Ballenisles, Palm Beach Gardens

Ballenisles in Palm Beach Florida is breathtakingly beautiful. I never seen such a place with beautiful well manicured landscape everywhere your eyes could see.  It is truly a paradise on earth.

Steven had a tennis tournament over there and while I was watching him which he won victoriously  playing against the Canadian team double and single; I was taking the time to take pictures of the surrounding.

I have not posted anything like craft, cooking as often lately. To be honest, I am in a transition of becoming a full time photographer. I am happy that I am picking up a client here and there for the last 2 months. So I am spending my time on marketing and advertising  this new hobby turned business now a days. I never knew that taking pictures of people can be so much fun and joyful to me. I love the interaction and being outdoor on a photo assignment.

Also, our new home is under renovation. There is so much going on with the new home right now. It is overwhelming for both of us, especially Steven.

I can't wait to settle in the new home and ready for spring and summer time. 

~~~oo00oo~~~~

Thank you so much for reading!

Have a wonderful week-end Everyone!

Welcome Spring 2014!

Spring is in the air! I am welcoming spring time with this beautiful lovely pink pastel color flowers.

I wish I know the name of the flowers. If I could only take the time open and read the label written on the wrap of the flowers I would have known what it is. If you know the name; please let me know?

To some of you probably know that we are going to move into a new home. Well, it is taking a long time for us  fixing up the new home. And the truth is we are still living in the old home while it is in the process of selling to the new owner. To our advantage, it works very well since we do not have to live in the new home with the renovation has been going on in there. Hopefully with in a month we are going to move into our new home. And I am super excited.

In the mean time, and with these pretty flowers I am going to wish you a 'happy spring time!'

 

Thank you so much for reading!

The Chadha Family

This is the second time I shot this family.

This time I get to know this family more and therefore I was comfortable shooting at their home. 

Before I officially became a photographer; I did not have any idea when reading a photography blog that overtime she, the photographer becoming a part of the family she is taking picture out of. From shooting a new born until the new born has grown to a toddler then to a teenager. I could not grasp how a client can be so loyal to

a particular photographer. But now I know how it feels like since I shot this family twice. I met the parents before and this time I met the brother and his wife. I am in love with this job more than ever. 

I was a full time blogger before. The same blog here at CuriositaEllya blog. I blogged about recipes, home decor, craft, journaling, and more. I spent many hours in front of the computer and quite often until almost morning. Then continued the next morning until I got nauseous and became ill. 

Now with the photography job, I go out all the time. Either in people's home or out in nature. What I really love about it is that I am interacting with people; laughing, joking, discussing and making new friends.

I am still learning but I am happy I found and very much interested in photography.

This baby is so adorable. I do not know why, each time I came close to her, talked and smiled to her, she smiled back at me. Which made the photo session so easy because I do talk and interact with my client during the shoot. As she laughed and smiled at me, her mother said "she likes you Ellya!" I do love children.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Bacon-Pear Macaroni & Cheese

Last night I made this for Steven for the first time.

I must admit that I really like it a lot. I love the combination taste  of the sweet pear the smoke Gouda cheese. Definitely will do this again. But next time I am going to reduce the pear in half portion and and cut into a smaller piece. Just to reduce the sweetness of this recipe.

::Recipe::

BACON-PEAR MACARONI AND CHEESE

~ 8 ounces dried elbow macaroni

~  6 slices bacon

~ 1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)

~ 2 cloves garlic, minced

~ 2 tbsp all purpose flour

~ 1 tsp dry mustard

~ 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

~ 2-1/2 cups whole milk (I used2% milk)

~ 6 ounces smoked Gouda Cheese, rind removed, shredded

~ 8 ounce package cream cheese (I used reduced fat cream cheese and used only 1/2 package)

~ 2 tbsp snipped fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano

~ 2 tbsp butter or margarine

~ 2 tbsp packed brown sugar (I reduced half)

~ 2 red or green pears, thinly slices

~ 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook past according to package directions, drain. Return pasta to hot pan, cover to keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crips, turning once. Drain bacon on paper towels, reserving 3 tablespoons bacon drippings in skillet. Crumble and set a side.

3. Cook onion and garlic in bacon drippings over medium heat for 30 seconds. Stir in flour, dry mustard and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; reduced heat. Add Gouda cheese and cream cheese; cook and stir until almost melted.

4. Pour cheese sauce over the cooked pasta. Stir in oregano and all but 2 tablespoons of the crumbled bacon. Transfer mixture to an ungreased 2-quart rectangular baking dish; cover with foil Bake in a 350 deg. oven for 25 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, melt butter in a clean large skillet. Stir in brown sugar; add pear slices. Cook, turning occasionally, until pears are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove foil from the baking dish. Stir about the half of the cooked, sliced pears into the macaroni and cheese. Spoon the remaining pear slices a top macaroni and cheese; sprinkle with Parmesan and reserved crumbled bacon. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes or until Parmesan has softened. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

~~oo00oo~~

Note; I will reduce the pears in half(1 pear instead of 2) and cut into a small pieces about the same size of the macaroni.

Then when it comes to direction no. 4, I will mix half of cooked pears into the macaroni mixture and transfer to a baking dish and arrange the half of cooked pears on top and with crumbled bacon and Parmesan, then cook in the oven for 20 minutes.

Last night I also put left overs rotisserie chicken cut into small pieces into the macaroni mixture. It tastes delicious too! I am wondering if this would taste wonderful with blue cheese because I know pears goes together with blue cheese.

~~~oo00oo~~~~

Happy Baking Everyone!

Flower Crowns & New-Born Baby Girl Head Bands Love

I am not sure why that I am addicted about making a flower crown.  Perhaps it's the girly girl in me or may be I love taking pictures of a beautiful young girls with long hair wearing these flower crowns that I created.  Either way,  I can assure you  that I won't stop making them. They are very easy to make and they look pretty as well. Don't they?

Next time I promise you that I will post the step by step on how to make these flower crowns.

I also obsessed about creating a new -born baby girl head bands.  I want to be ready and armed with props to style the new-born when the time comes to photograph the baby.  I have made these new-born head bands in the past (here).

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Beautiful Faces in the Snow

I truly found my passion in photography. It is very easy to know 'why."

Pictures like these melts my heart. I really love taking pictures of a mother and her child or children.  I love seeing the emotion and the love between these two lovely human beings.  May be because I am a mother myself. My emotion deepened when I see pictures like these. I miss my son very much!

This is the first time I photographed portrait in the snow. I was armed with tutorials I searched on the internet prior on how to photograph people in the snow. And I am very happy with the result.

Beside feeling happy I was exhausted running around the field of snow trying to capture this 'super cute young man'. But it was all worth it. And as you can see I love  the result of my work. 

Thank you so much for looking!

"Have a great week-end Everyone!"

Peanut Noodle Cucumber Cup

I had this tasty appetizer during a football game at a friend's house recently.

I really love the taste and I created my own recipe. Well, I asked her what was the ingredients and she mentioned a few key ingredients and never get to ask her the complete recipe.

More less, mine is as delicious as I remember her's was.

 

::Recipee::

Peanut Noodle Cucumber Cup

For a dozen cups.

~ 1 large English cucumber, peel and cut in 1/2" thickness

~ A good amount of cooked angel hair pasta

~ 1/4 creamy peanut butter

~ 1/2 tbsp sugar

~ 1/2 tbsp sriracha chilli  sauce. You can omit this if you do not like chilli in them.

~1 tsp lemon juice

~ Salt to taste

~ Chopped cilantro for garnish

~ Crushed peanuts for garnish

1. Mix together peanut butter, sugar, salt, chilli sauce, lemon juice and angel hair pasta.

2. Scoop the seed of cucumber pieces to create a well for the noodle.

3. Spoon some peanut butter noodle into the cucumber

4. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro and crushed peanut on the top.

Note; Peel the cucumber that the skin is completely off from the meat of cucumber. The skin can taste a little bitter; I put just a tiny drop of lemon juice in the cucumber well to eliminate the bitterness.  English cucumber is suitable for this dish.