testing for a clients product today

Received a product yesterday that I will be testing out for upcoming photo shoot.  A gun barrel. 

recent work - dried mushrooms

3 different types of dried mushrooms 

Portabella, Shitakke and Woodear

Viva La Tea - tree

Viva La Tea - flag

Viva La Tea

Viva La Tea

Apple Corn Bread Muffins

 Apple Corn Bread Muffins Treat from Adelita's Bakery Panaderia

orange marmalade - recent work

orange marmalade - recent work

Recent work - Maple Pumpkin Soup

Recent work - Maple Pumpkin Soup

recent work - Maple Carot and Pumpkin Soup

recent work - Maple Carot and Pumpkin Soup

recent work - Pumpkin Carrot soup

recent work - Pumpkin Carrot Soup

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread
 using a long island cheese pumpkin.

from the allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 15 ounce fresh pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2.	In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3.	Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

1100 blog hits for the month of Oct.

1100 blog hits for the month of Oct, becoming the highest per month than Feb of last year.  Feb was the month I eat 29 days of pumpkin and sweet potatoes.  Also, Coconut Curry Soup with in a week was view on the blog over 100 times.  Thank you for supporting my love of pumpkins.

Ambercup Squash

Ambercup Squash

Ambercup squash is a dry and sweet squash. Great for soups and most baking purposes. 

What is in your Pumpkin - Goosebump Pumpkin

What is in your Pumpkin - Goosebump Pumpkin

for more info on this pumpkin

What is in your Squash - Buttercup Squash

Buttercup Squash

What is in your Pumpkin - Queensland Pumpkin

What is in your Pumpkin - Queensland Pumpkin

for more info on this pumpkin

What is in your pumpkin

still looking up the info on this pumpkin or squash

What is in your Pumpkin - Fairtale Pumpkin

What is in your Pumpkin - Fairtale Pumpkin

more info on this pumpkin

Kakai pumpkin

Kakai

 

 Pumpkin from Exotic Pumpkins in Andover, MN

Kakai pumpkin is Austrian pumpkin known for it large dark green hull-less seeds which are delicious roasted.  It has a very hard orange and green stripped outside and beautiful think green seeds. 

From the Exotic Pumpkins Patch

Remove seeds from kakai pumpkin and soak overnight.  In a mixture of 2 teaspoons of salt to 1 cup of water.  Spread seeds on cookie sheet and bake in an oven at 300 degree for about 1 hour.  

Hubbard Squash

Still not able to find what kind of squash this is.

orange spotted pumpkin

Golden Hubbard

Golden Hubbard

 

Orange Hubbard also called a Golden Hubbard

Orange hubbard squash exterior flesh is bright orange.  The interior flesh is yellow/orange with a very hard rind.    It's finely texture is medium sweet to medium dry flesh.  Great for cooking.  This squash was popular squash.  Also see Blue Hubbard Squash.
This squash was popular around the turn of the century, and is was a staple for the fall and winter pantry. Very similar to a Blue Hubbard. It is finely textured and has a yellow-orange flesh that is medium sweet and medium dry with very hard rind.

Turks Turban Squash

Turks Turban Squash

Turks Turban flavor is a mild and great for any recipe.  Not a lot of flesh as other squash varieties.  Flesh inside is light orange with firm flesh and very little strings.  Seeds are fat and great for roasting. Very hard outside with many surfaces, not great for peeling or cutting.  Cooking suggestion is to cook it whole and then remove outside peel.

Turk's turban, also known as "French turban", a heirloom predating 1820, and closely related to the buttercup squash.

pink and green squash or pumpkin

pink and green squash or pumpkin

Black Futsu Squash

Black Futsu Squash

 
This is a very rare black Japanese heirloom squash. The fruit is flattened and round.  The flesh is a golden color and has a rich taste of hazelnut.  A very unique gem to find.  When first harvested they are almost black in color. As the black futsu mature it will turn a rich chestnut color in storage.  Popular with European market growers.

Buckskin Pumpkin

Buckskin Pumpkin

Buff colored pumpkin skin with a fine textured and deep golden orange flesh is ideal for pumpkin pie and baking.  Pumpkin seeds are very compact.  It is also very heavy and compact, meaning not a lot of open space inside the pumpkin. 

Cinderella Pumpkin

Cinderella Pumpkin

Pumpkin from Exotic Pumpkins in Andover, MN 
 

Cinderella Pumpkins are a unique French heirloom whose correct name is "Rouge vif D'Etampes". The source of their nickname it that they resemble the pumpkin that Cinderella's fairy godmother transformed into a carriage. This pumpkin is recorded as having been the variety cultivated by the Pilgrims and served at the second Thanksgiving dinner.   Cinderellas make a delightful decorative accent for the fall season, but additionally their flavor is good for any pie or winter squash recipes.

Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

Pumpkin from Exotic Pumpkins in Andover, MN 
 

 

Long Island Cheese is an heirloom pumpkin prominently used through out the 1800s.   Its coloring and flattened shape suggests a wheel of cheese.   It has a deep orange moderately sweet flesh and a long storage life up to a year out of direct sun. 

Delicata Squash

Delicata

Pumpkin from Exotic Pumpkins in Andover, MN 
 

Delicata squash has a distinctive longitudinal dark green stripes on a yellow or cream colored background and sweet, orange-yellow flesh.  It is also known as a bohemian squash or a sweet potato squash or a peanut squash.  It is also a summer squash.  You can bake, saute or steam this squash.  Stuff it like an acorn squash with your favorite recipe.  You can eat the seed, just roast them before eating them.  Great source of fiber and potassium, also small amounts Vit C, B, magnesium.

Goose Bump Pumpkin

 

Goosebumps Pumpkin

Pumpkin from Exotic Pumpkins in Andover, MN 
 

This pumpkin was developed for it's bumpy, warty surface.  The pumpkin ripens from a forest green to a solid deep orange.  This pumpkin is ready to harvest in 95 days weighing in at 8-12 pounds each.

derived from "Knuckleheads"  A website I found about Knucklehead pumpkins

Fairytale Pumpkin

Musque De Provence or in the US it is called Fairytale Pumpkin

click on the pumpkin to see more pumpkins

Pumpkin from Exotic Pumpkins in Andover, MN 
 

Fairytale pumpkin is flat smooth ribbed hard surface, bigger than the long Island cheese pumpkin.  Average wieght is 8-15 pounds.  The flesh is a deep orange moderately sweet.  The outside flesh is green in color and once matures turns to a smooth shade of pumpkin, like a long Island Cheese pumpkin.  Great for cooking because the grain is very fine and smooth. 

This pumpkin originated from France. Supermarkets and farmer's markets sell it cut as wedges for cooking. 

A nice artical on Musque De Provence pumpkin read here.

Queensland Pumpkin

Queensland Pumpkin

Pumpkin from Exotic Pumpkins in Andover, MN 
 

An Australian variety introduced to the U.S. in 1932.  It has a deep ribbing with a buttercup shape.  It is very similar to a Jarrahdale. Wonderful for baking with.  Can store up to 5 to 6 months.  Use it whole as a decoration now and bake it later to eat

Orange Hubbard Squash

Orange Hubbard Squash

Orange hubbard squash exterior flesh is bright orange.  The interior flesh is yellow/orange with a very hard rind.    It's finely texture is medium sweet to medium dry flesh.  Great for cooking.  This squash was popular squash.  Also see Blue Hubbard Squash.
This squash was popular around the turn of the century, and is was a staple for the fall and winter pantry. Very similar to a Blue Hubbard. It is finely textured and has a yellow-orange flesh that is medium sweet and medium dry with very hard rind.

Festive Party Chocolate Cupcakes

You can dress up cupcakes to look yummy by adding Andes candies, cherry filling, pudding, toasted coconut, nuts, melted caramel, chocolate shaved, sugar sprinkles, or any fun topping.

Chocolate cupcakes with Penuche Filling

A Betty Crocker recipe

Cupcakes

1 box Chocolate Fudge Cake mix

1  teaspoon vanilla

Filling and Garnish

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

4  cups powdered sugar

1 oz grated semisweet baking chocolate, if desired

Directions

·      Heat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour muffin cupcake pan. Prepare mix as directed on box and add vanilla to the batter.  Cook and cool cupcakes

·      In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat to low. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Pour mixture into medium bowl; refrigerate 1 hour or until lukewarm, about 90°F.

·      Mix powdered sugar into cooled brown sugar mixture with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. If filling becomes too stiff, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. If filling is too soft, cover; return to refrigerator 15 minutes to firm up.

·      Remove Cups from cupcakes pan. Using serrated knife, cut each cupcake in half horizontally, being careful not to break either half. Place heaping 1 tablespoon filling on each cupcake base. Replace rounded cupcake tops. Pipe or spoon rounded 1 tablespoon frosting onto cupcake tops. Garnish with grated chocolate. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Blue Hubbard Squash

Blue Hubbard Squash
This squash has wonderful aroma of fresh cucumbers with very little sugar.  Interior flesh is a yellow/orange color with firm flesh and very little string.   Flesh that is medium-sweet and medium-dry with a very hard rind, hard to cut.  This squash is great for cooking and baking and was used in many traditional recipes.






Cool fact - named after Mrs. Hubbard in Marblehead Massachusetts in 1830.

James J. H. Gregory introduced the Hubbard Squash to the seed trade.  Originally brought to New England from South America or the West Indies, the variety had been grown in Marblehead as early as the 1830s.  A neighbor to the Gregory's, Elizabeth Hubbard known as "Marm Hubbard", recognized the properties of the squash and brought these seeds saying, "it was the best squash she had ever tasted in her life."  James J. H. Gregory later bred and released Blue Hubbard.  

To read more about James J. H. Gregory click here.

lumina Pumpkin

Lumina Pumpkin


Lumina Pumpkins outside exterior can ranges from pale golden yellow to slightly blue to glowing white or a ghostly white.  The interior flesh is orange. 
Excellent for baking into pies.  Keep pumpkins in a dark cool space to so they can last until used. 
Some people use this style of pumpkin because of the white exterior and it's orange inside creating a spooky effect once carved. 

PIE
This was one of the pumpkins tried as a pie and was one of our favorites. 

pumpkin pancakes

pumpkin pancakes

Decorative Gourds - Angel Wings

 Decorative Squash

Angel Wing

Hubbard Orange Soup

Hubbard Orange Soup

long Island Pumpkin

Long Island Cheese Pumpkin
This heirloom is widely remembered as a great Pie squash by people in the New York & New Jersey area. It was prominently used through out the 1800s. Its coloring and flattened shape suggests a wheel of cheese - thus the name. It has a deep orange moderately sweet flesh and a long storage life up to a year out of direct sun.

Galeux d'Eysines (Popcorn) Pumpkin

Galeux d'Eysines (Popcorn) Pumpkin

Galeux d'Eysines - HEIRLOOM Pumpkin Squash

First seen at the Pumpkin Fair in Tranzault, France in 1996.   Seed collected by Amy Goldman from La Ferme de Ste. Marthe, Cour-Cheverny, France.  The intorior flesh is orange, sweet and moist.  Great for baking and cooking with.  Great for soups because once cooked it becomes velvety smooth.  Pumpkins can weigh from 10-20 pounds and should be harvested before they mature, if left the peanut growths may cover the pumpkin.  The peanut warts are caused by the sugars in the skin of the pumpkin.  They can be stored up to 6 months. 

Jarradale Pumpkin

Jarradale Pumpkin

Jarradale is an Heirloom pumpkin native to Australia with wonderful blue grey skin and heavy ribbing. Decorative as well as flavorful. Jarrahdale has a flatten deep ribbed pumpkin shape with shiny light blue-gray skin. 6-120 pounds. Jarrahdale’s tasty flesh is thick, sweet and rich golden-yellow to orange in color. It has a very small seed cavity and thin but extremely hard skin. Some gardeners claim that they have stored this squash for up to a year! This Australian squash is a cross between Blue Hubbard and the Cinderella pumpkin.

Flower and Vegetable seed for the home gardener and small market grower.

Turks Turban Squash

Turks Turban Squash

Turks Turban flavor is a mild and great for any recipe.  Not a lot of flesh as other squash varieties.  Flesh inside is light orange with firm flesh and very little strings.  Seeds are fat and great for roasting. Very hard outside with many surfaces, not great for peeling or cutting.  Cooking suggestion is to cook it whole and then remove outside peel.  

Turk's turban, also known as "French turban", a heirloom predating 1820, and closely related to the buttercup squash.

pasta with slices of pumpkin

Pumpkin Bars from Sarah Jane's Bakery

Pumpkin Bars from Sarah Jane's Bakery

sneak peek - Sep 10th

sneak peek - photo shoot

Recent work - Cereal bowl and spoon with fruit

Cereal

Crisco is a great way to keep food in its place but using it totally grosses me out.  Something about not being able to get it off my hands gets me to wonder what is it doing to my body.  Crisco is nice for its color in that it kind of looks like milk but adding real milk on top of the Crisco completes the illusion.

This image is comprised of many layers.  The spoon was shot first with Crisco as the base holding the cereal and fruit in place, then a couple of layers of the spoon with milk in different places.  The bowl was added in much the same way, first the bowl with cereal but without milk, then a couple more layers of the bowl with the milk in different parts.  Also an overlay was used when shooting the bowl with cereal.

Adding milk is the tricky part, too much milk and the cereal flakes change their color and texture as they become soggy, too little milk and the image just doesn’t look right. 

I worked with Kimberly Colburn during this shoot. She is always my first choice whenever I seek a food stylist. With her help we are a team moving pieces of the puzzle around to create the most appealing final image possible. 

        

For this project I retouched the images myself but yes I do use a digital retoucher when needed.

501st Legion Central Garrison – more images

 

 

 

 

501st Legion Central Garrison

501st Legion Central Garrison

Fundraiser for 3-Day Walk promo piece

501st Legion Central Garrison

photos from Fundraiser for Kevin & Eileen Doyle in support of the Breast Cancer 3-day walk