Author Archives: Janice

About Janice

I love California, both in and out of my garden. My passions are gardening and photography. My goal is to make Plum Bird Corner a happy place to visit often.

Taking Time to Really Look

Posted on by
Reply

sunset

This semester I’m taking a class in beginning digital photography. One of the homework assignments was to photograph a sunset. The first two evenings, I got so busy, I forgot to go outside and look. On the 3rd day, I actually set an alarm to remind myself  to head out into the backyard with my camera, at the appropriate time. Looking over our back wall, I realized  that I had never really looked at a sunset. It was lovely and I got a few good shots, but not as colorful as I had hoped. The next evening my husband and I climbed a near by trail just before the sun went down and were rewarded with a beautiufl view of a breathtaking sunset. The class assignment had turned into a very enjoyable experience that included a lovely walk with Martin.

water ripples

The second assignment was to take an action shot. I chose the ocean water moving over rocks at Dana Point Harbor.  Again, something I had never really taken the time to observe closely.

When I registered for the class, my motive was to learn to take better photographs.  What I didn’t realize, was just how many beautiful subjects there are to photograph, when we slow down enough to look around and really see. I hope to improve my skills, but even if I don’t, I have learned a valuable life lesson. I find myself constantly looking for the perfect subject for my next photo, and this alone has taught me to appreciate the beauty that is all around us. Perhaps after reading this, you may find yourself taking a little more time to notice the beauty which I’m sure surrounds you too.

An Afternoon Spent in a Charming Artist Studio

Posted on by
1

gallery

Yesterday afternoon we attended a delightful reception at a new, up-and-coming artist studio, Co-Z Artist Studio, located in Lake Forest, California and owned by artist Francine Zorehkey. Artist and teacher Donna Hanna-Chase had invited me to the event, held to introduce instructors and to high-light their work. Continue reading →

Away From the Heat and the Smoke

Posted on by
1

 

water ripples

One of our favorite scooter destinations is Silverado Canyon, and that was the plan, until yesterday, around 10:00 A.M., when a wild fire started in Silverado Canyon. I spotted the tell tale cloud of smoke around 1:00 P.M., as I headed off to a  class, and by the time I arrived home at 4:30 the fire had obviously grown in size. There was no wind thank goodness, so the fire was not being pushed along as so often happens here in Southern California.

This morning when we woke we could smell smoke, and according to the weather report we were in for another scorcher. We made the decision to ride our scooters to the coast and see if we could find some cool, smoke free air. We weren’t the only ones looking.

yellow sails

As I write this we are home, about ten miles from the fire, which is still burning. The canyon has been evacuated and brave firefighters work to save homes. We are sending them good thoughts, and wishing the residents of Silverado Canyon a quick and safe return to their homes.

Delicious Ginger Snaps

Posted on by
Reply

Tea and cookies

Ginger snaps were my Nana’s favorite cookies. I must have inherited a love of  ginger from her. They are delicious, and perfect with a cup of tea. I have not made them for several years, but with fall almost here,  I decided it was time to do some baking. The oringinal recipe was from the London Free Press newspaper which is published in London, Ontario, Canada. In a previous post I wrote about Molasses Brown Bread, which was another recipe from the Free Press.

Today I decided to try something new and mixed it in a food processor instead of using the hand mixer. It worked well and was a lot less work. I also made two changes to the original recipe. Instead of all purpose flour, I used whole wheat and instead of 3/4 cup butter/margarine, I used 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce. I believe these two changes make for a slightly healthier recipe, without losing any of the wonderful flavor. Next time I may go for just applesauce and omit the butter all together. I certainly hope you give this recipe a try.

 

1/2 cup butter                                                 3 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup applesauce                                        1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 7/8 cup sugar                                              1 Tbs. powdered ginger

2 large eggs                                                   1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup molasses                                           1/4 tsp. cloves

1 Tbs. vinegar                                                1 cup raisins optional

Measure sugar and butter into food processor bowl. Mix until creamy.

Mix in eggs and applesauce. Add molasses and vinegar. Next add all of the dry

ingredients and mix slowly until combined. Fold in raisins last if used.

Drop dough from teaspoon onto greased cookie sheets in one inch mounds.

Bake at 325° F. for 9-10 minutes.Watch carefully, because the molasses tends to make them burn easily around the edges.

After I finished my baking, I just had to sit down with a cup of tea and a cookie. Well, actually two cookies. I just couldn’t help myself. I do hope you will try this recipe for my Nana’s favorite Ginger snaps.