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Any tips for amateur iPhone photographers that you learned along the way?
Haas: I learned that you can lock autofocus and then adjust the exposure. Instagram has filters, but if you use this trick and get good exposure from the beginning, you won’t need them.

Gardner: I had a couple of accessories like macro lenses with me, but I didn’t find them very effective. The beauty of iPhone photography is that it’s very simple.

Would you do it again?
Haas: It’s not like I’m going to start doing all my projects with my cell phone, but now I definitely use it more for Instagram.

Gardner: Photography is good no matter what you use, and I think there are iPhone photographers out there who take insanely good photos. I still prefer to shoot with my Canon, but Mardi Gras just started here in New Orleans, and I’ll definitely have my iPhone with me.

these delicious pancakes

I think eggnog, gingerbread & cranberries are the quintessential Christmas flavors. They’re like the holy trinity of yuletide baking. Now – I’m not saying chocolate, peanut butter & caramel don’t have a place on my holiday cookie tray HKUE amec. But nothing says Christmas like a Rum & Eggnog or a Gingerbread man.

This weekend I was feeling especially festive – I went Christmas shopping, had a holiday drink, turned on the Christmas tunes… Clearly it was time to stock the fridge with eggnog.These thick, fluffy Eggnog Pancakes are perfect for holiday breakfasts mask house. Don't wait til Christmas for these delicious pancakes!

Now, while I love eggnog as a tasty drink – I actually prefer the flavor in baked good form. The creaminess, nutmeg & rum lend themselves so well to baking. And while the taste is luxurious and rich in beverage form, it isn’t overwhelming when made into a delicious treat.

And let me tell you – these Eggnog Pancakes don’t disappoint. Thick, super fluffy, perfectly golden & filled with that quintessential eggnog flavor. The nutmeg & rum taste so scrumptious in pancakes and pair perfectly with maple syrup. Better still – making pancakes is simple kangertech box mod. So you can easily whip these up for a Christmas Eve or Christmas morning breakfast. (Although I wouldn’t wait til then….)

These thick, fluffy Eggnog Pancakes are perfect for holiday breakfasts. Don't wait til Christmas for these delicious pancakes!
I based these pancakes off the buttermilk pancake recipe I use for my Blueberry Pancakes & Snickers Pancakes  but subbed the buttermilk for eggnog, reduced the sugar, and added nutmeg & rum extract. If you prefer a more subtle eggnog flavor you could leave out the rum extract. But if you’re the type that’s buying eggnog in November – I’d definitely include the rum extract and add a little extra nutmeg.

Just like all pancake recipes, it’s important not to over mix your batter so your pancakes are the ultimate in fluffiness. Having all your ingredients at room temperature will definitely help with this.

Light & fluffy – and filled with holiday flavors – I hope you love these pancakes as much as I did.

skipping the toppings

It’s definitely that time of year where the perma-frost sets into my bone marrow far before it does the ground and I don’t expect to defrost until, best case scenario, May. In other words, it’s soup season ecig wholesale.

I’m not certain when, exactly, this potent brew became my favorite soup, but my first memory of eating chicken tortilla soup was on a plane (Xoco’s version is exceptional) when I accidentally swallowed a chunk of smoky, spicy chipotle pepper that seared the back of my throat, and I coughed halfway to Miami. We were on our way to… somewhere genuine ecig. Barbados, I think? Anyway, I think the whole plane thought I was carrying The Plague; little did they know it was just my favorite soup.

So why, if my most sound memory of chicken tortilla soup is it causing my significant bodily harm (not to mention embarassment), is this soup my favorite? Freud could have a field day with that question you beauty, but here’s a simpler answer: the flavor. It’s DELICIOUS: sweet (tomatoes), smoky (chipotle peppers), spicy (chili powder and jalepegno), fast (use precooked chicken to save time) and flexible (add some greens, or eliminate the corn – there is no wrong way to enjoy this soup).

Actually, there may be one wrong way: skipping the toppings. The cheese is optional but I am going to have to put my foot down on the crispy tortilla strips. You simply can’t not have them.

I know what you’re thinking: tortillas are made from corn! Or worse, wheat! Yeah, most are.

replace the classic

It may be totally vegan (…well…it can be…), but this sandwich is honestly amazing, with so much flavor!

Even my family agreed, this sandwich KILLS it. Ok, not any of the brothers, but the parents more than approved. Although, I’m sure if Brendan had been around when I made this sandwich he would have totally agreed, this sandwich tops all others. And please, true BLT lovers, do not hate me for this IPS. You have to understand that this sandwich is not meant to replace the classic.

Honestly, I would not have even called this a BLT, but then I just couldn’t think of a better name to describe it. It’s just like a BLT, but minus the bacon and + the most awesome crispy coconut. Some people call it coconut bacon, but I don’t know if I can do that. It just seems, well weird, you know IPS??

I mean, bacon is bacon…it comes from a pig…it’s bacon.

But coconut?? It’s just not bacon…but it is still INCREDIBLE. Personally, I would eat this salty, sweet and slightly smoky coconut over real bacon any day, but I have never been one of those crazed bacon lovers like some people (AKA all my brothers, yeah, and pretty much all the guys I know…except my dad, but even he still likes it IPS!).

And since we are on the subject of fake-ish bacon, have you guys read about this seaweed bacon?? I mean, what?!?! It’s all over the internet and you know, I’m not so sure about it. Seaweed bacon??? Huh?? I’ll try it of course, but I’m definitely skeptical. Thoughts? Comments You beauty?

Anyway, this sandwich, BLT or whatever you want to call it, is something you just gotta make. It’s healthy, colorful and seriously SO good.

And it’s also easy to make, that right there is a pretty big bonus, easy AND delicious!!

SIDENOTE: I was hiking Saturday and someone recognized me from the blog. WEIRDEST thing ever….but totally cool!!

Vegan BLT (…minus that egg) with Chipotle Tahini “Mayo”-9

As for what is actually in the “coconut bacon” it’s just a simple mix of pure maple, soy sauce or tamari, coconut oil and apple cider vinegar or liquid smoke. I used apple cider vinegar because the idea of the liquid smoke creeps me out a little + I cannot find a good brand in my grocery store. So apple cider it was, I thought it worked great, but if you are into it, go ahead and try the liquid smoke!

Ok and the mayo?? Well, it is not really mayo, but I swear it’s better, and it’s what I will be using in place of mayo from here on out. Mayo has never been my favorite, so I am loving this alternative. It’s just tahini (sesame seed paste) mixed with chipotle chile peppers, but it’s the best sauce. And it is actually super healthy too. Soooo…you can REALLY lather it on.

Yummers.

And the rest is all the basic BLT stuff. Heirloom tomatoes (the best, I will be so sad when they are gone), lettuce (I actually used dandelion greens from my yard) and umm an egg because I cannot do a BLT without an egg. I just can’t.

Oh, and if you are not vegan, I HIGHLY recommend adding a slice or two of brie to the bottom piece of bread and then melting it under the broiler before adding your lettuce + tomatoes + coconut. I maybe did this after the photos and it was maybe completely the best decision I ever made.

mashed broad beans

The vegetable gardens are now starting to bloom again as I got the first batch of harvests from my colleagues, this time it’s quite different because before I usually have fruits and pumpkins California Fitness, now it was broad beans. It’s nice to receive these fresh and organic crops as it becomes a challenge to me on what shall I do with them, especially when it’s given to you on the start of the week after you finished your weekly grocery, how do I incorporate this with our weekly menu Beverly skin refining center.

Broad beans is not a usual vegetable in the Filipino cuisine so it adds complexity to the challenge, luckily we dine out a lot in some good restaurants so I am exposed to some dishes I don’t usually cook at home English Private Tuition. Like this post which I got the inspiration from a restaurant I tried not long ago, a simple dish of grilled lamb racks topped with some mashed broad beans.

Before we go on to the recipe Ang Sarap and Tuttle Publishing is giving away 3 books which contains Singapore Cooking plus your choice of 2 books (worth US$20.00 and below) from the Tuttle Publishing range. Competition is open for 2 weeks and we accept entries worldwide, just fill in your details on this competition page to join..

What are you waiting for join now to win the book of your choice!

linguine noodles

On her dinner rotation night, my sister made this simple creamy linguine and shrimp. And miracle of all the big family miracles: dinner was served and the table fell silent except for forks twisting noodles and carrying them up to hungry open mouths. Twist, eat, repeat. After three hundred hours of eating these creamy noodles with fresh herbs and delicate and buttery shrimp, we all entered the Post-Food Happy Zone.

And could she please please please make it again for all the remaining cabin dinners? Like yum.

So good news for everyone who wishes they were at the cabin but is actually just here in their normal life right now (meeeeee).

This recipe is BOTH a quick weeknight meal and something that you might feel like you’d order at a restaurant. That’s a one-two punch, friends. It’s my favorite thing ever.

Whole wheat linguine noodles cook up in a pot of hot broth for a really extra yummy flavor, and then they get tossed with a generous handful of Parmesan, parsley, and shrimp that has been sautéed in a garlic butter sage white wine bath of delicious. You heard me. You’re tossing the shrimp with the noodles, herbs, and cheese, and pouring a bit of cream over the whole thing to make it almost resemble an Alfredo, except more delicately light and creamy in a way that lets all of the cheese, herbs, garlic, and white wine shine through in each bite.

the sausage balls

My absolute favorite appetizers are cheese and sausage balls – they always have been and they will always be. That recipe will go up in next few days but that’s not what we’re discussing here. Today’s subject is the Buffalo Chicken Ball!

The idea for these buffalo chicken balls came to me when I was prepping buffalo chicken dip and sausage balls for a party. I figured I could use the same technique as the sausage balls with buffaloey chickeney ingredients and create a tasty new snack. I had to add a few more seasonings but in the end, I think they turned out pretty good!

Make sure you serve these with ranch for dipping. It really rounds out the flavor.