Dinner with a bit of flash

We just got back from being away with my in laws over Christmas. We unpacked, my husband watched a bit of the Dolphins game while T played with his new toys and I made a grocery list.

T and I went to the grocery store to buy ingredients for this yummy soup while Big T went to play tennis.

Hunter's Minestrone by Tyler Florence

Ingredients

• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 head garlic, halved
• 1/2 pound small rigatoni
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 fresh sage leaves
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 3/4 pound loose sweet Italian pork sausage
• 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed plum tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 (28-ounce) cans cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley leaves, finely minced
• Coarsely ground black pepper
• 12 slices baguette
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Combine the stock and halved garlic head in a big saucepan and simmer for about 15 minutes to give the stock a nice, garlicky taste; strain out the garlic. Keep warm.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil for the rigatoni.

Pour 1/4 cup olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the sage, rosemary and thyme and warm the oil over medium heat to infuse it with the flavor of the herbs, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage with the side of a big spoon until well browned. Chop the carrots, celery, and onion in a food processor. Add to the saucepan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.

To the pan with the sausage stir in the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, cannelloni beans, and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Cook the rigatoni in the boiling water for 6 minutes; it should be slightly underdone. Drain and stir into the simmering soup. Add the parsley, and salt and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste. Discard the bay leaf and herb sprigs.

To serve, preheat the broiler. Put the baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano and broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and float a couple of the baguette slices on top.

I had the amazing honor of photographing Reena Thanksgiving weekend. Of course I put her card somewhere I have since forgotten:(

It was beyond fun to take photographs of her with her camera. Isn't it gorgeous? Isn't she gorgeous?I could have talked shop with her for days. Hopefully we will get to hang out again soon.



****Reena thank you for allowing me to photograph you! And please post your new website link so everyone can see your gorgeous work.

Rockstars

Going through some photos came across this one from a couple months ago. My son and one of his best pals.

Good friends are such a gift.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my job, is having the opportunity to spend time with a family, with the focus on their connections.

It is such a gift to be let into their homes and hearts.

Leaving this family shoot, my heart was filled with warm fuzzies and I couldn't help but turn the music up in the car and smile and dance all the way home.

The parents are super cool, but the kids are even cooler;) They each play guitar and piano (and very beautifully I must add) and Lacross and I had a chance to capture some great photos of them playing. This photograph was from the tail end of the shoot.

It was freazing cold but they ran around having fun anyway.

I am so excited to work on more of the photographs from this shoot....

Sneak peek at a newborn shoot I had yesterday.

This little one is 5 weeks old. babies are their most pliable and sleepy the first 3 weeks, but this little angel was pretty happy as long as she was swaddled.

I fell so in love with her during our shoot.