Seeing winter, dreaming of spring

As I write this, central Indiana is bracing for a record-breaking snowfall: 5-10 inches, to be exact. Last year's winter was unusually mild, so I think we're just paying for it this year. Hopefully that means next year will be normal, and March 24 will actually FEEL like spring.

Until spring actually arrives, I'll keep dreaming. And making big pots of warming soup. Last night's was a delicious Italian Wedding Soup from Eating Well. I'm trying to get past my aversion to handling raw meat, so making the meatballs for this soup was a test of that self-education.

Let these photos of a flower bouquet put a little spring in your heart, no matter what Mother Nature is doing outside.

Winter wonderland

This is what December in central Indiana is supposed to look like: blanketed in white, perfect snow. We sure got it this week!

In the last four days, two storms have dropped a total of about 12 inches of snow on my neighborhood. The first consisted of heavy, thick snow that the family across the street used to make an impressive igloo/fort. The second fell last night in big, fluffy, light flakes that settled gently on everything, with no wind to disturb it.

Not long after daybreak this morning, I took my camera out for a little trip around the yard. Few people were stirring, and the snow plows hadn't come through yet—so the neighborhood was beautiful, still, and the muffled quiet that we only experience with the insulation of snow.

A perfect winter wonderland!

Come January 2, though, I'll be ready for it to be 75°F and sunny again!

Eat your Brussels sprouts

As a child (okay, and as a teenager, too), I was one of those kids whose picky-eater tendencies give parents migraines.

We had to pick restaurants that served chicken nuggets or spaghetti—and they had to allow me to have the sauce on the side, in case it didn't taste like Prego.

I carried a Subway cold-cut sandwich into a Chinese restaurant on more than one occasion.

I ate a plain bagel and cream cheese for lunch every. single. day of fourth grade.

When I started college, I decided that I needed to learn how to like salad. Because it's one food that you can find at just about any restaurant, so it would ensure that I could eat out with friends.

So today, when I tell you this next statement, you understand how significant it is:

I love Brussels sprouts!

Many people are scarred by unfortunate experiences with these miniature cabbages. They tell sad tales of slimy, smelly, overcooked vegetables they were force-fed as a child. And I don't doubt that it happened. I don't have anything like that to relate—I just avoided vegetables in general. Thankfully, I now adore vegetables and am becoming a much more adventurous eater.

If you share a similar abhorrence, I ask you to give these beautiful vegetables one more chance—because if you roast these babies, they become sweet and crispy. No slime to be found.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts

2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 t each Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano

1/4 t dried Garlic

(or your favorite blend of herbs)

Grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray.

Cut dry/hard stem ends (usually 1/4") off each sprout, and remove any wilted outer leaves. Slice each sprout in half, or quarters if they're as large as a golf ball. You want them to all be about the same size, so they'll cook in the same amount of time. 

Place cut sprouts in a gallon zip-top bag. Pour in olive oil and add herbs. Seal bag and toss/tumble the sprouts inside, ensuring all get coated with the oil and herbs. 

Dump bag of sprouts onto cookie sheet and spread out in an even single layer.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pan and toss the sprouts. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the edges brown and become crispy. A fork should easily slide into the core of a sprout.

Serve, sprinkling with parmesan cheese.

Delicious!

Fresh pomegranates in season

Let's start this post with a little two-question poll:

1. Have you ever bought, opened, and eaten a fresh pomegranate?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Maybe, but I'm so consumed with holiday stress that I can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning.

2. If you have at least attempted to open and eat a fresh pomegranate, did you think it was (multiple answers are allowed):
a. Interesting, fun, intriguing
b. Tasty
c. More work than it was worth
d. A mess that left me and/or my kitchen covered in red juice
e. Too intimidating; it went bad before I got to it

Until last year, I would have answered B to number one and E to number two. Then, after watching an inspiring episode (as I find so many to be!) of Alton Brown's Good Eats, I braved the task of opening this mysterious red fruit and was hooked.

Many people just associate pomegranates with the curvy bottles of juice on the grocery shelf but have never had fresh arils (unless perhaps they came atop a fancy dish at a fancy restaurant). I was talking to a desk-neighbor at work one day last week, and she offhandedly mentioned that she doesn't like fresh pomegranates and finds them to be more work than they're worth.

Here's my trick: I buy multiples at a time (usually about three), spend a few minutes opening all of them up at once, then store the separated arils in the fridge for easy access. Stored in an airtight container with a damp paper towel on top, the arils will keep for several weeks.

You can juice them and make your own fresh pomegranate juice (I haven't taken it that far), cook with them (haven't honestly done that yet, either), or just enjoy them in their delicious fresh state. My favorite ways to use them involve sprinkling handfuls on:
- Salads
- Coleslaw
- Greek yogurt
- Ice cream

If you've never tried a fresh pomegranate before, do it! They're in season now and can be easily found at your neighborhood grocery store.

If you have tried them, what did you think? What are your favorite ways to use or eat them?

129/365 Playing squirrels

My yard is a playground for squirrels. While watching these two, I learned that the trees are close enough that they can jump from one to the next without touching the ground.

I started watching them through one window on the north side of my house. I grabbed my camera, waiting for them to chase each other back to my visible side of the tree, but they disappeared. It wasn't until I saw their shadows that I realized they had made it to a tree two away from where they were.

How cool would it be to have the trees be your playground like that? To not have to return to the ground unless you needed to, and to have the confidence to leap from one (small!) branch to the next.

They looked like they were having great fun, but I wished they'd hang out a little closer so I could photograph them some more!

Camera: Canon 40D with 70-300mm IS lens, 1/250s, f/8 at ISO 100 at about 12:00 p.m.

128/365 A little handmade Christmas gift

Merry Christmas Eve!

This day has always been one of my favorites. I actually like it more than Christmas Day. For me, Christmas Eve contains all of the excitement and anticipation. My family has always had fun traditions on Christmas Eve, including dinner together, opening stockings, and watching a good movie (which is usually a big action flick so the boys will be interested!). Christmas Day is great, but our traditions are so laid-back that after we've opened the gifts under the tree, the holiday is pretty much complete.

Call me a sucker for delayed gratification, but Christmas Eve is my favorite!

I love giving homemade gifts, so I pulled out my tools and made some earrings for a girlfriend this year. She's pregnant, expecting in the spring, so this is something that will fit, no matter when she wants to wear them!

And I had to make a pair for myself, too. Couldn't resist.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens and 430EX Speedlite, 1/100s, f/2.8 at ISO 500

127/365 Snowflakes on the window

I've been waiting for the perfect day to try photographing snowflakes. This day was far from perfect, but it at least gave me a chance to give it a try! I'm looking forward to another day and location to do it again.

This photo reminds me of being a kid and finding things around the house to look at through the lens of a microscope. I distinctly remember being amazed to see the difference between sugar and salt on that scale, since they look so similar at a normal distance. Human hair was another object that was always fun to see on a microscopic level.


I find that same feeling goes with looking through a telescope. The first time I saw the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn with my own two eyes for the first time is something I'll never forget -- and those were sightings through a home telescope. I took astronomy during my freshman year of college, and we got to spend an evening gazing through the telescope on campus -- the largest in the state, and one of the largest in the world. Talk about mind-boggling! Seeing something with your own eyes that you've only read about in science books is pretty amazing.

Do you have a memory like this? Do you remember looking through a microscope for one of the first times, discovering an entire world under your nose? Or have you been amazed to see for yourself what in science books seemed so foreign?

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens, 1/100s, f/2.8 at ISO 500 at about 5:30 p.m.

126/365 Koi in a frozen pond

This shot makes me think of those scenes in natural-disaster movies where people are trying to a) run from a thundering avalanche, b) escape the lava flow from an erupting volcano, or maybe c) gather a few last gulps of air before their car sinks under water.

Maybe I've watched one too many action movies?

I was photographing a pond when I happened to look down and see this school of vibrant koi near the surface of the unfrozen water. The color took me by complete surprise. (I think I actually said "oh!" audibly. Good thing no one was nearby!) I love finding reserves of bright color in the winter!

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/125s, f/8 at ISO 100 at about 12:45 p.m.

123/365 First snowfall

We've had our first measurable snowfall of the season! If that doesn't wake you up and make you realize it's December, I don't know what will.

Early Saturday morning, as I was gathering ingredients to make five dozen cookies for a party the next day (more on that subject later), I got a call from my grandmother with a tip for this photo opportunity. She let me know that their holly bush in the front yard looked absolutely perfect with the light snow settling on top, and if I wanted to stop by, please do!

How could I pass that up?

So I ventured out, with my purple wellies, heavy coat, hat, gloves, and umbrella to shield my camera and lens. After a few chilly minutes, I came away with some shots that I'm very happy with. I'm thinking you may see this on a holiday card next year!


Thanks to Grandma for the tip!

Now excuse me while I go find some Christmas music to play...

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens, 1/100s, f/5.6 at ISO 100 under cloudy skies at about 12:00 p.m.

338/365 Hidden letter in a chair

This letter certainly isn't hiding, is it?

My decorating taste tends to favor rich, saturated colors (as you can easily see here). My kitchen features a turquoise accent wall, a bright red chair, and this bright yellow chair.

I can definitely say that it's been nice to be surrounded by cheery color through the long, gray, winter days. I don't feel like I'm terribly impacted by the seasonal affective disorder, but I absolutely know that my spirits lift when the sun shines.

Have you used any tricks to keep your spirits up through the winter?

Camera: Canon 40D with 430EX Speedlite, 1/250s, f/4.5 at ISO 400

325/365 Looking up, literally

Here's a slightly different take on the Look Up theme this week. Instead of an upward perspective through the lens of the camera, it's a self-portrait of me looking upward.

(That hat on my head has been a regular feature this winter, and it doesn't look like that will be changing any time soon. I'm definitely ready for the time to come when I can stash my winter gear in the closet.)

I made this photo using a tripod that was extended so that the lens was right at my eye level when standing, and I used a remote trigger to focus. I bounced a flash off the ceiling to camera left.

Here's a tip if you're ever trying a self-portrait (with a fairly large lens): use the front of the lens (or filter, in this case) like a mirror. My reflection off that flat surface is handy in figuring out where you need to stand for composition and focus!

Camera: Canon 40D with 430EX Speedlite, 1/125s, f/5.6 at ISO 320

322/365 Looking up at the Olympics

I'm a huge fan of the Olympics. The variety of sports, the drama, the profiles of the athletes, the appreciation for the training and dedication that they put into their work... wonderful.

For these 17 days, my rear end and my big comfy chair will be very good friends.

I've noticed something interesting, though. As I talk to people, many say, "Oh, I love watching the Olympics. Except the figure skating."

When did figure skating become the uncool sport to admit liking? Are sequins and feathers really that divisive?

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/20s, f/4 at ISO 100

320/365 Behind locked gates

This has me burning with curiosity.

Isn't it funny how locked gates and doors do that to you? There may be nothing of interest on the other side, but just the act of saying, "You're not allowed" piques our interest.

I pass this gate regularly. These basic locked gates block the entrance to a place called the "Eagle's Hide-A-Way." Not only do they lock the gates, but they give the place an intriguing name.

From the road, all you can see is a long, straight paved driveway that leads off into the woods. You can't see where it goes, and rarely are the gates open.

I'm so curious! Glancing at the Eagle Creek Park Foundation website, it looks like it's just a facility you can rent, but I still want to see it, just to know what lies at the end of the road.


Camera: Canon 40D, 1/80s, f/5.6 at ISO 100 at about 5:30 p.m.

317/365 Sunset in black and white

The best snowfall is the kind that sticks to everything.

Yes, it makes driving a bit of a challenge, because the pavement becomes one of those sticky surfaces -- but there's nothing prettier than a tree decked in snow.

We've had both kinds of snow recently, the sticky snow and the light, fluffy version. On this day, two days after our first of several snowfalls, the sun had melted a lot of it, but it refroze quickly.

If I wasn't doing a black and white theme this week, you'd see that we had a beautiful sunset, too. Now that makes a beautiful combination.

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens and on-camera fill flash, 1/125s, f/4 at ISO 100 at about 6:00 p.m.

315/365 Postcard-perfect

Ah, snow.

We've received quite a bit of it in the last week, though not nearly the blizzard dumped on the east coast. Ours amounted to a more manageable 5-8 inches or so.

And boy, was it beautiful.

The first round, which hit last Friday, was the wet, heavy snow that sticks to everything. Each tree limb, each rooftop, and of course, each road surface, ended up coated with it. It started while I was at work, so for this photo, I went to a west window that faces the woods.

It was so entrancing that I really had to tear myself away from the window after a while.

After that I slowly made my way home for the weekend.

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/125s, f/4.5 at ISO 200 at about 4:45 p.m., through a window facing west.

311/365 Rise of the sun

It would have been sacrilege if I'd completed a "photos before noon" theme without a sunrise photo. Thankfully, the weather cooperated and allowed me to get one done.

This is a little creek-side park that I pass on my commute every day. The picnic table is only about 15 yards off the highway, but the setting feels more remote. I may have to bring my lunch here one day when the weather warms up, because my office has no suitable lunch-time outdoor seating.

I love eating my lunch outside [when it's warm]. It serves many purposes:  I get away from my desk, a breath of fresh air, a dose of sunshine, and some quiet time to myself. I find that it recharges me for the afternoon.

I'll be looking forward to those days returning in a couple months!

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/60s, f/3.5 at ISO 400 at about 7:45 a.m.

310/365 Blue skies

On the day of this photo, this was the first day of blue sky that we'd seen in ages. And I'm not even exaggerating. It felt like hundreds of years.

Okay, yes, that's a little overly dramatic. But you know the feeling, right? We're all lacking in our Vitamin D intake right now, so when that blue sky shows up, it's monumental.

Unfortunately, it didn't last for long. Back to the reality of an Indiana winter.

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000 at about 11:45 a.m.

307/365 Hanging on

As I mentioned in my 300th post of this round of Project 365, I'm going to throw some week-long themes into the mix. It's time for an extra challenge -- and some new inspiration!

First up: Photos before noon.

That may seem like an odd first choice, but here's my rationale:  I've found myself falling into a bad habit. Though I have a camera with me all day long every day, I don't think to get my photo of the day until I'm home and it's after dinner.

I'll tell you what, that gets a little stale after a while. Especially when it's dark at that time of day and it's the dead of winter.

So, the first theme -- photos before noon -- is my personal kick in the pants to be looking for photo subjects in the morning.

A bonus: it means I have more time free in the evening. And when is that a bad thing?

The photo in this post is the first of this theme. I made this photo right after I exited my car at work, a little before 8:00 a.m. Dirty ice clumps like this are a common sight on cars at this time of year. After the last snow storm, they built up on my car enough that they rubbed the tires when I turned.

A true pain, but it just comes with the territory.

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/60s, f/3.5 at ISO 640 at about 7:45 a.m.

306/365 Quiet river

When the weather is nice, the paved walking trail by this river is busy with walkers and runners, out enjoying the scenery.

It runs along the edge of a park in Zionsville, and I pass it every day on my way to and from work. On this day, not a soul was in sight in the park, so I was able to choose the closest possible parking spot -- which allowed me to jump out, walk very quickly to the river, get some photos, and jump right back into my toasty-warm car.

I'll save the rugged, die-hard, cold-beating, hours-outside photography for another day.

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000 at about 5:15 p.m.

302/365 January fog

January was a foggy month in Indiana. I don't ordinarily associate fog with January (aside from freezing fog), but my memory could just be fooling me today.

This was a particularly foggy night, and I pulled off the road to get this photo on my way home. Very few cars were around, and the fog gave the area a very isolated, solitary feel.

If it were Halloween I'd call it creepy.

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/15s, f/3.5 at ISO 400 at about 10:00 p.m.