Month: July 2010

“Best Breakfast in Town” T-shirt & a Stack of Eggs

DeLuca’s  on Penn Ave in the Strip District.  Varied reviews online and some folks don’t think it worth the wait on a Saturday morning. We did!   I had two eggs over easy and Italian toast to dip, some homefries. Everything arrived hot and tasty.  Best part was conversation over traditional breakfast in an energetic Pittsburghy atmosphere. Walked across the street to Pennsylvania Macaroni Company and then a chocolate covered macaroon from Enrico’s Biscotti. My friend Tess suggested I photograph the stack of eggs and I asked at the register if it would be okay. Then Tess said, “get the back of the shirt, too.”  Good idea. You could spend the day in the Strip with the camera.  Lots to see. Thanks Tess.(and Thom, too!)

Saturday morning diner breakfast. Hectic pace. Good energy. Good food.
How about this stack of eggs?
by Categories: Cooking and Eating, photo of the day, Pittsburgh PhotosTags: , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

Bowl of Cherries on the Front Porch

Summer heat as intense as the winter’s snow. Rain this afternoon. Sitting on the front porch and listening and watching it rain without getting wet.  Used a new white pasta bowl V gave me for my bday.  The ripe sweet fruit.  The hammock where the naps are especially restful. Love summer! See a small oil by Picasso with a bowl of cherries click here.

The ripe cherries are really juicy and sweet this year.
by Categories: Cooking and Eating, photo of the day, Pittsburgh Photos, ThingsTags: , , , , , , , 8 Comments

Cupcake Tree and 1-2-3-4 Cake Recipe

My friend Joanne in Omaha shipped a box of cupcake items to Columbus so I could create a 4th of July/Birthday Cupcake Display Tree  and marthastewart.com directions/photo of flag cupcake.

Cupcakes are all the rage around the city these days.  You can bake them at home but not today in the heatwave.

1-2-3-4 Cake Recipe from Swans Down Cake Flour Box and Grandmothers who came before- Anna used Red White & Blue Sprinkles and red licorice lace Joanne sent.

1 cup butter+  2 cups sugar + 3 cups cake flour + 4 eggs +1 cup milk   3 t baking powder and 1/2 t salt and 1 t vanilla    I used  buttermilk so added a tsp of baking soda (made 36 cupcakes- 1/4 C batter per)

Basic Buttercream Icing- 1 C butter+ 4 C 10X sugar + vanilla +2 T milk

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

by Categories: Childhood, Cooking and EatingTags: , , , , , , , , , 9 Comments

Cathedral of Learning Festival of Lights

From the Archives Oct 2008. Pre-blog era.  Artist Lucette de Rugy  created Artlumiere.  See how she transforms the University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning into a a shining tower of lights and patterns.   It was stunning. Always practicing night photography. Capturing available light.

Some car headlights give a clue as to how long the shutter was open.
by Categories: Night Light in the City, photo of the day, Pittsburgh PhotosTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 8 Comments

What the ____?

Steve sees an artcar up close and in person for the first time
Upon exiting the High Road Gallery in Worthington OH, this artcar was parked under a tree. I totally missed it if it was there as we entered. We were going to see James' Missed the Bus photograph (which was awarded Honorable Mention)
by Categories: photo of the day, ThingsTags: , , , , , , , , 8 Comments

The Mailbox- Decorated by Anna

Sun dropping in the sky, we’d just come from another cookout. Anna asked if I’s take her picture with the mailbox. This was taken just before the sparklers in the backyard, posted yesterday.  Tonight is the  last night in Columbus with the family.  It’s been a happy vacation.

Anna and the 4th of July mailbox she decorated with Grandma Marlene.
by Categories: Childhood, photo of the day, ThingsTags: , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

4th of July Sparklers in the Backyard

We all said they don’t make sparklers like they used to when we were kids.  Isn’t that what old people say about the present state of things?

The kids had a blast running around with the dangerous  spark and flame-spewing sticks. A familiar smell of gunpowder. Smoke trails across the lawn.

Maura watches big brother Michael and his sparkler smoke trail.

Squealing.

by Categories: photo of the dayTags: , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments

After the Fourth of July Celebration Saturday Night

Hamburgers and hotdogs, some grilled chicken breasts. Redskinned potatoes and green beans, tomato and fresh mozzarella salad.  Sparklers. One guest brought a margarita machine and some shrimp to grill- there were glass bottles of coca-cola with cane sugar and cupcakes decorated with flags.  A fire in the firepit. Water balloons and squirt guns.  Glow in the dark necklaces.  Seventeen kids and their parents.  Three grandparents. Steve drove in from Pittsburgh. Perfect summer weather. I practiced family photography with each family in the back yard. Lots of red white and blue.  I planned to post the cupcakes in the cupcake display stand Joanne sent from Omaha but Jack, exhausted won out!

Fourth of July cookout.
Jack fell asleep watching a movie his dad had put in- Michael groggy but still hanging in there, watching.
by Categories: photo of the dayTags: , , , , , , , 13 Comments

Where The Hostess Seats Your Party When You Lunch With a 19 Month Old

And the restaurant was empty.  But you understand her thinking. This week it is childhood revisited in Black and White.  Today’s focus?/ the kitchen doors.

The siblings were at day camp, we had been to the gym.  Worked out.  Penne and sauce, warm bread and olive oil and a side salad.  The server brought out a slice of cantaloupe and some red seedless grapes on a little plate for Maura while we waited for lunch to be served.

Where dies a hostess seat a oarty of 3 when they have a 19 month old?
We enjoyed our lunch and so did the other diners as Maura was good the whole time!


by Categories: Cooking and Eating, photo of the dayTags: , , , , , 6 Comments

Hula Hoop® Revival

I remember having one c.1959.  My hula-hooping skills were weak.  Got some good sports photography practice capturing Anna (6 1/2) on the back deck.  She can do it with very little movement or a lot of twist and sway. She even knelt and “hooped” for what seemed to me to be a long time. Maura(19 mos) clapped and yelled,” Yay Anna”. Perhaps a video camera would have been better but the objective was to show motion with a still photograph. (And I learned how to make the registered trademark symbol using the alt-R on the keyboard)

I was better at rolling it away from myself with a flick of the wrist so it would return to me.
by Categories: photo of the dayTags: , , , , , , , , 6 Comments