Making biscuits [Wenatchee food photography]

Called 7-UP biscuits or Popeye's Biscuits, these are super easy, with only 4 ingredients. The recipe is everywhere on the internet and I saw it at Cooks.com. Pair these with a homemade soup or chili on a snowy, cold Wenatchee winter night and you can't go wrong. We made Chicken Corn Chowder (recipe coming soon) and ate well the whole weekend.

Winter Wonderland [Wenatchee photography]

Winter has finally come to Wenatchee. Thanks for visiting Winter, we need to break up. It's not me, it's definitely you, now, buh-bye!

Peanut Butter Mud Bars [Wenatchee food photography]

When I found this recipe on the Bake or Break blog, I knew it would move immediately to the "make right away" mental list I keep running. Friday night was the first down time I've had in a while and despite the big snow we have right now, I ventured out for all the ingredients. It wasn't the easiest recipe but really nothing to shy away from and SO WORTH IT. Very good, rich, and with a cold glass of milk, really deserving "awesome dessert" status. I will make these again.

First birthday [Wenatchee photography + design]

Just flew to Austin, TX (and boy, are my arms tired! Ba-da-bing!) to visit my friends and clients, the Zavalas, for a whole mess 'o photo takin'. Asher turned ONE. Alex turned FOUR. We toured a bit of the city (they just moved there, so are learning it themselves.) We ate GOOD BBQ, GREAT Banh Mi (OMG my new favorite food) and visited one cool animal sanctuary. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Wish we'd had more time, but I know I'll be there again. Already looking forward to it.

Below, Asher tasting frosting and cake for the very first time.

Friday 5 [Wenatchee photography + design]

1. My talented and ambitious friend, Tara Pollard Pakosta, issued herself a bit of a challenge for 2012. She wants to run/walk/elliptical (ie: MOVE) 1,000 miles during the year. When I saw her Facebook post, I did a little math to see if I thought it sounded doable. It’s about 2.7 miles per day for 366 days (remember 2012 is a leap year,) so I am doing the challenge as well. I started a day late (didn’t see her post until Jan. 2) so went extra long to catch up and even pass what I need for this week. I’m a champ coming out of the gate but 44 years of history have taught me sustaining just about anything is difficult, so this will be a trial. I think I can do it, I’ve been logging miles almost every day for 8 months already, so it’s not a resolution, just a continuation of good habits hopefully made even better.
2. I’m heading to Austin, TX next week for a photoshoot with the lovely Zavala family. I’ve always wanted to visit Austin, have heard it’s a cool little/big city with a lot of character, so am excited to see if that’s true. (photo via http://www.aroundtownaustin.com/.)
3. Love when I get to practice something I'm interested in and I have a willing model. Usually my kids are tired of being my models, but I have one interested in everything fashion and modeling so she's an easy sell. I just gotta' ask (and sometimes buy a new outfit...) I wanted to shoot what is called "highkey" -- a very light, bright style, so we found a way to do it on the cheap: two white sheets, one clipped to our patio overhang and one on the ground. All that beautiful soft winter light bouncing everywhere!
4. I don’t believe in making resolutions for the new year. I think when you decide you want to change something, you should just do it. To quote William James: “To change one’s life: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly. No exceptions.” It is a coincidence that I came across the One Hundred Pushups program at the beginning of the year. I have always loved pushups. I could never do one, until starting to work out, and I quickly discovered I love them. They make you feel like a badass. I want to be able to do 100. In a row. This app is the perfect incremental training coach, so I am on board!
5. Daily Mile is a great, easy-to-use website for logging your miles and workouts. It has charts and reports and statistics galore. Fun ones too: like how many donuts your last workout burned, or how many gallons of gas you've saved with your mileage. It's the little things that help keep it fun. Check it out and stay motivated.