Ruth E Hendricks Photography

Midas Light on Pittsburgh’s Casino

rutheh — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:01:03 +0000

I’ve never been inside. So much controversy about this place when it was to be built. I remember that.

Not into gambling. It would pain me to lose money I’d worked for. But when I was up on Mount Washington I saw this light on the casino, surrounded by a total gray scene and it struck me as worth capturing.

Filed under: Pittsburgh Photos, Pittsburgh Rivers Tagged: casino, city scene, Ohio River, photography, Pittsburgh, Three Rivers Casino

My Sister Gave Me This As a Joke But it Adds to the Kitchen Decor

rutheh — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:05:53 +0000

I recently did a photographic session of a Jell-o salad mold.

No kidding.

I don’t think I have a future in food photography and come to think of it, there isn’ t anything of food value in Jell-o. It was a challenge and I will post the results of that after the photograph is made public at a charity auction.

But I looked up as I sat at the kitchen table and chuckled when I saw The Jell-o Cookbook there on the shelf. I reciprocated and sent her the Heinz Ketchup Cookbook. I am sure she hasn’t made anything out of that cookbook either.

Laura gave me the RECIPES notebook and it is filled with clippings and family favorites

Filed under: Cooking and Eating, Family Tagged: cookbook, family, food, Jell-o, kitchen, photography, Pyrex bowls, teapot

Murphy the Airedale Terrier’s Tenth Birthday

rutheh — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:08:04 +0000

You’ve seen him many times on the blog. His endearing personality and stuffed animal appearance make him a satisfying (and willing) subject to photograph. He wants to be in the pictures with the family. I know some readers are not “dog people” but Murphy is an important member of the family and I know they will enjoy telling him he is “on the blog”!

The recent Weekly Photo Challenge: Peaceful, featured Murph under a shade tree in Hardy, VA and he was on earlier today, being patient as Anna and Maura put sock monkeys on his back.

I didn’t give him proper recognition for his TENTH birthday which is TODAY! January 24th!!

My sister sent the hat and bone from NYC and I photographed him on Saturday with his birthday treat.

I said,” Whatcha doin’ Murph?” and he stopped gnawing and looked up at me, so tolerant of old Grandma and her camera lens, frequently pointed in his direction.

An early post before Midnight so it is ON the day, not belated. Happy Birthday Murphy.

Filed under: Airedale Terrier, Childhood Tagged: airedale terrier, childhood, dog, family, humor, photography

Slow Shutter and the Pink Sock Monkeys

rutheh — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:04:16 +0000

When Anna was a baby I made her a sock monkey out of a pair of Rockford Red Heel Socks, just as I had done for her father when he was little. The sock monkey didn’t get much playtime and I didn’t make anymore for the other three grandchildren. At Christmas I noticed Anna using the sock monkey like a puppet with the other kids at breakfast. Everyone was laughing and she was enjoying playing with her(it is a girl and her name is Mrs. Sock Monkey) She asked me if I could make her a pink sock monkey. I said I didn’t know how I could because I didn’t know at the time you could buy PINK red heel socks.

Last weekend when I visited, the old sock monkey had not only a bed made from a Costco box, covered in blanket but there was a small basket added as a bunk with a junior sized sock monkey wrapped up in a hand knitted dishrag (the sock monkey was one of Murphy the Airedale’s former toys!- every dog needs a sock monkey).

And to Anna and Maura’s surprise, I showed up with two pairs of PINK red heel socks I found online. Laura brought over her portable sewing machine and I sat at the kitchen table stitching up the legs and arms. Anna helped stuff the limbs. The girls were really excited to watch the socks turn into monkeys. I embroidered the eyes and nostrils with some variegated cotton yarn I had as a knitting project.

The next morning as they were waiting to go to church, I had them open the front door to get some available light for a photo of them with their monkeys. Strawberry and Blueberry are their names. Blueberry has blue eyes like Maura and that’s how they can tell them apart. I used a 1/5 shutter speed -handheld -which is really not a good idea. Too much camera shake.

The snow in the night added some reflected light but the winter morning was fairly gray. Murphy decided to come and see what was happening outside and Anna thought he would make a good horse for the monkeys. Murphy didn’t even mind. He remained undisturbed even though Maura was squealing excitedly. Then Anna wrote sock monkey on the condensation inside the storm door glass. I love that all the fancy toys are ignored and the homemade bed out of box and a couple of pairs of socks, transformed into monkeys, delighted the girls. I told Anna how Aunt Mary and I went to the Sock Monkey Museum in Rockford, Illinois.

Murphy isn't even paying attention to a couple of riders!

Maura watches Anna make the sock monkey wave!

I remember writing on windows. The condensation invites it!

Filed under: Airedale Terrier, Childhood, Photography Tagged: airedale terrier, crafts, family, grandchildren, humor, photography, sewing, sock monkey

Yes Sir, It’s National Pie Day!

rutheh — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:01:36 +0000

GUEST BLOGGER Rob Bard, Pie Judge

(-and good friend! Our eldest sons went to school together when stationed at Ft. Knox, Kentucky in 1986 -87)

Here is what Rob says:

January 23rd is National Pie Day so I wanted to send some photos along to commemorate this historic day. Here is the website for the American Pie Council regarding National Pie Day. It also has links to the Crisco National Pie Championships and the American Pie Festival which is held in April in Orlando. I will be judging again this year. This will be my 5th year.

The Crisco National Pie Competition is being held this year April 27-29. Friday is the Commercial Division of pies and those are your wholesalers, pies like you buy at the grocery, Walmart, etc.

On Saturday is the Amateur Division and these are the best. These pies are made by people like you and me. They are made with love and they are truly your “homemade” pies. I love judging that day. With over 900 pies entered, judges are divided up and we sample just a certain type of pie. There are 18 categories. I try to always select the cherry pie, my favorite. The most pies I have ever judged was 28 different cherry pies over 2 days.

Sunday is the Professional Division and these are just that. This category are those individuals that have “made a living” selling pies and the professional pastry chefs.

I have met some nice people along the way. Pie has a way of bringing people together.

Met Keegan Gerhard, Food Challenge, from Food Network.

Willard Scott

Gale Gand from the Food Network and owner of Tru restaurant in Chicago

For a little get together in the neighborhood I baked this pie

(and it was so pretty I had to take a photo).

This recipe (not me) was a winner in the competition one year. It is called, US Rt 1, Maine to Key West, Blueberry/Key Lime Pie. I can see why it was a winner. Recipes for winning pies, and others, can be found on the American Pie Council website.

Did you notice the photo on my shirt? That is a photo of my grandson, Owen. It drew lots of attention at the competition.

I should mention that the motto of the American Pie Council is, “In Crust, We Trust“.

Eat More Pie!

Have a great day,

Rob

Thanks Rob for guest blogging today and sharing your photos. You might remember Rob took the photo of the wine glass on the patio table by the lake.

And he was part of my Gallery of Veterans post. (I am still waiting for some friends to send their photos for that Gallery’s future posts.)

I think sour cherry pie might be my favorite pie, Rob. Hope you will send an update on your judging experience this year. xxoo Ruth E.

Filed under: Baking, Guest Blog, Photography Tagged: American Pie Council, baking, Crisco National Pie Championships, food, Food Network, guest blog, National Pie Day, pie

Watching Her Sisters Make Their Mother’s Nut Roll Via SKYPE

rutheh — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:02:25 +0000

Yes, that is a bowl of melted butter used to brush on the dough

Marlene was in Virginia. Her sisters- Linda, Theresa and Georgeann were in Pittsburgh. I dropped by with the camera to document the occasion and made a slideshow of the beginning to end effort. I think there were fifteen long metal pans waiting for dough. They were rolling and filling and letting the dough rise to bake. Southwestern PA is known for perpetuating nut roll tradition. Not to be confused with nut horns or nut crescents.

The Pans Waiting for the Yeasty Dough

Filed under: Baking, Family, Photography Tagged: baking, family, nut roll, photography, recipe, traditions

Weekly Photo Challenge: Simple

rutheh — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:03:01 +0000

SIMPLE- “Having or composed of only one thing, element, or part.”

Simple sentence.

Simple request.

Simple procedure.

Simple pleasure.

Simple syrup.

Simple recipe.

Simple machine.

Simple life.

” ‘Tis a gift to be simple.”

There’s even the magazine REAL SIMPLE.

A medicinal herb is a simple?

“Don’t act simple.”

I can think of just two words that rhymes with simple …one cute, the other not-

Shot this single egg just a half hour ago in Mark and Erika’s kitchen. Everyone has gone to bed. The snow didn’t start ’til the last hour of the drive out here. Erika’s Aunt Georgeann picked me up at school and we came out together which made the 200 miles go by much more quickly.

Appliance repairman scheduled for 7 AM and I’m making the pancakes for breakfast before the swim meet. Sounds like a full day. More complex than simple but it will be simply wonderful!

Egg

To see other bloggers responses the the Weekly Photo Challenge: Simple click here and click on anyone’s name in the comment section of the post and their entry will come up.

Filed under: Family, Weekly Photo Challenge Tagged: available light, egg, kitchen, photography, weekly photo challenge: simple

Shadyside in the Snow

rutheh — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:18:51 +0000

We lived in this neighborhood for two years in a little rental behind what was the Balcony Restaurant and Jazz Club. You could hear the dumpster trucks come in the early morning and the beer bottles clash in the alley. Today on the way home from school I stopped by the Food Museum where the fruit in the window is like a Flemish painting in the Metropolitan. Better known as the Shadyside Market. An elegant place. They were really nice to me although they knew I was checking the price tags before I made my selections. I knew I could buy bacon, eggs, and bread and not break the bank. The plan was to use a box of spaghetti in the pantry, the parmesan in the fridge and make spaghetti carbonara accompanied by a spinach salad with oranges and red onion. (had Spinach Salad on my mind, thanks to Chicago John from Bartolini’s Kitchen blog)

With the snow falling I knew that our big markets would be swamped as everyone rushes there to get the last roll of toilet paper or empty the shelves to stock their larder when they hear of an impending snowstorm. So no food photos of the great meal I was inspired to cook in the winter weather, But the neighborhood of Shadyside. Sometimes I cringe when I realize I would let 7 year old Laura walk around the block ALONE to Rite-Aid to buy the paper. What was I thinking? Prantl’s Bakery makes the Burnt Almond Torte everyone loves. Well, most people.

Famous for their Burnt Almond Torte. Pamela's is nice for breakfast, too.

Filed under: Night Light in the City, Pittsburgh Photos Tagged: Burnt Almond Torte Recipe, food, neighborhood, photography, Pittsburgh Photography, Shadyside

What is He Thinking?

rutheh — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 05:17:24 +0000

What Is He Trying to Say?

Murphy the Airedale. Again. I was sifting through files and saw him looking at me. This was shot at Thanksgiving time in Hardy, Virginia. The day we were attempting the Christmas card photo with the kids all in red.

Filed under: Airedale Terrier, Family, Photography Tagged: airedale terrier, dog, family, humor, photography

City Alley in Afternoon Light

rutheh — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:01:29 +0000

Bloomfield Neighborhood on a January Afternoon

Filed under: Light in the City, What I Found on the Way Home from School Tagged: alley, Bloomfield, city, city living, neighborhood, photography, Pittsburgh