Farm Fresh

What happens when you have a sister-in-law who can wrangle her baby boys, produce a full-size garden and is willing to can vegetables in a kitchen without a dishwasher? You get jars and jars of fresh pasta sauce!

A week ago Saturday, my sister and I packed up her own little one and made the 45-minute trek south. We were eagerly greeted by two little farms boys who couldn't wait to tell us about all the tomatoes in the kitchen, and who wanted nothing more than to plant kisses all over their baby cousin. Before too long the boys were sent to play with the kittens so that we could get to work ...

... tomato soup, fresh pasta sauce, salsa, and even jars of fruit were simmered, stirred, and tasted as we worked through the afternoon. There were a good number of breaks to make coffee runs, snuggle the boys, grab a bite to eat, and attempt to put cranky littles ones down for naps. The basket of tomatoes never seemed to end even as jars of produce slowly took over the counter space. Evening settled in as the last batch was pulled out of the canner and set to cooling, and the last pots could finally be washed and put away. The car groaned as we loaded up the haul from the day, dozens of filled jars, baskets of the remaining produce that couldn't get canned, fresh eggs that the nephew gave us a deal on ... it was a visit to a literal farmer's market! 

The Parsons [Family]

This family is a treasure! Chad and Liz are a beautiful example of a strong, faith-filled marriage, and the love, care and guidance they give their four daughters demonstrates their strength as a family. One thing was made very evident ... they are a family that laughs together! They were at their best when they simply stopped posing for the camera and simply let their joy as a family shine through. And while it was practically impossible to get all four girls to smile at the same exact time, it was a perfect evening to practice my family photography skills on them!

 

McKenzie [Senior 2016]

 Senior photography is one of my absolute favorites ... McKenzie met me at Minnehaha Falls for a senior session on what turned out to be a 90-some degree evening. And what can I say? This beautiful young woman was an absolute joy to photograph! She made my job an easy one.

Enjoy your senior year McKenzie, and best of luck with your journey ahead!

August

The sound of cicadas. Fog rising during the twilight hours. County fairs and evening concerts. The scent of goldenrod heavy in the air. Fall peaking around the corner with the coolness of the early mornings. Summer's heat still clinging to the afternoon. Babysitting nephews. People watching at the airport. Late-night runs to the diner for milkshakes. Plays in the park. Frozen pizza. Summer's last ballgames. Afternoons with the girls. Morning phone calls on the drive to work. Stopping by WholeFoods to eat lunch via their free samples. Jumping in the pool.

The little things.

Cheesecake Brownies

While home for a few days of vacation, I whipped this recipe up in no time ... it was the perfect accompaniment to a tall glass of cold-pressed coffee in the afternoon!

what you'll need

your favorite brownie recipe

8 oz cream cheese softened

2 eggs

6 tablespoons of sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

make your choice of brownies (I used a boxed brownie mix) and place in a baking pan, reserving a quarter of the batter

whip together the cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla and pour the mixture over the brownie batter

spoon the reserved batter over the cheesecake topping and drag a knife through all the layers to create a marbled effect

bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a inserted knife comes out clean

Serve whilst warm and gooey and enjoy!

Home

My sister and I were sitting on the hardwood floor of her living room. We were attempting to catch up on life as her ten-month old was crawling over our laps, shoving everything that wasn't tied down into his mouth and vocally announcing his disapproval whenever our attention was shifted away from him. In the snippets of conversation that the little man allowed, we realized we both had a few days of vacation coming up that, with a little tweaking, could be taken on the same days. We pulled the necessary strings, packed up our bags and the baby and headed home to spend a long weekend home on the farm.

Each morning began in the same way ... hot mugs of coffee and cream, passing the nephew from hip to floor, to arms, to hip again, and planning out the projects and recipes for the day. In the midst of a busy summer, it was a breath of relief to escape from the cities and let life slow down just a bit. There was something comforting and life-giving about taking the time to be with family and letting moments organically unfold. Not all our projects were completed, and not all of the plans came to fruition. But that was ok. It was more than ok....

Evenings were spent by the fire watching the bats come out, bottles of wine were uncorked, dinner was thrown together at the last possible minute, hours were spent around the kitchen table in conversation, and trips were made into town to watch the concerts at the County Fair. All the important things were present: family, laughter, coffee, and sunsets over the prairie. It was simple ... and it was good...