Stephen: Day 195

Moroccan fried calamari with grapefruit and marscapone wine sauce over watercress.

I like to get my cooking inspiration from the grocery store. I walk the aisles and wait for something to pop out and say “eat me.” I was walking by the fish stand today and they had lots of fresh calamari, which I haven’t had in forever. I secretly love the tentacles the best. I think it’s because most people are grossed out by them.

So, my thought process was “what goes well with seafood? : Creamy… Acid… Heat… those are my favorites and I wanted to keep it simple and clean.

So I sliced some onions and sauteed in olive oil with a handful of quartered hearts of palm. I added salt and pepper, a giant scoop of marscopone cheese, and about a cup of white wine. I let simmer and added a quarter of a diced jalapeno.

I then cut my calamari, rinsed, tossed in a little buttermilk and battered with flour, salt and pepper, and a few Moroccan spices (coriander, cayenne, cumin, ginger, turmeric, caraway seed). Then a fried them.

I peeled and qaurtered about half of a grapefruit and tossed in with the sauce. I squeezed the other half of the grapefruit over watercress and tossed.

I put it all together and topped with a little cilantro and parmesan cheese.

It was awesome. Yummy!!! That is all…

 

Stephen: Photo 194

Even with two feet of gross ugly brown snow, there are still a few places in Boston that are beautiful!!!!

Stephen: Photo 193

Back in the day of shooting with my manual camera, I did a whole photo series of fire hydrants. I’m not really sure what I’m drawn to with fire hydrants. I think it’s that they are all different, but they all have the same function. It’s like a timeline of how the city changes. Some hydrants are updated, or repainted. Some are left as they were 50 years ago. I think they are so cool.

When I was in NYC, I came across some really unique and even beautiful ones.

This one was so colorful, and it was an oasis of color in the white snow…

Stephen: photo 192

Just when I think we can’t get anymore snow here in the Northeast, we do. It snowed and snowed again last night. I think the 4th big snow storm in 2 weeks. It’s too cold here to melt, so it just builds and builds. I have over two feet at my house.

Crazy, crazy winter…

I have, on more than one occasion, plopped myself in those two feet of snow and made snow angels… I hate winter, but I secretly love it sometimes…

 

Stephen: Day 184-191

Here are some pictures from my trip to Ghana this week:

Kakum National Forest canopy walk: This canopy walk is nestled within 350 square kilometers of designated national forest near the coast of Ghana. I had one day to travel around in Ghana and see some of the sights. I rented a driver for the day and he took me around to some beautiful spots. Hiking through the forest was definitely one of the highlights.

Cape Coast Slave Castle: Construction on the castle started in 1653 (not the oldest slave castle in Ghana, but the largest) by the Swedes. It was later seized by other nations and ended up with the British for over two hundred years. This castle housed over 1000 slaves at a time that were crammed into dark, humid rooms for months at a time before being sent off to the Americas. The most interesting fact was that one of the first churches in Africa was built directly above the male slave chambers. European traders would come to worship above as hundreds of men were dying below- a dark picture of heaven and hell.

The building with the red clay roof is the church. The big door below on the first floor leads down the the male slave chambers:

The castle is beautiful and located right on the coast.

One of the local fishing boats after a day out on the ocean. They have sails like old colonial ships made of fabric, some a patchwork of different colors.

A view of the coast:

A local fisherman repairing one of his nets:

One last shot of the rainforest. I love the trees out in the distance.

Rachel – Day 167

The News: A New Exciting Non-profit! Families in third world countries die every year from exposure to smoke due to cooking in the home. This new non-profit called “The AdVenture Project” has provided cheap, efficient stoves that burn on coal and are safe to use in the home. This will save lives and prevent health complications for countless people.

Check it out and get as involved as you will let yourself 🙂

http://theadventureproject.org/the-coal-project

Gretchen’s Life Day – 176

We carved pumkins the night before Halloween. What fun! We even toasted the pumpkin seeds just like my mom & dad used to do with us kids.

Gretchen’s Life Day – 175

Here are some Halloween pics. Samantha was a glow in the dark stick figure. Caleb was a zombie. Logan was SWAT guy that had been in a blast and Ej was a good witch.

Gretchen’s Life Day – 174

Today, Ellaray saw Caleb and Logan sitting down watching t.v. She came up behind them and stuck her head in-between them with an arm draped over each of their shoulders. Then she says, “Best friends forever”. I love that girl!

Kelly day 107

Second phase. I am liking the color scheme. Feels moody and somber to me.