopes of blogging about it. But, I'm doing it now, that's gotta count for something, right?

Ok, so I don't have my book in front of me. I'm going to have to do a quick Google search to give you some accurate info about Hollandaise sauce. Off the top of my head, I can tell you it's made with 4 egg yolks, a little lemon juice, and a half a cup of butter. In other words, it's a heart attack waiting to happen.

Before that night, I'd never even tasted Hollandaise sauce before, let alone made it. So I wasn't exactly sure what I was in for, or if what I was doing was coming out right. Isn't that funny?

Wikipedia says:

"Properly made, the sauce should be smooth and creamy. The flavor should be rich and buttery, with a mild tang added by the lemon juice and seasonings."

Ok, smooth & creamy, check. Rich and buttery, check. Tang of lemon juice, check again. I did find it odd to think of an egg & butter sauce with a tang of lemon juice when I made it, but it really wasn't bad.

So, the Cliffs Notes version of the recipe: I beat the egg yolks for a while with a wire whisk (I forgot how tiring that can be!). I added the lemon juice. I *slowly* added the melted butter (we don't want the egg to scramble from getting too hot too fast!). That was it.

So what did I do with this sauce? I made the very first dish that comes to mind anyone mentions Hollandaise sauce - Eggs Benedict. Now having made the sauce, I thought it was funny that I was making an egg dish and topping it with an egg sauce. Mmmm. Eggs.

After you've made the sauce, it's pretty easy - toast English Muffins (2 halves per person), fry up some Canadian bacon (2 pieces per person), poach the eggs .... *insert record screeching sound here* .... Oh yeah, that part was not incredibly easy.

This was also my first time poaching eggs. I'm sure it gets easier with practice, but mine came out kind of lumpy and stringy (though they tasted just fine!). Below you'll see the one and only egg that came out looking purdy.

Ok, back to the deliciousness. Even J loved it. I was actually worried that he wouldn't, but I think he convince himself in the grocery store that it'd be great because he watched an episode of iCarly once where someone went to Canada and ate Canadian bacon, and later made Eggs Benedict. lol. Whatever works.

Note: While J was eating, I asked him if he needed more sauce to which he replied: "There's sauce on this?". I guess he thought it was all just yolk (which is his fave part of a fried egg).

How do you guys feel about Eggs Benedict? What else have you eaten Hollandaise sauce on?

From Poofy, To J

2009-07-24T16:27:00.002-05:00

This is for J, since he won't be here this weekend to watch Poofy's every move.

Poofy from Crystal Chick on Vimeo.

What We've Been Reading

2009-07-23T08:28:00.003-05:00

Does summertime mean more reading for you child? Eh, not really in our house. I still read J a chapter from a book at bedtime each night, no matter the time of year. He reads sporadically on his own. Actually, I make him read more during the school year. He earns time to play video games by reading books. Summer is more carefree, I guess. Though he does read books and magazines intermittently. Here is what J has been reading lately:

Magic Tree House series - We started reading this series when he was 5 (though I read it to him back then. now he can finish it himself in an hour.) He still loves this series 5 years later. We have all the books. (What number are we up to? 42? I can't keep up!) I recommend them for ages 5-10. I love that the author takes history or real places, and turns it into an adventure that kids can understand. They come out having learned a little something while reading the book.

39 Clues - Book 4 just came out not too long ago, and we've just started reading it. This is an exciting series. Think National Treasure for kids. Two kids are under the guardianship of their great aunt. Their fave relative (grandmother) dies, and in her will leaves a clue to some great "prize". They end up going around the world, chasing clues, avoiding the other "teams" plots to take them down. This is also a book series that mixes in a lot of history - famous historical figures and events are discussed constantly, usually as part of their clues. I'd say ages 8 and up, because sometimes the reading is a little difficult.

Chronicles of Narnia - We just started reading this series just recently. We read The Magician's Nephew first, and just finished The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. What amazing writing. I read this aloud to J at bedtime, and I'm just as enthralled as he is. It's a difficult read at times, and I do have to stop and explain some things. An amazing classic series.

Random other books J likes:
Super Fudge - J loved this one.
A Dog on Barkham Street - I don't know how we acquired this book. I think my dad brought it home from a yard sale or something. But J loved it. It was a classic "here's how boys used to spend their summers" story.
Dr. Doolittle - Another book that kicks the pants off the movie. Very wacky and imaginative. J really enjoyed this one too.
Goosebumps - My nephew (7) enjoys the Goosebumps books, and J likes them occasionally. My nephew is more into the scary stuff than J is though.
The Candy Shop War - Mysterious and magical. Ages 9 and up.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - We have all the books (there are 3 or 4, I can't remember). Written like a boy's journal of his day-to-day happenings at school. Reads like a comic strip, I think.

What books are your kids reading? What books do you recommend (classic or current)? What were you reading when you were 10 years old?

Planting a Garden

2009-07-22T16:57:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago, I bought some seeds. I planted them indoors in makeshift newspaper pots (biodegradeable! so you can just transfer it straight to the garden when the seedlings break through!)

I borrowed a tiller from a co-worker. He has a farm. He knows a thing or two about tilling.

Today I finally got around to planting the seedlings. This is my very first garden. I can't keep plants alive, so it'll be interesting to see if this is a success or not.

Come on, little seedlings!!!

Now I'm going to wash my hands, and run to the grocery. I'm cooking up a new sauce tonight that I'll be blogging about later.

149/365 July 22, originally uploaded by Crystal Chick.

Vaca Pics Coming Soon!

2009-07-20T08:29:00.002-05:00

I'm back from a vacation that was way too short! (Aren't they always?) As soon as I get caught up, I'll have photos to share! Weee!

Still dreaming of the sand between my toes.

Sunset on our last night at the beach.

Sauces: Veloute

2009-07-13T22:43:00.000-05:00

Boy, I sure picked a nice time to delve into sauces. I'm going to the beach next week! Surely, it's got to be better for me than a Big Mac though, right? (For the record, I don't eat Big Macs. I'm more of a Baconator gal.)

Moving right along to our second sauce - Veloute. I made a variation of the Veloute called Supreme. (Sorry, I don't have accent marks on my keyboard to properly spell these terms.) Once again, I'm making a chicken dish, I'm using what I already have in my house, if that's ok with you readers. I can't get to the grocery for a while.

So, what is Veloute? Well, remember how I said these mother sauces were basically a liquid and a thickener? Veloute is made up of Chicken, Fish or Veal stock (liquid) and a roux (flour/butter mixture, thickener). Now I'm cooking with stocks, this is why I wanted to *start* with stocks, so I'd be ahead of the game. Instead I used chicken broth from my cabinet tonight.

I put my chicken stock on to boil. J yells from the other room: "Yum! I smell ramen noodles!" Sorry, kiddo, it's not ramen tonight.

Here I've added my roux to the chicken broth. I'm sure you've made (or you're mom has made) something like this before. It's almost like a chicken gravy. But, wait ... it gets better!

Next, I'm supposed to add it to cream, but all I have is whole milk (well, I have vanilla soy milk too, but that's not going to cut it here). So, I stir in a little of the HOT Veloute to the milk. (If you add it all at once, you'll cause your milk to curdle from getting too hot too fast.) After I've stirred in a little, I pour the rest in. It shouldn't need a lot of seasoning here, as the chicken broth gives it flavor.

Chicken broth + Roux = Veloute
Veloute + Cream = Supreme Sauce

Got it? Good.

I then pounded out a piece of chicken breast, lightly covered it with salt, pepper, & flour, and fried it in just a little oil & fresh garlic. (I followed the recipe here. He also sautes mushrooms to go along with it. I don't like mushrooms, but I can imagine it'd be great with them if you do like them!)

The finished product. Serve it up with veggies of your choice.

It was really delicious. And I will try my best to make something NOT chicken next.

How's it going out there so far?

Sauces: Bechamel

2009-07-07T18:57:00.005-05:00

I really wanted to kick off this cooking extravaganza with a stock. That's the reason I've delayed posting any entries yet. I've been trying to find a few hours to spare for cooking the stock. You know, bones in a pot ... they need hours to get the flavor out.

In lieu of a homemade stock, I'm skipping ahead to sauces. Chef (our teacher) used to say one of the main questions he'd ask a prospect during a job interview was to name the mother sauces. I'll be honest, until I cracked this book open again, I couldn't remember.

Bechamel
Veloute
Espagnole
Tomato
Hollandaise

These are the five mother sauces. Each is basically comprised of a liquid and a thickener. If you add various seasonings & ingredients to each of these leading sauces you get different compound sauces.

For example, tonight's focus is the Bechamel. This sauce is made up of milk (the liquid) & roux (a flour/butter mixture to thicken it). If I add cheese to this, I get what's called Mornay sauce. Mornay belongs to the Bechamel family. There are other variations on the Bechamel, but what I made below is the Mornay.

Bechamel (before adding the cheese)

So what I said above is the nutshell version of what this sauce is. Bechamel is really made up of more than just milk & roux. The ingredient list from the book reads: "onion piquet" (which is 1/4 onion stuck with a whole clove and a bay leaf), milk, flour & butter (roux!!), salt & white pepper, nutmeg. It is really simple to make.

I did a search for recipes using Mornay sauce. I came across so many recipes that didn't break the sauce out like you see above. Instead, the recipes called for different canned cream soups. Since the point is for me to practice cooking from scratch more, that wasn't the way I wanted to go. Then I found a recipe for Chicken Divan (sort of a chicken & broccoli casserole). You can view the recipe here if you're interested in making it. The only part I left out was the bread on the bottom.

So, I made my Mornay sauce (milk, roux, cheese), I poached my chicken & diced it up. Then I layered everything in a baking dish. Baked, and done! It probably took me a half hour to prepare the dish, then less than a half hour to bake (the chicken is already cooked, so you're really just getting it hot and melty in the oven).

As I was making the sauce and tasting it, I realized that this is very similar, if not the same, as the sauce we use to make Mac & Cheese from scratch using my son's cookbook (Williams Sonoma Fun Food).

Ok, so your turn to weigh in. What are your favorite sauces? How do you like to use them?

Up next... Veloute.

Blowing Bubbles

2009-07-01T21:56:00.002-05:00

I've said it before - you can't not be happy when you're blowing bubbles.

127/365 June 30, originally uploaded by Crystal Chick.

Turns out, that's true for blowing bubbles in your glass, too. Try it! I dare you! Remember when we were kids, and your parents hated when you did this?

As a parent, I really try to be aware of the little things that bring a kid joy (even if it gets on my nerves!!). I try to just let him be... let him have his moment of childhood pleasure. Pick your battles, ya know?

It's not always easy. Or so we've convinced ourselves. Who cares if they make a little ruckus? I have a kid that cannot walk through a store without playing some sort of invisible battle the whole way through. When I see other parents with kids like this, I just laugh. When I see parents who's kids just sit there, I worry!

I know, every kid is different. But my kid will catch more flack for being creative and wacky than the kid who sits quietly in class. Even if my kid is smarter. (Oh yeah, I went there.)

And in the words of my son ... That's not fair. ;)

Friday Five

2009-06-26T06:16:00.003-05:00

Return of the Friday Five... if I've got any active readers left out there.

1. Where are you going on vacation this year?
2. What is your favorite Michael Jackson song? (RIP MJ)
3. Which condiment do you use most often?
4. What do you do to save energy in your home?
5. What is your favorite restaurant to eat breakfast (and what do you get!)?

And for a little randomness, I thought I'd share my top 5 viewed photos on Flickr. Click for larger view.

#5 Baby Butt Crack
Uploaded 6/21/09, 160 views
I thought this one would sore to #2 in no time. People love some baby butt crack.

#4 Main Street Trolley
Uploaded 8/24/08, 170 views
This is one I still need to have printed for my wall.

#3 Me + Chocolate Cake
Uploaded 10/17/08, 175 views
I don't know if it's me, or if it's the chocolate cake...

#2 Selfie, Underwater
Uploaded 4/2/09, 196 views

...and finally, the #1 most viewed picture by a landslide...
Floating
Uploaded 4/1/09, 828 views

Kitchen Staples

2009-06-24T06:13:00.002-05:00

Let the cooking adventure begin!

Well, almost... Before I can cook anything, I need to check my cupboards.

...Herbs, spices, flour, sugar, oils...

The usual suspects. Whenever possible, I'm going to use fresh herbs (dried herbs really have a different flavor). See Exhibit A - my rosemary plant. I just transplanted it to this pitcher tonight, and it made my whole kitchen smell fragrant. (By the way, growing your own herbs is inexpensive and it saves you lots of money not buying it at the store.)

Do you know the difference between an herb and a spice? They both come from plants used for flavoring foods. We get herbs from plants' leaves, stems or flowers, and we get spices from bark, roots, seeds, buds or berries. (Dill is an example of a plant that can be used as an herb or a spice, we use it's leaves and seeds.)

When I moved, I cleaned out a lot of expired seasonings I had, so I'm slowly replenishing my stock. One item my cupboard is never without is Cavender's. It's a seasoning blend, and I use it on everything - from green beans, to hamburgers, to roasted potatoes. What's your favorite herb or spice? What's your favorite seasoning blend?

Recent Uploads

2009-06-21T19:23:00.002-05:00

A few pictures I've uploaded to Flickr recently that you need to see.

Click for larger view:

Camera Bag

2009-06-20T08:20:00.002-05:00

Yay! I won a new camera bag. This is the one I'm getting:
Meridian

But here's the (good, cool, awesome!!) catch... I get to pick out the fabric design. Woot! I can choose anything from here under $10/yd:
eQuilter.com

I've only browsed a little bit so far, and it's gonna be a tough choice! What are YOUR faves?

Alright, I'm dashing out the door to a photo shoot. I'll share my faves later!

Sooner, Rather Than Later

2009-06-18T09:03:00.003-05:00

Should the T in "than" be capitalized in the title of this post? I'm having mixed feelings about it. That's not the point of this post, so let's get right to it, shall we?

113/365 June 17, originally uploaded by Crystal Chick.

This weekend I'm going to the grocery store. Contain your excitement, people! That's not even the news! As I was digging through my spare room, cleaning out boxes, reminiscing about days gone by, I came across the book we used in my cooking courses. For a while, I've had in the back of my mind that I wanted to run through the book again trying out the recipes & techniques. Of course, that takes time... and actually digging the book out of my spare room.

Now that one part of that equation is complete, I figured it's time to make time! I'm going to start from the beginning (reviewing kitchen staples, basic techniques) and move through every chapter. I'll be blogging about it, of course (else why bother even telling you, right?). You will be able to (re)learn techniques and recipes with me along the way. Rediscover the lost art of cooking from scratch.

Be warned: These recipes will not likely be "healthy" in terms of low fat, low calories. But they will probably be better for you than "from the box" versions you buy at the grocery store. Some recipes take a lot of time.

I think my biggest challenge will be posting pictures that give the steps in the recipes justice. I like to get in the zone while I'm cooking ... make a mess ... multi-task (as in, have 3 skillets going at once, not as in take a picture while I'm stirring a pot). So, this will be an interesting challenge for me.

I'm not putting a time limit on this (ie. a year) because I sat down with the book, and tried to make a time line, and it was just too complicated. So, it might take a year, it might take two. I might get a cooking itch and finish it in six months (so not gonna happen!).

I always welcome your comments, thoughts, opinions, techniques along the way, as well!

FF - Day 1

2009-06-17T07:24:00.003-05:00

Day one on the Fat Flush Plan is complete. Only 13 to go.

112/365 June 16, originally uploaded by Crystal Chick.

Day 1 of the FF complete. There were good moments and bad moments. Moments of complete brain fogginess, and moments of ecstasy (whenever I ate my meals).

The Fat Flush isn't a fast. I'm eating. I'm just eating differently. I have no breads, no salts, no sugars (except in certain fruits). I drink a lot of cran-water, eat lean protein, fruits, and lots of veggies.

Right now my body is just confused - it wants Fruit Loops for breakfast, and Wendy's for lunch, and Diet Cokes all in between.

One battle for me is completely mental. I'm already preparing for the compromises I'll want to make. Sunday is my birthday ... which means good food, and dessert. At work, I told them just to get me Angel Food Cake with Strawberries - that way if I'm still hanging in there on the diet, I can eat the berries (and my mind just said "and nibble on the cake?").

Yeah, I probably shouldn't have started this the week of my birthday. But, I kept putting it off, so now was as good as ever.

Brain Fog

2009-06-16T08:24:00.003-05:00

Time to dust out the cobwebs...

112/365 June 15, originally uploaded by Crystal Chick.

Today I'm starting the Fat Flush Plan. I've been eating so much junk - fast food, processed food, Diet Coke - I'm just in a major brain fog. I tried this cleanse a few years ago, but I only lasted 3 days. When it comes to food, I "live in the moment". But it's catching up to me, and I need to train myself to "live for the long run".

I was hesitant to even mention the cleanse here because I don't want to come back in 3 days and report that I've fallen off the wagon and swallowed the jar of jelly beans whole. I also am sensitive to negative feedback, and so I'm wary of those out there that will want to chime in with their opinions against what I'm doing.

I'm just trying to take steps to become healthier, and for me right now, that means breaking the caffeine/sugar/fat addiction. If I can make it through the Phase 1 (2 weeks), I'll start eating less processed food & cooking more at home. I've planned a new cooking project that I'll be blogging about once I get through this, and I think you guys will enjoy it.

For now, I have to focus on making it through these first couple days - withdrawals are not fun.

After the Storm

2009-06-12T20:34:00.002-05:00

The storm tonight was a doozy. My parents are still without electricity. A huge limb fell right next to my car. (Given my car problems, I am surprised it didn't fall right on top of it!)

Now that the storm has passed, let's take a moment to soak in the beauty of the sunset.

To my right: Grey clouds linger. But here's a clue: Look at the nearest house. Can you see the warm light reflecting off of it?

Turning to my left now...

Isn't it beautiful?

My new birdbath. (thanks mom)

And my new flowers (again ... thx mom)

After every storm, the sun will smile...
--William R. Alger