Bend, Oregon Photographer, || Just a little morning at home.

Not all family portraits need to be in a studio - or out in some grassy field. 

Sometimes - what you want  to capture can be done during a simple morning at home. I was given that opportunity by this family - and I was thrilled to create these images for them. Truly - my idea of the perfect session!

What would a morning at YOUR home look like in images? You might be surprised!

Bend Oregon Photographer || Oh yes, we did!

Seriously. 

I wish I'd gotten through editing all of these photographs today... because if I had, I'd be showing off at least 50 images of adorable cuteness. 

As it were... you get this one.

Oh, don't worry... you'll see more of this little princess soon! 

Bend, Oregon Photographer || The Mama Gene. It's real.

I just got done putting our 2011 family album together - and I noticed that there's been a shift in our family photographs. Several years ago - there were so many great candid photos. I used to take my camera (my good, pro camera) everywhere. I'd grab shots of nearly everything we do. In the last year or so - not as much. There were way fewer images of us just hanging out, or things around the house.

Don't get me wrong - there were tons of great images of our family... but not the ones I really love. The ones that tug on the Mama Gene every time I see them. These are the images (truth be told) that typically make my Black and White gallery wall in my home. Little moments. Goofy faces. 

{sigh} I love my family. My boys are knuckle heads. 

So. I've decided {not resolved - too easy to ignore}, to keep the good camera handy again. Grab the little shots I love. Like this morning. Not THIS morning... but the morning you see here. Thank goodness I've trained my boys well. I was so gratified and thankful when I sneak up on these two having serious Lego Negotiations over dividing a long-lost box of Legos - click the shutter... and without any pause in their action, without turning a head, nor batting an eye (that I could tell), I hear a "oh, hi Mom!" 

And the negotiations continue... 

And my Mama Gene flutters... 

Bend, Oregon Photography || Nine whole months of sweetness!

Happy 9-month-day, Mr. O!

Thanks for bringing your family in to visit me...

Thanks for being so darned cute.

Thanks for not eliminating on my rug.

What a great day for SCONES!

It's a cold, blustery Snow-Day Wednesday, and it seems to be the perfect day to write about something indulgent!

My love affair with scones started many years ago.  Nineteen, in fact.

It was my junior year at Willamette University and I spent it in London with a handful of other American college students on exchange. What a semester. It was a fantastic program - we had culture coming out of our ears... I developed a love of several things British:

Guinness.

Tea (with milk).
I drink this every day since coffee no longer agrees with me... I prefer regular ol' Tetley British Tea. Great flavor.

Scones.

My favorites are the classic British scones - not too sweet - with currants. I really don't care for the ones in stores that try to be dry, crumbly muffins. I love the classic scone flavors. I've yet to find the perfect scone here... and I try plenty.

This is the scone book I've had forever. Like most recipe books - we've settled into our favorites... and the Jam-Filled Walnut Scones have earned top-spot at the Teichrow household.

My cooking style tends to be a bit loose (dash of this, splash of that...), but not when it comes to baking. Here's the precise recipe - sorry. Too lazy to retype.

If you've never made scones - follow the photographs for tips I've found helpful for successful scones.

Enjoy!

My pantry is stocked with most of the ingredients for these scones, except buttermilk. When that goes in the shopping cart - my boys get excited. They know what's coming in the morning!

I think one of the main techniques to get a feel for is cutting in the chilled butter. This is the dough just nearly done. You can still see some chunks of butter (real, unsalted butter - don't go healthy with margarine....). I gave this a few more turns with the pastry blender before I added the buttermilk & vanilla. NOTE: I've used 2 butter knives to cut in the butter as well... works just as well. 

Mix the dough JUST until combined. Don't over mix. This is another part where you'll just have to get a feel for it (and shoot... make a few batches YUM). Keep some flour on hand for when you press into the larger circle. Use a serrated knife to cut into equal triangles - and again, cut slits for the jam (see below).

This seems to work great for me. Two teaspoons - I scoop a bit of jam in one, then open the slit up with both and scrape the jam with the other. Pictures are so much easier to illustrate this, no?
NOTE: Some recipes call for baking the scones as you see here - together, and not separated. I think you could do either for this recipe - but personally, I like the crispy edges and tender middle, so we separate the scones. If you bake them together, you may need to bake for the longer time.... 

More for a pretty picture... here they are separated and ready to put on the cookie sheet (lightly buttered - but you could use parchment paper or a silpat). You can see the chunks of butter still intact... this makes for flaky yumminess!

Be careful to not slit the scones too far in the back (do as I say, not as I do... this one was cut a bit far back). The only issue, the jam can dribble out of the back.

Ready to bake.

Ready to EAT! See, they do puff out a bit. 

Perfectly yummy. Watch the baking time. While my husband disagreed.... I thought these cooked about 2 minutes too long. I went for 19 instead of 17.

A note on the photography: As professional photographer, of course I pride myself on my photographs. As a mom, I like to keep things simple. I've bridged the gap and have shot this particular session during a busy Sunday morning preparing breakfast for the family with my "point and shoot" camera - my Canon G12. I love this thing, and I hope you love the images.

You hungry?

No, you aren't seeing double – meet Rex & Cinnamon. They are our 3 year old Shih-Tzu's... well technically they belong to our boys (this designation really helps in the chore department). And yes, they are way overdue for some love from Kelly at Precious Paws!

They actually don't really like looking at the camera - and they need bribes to do it. 

So... 

"You hungry?"

{click}

And now it's my turn for breakfast. I'm hungry!

I'm no Martha. Not even a Rachel. But I do love food.

I love food. I love to have time to plan for meals, shop for ingredients and lovingly prepare balanced tasty & beautiful food for my family in a warm and aromatic kitchen. However, more often than not, I find myself frantically scouring the fridge for something that will somewhat resemble an evening meal for my family. Thank goodness for a stocked pantry. Oh, my poor husband who often walks in from a long day at work to a cold kitchen.

{sigh}

I know many of you are fans of Pinterest - the (relatively) new virtual bulletin board phenomenon. I'll admit I'm addicted. I love the beautiful photos of all sorts of inspiring things. Not the least of which are recipes. Beautiful, yummy-looking recipes. Gorgeous photography of food & techniques.

I'll admit - I'm "Pin-spired."

I've recently tried out delicious zucchini "boats," energy bars & I'm dying to try these roasted swedish potato things... Mmmmm.

Yes. I love food.

I also happen to love photography. I have found myself thinking in terms of Pins - and combining some of our family favorites with beautiful photography & throwing it up there on Pinterest.

So, why not live the dream, right? Really, my intention isn't to turn this blog into the next Pioneer Woman
(good golly - I'm not nearly that polished!) - but I do think it will be a fun creative project to post a recipe now and again - paired with great photography. And, if a few of you happen to throw it up on Pinterest...
Oh my. I think I'd just about pass out.

Here's my recipe for tabouli, 

Marianne - it's pronounced tuh-boo-lee

a mediterranean salad my mom has made for years 

(and just so happens to be both yummy and healthy).

Recipe follows the photos, and bear with me, my style of recipe writing isn't an exact science.

Did I mention I love parsley?

Viola! Tabouli. You can get a sense of proportions that I like from this image... lots of parsley, not too many grains.

You'll need:
– bulgar wheat (about 1 cup dry - then cook it - here's how - not to mention all you ever need to know about Tabouli, including all 18 ways to spell it & about 20 variations on the recipe!).
– 1 bunch of fresh parsley - rinsed and chopped well.
– 1 can garbanzo beans, I rinse mine
– tomatoes... diced to your liking. Amount, to your liking... for this I typically use a big handful of grape tomatoes diced in about 4 pieces each. Sometimes its simply a matter of what I've got on hand.
– Juice from 1-2 lemons (avoid the seeds)
– Olive oil. Oh man, I drizzle until just right (helpful, no?). I think I'd start with 3-4 T... if it tastes dry - add a bit more.
– Salt and pepper to taste

Mix it all up. Its best if you let it marinate at least an hour. It can tend to dry out the next day - as the wheat soaks up the dressing. Have extra lemon and olive oil handy to refresh.

Play with the proportions. I added fresh mint to my last batch (I happened to have it on hand and needed to use it up). I also love fresh parsley... but some folks prefer the recipe heavier on the grains, and lighter on the greens.

Oh so graceful... I think I'd snap in two.

I enjoyed my time with Sam & Rose for the current True North Parenting issue - very much. It was an interesting shoot... I got to spend time doing what I'm passionate about - as did my models. 

Sam's strength and grace came through - and I'm pleased to share one of my personal favorite images from the shoot. You can see the rest of the shoot in print - or here at True North online! 

Circles Colliding!

I love working with folks I know from other circles in my life! It's particularly fun when I adore them! 

Meet Grace & Joni - two beautiful women who work at my boys' school (GO Jewell Jaguars!). They fell behind my lens (and in front of the Sparkle Lights!) over the holidays at the annual Home for the Holiday's party - and I'm so glad! 

This was such a great event - festive and beautiful - and it immediately hurled me about 10 years into my future when my boys are coming home from college for Christmas. To be honest - I'm not sure how I really felt about that part - but I will say it did bless me with a very real sense of how quickly time passes -and how much I enjoy my young (but not tiny) boys. 

Thanks Grace, for the invitation... and for wrangling your young fella in front of the lens! He's a handsome one!

Photography Class starts next week – register today!

Are you ready to learn a bit about that fancy camera you own?

Next week starts the first of 3 opportunities to take my beginning photography class this winter! This class is geared to the digital photographer who would like to know more about how photography works, why the settings affect the look of an image and what that little button "over there" does...

It is structured in four, 2-hour classes to give you the opportunity to really absorb what you learn - and not just remember it during class hours!

Register today through Bend Parks & Rec -

Dates, times and details are here