Archive for the 'Tips / Recommends' Category

October 18th, 2014

The making of apple pie

I love pie, but I really don’t make it enough. The problem is the amount of food. My husband and I shouldn’t eat a whole pie (I almost said “couldn’t” but then I realized that wasn’t true), and it’s also not enough to share with my coworkers (I double my cookie and cake/cupcake recipes for work). Having people over is pretty much the perfect time.

This morning when we went to do yard work, we saw that apples had grown in on our apple tree! Today also happens to be when we’re hosting a football watching party, so it was the perfect time to make some apple pie 🙂 This is a recipe my mom has been using for several years, with a few modifications by me.

The first thing I make is the dough because it needs to be refrigerated for at least an hour before it’s used. Homemade dough may seem intimidating, but it’s actually quite easy and uses very little ingredients.

apple_pie_01

When it comes to cookies, cakes, and frosting, you usually start with room temperature butter because it allows more air to be beaten in. For pies and tarts, you typically use cold butter, and it’s easier to use when cut into smaller pieces and slowly added into the mix. My mom does this part by hand, but I like using my stand mixer with a flat beater. (A large food processor would work as well.)

apple_pie_02

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August 9th, 2014

Landscape / cityscape tips

I typically tell people I specialize in 3 types of photography: photoshoots, event, and landscapes. I’d like to write entries giving tips on each type, and I figured I’d start with landscapes. Landscape photography is actually what made me interested in photography to begin with, and these are some things I’ve learned along the way! (A couple are specific to DSLRs, but not all of them are.)

Golden Hour

This really applies to any type of photography, but lighting is one of the most important aspects. The golden hour is one of the best times of day for outdoor photography, and there are two of these in a day. They are the first and last hour of sunlight, basically sunrise and sunset. During this time, the lighting is very soft and often have pleasing colors in the sky.

Sunset is the easier of the two to catch:

Shipwreck Beach (Kauai, HI) at sunset

Shipwreck Beach (Kauai, HI) at sunset

I’ve been asked whether it’s worth waking up early to catch a sunrise shot, and my answer is yes:

Shipwreck Beach (Kauai, HI) at sunrise

Shipwreck Beach (Kauai, HI) at sunrise

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June 18th, 2014

Game recommends – E3 response

There were many games revealed during E3 last week that I’m excited for, and there’s 3 in particular that I’m really looking forward to because I liked their predecessors. Well, “liked” is an understatement. I absolutely love them and they’re on my list of favorites. So, here’s 3 of my favorite games and my thoughts on their upcoming sequels!

Assassin's Creed 2Assassin’s Creed 2 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)

Sypnosis: Desmond relives the memories of his ancestor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze during the 15th century in Italy. Ezio’s family is caught in a political plot, and he witnesses his father and brother hanged. He then trains as an assassin while discovering who is behind it all.

My thoughts: …on the Assassin’s Creed series: I hated 1, loved 2, enjoyed Brotherhood, thought Revelations was ok, was disappointed in 3, and haven’t played 4 yet. AC1 had the right idea with the climbing around, blending in to escape guards, and assassination missions. It failed in its repetitive quests, clunky combat, an assassin who can’t swim, and guards that think running is a crime punishable by death.

Assassin’s Creed 2 is my favorite of the series because it kept the good parts of AC1 and fixed everything else. The combat was smoothed out, while keeping the nice climbing and guard escape elements. The pacing of the game felt good as it gradually introduced new assassination elements, and there was a balance of main and side quests. Basically, everything about AC2 just felt right, and I haven’t felt that way about the AC series since.

Thoughts on Assassin’s Creed Unity: Seeing an AC game set in Europe again with its nice tall buildings (YES BUILDINGS, NO MORE TREES) reminded me of AC2, and I think that’s why it immediately caught my attention. I’m also excited for the co-op since my husband plays the AC series as well. I think it’ll open up new and fun possibilities. [View E3 trailer]

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