Author Archives: Jenna

Delicious Thanksgiving sides

In honor of Thanksgiving, I thought I’d put together a little post with 10 ideas for Thanksgiving side dishes. I’ve ignored plenty of holidays on this blog–Halloween, for example, went by completely unremarked. And last year I don’t remember sharing a single Thansgiving-friendly recipe when November hit. It’s not even like I’ve fallen off the bandwagon, because to fall off it means you were on it at some point.

And I never claim to have been on any bandwagon, at any time.

So I’m trying to change–not too hard mind you (no pie-filled week like Tracy, no pumpkin-alicious recipes like Sarah), but the least I could do is put together a few of the delicious sides that have happened on this blog in the past. None are exactly traditional, but I think they’d be quite lovely if you’re looking for a little something different this year!

First up!

1. Roasted carrots with feta and parsley–my favorite thing is the roasty sweetness of the carrots. My other favorite thing is the salty, magical feta. And my other favorite thing is that it couldn’t be easier. The steps can be broken down as follows: roast. Toss. Consume.

2. Brussel sprouts!

Shredded. Pan-fried with bacon and nutmeg and a squirt of lemon juice at the end. You may remember this recipe from the cooking class I taught with my friend Cassia earlier this year–and for me, the brussel sprouts were one of the highlightiest highlights of that meal. This little pile of greens would go so well with a big hunk of turkey–if you’re of the turkey persuasion, that is. I’m more for the roasted chicken myself.

3. Creamy Parmesan orzo with asparagus! How I love that stuff.

4. This roasted potato and green bean salad that I LOVE (and I don’t break out the caps for just any old thing). It’s sweet and tangy and mustardy, with just the right amount of bitey vinegar on the tongue. I’ve made it twice, and eating it again would make so very happy.

5. A fruit salad with all fresh fruit (and lotsa berries, though that’s not exactly seasonal at this time), topped with a minty honey lime dressing.

6. Mushrooms drowning in melted fontina. *groan*

And it’s another super easy dish (score)!

7. Divine creamed corn. Easy, delicious, and not-from-a-can.

And all the food bloggers said. . . Amen.

Or at least this food blogger did.

8. Roasted green beans. They are so, so, so good. And you just toss them in the oven and let the heat do the work!

They truly are finger-lickin’, just as I dubbed them in the recipe.

9. Israeli couscous with spiced sweet onions, cherry tomatoes and a sprinkling of cilantro.

It’s so colorful! The red and green reminds me of Christmas. And of course, it’s as tasty as all get out.

10. I’d be amiss if I didn’t mention one of the more traditional dessert type things which can also function as a Thanksgiving side–très Americain—

—Jello! With berries. And cool whip. And I’m not apologizing, either.

I mean, I can’t exactly apologize after what happened last year:

It was devoured by a pack of hyenas.

I mean . . . a pack of sisters. Right.

So! Do tell all. Have you all already planned out your Thanksgiving menus? Or–for my Canadian friends–were your Thanksgivings full of deliciousness and new culinary heights? Or old but still heighty culinary heights? And for my international friends, does the sight of Jello completely disgust you, or do you understand how necessary it is to the American soul?

Benefit gala!

So! Remember how I talked about that adoption conference I attended, sang at, and photographed this past Saturday? Well, I’ll be sharing more about that soon, but that wasn’t the end of my adoption-related shenanigans. Based on a prompting from my friend Sarah and the various emailings that resulted, I ended up volunteering my lens to a magnificent organization here in Chicago called Lydia Home, and it just so happened that their yearly benefit gala was a few days later, where they could put me to use!

Fortuitous? I think it was a God-thing.

Monday evening I trekked my way from work to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, camera in tow, ready for the action. Though it was barely 5:45 when I arrived, it was already pitch dark outside.

I was expecting a little intimate dinner–but no!

Whoa. It was a huge event, attended by about 1,200 people.

The event started with a silent auction.

The items up for bid were so varied–a bright blue kayak. A soft designer sweater. Tickets to various sporting events. An American Girl Doll. This necklace:

Joy #1: being involved in a cause I believe in! This organization has so many fantastic programs (especially the Safe Families initiative), and it’s all gospel-based.

Joy #2: serving with my talents, which doesn’t even feel like work. It was just fun.

Trouble #1: the lighting. At an event like this, you don’t really have any control. So the best you can do is set your camera so that it’s as sensitive to the light as possible, without compromising shutter speed and creating blur.

Ay, me. A combination of my camera quality (not entirely professional), the aperture capacity of my lenses (not wide enough), the dim lighting, the color of the walls, and the tall ceilings (too high for my flash to be able to bounce off ’em) produced so many dark and noise-filled photos.

And believe me, the ones I’m sharing here are not even the worst.

(Incidentally, I had a dream last night that I was buying a better camera with a wicked awesome lens. Does this mean something?)

Anyway, when I sent the photos off by FedEx, I resisted the urge to apologize to the lovely ladies who I’d been in touch with. “I’m sorry my photos aren’t the best . . . ”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to navigate the dim lighting . . .”

“I’m sorry my high ISO caused so much noise . . .”

“I’m sorry I’m not the quality of photographer you were probably hoping for . . .”

. . . but I think I need to do what with photography what Julia Child did in the kitchen: don’t apologize. I did what I did, and let’s keep on keeping on. So I shut my trap (except with you guys, of course–you get to hear it all!), and I think I’m glad I did.

I can’t help but see all the flaws in my efforts, and I wish both for my sake and theirs that I had done a perfect job. But I didn’t. But what I did was acceptable. So moving on.

It’s hard to quell the perfectionist within who’s piping up and saying things like “Why did you even offer if you couldn’t be perfect?” But I know that’s not the voice I’m supposed to be listening to. Instead I should listen to the voice that’s telling me to keep putting myself out there. Offering my photography, flawed as it may be. Through this event, I connected with a woman who said I might have the chance to do some senior portraits for kids who otherwise couldn’t afford them. That’s what I’m talkin’ about!

And enough about the little lady in my head called Pollywiggle Perfectioniste! Let me share Trouble #2: plants.

Two twiggy creations flanked the podium, which wasn’t a problem when there was only one person, and when he or she was directly behind the podium–or when this lovely singer walked all over the stage, giving me plenty of plant-free shots:

However, these twiggy arrangements created difficulties when people shared the stage. For example, this sorry shot:

Twiggy blockage, twiggy shadows. Alas!

I considered stomping up there and kicking them over with the yell of a warrior, but I thought that might guarantee that I don’t get invited back.

Yup.

I did my darnedest to Photoshop the twig shadows off this girls’ face to save the shot–here’s the original:

The Photoshopped:

Side by side:

 

 

 

Which brings me to Joy #3: hearing from the kids who have been helped by the program. This young man was shot by someone at his high school.

After getting out of the hospital, he went back to school. And guess who was calmly walking the halls? Yep. The guy who’d shot him.

He needed to get out of that situation. And Lydia Home was able to help.

Joy #4: a fabulous sermon from the pastor at Harvest about not worrying. We’re just not made to do it, friends!

Joy #5: the food.

This cake, in particular.

Or wait . . .maybe that’s Trouble #3? Hard to discern. I’ll chew on it.

Heh heh.

(did I just make a dad joke?)

Anyway folks, that’s it for today! What do you photographers recommend I do next time I’m in a low lighting situation with high ceilings? And what kind of organizations in your towns really move your hearts? And have you heard of Safe Families before?