Julia Bender Photography

follow me - the blog is moving!

2010-06-06T23:04:00.000-07:00

I've been working hard for the last few weeks to change to wordpress for my blog and would love you all to follow me in the move! It's been a lot of work, late at night while the little man sleeps but this is SO much better. Larger images, less distracting text and a cleaner format.

Please update your blog reader to the following link: www.juliabender.com/blog

and head over to check monday morning for a bunch of new images this week including an adorable 1st birthday party, and my first time being published in a magazine!

fig & goat cheese pizza

2010-06-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

we made this with friends a few weeks ago and have made it twice since. i think this was my first time making pizza with no sauce and it was still so good.

i have recently learned a few tricks with pizza dough:

1. keep bubbles in the crust by just pulling it out under the dough w/your fingers and not pinching.

2. put your pizza stone in the oven while pre-heating and then slide your pizza on top on parchment.

3. when you bring it out, slide it directly on a cooling rack so the bottom stays crispy.

mine was tweaked because the store was out of what i needed, but here's the original recipe:

plain pizza dough (i used trader joe's)

sautee:

red onions

sliced figs

sprinkle on:
crumbled goat cheese

bake. eat. so good.

sneak peak : birthday party

2010-06-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

bubbles make parties kind of awesome.

torrance: military parade

2010-05-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

we went to a military parade in torrance a few weeks ago. because of j's job we were allowed access into the vip section, away from all the crowds. when i first met j, he was finishing up active duty in the marines, now we are getting ready to send him to OCS (officer candidacy school) in june for 2 months for the national guard.

i am officially a military wife and am still processing what this means. it's scary in a way, but mixed with pride. i watched these men & women in uniform and was proud of the people that have served and continue to serve our country without question. we saw older men who had been held captive at some point during their service, the wives who waited patiently, and scouts standing proud next to marching troops. we truly live in a blessed nation because of these people. (although jan & i did both notice that the marines were the only ones that walked with their bodies locked and in perfect formation)

petting zoo

2010-05-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

we went to the smallest zoo ever a few months ago south of anaheim. it part of a big awesome park, and was free, so at least we didn't feel jipped. the petting zoo was the best part but we were done w/that in 10 minutes.

{shot w/35mm fuji film}

santa barbara

2010-05-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

we took just a quick trip, to hit the farmers market and check out the missions. we also stumbled upon a park with a little creek, which made j feel right at home.

wouldn't this make an awesome print in the kitchen? beautiful scraps of tasted food. kinda weird. but kinda awesome.

my handsome men...

it helps when there is a wood cutout of a pope helping direct the tour

through the gates of a tomb

probably the raddest photo of the trip and possibly a holiday card

(yes, he's slightly sucking on the fingers)

ice cream sandwiches : the new awesome

2010-05-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

lately i have been pushing to make things from scratch, but when we were low on time, we focused on tweaking store bought and presentation. if you want an awesome dessert, and you're short on time, do the following.

buy

1 half gallon vanilla ice cream

1 half gallon mint chocolate chip ice cream

nutella (hazlenut chocolate)

1 roll slice & bake sugar cookies

1 roll slice & bake chocolate chip cookies

then

pick one meyer lemon off a tree (ok, you might not have a tree, so you can buy one)

direcs:

bake cookies (try not to burn like i did), adding cinnamon & sugar to the top of sugar cookies to make snickerdoodles

soften half container vanilla ice cream and add one lemon worth of rind and juice, refreeze

cookie 1: snickerdoodle / meyer lemon vanilla ice cream

cookie 2: chocolate chip / mint chip ice cream

cookie 3: chocolate chip / vanilla ice cream (plain) with a layer of nutella

then, prepare for people to be totally impressed.

the next time i would make the chocolate chip cookies from scratch. toss that nestle and use my trusty ghirardelli. but the rest - totally not worth the time and energy since this was so incredibly good w/o all the fuss. if you don't have time for any of this, and it seems daunting, please just do this one thing. buy vanilla (the one w/bean flecks) ice cream. buy a meyer lemon. add them together and serve just that as dessert. just that discovery in itself made my life.

enjoy. and try not to eat them all before they make it to the party.

(apologies for the bad lighting in all my food pics - my kitchen lacks itself some good natural light)

7.9 months old

2010-04-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

my sweet little boy is almost 8 months. i took some photos this morning before tomorrow hits. he has learned so many new tricks this month, he can sit up, feed himself baby snacks, army crawl, and his first tooth is popping through. he continues to bless our lives each day and we couldn't be more in love.

it's also my little brother's birthday - happy birthday jonathan!

my relations are pretty

2010-04-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

going through old files and found this image i shot for blush undershirts. i wore their shirts through most of my pregnancy, and they are quite wonderful.

{model is my sister-in-law, alicia}

commercial shoot : cosmetics

2010-04-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

remember that shoot i did awhile back for sunrider? i finally got around to posting some of the images. it was a really long day, with lots of waiting, but it was fun to watch the makeup artist work her magic as she applied neutral day makeup to glam over the course of a few hours.

we shot all of these outside in the building's own asian garden, and in the atrium which had beautiful lighting. i placed watermarks on the images because i want to add extra insurance that they don't start floating around the web.

btw - we had the peach herbal tea with our lunch and it was as good as she makes it look.

(note: none of these are ready for press - they will be clipped and edited before use in their ads - i just did a basic color adjustment and posted them as is)

handmade jewelry

2010-04-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

my sister-in-law is one of those people that looks at something, makes it, and it's good. really good. i look at something and think, why buy that, i could make it, and then i stick it in a file. i have lots and lots of things filed...

for christmas, she made me a necklace, and a few for herself. i had her send them to me to photograph. the last one is mine, and both ronin & i love it. (he's facinated with necklaces)

i don't typically do product photography, but i wanted to challenge myself. i was running out of ideas when i decided to thread them through these metal balls i have over ronin's crib. i held my camera in the crib facing up as to not get the actual crib in the image, and just shot and previewed until i got what i wanted. a little tricky, but i like how they turned out.

willie + liza ( + 2 mini baby boys)

2010-04-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

I hadn't seen Liza since high school (let's not count those years) and she contacted me about taking photos of her because she's expecting twins. Twins! (I know, she's so tiny you can't even tell) Cute, chubby cheeked, round faced, little eyed asian babies are the cutest, and yes, I am slightly biased, especially after having a blond haired blue eyed 1/4 korean baby.

It was so much fun shooting you guys, epecially laughing at all of Willie's expressions and while we laughed, he laughed and there were more! Jan had a great time too. I said, of course, you just talked to Liza's dad while Ro played w/her mom. Jan said, "Dave, his name is Dave, and we had to talk about important things over passionfruit juice." Yes, my assistant is so helpful. :)

Can't wait to meet those little boys!

kimi + baby j : sausalito, ca

2010-04-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

we went home last weekend to spend time with family & my camera. friday we hung out w/baby j & kimi who showed up armed with homemade cookies and all sorts of prop options. we've teamed up for projects since college, and i always look forward to photographing anything that involves her and her adorable baby boy. jan came along as my assistant, to hold ro and help with props/lighting, as well as to help us eat ice cream at one of my favorite sausalito hot spots - lapperts. try their banana-chocolate-chip-carmel something or other. it's off the hook. plus if you end a shoot with ice cream we all end up forgetting that we came to get something done and just end up with ice cream all over our faces (some more than others).

easter in mammoth

2010-04-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

we spent easter weekend with my brother & sister-in-law in mammoth. my brother's company owns the mountain & inn, so we had a great hook up for a place to stay. i love that in california you can go from 70 deg weather to 15 deg's in 6 hours. j had the opportunity to ski for free, so i stayed in the warm lodge with r. it was beautiful up there, and our first time checking out the area. the last night we got over 2 feet of snow. it's amazing how 95% of the drive, the roads are clear and it's just the last part that has crazy amounts of snow - it was up to the roofs out our window. i've been to tahoe & lived in utah, and this is more snow than either of us had ever seen at one time.

this was not a typical easter. ro was too little to participate in the egg hunts (although they were out on the snow - how fun!) and everytime i took him outside he made a face like, are you kidding me mom? the wind was up to 65 mph 2 of the evenings. it was crazy.

j got to join my little brother's ski team by default. j isn't super good, mind you. he first learned in indiana (no mountains) and then my brother initiated him into the family by taking him straight to black diamonds in utah. he was pretty excited to join the team - they even had their own coach. they lost, but they looked good, which is really the only part that matters.

i love ro's toes in the photo w/j below.

this image below is on the drive out. you'll see it goes from lots of snow in the mountains, to none on the ground at all within an hour or so.

these last 3 photos were taken by j while i fed ro in the car. the drive is really beautiful - it has a lot more of utah's landscape than i knew california had. (hint: if you haven't been on this drive, add this to your list)

natural dyed eggs

2010-03-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

last weekend we got together with my cousins for dinner and to dye eggs. i wanted to go natural this year and brought over a red cabbage (mixed with 1 T white vinegar) for some blue eggs. my aunt and the kids mashed up some petals to get the pink dye, and grass to get the green. the grass didn't work that great, and she ended up adding green dye to the water, hence the bright green that doesn't look so natural. the cabbage dye was beautiful though. it says for optimal results to let soak a long time, we only had time to soak for 10 min's or so. it was a lot of fun for the kids to learn what plants and vegetables can create color, rather than just squeezing some fake color from a tube. even the babies liked handling the eggs. (stay tuned for an egg print giveaway tomorrow!)

i bet

2010-03-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

once there was a time when you fit into one of these too.

the last one is from a different day. one thing about film, is even when the image is a little blurry, i still like it. it proves babies move, in the day of image stabilizers and auto flashes to get a still image.

4113 Nu'uanu Pali Drive

2010-03-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

i wouldn't mind if this was my address
(shot with canon on film)

strata: the new breakfast

2010-03-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

i've been finding these great recipes that are reshaping the way i prepare breakfast/brunch for guests. we had my cousin and his wife over last saturday for brunch and i made this spinach and cheese strata, another hit from smitten kitchen. the key flavor that makes it is the dijon. my top started browning in about 10 minutes, so i laid aluminum foil on top for the remainder of the baking time.

it was wonderful and a total repeat. the best part is that you make it the night before, just like the overnight french toast. we ate it with some fresh squeezed orange juice and maple bacon.

Spinach and Cheese Strata

Adapted from Gourmet, February 2003
Serves 6 to 8

1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed, squeeze all excess liquid, & chopped
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 cups cubed French or Italian bread in 1-inch cubes (1/2 lb)
6 ounces coarsely grated Gruyère (2 cups)
2 ounces finely grated parmesan (1 cup)
2 3/4 cups milk
9 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Sauté onion in butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg and continue cooking for one minute. Stir in spinach, remove from heat and set aside.

Spread one third of the bread cubes in a well-buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other ceramic baking dish. Top with one-third of bread cubes,one-third of spinach mixture and one-third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice with remaining bread, spinach and cheese.
Whisk eggs, milk, mustard and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Cover with plastic wrap and chill strata for eat least 8 hours or up to a day.
The next day, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 350°F. Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

the cookie debate

2010-03-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

i know, it's monday morning and the first thing you see on this blog is a pile of cookies. i apologize. i did make a strata that i will post soon that is a little more savory than sweet.

chocolate chip cookies have always been a family favorite. i mean, there are so many cookie recipes out there, right? i don't know that i have mine yet, but i'm willing to figure it out. my little brother sent out a recipe that he said were the "best/amazing chocolate chip cookies." nobody who bakes turns down trying a recipe with this in the subject line.

the only thing in the recipe i noticed that was different was that it asked me to beat the 2 eggs before adding them to the batter. i have never done this before and need to look up why this is supposedly better. most recipes also ask you to combine all dry and add to wet, and this did not, saving me a bowl to wash. i do use ghiradelli chips whenever possible. no nestle for this girl, not just because i grew up outside of san francisco. i genuinely believe they taste better.

the cookies were devoured at 2 events, so i guess the consensus was that they were pretty good. i would love to find a recipe that had less butter, but the same crispy edges and chewy insides, and it just doesn't seem possible to have the good texture with less fat. i split the batter and made half with semi sweet chips & flaked coconut, and the other half with semi sweet & white chocolate chips. i liked them both, although next time i might use dark chocolate w/the white chips for more of a contrast.

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white granulated sugar

2 eggs

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

16 oz chocolate chips (add as desired -- the more the better)

1 cup chopped nuts (optional and recommended)

1 cup flake coconut (optional but i wouldn't do it if adding nuts)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar together (in kitchen aid or hand mixer)

Beat eggs, then add to the sugar and butter mixture

Mix in vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, salt, flower, and mix well

Add chocolate chips (and nuts or coconut flakes)

Spoon golf ball-sized portions onto a parchment lined baking sheet (i made mine a T spoon size just for purposes of sharing with many people)

Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes

Highly recommend munching on cookie dough in addition to baking cookies

collections

2010-03-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

the one random thing about me that most people have no idea about, is that i have a collection of archie comic books. a small bookshelf full. new ones, old ones, the tall thin ones and the short double digests. my dad introduced them to me late in elementary school and i became hooked. it was a great escape to read something totally easy amidst the hours of honors english books, sat study guides and gate books all through the summers. they were so great, in fact, that it became a source of tension for me with my little brother. he would sneak into my room and take one and then read it by his bed, leaving it flipped and open upside down when he fell asleep. i would find my treasured books like this and ban him from reading them ever again. that would only last so long, before i would find another one, flipped again. i didn't want them ruined and took great care of them. they are all currently in utah, and i remember my first holiday w/my parents and jan, when i opened wrapping paper to reveal new issues that i hadn't read yet and j looked at me like...you're getting excited over a comic book at the age of 27? yes, i still get excited, and yes, my parents still surprise me with them, either new issues from the grocery store or some that my mom was lucky enough to find at a thrift store or garage sale. other than these books, i have never really collected much of anything.

when i went to hawaii last month, i met my brother rick's co-worker who has been collecting plastic rings for some time. as you can see, she has hundreds! an unknown fact is that bigger design houses (eg. dior) came out with collections at one time and she has some of these along with rare ones from japan and other countries around the world. she also started making her own and sells these pretty rings in her ring museum in honolulu above their office. these are some of the ones she collects. they have the look of glass but are actually plastic, thus much more affordable - she sells hers for only $5/ea.

what do you collect?

a very merry unbirthday

2010-03-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

j's parents were in town, so we decided to have an impromptu 6 month birthday celebration for R with a few friends. a quick trip to the market in koreatown and a recipe from my new rad cake book, All Cakes Considered (from j's parents for christmas) yielded a wonderful apple coconut cake. i made it in two round cake pans, and half served 7 of us, so we get to eat it again at some point! (thank you freezer). a slight crunch on the outside and sweet in the middle, with chunks of fresh fuji apple.

i didn't have the right supplies to make r a proper bday hat, his head was too big to make a cone shape out of letter paper, so it looks more like...a pope's hat. fitting for j'a parents i suppose, and we thought it looked cute regardless.

Grandgirl's Fresh Apple Cake from Georgia

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time: 30 min

Inactive Prep Time: 1 hr 0 min

Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 16

Ingredients

cake:

Butter, for greasing pan
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

sauce:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a tube pan.

For the cake: in a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, oil, orange juice, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract; and mix well. Fold apples, coconut, and pecans into batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours.

Shortly before the cake is done, make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large saucepan, stir in the sugar, buttermilk, and baking soda, and bring to a good rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the hot cake in the pan as soon as you remove it from the oven. Let stand 1 hour, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

you know it's a good recipe when

2010-03-10T15:13:00.000-08:00

it asks you to take the non-scoop end of a wooden spoon and push 15 holes into a cake so you can pour in deliciousness. more on this tomorrow...

(yes, that's apple & shredded coconut)

chinatown & baked french toast

2010-03-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

normally these two don't really go together. but if you start your day with smitten kitchen's baked french toast and then head to chinatown with a car full of korean food for lunch and end at a birthday party, it might be a really, really good day. after scarfing kim bap with bulgoki, we tried the most amazing mochi with red bean, rolled in baby coconut. i couldn't get enough.

but enough about that. let's talk about the french toast. i've never made baked french toast. i know there are a lot of recipes, and i've eaten 3 or so. but recently i've been scoping out this new blog and thought i would try out her recipe. because i totally agree with her. when you have people over for breakfast, why is it that the cook (me) gets to hang out in the kitchen alone, while everyone else sits around a table and enjoys the food. this recipe is easy. seriously. so easy. slice bread, mix, pour, refrigerate and bake in the am. i baked half the time w/a piece of tin foil on top, and then took it off for the last half to make sure it all got cooked through. all what you ask?

two layers of challah bread.

my favorite vanilla

rind off a ripe meyer lemon picked minutes before off of my tree

milk (i used 2%), eggs and a pinch of cinnamon.

soft on the inside, crispy on the top. a tinge of maple syrup, a glass of fresh oj and your day has just gotten better. trust me.

when you've pulled your food coma face away from the table, go to china town, and find this square, just because. i used to walk into these stores as a kid and wish i had money to buy all the rad and quirky things in there. now i have absolutely no use for them but still like checking them out watching tourists get excited. i really want to do a photoshoot here. anybody want to collaborate?

all pics taken with iphone

strawberry orange muffins

2010-03-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

we had a potluck brunch on saturday at a friends house i love to go to, because of the fantastic recipes i get to try from other friends who can bake up amazing things. caroline's homemade monkey bread from smitten kitchen was piled on my plate and so delicious. i brought these strawberry-orange muffins from cooking light that are easy and healthy, piled with costco organic strawberry jam which is a new staple at our place. somehow with the baby i got sidetracked and missed taking a shot of the final product but they are great, especially with the sugar you sprinkle on before you bake them.

Spitting Caves : hawaii

2010-02-26T09:01:00.000-08:00

If you go to Hawaii Kai, there is a place called Spitting Caves down a path in between some houses. The rock formations are amazing. It reminded me of Southern Utah but right on the ocean. Layers of rock, curving around and up the hillside. We went there to take some family photos and caught a little show on our way out. The photographer said the drop is about 40 feet down. Pretty insane.

sunrider preview

2010-02-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

I did a shoot for Sunrider earlier this week, a local company who creates skincare, makeup and health foods/supplements and has distributors all over the world.

More photos to come, I'm just diving into them today.

ps. the model is a former BYU student, flown in from Thailand. Isn't she gorgeous?

and the calendar winner is...

2010-02-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth! Who said:

I LOVE this! I am like you...I must write things down by hand in a tangible planner, none of this Google Calendar stuff! Hope I win!

Elizabeth, email me your address (jphoto (at) gmail (dot) com) and I'll send this right out! Plus, check out her great blog: awholelottaloving , filled with all sorts of pretty things.

Thanks to all who participated. I loved reading your comments/poems/desperate pleas for how organized you think this book would make you. We loved reading your feedback on our first trial calendar.

And thanks for all of you newbies who visited!

For those of you who mentioned interest in buying one if you didn't win, let me know if you are still genuinely interested. Yours won't have margin errors and will be just as pretty. We'll see if we can print some more if we have enough people that want one!

2010 custom calendar giveaway

2010-02-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Rachel came to me a few weeks ago with a project in mind. She had been searching for the perfect day calendar to replace her old one with no luck. We are both the same type of person who need to see things written in front of us. We make lists. Lots and lots of lists. Groceries. Ideas for photoshoots. The next great place to travel and what restaurants to check out while there. Birthdays. Books we should read...

So we collaborated. She brought over her old calendar and we redesigned a new version. She told me what she wanted and I worked on a design that followed the old calendar with an updated style. The months go through February of 2011, and look at the right side of each month, an entire page of lines for notes! Plus a list of all the holidays and sections in the back for new books to read, login info, date ideas, etc.

Fortunately for us, the printer messed up on the first batch (minor margin issues) and that sparked an idea. A GIVEAWAY! 2 in fact.

To enter leave a comment on this post. DOUBLE your chances by leaving one on Rachel's blog too. We'll pick winners and mail you this lovely calendar asap.

: Entries can be made until Tuesday, Feb 23 midnight PST :

images via rach

family in hawaii

2010-02-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

the main reason we were in hawaii was to celebrate my parents both turning 60 this year. i love my family. we have so much fun together and it's a whole new level having a niece and nephew and my own baby, watching them interact is so much fun. besides a nice dinner and small party (photos to come), we did some other things too.

we went to the beach (private beach one day/waikiki the other)

we drove up the pali

we went to ala moana shopping center

we had a photographer take some family photos at these caves - i just took a couple for fun

the food in hawaii

2010-02-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

when you go to hawaii, make sure you go to a farmers market. i went to 2.

the 2nd farmer's market was an lds guy who grows all organic produce. you can fill a bin the size of the ones at security at the airport for only $10. we got some basil, starfruit and mixed greens. if you haven't had starfruit, hunt some down, slice it and dip it in chocolate. let it dry (or not!) and eat it. your mouth will thank you.

then make sure you come home and make some spam musubi for lunch.

and eat fresh papaya and pineapple for breakfast.

(all but the last 2 shot with film on my canon AL-1)

and we're back

2010-02-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

i have rolls of film to drop off tomorrow so this is all i have to show, from my iphone. this is the day i arrived. we went out for a walk around ala moana shopping center, picking up some pineapple ice cream and looking at the koi fish with my nephew. more photos of the weekend in paradise to come. it went way too fast, so my goal upon leaving was to figure out a way to come back soon...i think i succeded! if any of you haven't been to hawaii, go. go now. it's a happy place.

a valentines day message

2010-02-12T17:34:00.000-08:00

to you from us. i especially love the O.

for the love of film

2010-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

it's been awhile since i've shot 35 mm film. i took my grandfather's old canon out to the culver city farmers market the other month to test it out and finally had a chance to drop off the film. the colors are amazing. it's a whole new, better world than what i capture with digital. the images make me want to eat everything i see. (except the people of course) it's totally coming with me to hawaii, stay tuned!

in: love

2010-02-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

this sunday is valentines day. i'm going to be doing a little something small every day this week to show my husband and baby how much i love them. i already have a photoshoot i did of little ro that i'll post on friday, with more to come in between. what are you doing this week in the name of love?

{did i mention i'm going to hawaii on thursday?? woot!}

photo by jan

baby food

2010-02-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

J & I are making our own baby food to save money, and we tried our hand at it for the first time tonight. My aunt bought us the Beaba Babycook machine from Williams-Sonoma for my shower gift and we've been waiting to try it out. We've started him on rice cereal and oatmeal and it is so fun to watch him learn to eat, as you can see in a previous post, he is really excited about finally being able to eat like us.

The process was amazingly simple. I picked up organic fresh baby carrots and organic frozen peas from Trader Joe's and we had them both completed in about an hour. (a little over $1 ea!) Jan cut up the carrots into thirds - the peas we just poured in. Steam them both, blend, add a little water to thin and voila, homemade baby food! Much cheaper than buying gerber or earth's best and they taste so sweet. I have some pears waiting to ripen, and will hunt down some butternut squash this week as well. The books say foods can last about 3 months in the freezer.

I'll keep posting as I make more things, especially as we get to the 2nd stages of food - a recipe ahead calls for mint & peas, yum!

paige & paul

2010-02-02T10:02:00.000-08:00

my friends are moving to utah, and i don't want them to go. paige & ronin are only a few months apart and i've been around since paul was born. the light went down fast, so i just took a couple shots before dinner. doesn't she have the most amazing eyelashes?

review: puj baby tub

2010-01-29T12:09:00.000-08:00

I won a contest to be a product tester for PUJ, and they sent me their amazing bath tub. For those of you that know me, I am a mad researcher when it comes to products for my home, and most recently my little baby boy. I researched tubs for awhile, and was really against the big plastic ones because as an apartment dweller, I did not want to store that thing since it's only used for 6 months or so. I saw this tub online but passed because I couldn't register for it, and was hoping to get something that was closer to $10-15 to fit my needs. I did, and ended up tossing it into the goodwill pile weeks after he was born. I had chosen one that was inflatable, with foam for support. His head kept rolling to the sides of the inflatable pillow and he always squirmed with discomfort. We resorted to a blow up toddler tub, but since he was so young, we have had to support him with one hand while bathing with the other. This can be strenuous at times, especially on your back as you lean over the tub for extended periods.

And then this tub showed up at my door. First off, I noticed the super slim packaging. I didn't even have to read the directions to assemble it, I just folded the base until it stuck (with magnets) in the folded position. I went to my friend Marisa's house, so we could test it with her 3 week old, and then my nearly 5 month old.

We were both really impressed. The babies were really happy in there. No squirming or wanting to get out, means it was gentle on their heads and comfortable. They sat right in there, on their backs and tummys until we were ready to pull them out. No head rolling babies, no back bending moms. If I had to do it over again, I would have spent the extra money to get this to make bath time easier. There are holes that prevent the water from getting too high, although I would have liked a little more water to keep him warm. When we were done, we had no cleanup. No water all over the counter, nada. We hung it dry (it hangs flat!), and it was dry in less than half an hour. I left it with her for the next few weeks to make bathing her little girl easier. I highly recommend this product.

Check out the Puj Tub for yourself at Puj's new website for baby bath tubs!

the little man has his first taste of rice cereal!

2010-01-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

Ronin eating from julia bender on Vimeo.

If you listen carefully you'll hear his funny little giggles when he gets excited.

oh, current dr stats:
16.1 lbs - 70th percentile
27 inches long - 94th percentile

long beach aquarium

2010-01-25T10:04:00.000-08:00

for christmas, i asked family for money towards a year pass to something local, a zoo or aquarium to take ronin to that would expose him to nature/animals/learning. on MLK day, jan & i scoped out the long beach aquarium and were pretty impressed. there is so much to see, and ronin just loved it. they have a lot indoors, and sea otters, sharks, rays and tide pools outdoors. there are a lot of hands on areas which i think is important to learning and since ro can't touch much yet, jan stepped in so we would get our moneys worth. the la zoo isn't too impressive but we really recommend this. if you buy tickets online before you go, you save $5/ticket.

{all photos via my iphone}

brother & sister

2010-01-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

fingers crossed, these two kids will be adopted into a most loving family this year. the most adoring parents. rooms filled with books and toys. they greeted me with smiles, the older one wondering if he could take ronin to his room and show him all his toys. beautiful, beautiful kids (aren't her eyes ridiculous??). they hugged me and kissed ro before we left, after an afternoon with candy all over their faces and bubbles galore. i'm excited to hang out again since we are practically neighbors!

{update: they were approved for adoption - hurrah!!}

sneak peek

2010-01-21T09:25:00.000-08:00

story behind these 2 cute kids coming soon.

happy bday jan

2010-01-19T10:14:00.000-08:00

happy birthday to my sweet husband. j slept in, woke up to snuggle with baby r, ate a cherry turnover and is off to get a haircut before he heads out to work. we will eat dinner and have bday cake with some friends who just had a baby last week. (the real party is next weekend)

{images shot this morning}

first birthday

2010-01-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

first birthday's in the korean culture are done big. in the olden days, if a baby made it to their 100th day, there was a big celebration. it meant the baby would survive, so they were introduced to their family and friends at a party. before the holidays, i was hired to shoot this wonderful birthday. they rented a room at boudin bakery (famous for their sourdough and clam chowder in a bread bowl) at fisherman's wharf in san francisco. they started the party dressed in traditional korean hanboks, and while the adults were eating lunch, a fairy showed up to entertain the kids with stories, puppets and face paints. another fun tradition involves laying items on a table to see which ones the baby chooses. long string (noodles) = a long life. money = wealth. rice = she will never go hungry. a microphone meant she would be an entertainer! little s chose money first, then the microphone. smart girl! favors of duk (chewy rice served at special occasions) and fresh baguettes were handed out as we left.

if you're considering having a photographer at your child's birthday party, let me know and i'll show you the rest! it was so fun.

french macarons

2009-12-31T19:54:00.000-08:00

plain with buttercream

tinted pink cookies with buttercream rolled in crushed peppermint

plain cookies with egg nog flavored buttercream (cinnamon and nutmeg)

As I mentioned before, Noz & I made french macarons before Christmas to give as gifts. Unfortunately, although we doubled the recipe, by the time our husbands and us sampled each of the different flavors we made, there were only about 15 left each to take home/give as gifts. Fortunately, they were incredibly amazing. Crunchier on the first day, and then soft with a hint of crunch on the second. Try them, it takes a little time but won't let you down.

christmas baking

2009-12-21T14:51:00.000-08:00

tonight noz and i are going to be making candy cane and egg nog macarons from this fantastic blog. i can hardly wait. some are going to co-workers, some to friends, and then the rest to southern indiana where we are headed wed. night for a snowy christmas.

also, here's a sneak peek of ronin's first christmas outfit! i have to put it on him as much as possible to max out the use. (he's sitting on jan's lap at church. he really love his dad.)

ronin as baby jesus

2009-12-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

sorry for all the ro pics lately! (but you have to admit, he's pretty cute, right?) i do have other stuff to post but what with moving and all, i just keep falling further behind.

rach took this image of us and ronin for the singles ward project last week. he was 'acting' as baby jesus. didn't he do a great job? i really love having fellow photographers as friends.

photo by rachel thurston

first santa encounter

2009-12-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

he didn't mind one bit. plus he was wearing his air jordans in case he got scared and needed to make a quick get away. next year we'll work on teaching him how pull on santa's beard.

(at our church christmas party)

alanna

2009-12-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

you are a beautiful, glowing mom-to-be. it was great to catch up and shoot, sorry it got so cold! we can't wait to meet your little girl, it will be so fun to watch the kids grow up together. next up, baby pics!!

xoxo

the growing ro

2009-11-24T09:09:00.000-08:00

this was taken last week. i wish i could share him with you in person. it's so much better.

egypt in my pocket

2009-11-23T11:13:00.000-08:00

i know, i know, i'm so behind on posting. you want to see more photos of Ro. i need to finish posting on his blessing party. and knotts berry farm last weekend. but we're moving to a new apt right in the middle of the holidsays and we've been going non stop.

the focus of today's quick post is pure craziness. i've have these black cords from banana republic for about a year now. one pocket open, one still sewn shut. i cut open the strings to open the left pocket today at work and found..

a NOTE.

a small folded up white piece of paper. written in EGYPTIAN! (yes, the pants are made in egypt)

ok, so now fellow friends, does anyone know what this says?? i'm dying to know. is it nice? creepy? a love note? do tell..

happy halloween!

2009-10-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

superman by day, tiger by night.

blessing reception: part I, the decor

2009-10-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

I'm splitting this up into two posts. First, the decor & food, and next the people. I went with a simple R theme, for Ronin, and green & white as the colors.

First I made simple flags from a white & green sheet of paper. I cut them out, glued them to toothpicks, and then cut out the v-shape on the ends. We put the white ones on the cucumber sandwiches and the green on the pb&j for the kids. We made the pb&j a little more interesting with pear and apricot jam.
Sprinkles are a really easy way to customize a cake without adding extra frosting (for me, less is more). I used Illustrator to print out a large R, cut it out and lightly set it on top of the cake after the frosting had dried a little (about an hour). We pushed green sprinkles into the R, lifted off the paper, and voila.I got a green and white plastic tablecloth from target along with green & white striped napkins. Chocolate cupcakes in green, white & yellow liners from Surfas and ikea trays helped tie the theme together. We had cranberry white chocolate scones, orzo salad, croissants, meringues, and homemade chinese noodles (thank you uncle!).
Last but not least, the refreshments. $3.50/case bottled water from albertsons got an easy makover with 2 colors of green paper and a little creativity. We brainstormed words that described Ronin and created labels in illustrator that emphasized the R in each word.

It went from simple
to creative
to ridiculous
and on to how the little one came about. (korean + irish & we are both german)

sorry for the lack of posts

2009-10-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

but i have a bunch to post this week, so stay tuned! i've been busy with freelance work, I'm trying to finish up Ronin's baby announcements, and plan a reception for his baby blessing this week. Above are some of the items i have gathered (iphone picture) - i'm doing a green & white color scheme with easy brunch/lunch foods. Also working on some creative labels using the letter "R".

for those of you in the LA area, please join us at his blessing!

dets:
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Sawtelle {Sunday, Oct 25th, 9am}
reception at Mar Vista Park {10:30-1:30}

new baby blog

2009-09-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

My sister in law alicia started a private blog just about my nephew, writing things down each month, like a journal entries that document his growth, accomplishments and stories. I wanted to do a similar one for Ronin and future kids, so I started one too. I'm keeping it private, so let me know on here if you would like to be added and I will do so!

details of the roni

2009-09-22T18:07:00.000-07:00

his eyes are more alert

blondish hair

milk filled belly

his hands & his monkey toes

i wanted to capture some details while he is still little. or not so. he is already up to 8 lbs even though he only grew a half inch at his 3 week checkup today. he has gained a whole pound up from his dr's visit 2 weeks ago. she said several times that he is a very good eater, haha.

for other good news, one of my pre-pregnancy jeans with a hint of lycra fit today! i'm still nervous to try on anything else but leggings with spandex, but it felt good to wear something that fit the old me.

ps i take a lot of photos when he sleeps. i just can't help it.

the birth story

2009-09-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

i mentioned earlier that my doctor had said the thursday before ronin was born, that i was already dialated to a 3-4. i also had a leakage of something that is gross. starts with m and ends with 'ucus', but again, any day or weeks from then something could happen. i was large, uncomfortable and not so patiently waiting for this little boy to show up.

tuesday morning, jan woke up to get ready for work, and i half woke up to say goodbye. while he was getting dressed, i said, um, i think something just happened and i don't think it was pee. i went and stood over the toilet and saw fluid slowly draining out and thought, this is my water breaking or my bladder is totally shot. the contractions started almost immediately, but weren't too bad yet. i called the dr's office, which wasn't open, and waited for a call from the on call doctor to confirm or deny my suspicions. i waited 20 min's, no call. called back, and the lady said she thought he might be in the delivery room, but if i was worried, to just come in. i thought i would take a nice hot shower, but it only lasted 2 minutes because the pain was getting worse by the minute. we gathered all last minute supplies, inhaled a bowl of cheerios and off we went. by the time we were close to the hospital (about a 40 min drive) my contractions were 3 minutes apart and hurting pretty good.

at the hospital, i was the only person in the waiting room, and it took ages for someone to get a wheelchair, slowly...slowly wheel me to the elevator to get upstairs, have the nurses slowly, slowly put me on the fetal monitor and check me just to say, oh, hm, you're already at a 6-7. (i thought i would have gotten an epi at a 3-4!) it was 9 am. i was bent over in pain while jan was trying to figure out why nobody was hurrying. i finally got into the labor & delivery room, and had to wait for the drugs. the anesthesiologist said it should kick in in about 15. that turned into close to 30 with an extra dose of the epidural.

but once it kicked in....i was great - see? beyond great. pain? what pain? i was still contracting every 2-3 minutes but didn't feel a THING. life was good. i facebooked, emailed, called friends and family. hello people, i'm happily in labor - i survived contractions! (barely, all the while previously telling jan that this was it, we were going for nothing but adoption the next time) i didn't get just ice chips, i got italian ice. cherry. then lemon. then lemon again. all i wanted. mmm.

the time ticked by. 11:00 i was dialated to a 7 for sure, 2pm, i was at an 8, 4pm a 9, and by 6 pm i was at a 10, no pitocen. pushing started around 6 ish. the nurse said it can take 1-2 hours depending on how you push. jan and i looked at eachother - let's do 1 hr - i'll push hard. ok? ok. before i started i looked at my drugs, and it was empty! wait, before i push, i need to fill this up! oh no, it's fine, it lasts for quite awhile. i believed them. bad, bad idea. i pushed for an hour. after 1 1/2 hrs of hard pushing, she said, well, you're still at a 2 (as far as his body placement - the goal is to go from -2, to -1, to 0, to 1, to 2, all the way to 4 when he's crowning). after a whole hour of hard pushing i hadn't gone anywhere. i kept going. half an hour later, barely at a 3. not even close. then he got stuck on my pelvic bone. more pushing, nothing happened. i was starting to feel more and more pain but they said they were letting it wear off a little for me to push. they kept telling me i was doing great, oh, julia that was a good one! (don't ever listen to these people). nothing happened. i got to the point where i was running out of strength at the count of 7 instead of 10 on each first push and the epi was wearing out fast. they offered the vacuum and i said yes please. suddenly, vacuum man and a whole team of pediatric people come in. it was a circus. my body started to feel the urge to push on it's own, and the pain kept increasing. (my friends told me epidurals = pressure, no pain!) vacuum man's hands didn't help at all, i could feel everything. but together, we got the baby out.
i saw the back of his head and this long body and that was it. he wasn't crying enough so they didn't put him on me, they took him away and tried to clear his lungs. i laid there, totally in shock and exhausted. jan came over. 'is he cute?' i asked. with tears in his eyes, he said, 'he's beautiful'. i said, oh, ok. out came the placenta, and they stitched me up on my small tear. can you feel this? the dr. said. yes, i said, but at that point, whatever, right?jan cut the cord, and they finally gave me my little boy. puffy eyes with vaseline, yet perfect little features. the circus left, and my aunt said, are you hungry? are you kidding? nozomi and aunty broke out korean sushi, fruit, hawaiian chips and we all ate. food was wonderful.

(late the next day)

i have to admit it took a little while to adjust to being a mom. to realize he was mine, and mine only. i wasn't holding a friends baby. it wasn't a nephew. he was part of jan & i and needed me for survival. he is 2 weeks old. he has the softest skin, especially his feet and his shoulders. he smiles when he sleeps, which is a hint of what's to come when he does it because of us. we love it. i was so worried that i would be too tired at night to take care of a baby. my body does it. i jump out of bed and comfort him. feed him. change him. jan has become and expert shusher and swaddler. his arms create the perfect swing. we didn't know if we would be able to have kids (another story), and yet we were blessed with this little boy. we couldn't be happier.

lately...

2009-09-14T20:05:00.000-07:00

i haven't been blogging. we have had family in town, both jan's and mine, friends come to visit, and most of all, i have been selfish. i have been soaking up this little boy. every sleeping smile, all his old man faces, the way his body is slowly plumping up and the excitement i show him the few times he doesn't cry when i change him and feed him in the middle of the night. i just love him. we all do. this week i will write out the birth story before i forget (like i could..) and post more photos. for the most part, he is a perfect baby. i feel so blessed. ok, off to feed him. and then stare at him some more. and love my little miracle baby.

aunt rachel took some photos

2009-09-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

at the hospital. i'm so grateful that she took the time to do this. i love the moments she captured that i couldn't. thank you, thank you. please visit us soon. ro-ro misses you guys. click here to see more.

photo of jan & ronin via rach

meet the little man

2009-09-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

ronin: aka ro-ro, roni, the 'noodler'

{this is for his uncle jonathan}

{my old man face}

{long toes like my dad}

ronin - pronunciation (RO nin)

gaelic for "little seal"

also in Japanese feudal history, a "ronin" was a masterless samurai.

that's right, my little man is a warrior.

we might have had a baby

2009-09-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

the countdown didn't even finish, but we had our little miracle. stories of delivery & photos to follow, we go home tomorrow!

ronin august bender

sept 01 2009

8:43 pm

7 lbs, 21 inches long

blue eyes, honey brown hair

we love him. he is perfect. soft. has pretty skin. and lips. jan's long toes. my eyes. we can't wait for you to meet him too.

we might have had a baby

2009-09-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

the countdown didn't even finish, but we had our little miracle. stories of delivery & photos to follow, we go home tomorrow!

ronin august bender

sept 01 2009

8:43 pm

7 lbs, 21 inches long

blue eyes, honey blond hair

we love him. he is perfect. soft. has pretty skin. and lips. jan's long toes. my eyes. we can't wait for you to meet him too.

small break

2009-08-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

Hi blogging friends! I will be taking a short break from my work for the birth of our first little baby, a boy who is due mid September. I'm sure I will add some photos of him soon, and will be open for shoots again starting in November!

wkend update

2009-08-31T10:35:00.000-07:00

well, i wish this weekend had been more eventful (hint hint, baby), but it was pretty mellow. jan had to work parts of sat & sunday to help with military events, and his cousin (whom i've known since kindergarten) came into town and stayed with us and helped pass the time. saturday we finally got to the annenburg photography exhibit and it was amazing. absolutely incredible modern space, photography, video presentations, everything. so many moving photos. if you are in los angeles, go. it's free. it's so worth it. we all left touched & inspired. they are going to have new work every year, so we'll definitely be back.

ps. a primary girl looked at me on sun. and said, you're still pregnant? yeah, tell me about it.

pregnancy update

2009-08-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

went to the dr. yesterday, and found out i was already 3-4 centimeters dialated! so, the news is that the baby could come any day, or i can stay this way for a couple weeks. she didn't tell me how much i was effaced, and i forgot to ask, so that part isn't available to help. the good news is that she said i've already gone through my pre something labor so as soon as i have any regular contractions, i can go right to the hospital and get on with things! my vt came over last night to help me clean the house & finish packing my hospital bag, and noz and scoshi came by with vanilla cream puffs for no reason, except that they are really, really good and she wanted to share. pregnancy really has it's perks sometimes. we'll keep you all posted!

los angeles zoo

2009-08-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

i have been wanting to go to the zoo for almost 3 years. any zoo, really. we finally went, and while we were so grateful for the free passes our friends gave us, i don't think we'll be buying the yearly pass when mango arrives. we'll stick with the san diego zoo. some of the attractions were great, (gorillas & sea otters) while others looked just sad - the hippo, black bears, and lions. smaller roaming areas, fake rocks for the hippo..while the gorillas lived with custom caves, a waterfall and real trees galore. sorry about cutting off my face. that's me 37 weeks pregnant, and after walking in 85 deg. weather for over 2 hrs, i just looked really tired pregnant, not happy pregnant. next time we'll shoot us at the beginning, not the end.

sunday activity

2009-08-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

defrost self-picked blackberries. make cobbler. eat.

i like to think if i don't add as much sugar or butter as the recipe states, it will allow me to have 2 servings, which i did. luckily it didn't interfere with the taste one bit. i also added a dash of cinnamon. this is really easy, and so very good. we only had light cool whip in the fridge, but i would have loved some vanilla ice cream. and i made mine in a pie dish as you can see. j had to leave for sacramento to work for the week, and he commented that he liked that i made this just as he was leaving, so i'd be the only one finishing it. um, yes? he had 2 large servings before he left to help take care of his share.

(this cobbler won the grand prize in the “Betty Crocker Recipes from the Soul” recipe contest)

2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed and drained)
blackberries
1 cup sugar (i used 3/4 cup)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted (i used 3/4 of a stick)
Cream, whipped cream or ice cream, if desired (love how they say 'if'- of course it's desired!)

In medium bowl, stir together blackberries and sugar. Let stand about 20 minutes or until fruit syrup forms. Heat oven to 375°F.
In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Stir in melted butter until blended. Spread in ungreased 8-inch square pan. Spoon blackberry mixture over batter.
Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until dough rises and is golden. Serve warm with cream.

la shower pics

2009-08-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

rach posted some pics from my la shower here, held at her lovely little blue house. i am making some weird faces and apparantly, my showers was hilarious. we made our own sushi, had chinese chicken salad, jap che, dim sum, orange and blueberry soda and harold (aunty carole) picked up some amazing dots cupcakes. the perfect amount of frosting, and unique flavors. my people go top notch when it comes to food and for this, i love them.

santa monica

2009-08-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

j & i are trying to take more advantage of our surroundings, so we went to santa monica last night. after 6pm, you can park for $3, which actually turned out to be free because the lot was under construction. we split a tuna sandwich from bay cities deli (amazing bread) and walked along the pier, watching the performers, sculpters, fishermen and trapeze school. next up is the Annenberg Space for Photography, international photos of the year, all in one spot. free admission. free parking (my work). i'm very excited to see this - it runs through november. photo via my iphone.

baby room (closet)

2009-08-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

people that know me know i love home decor, and have been asking me all about the babies room. well, we currently live in a one bedroom sooo, the baby is going in a walk in closet surrounded by our clothes for his first few months. things will be more normal once we move to a 2 bedroom. people that know me also know i research like crazy to find the best deal, so i'll include those as well as much as i can.

for now, this is what we do have:

portable hotel crib from hilton (free - thanks noz!), white bedding, infant stim mobile
porthole mirror from my favorite antique shop in indianapolis (similar to this)
an ikea poang chair (after tons of research, this was the best mix of affordability, comfort and modern style) with this pillow
netto cub crib still boxed from overstock for $500 less than retail & $2.50 shipping(sold out)
2 square green and white storage containers that fold flat for his books and toys (gc's + discount)
basket w/liner for diapers (i got a navy and white stripped liner, again 40% off + gc)
wood changing table top made by our friend
oeuf bouncer ($20 at consignment shop)
diaper dude herringbone bag ($25 clearance at marshalls)
vintage abc calligraphy print in an orange garage sale frame (ripped out of a goodwill book, $1 frame)

update: feeling large

2009-08-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

i haven't been blogging, i know. i am in my last few weeks of pregnancy. i feel huge. last night i was writing thank you notes and i looked down and my feet and ankles had plumped up like sausages, only a few hours after church where some girl commented on how i wasn't even swollen. can you get jinxed at church? as the night cooled off, so did the pudge, but man, it was not pretty. i've had wonderful showers the last few weeks but am waiting to get the images from people in order to post. i am ordering last minute things on amazon.

i have
sheets washed
diapers ready
car seat bases installed in both of our cars.
most of my hospital bag packed
health insurance papers ready to fax
clothes washed in free & clear detergent

i am very ready to meet this little boy and not at all ready for the 3 am feedings, or the contractions. i have a few more weeks of work before i get a break. only a few more weeks of just jan and i! the good news is, that people have shown us an outpouring of love. we have been so blessed w/family and friends ready to celebrate with us and help in any way they can.

ps. thanks for all your prayers regarding jan's work. he received an offer and started today. it's a gov job and there is a lot of red tape, so we will know in about a month if everything goes well and it becomes permanant. thank you, thank you.

ice cream cake

2009-08-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

i haven't even posted about my shower yet, but here i am posting about food. can you tell i'm pregnant? oh wait, i love food even when i'm not. :) anyways, i saw this cake on design sponge, and now i must make it next week. it. looks. amazing.

Please note: This recipe contains raw egg.

Meringue and Raspberry Ice Cream Cake
1 2/3 cups whipped cream (400ml)
2/3 cups Greek yogurt (200ml)
1 egg yolk
3 tbl spoons powdered sugar
1 vanilla pod
zest of 1 lemon
1 bag of small ready made meringues (try trader joe's)
4,5 tbl spoons crushed dark chocolate - alternatively chocolate sauce
raspberries (I’ve used fresh, but frozen ones are OK too for inside the cake)

Whisk the cream. Mix yogurt, egg yolk, powdered sugar, the content of the vanilla pod and the lemon zest (only the yellow, not the white). Turn the yogurt mix into the whipped cream. Spread 1/3 of the mix in a springform, approximately 10 inches in diameter. Cover with a layer of meringue and sprinkle over raspberries and crushed chocolate. Repeat with another layer of yogurt mix, raspberries and chocolate. End with a layer of yogurt mix. Cover with plastic and freeze for at least 4 hours. Place the cake in room temperature 15 minutes before serving. Decorate with raspberries.

i know talented people

2009-08-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

i know people with skills, and they share those with me in the form of gifts. i thought it only proper that i recognize them and give them mad props.

first my friend mandy, who made me this car seat cover to help keep mango in the dark to sleep longer or stay out of the cold when la hits the 50's. (or when we visit utah and indiana) note the brown wooden button that disguises the easy velcro underneath. i love this! she is so talented. then my sister-in-law katie who spent months hand sewing this rad bear with a shark tale. he may look angry, but it's only a trick.
note all his different moves already. i'll have him changing mango's diapers in no time.
and finally my sister-in-law holly who blew me away with all this craftiness. some people put a strip of fabric down the center of cloth diapers, holly took it up a notch and quilted mine. and then hand embroidered a B on each one. for Bender. so nobody steals his spit up. don't worry, i'll have my eye on you if you are considering this.
and then, as if that wasn't enough, put together this bomb quilt. i couldn't have asked for a better pattern or colors. i love, love this and sort of want to keep it for myself but then i would be a bad mother. check out the pattern on the right, like a sun's rays blasting out of the center of the quilt.
anyways, i have had these for some time and kept meaning to post pictures because otherwise, it's just me at home admiring them on a daily basis. they are reminders of people's love towards mango and our little family, and i love that!

honey-chicken enchiladas

2009-08-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

we made marisa's enchiladas yesterday for dinner w/friends and they were amazing. we ate them at her house before but hadn't tried them on our own yet. we changed it a little and used steamed corn tortillas, putting 10-12 in one pan and having enough chicken (with 4 breasts) for another pan of 7-8. yeah, it makes a lot. i love the addition of honey and lime. sauteeing and then marinating the chicken makes a big flavor difference. i made a quick corn and bean salad to go along with it. yellow corn, black beans, (less than the corn) lime juice and cumin. (photo via marisa - i was too busy eating to shoot ours)

please keep us in your prayers

2009-07-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

jan had 2 interviews this week with the same company and it'll be a week or two before we hear back. it's the best option we have so far. well, and the only one. we'll keep applying if this doesn't work out, but we hope it does! just don't forget us. and little mango. he'll need food and diapers, and i can only provide the first. i just thought i'd put it out to the blogging world that any extra thoughts/prayers would be appreciated!!

what a week

2009-07-31T10:29:00.000-07:00

where does the time go?? both of my work hours have increased, as well as dr's appt's, and with a husband back and catching up with friends, the time just flies. so my little blog suffers.

last night i dropped off a meal to a friend who just had a baby, and then we ate with another friend who just had a baby and brought the same main dish there. the recipe was from cooking light, called noodles with peanut sauce (basically pad thai), and i sauteed chicken in garlic olive oil for protein. it took longer than i figured w/making the batch bigger, but it got devoured and we still have plenty of leftovers for lunch today. the sauce was delish and smelled so good in the pan. garlic, ginger, natural peanut butter, soy, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce, and a pinch of salt. plus noodles, carrots, peppers, peas and then a bunch of cilantro mixed in at the end. and cooking light means it's light on calories! (image via their cookbook)

2 whole years

2009-07-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

tuesday, jan & i celebrated our 2 year anniversary. with a baby coming soon, we decided to put what we would have spent on us towards something longer lasting, for him. traditionally the 2 yr present is cloth, so we are working to save for a rocking chair. our initial ideas of a fancy beach restaurant turned to walking around the culver city farmers market and sampling all the fresh fruit, leaving with peruvian food and fresh squeezed mango/strawberry/pineapple juice from the stands. we drove to the marina del rey beach and sat on the rocks and watched surfers while the sun set. it was perfect. sometimes you want a big thing, but other years, simpler is better. photo via rachel

pregnant at the pool (the real pics)

2009-07-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

rachel posted a whole bunch of images on her blog (click here). isn't she talented?? i'm huge and i don't look huge. i'm baring all and i still feel sexy. it helps that we are good friends and i feel completely comfortable in a bikini around her (we spent everyday in a bathing suit in costa rica), but i love what she did. and i love her. and grant. and my husband for being the father of our little man.

pregnancy in the house

2009-07-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

some outtakes from the shoot with rachel yesterday (taken by jan & grant w/my polaroid). yes, i bared a lot by shooting in a bathing suit, but we wanted to embrace pregancy before my body is fully taken over by it. this was so, so much fun! i love shooting with photographer friends and can't wait to shoot her when the time comes. i love jan's lean in the last one - of course he didn't think anybody was looking and was trying not to get his white shirt dirty since he was in some of the photos. (and yes those are old school swim shorts on him - courtesy of grant.) thanks to farrah for letting us use her old school pool and chairs!

amish friendship bread

2009-07-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

have any of you done this? this is my second time, and i'm excited because i remember how good the bread was last time.

amish friendship bread is called such because right before you bake it, you give 3 (?) friends their own starter to make their own, and then you keep one yourself. it takes 10 days to make a loaf, which is a lot more satisfying than buying a store bought loaf in seconds. if you live in la and want a starter, let me know and i'll pass one off to you. it's a sweet bread and delicious right out of the oven, and then for breakfast or whenever. if you look online you can make your own starter as well. i have four more days left till baking day which is perfect timing w/my parents coming into town for a wedding. squish every few days and add some ingredients when needed - easy!

new sites for bargains

2009-07-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

i love hearing about bargains. today i'm sharing two discount sites that i heard about in the last month or so that have baby/kids stuff. the first is 'the mini social' (all babies/kids), and the second is 'haute look' (occasional babies/kids). also, one of my favorites, babysteals is launching kidssteals later this month. i picked up some baby legs at babysteals for mango the other week for 50% off retail and free shipping.

more photos

2009-07-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

more images of kimi & allens shoot now posted here

yellow balloons

2009-07-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

someday, this girl and i are going to do great thing together in the way of photography and videography. in the meantime, please enjoy a sampling of her session. well planned clothing, accessories, and location make a shoot like this a lot of fun with great results.

today's shoot

2009-07-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

was so much fun! while i definitely love taking journalistic photos, it's also an immense amount of fun to create a stylized shoot. i think people are wary when i say let's coordinate clothes, because the automatic assumption is the typical mormon photo: white polos, khaki pants, etc. the props i lean towards are more stylized and editorial. more to come later!

bad blogger - cute photos

2009-07-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the bad blogging, it has been a zoo since J came home. I will try to be better this week! In the meantime, enjoy these photos from my 4th. Good friends from Indiana and my darling niece & nephew.

4th of july trip

2009-06-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

i'm flying to Indiana early tomorrow. early, I'm realizing requires a 4am wakeup. yikes. there's nothing like practice for the baby! i wish i looked this small and put together on my travels. but this photo makes me feel relaxed which is how i need to feel. i get to see j tomorrow - hurrah!, take family pictures of dear friends, float on the ohio river, eat biscuits and gravy for breakfast at the campground and see the twins. i'm also requesting that j make me a fresh cherry pie from their trees - yum! what are your plans for the 4th?

baby p

2009-06-29T21:52:00.001-07:00

miss p just came home from the hospital a few days before this, and is so perfect. i think the blog opens with photos of her older brother. i love watching families grow, especially good friends. i think my baby has a crush on her already. don't you just love her sleeping smile?

eclairs 101

2009-06-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

slit eclairs, before drying

filled with pudding mixture

piped with chocolate. (note the piped ziplock looks better than the spoon dab and drag on the left)

back in college & living in sf, i used to make this recipe often. it was easier than i had imagined, and it quickly became a request of friends of mine. small dinner parties to bbq's in a park where everybody else brought chips & drinks. it was the easy fancy treat. it's been a few years, so i had a practice round for a church bbq, and then made a good batch for nozomi's 30th bday celebration on saturday. this is one of those desserts that people don't eat one of. and it is received as a gourmet treat, which is a lot of fun when you're the chef.

heat oven to 450

1 c water
1/2 c butter
1 c flour
4 eggs
1/4 t salt
small box french vanilla pudding made, then mixed with 1/4 tub cool whip
ghirardelli semi-sweet chips

Boil water, put in butter. Stir. When melted, add flour and salt all at once. Stir until it becomes a ball, take off heat & cool for 10 min's. Add eggs one at a time, stir after each. Place in pastry bag or if zip lock, seal and cut the corner. Pipe (I go down 2-3 inches and then back up along the side to make it double wide) on lightly greased cookie sheet. (too greased and it'll slide too much when piping, too big of a loop and you have a small donut that leaks the filling)

Bake 450 for 10 min's, turn down to 325 for 20-25 min's until golden brown. Cool, split in half, scoop out the middle. (this part i find optional) Keeping open, place back in off oven for 20 min's to dry. Fill with vanilla pudding mixture. (i make this while the flour/water/butter mixture cools and refrigerate to help it set up, making it easier to use later). Melt 1/2 c. chips and place in ziplock. Cut small hole in corner, and pipe on zigzags of chocolate. Refrigerate/freeze for up to an hour to help set up. Serve as it's approaching room temperature.

chocolate chip cookies with a twist

2009-06-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

i was browsing a friends blog, baby jaynes, and saw this posting for a cookie recipe. i usually pass on other people's recipes for the basic cookie because i have my own, but this one intrigued me for these 2 reasons: 1. the oats are blended in a cuisinart instead of used whole, 2. there is a bar of shredded baking chocolate added.

truthfully, i only shredded half the bar before i got tired and bored, and figured it was enough. i still think it was. also, i added 1.5 c chips instead of 2, and next time i'll cut out a quarter c. more. i love chocolate, but not when it takes over the cookie. my thoughts? very very good. crispy on the edges, but chewy on the inside. nice slightly crunchy texture while mingling with the creaminess of the chocolate chips. a pretty nice crackle on top, and a short baking time - 8 minutes. would i make them again? definitely. it makes for close to 40 with tablespoon sized scoops. follow the link to the recipe.

i packaged them in simple white takeout boxes for a friend who just had a baby, photos of her coming soon!

magic something or other

2009-06-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

i am not good at growing things. so not good that j got me a book on how 'not' to kill common houseplants for christmas. i usually buy them and they look pretty, and then they just die on me and i throw them away. well, whatever it was, can't stop me now! look at what's growing at the benders!
out of nowhere, the leafy orchid sprouted, and flowered this week.
tomatoes (growing from beneath a hanging planter)
meyer lemons
and my favorite fern that my mom grabbed from my grandpas house when he passed away. also convienent too, that my grandma's name was Fern. it's really light and pretty and i was sad when the rabbit thought it tasted good and gobbled it all up over the course of a few short days. it's finally making a comeback.
i'll keep you posted on the progress of the lemons & tomatoes! i guess if something can grow in my tummy, it can grow in my yard. i hope they don't all quit in sept. :)

graduation

2009-06-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

it seems so long ago that i graduated, and now jan has finally caught up with me. granted he did start his early years being a marine while i was in college, so he got a later start than most, but he finished in 3 years and did great! the last 4 months have been hard having him many states away, but we did it. he is smarter, i am larger, and we will be reunited over the 4th when i fly out to see his family and float in the ohio river. congrats to my husband! now, on to find him a job...

monday = best deal ever

2009-06-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

on my way home yesterday after work i spotted a garage sale. nothing fancy. huge wooded sign nailed to a tree w/scraps leftover from the day. my keen eyes spotted what looked like a svan high chair. no, it couldn't be. but there it was. definitely used, a little beat up, but still in working condition. i hollered to the guy through his steel gate (pretty ghetto) and he came out and verified that it was indeed a high chair, but it wasn't his. after discussing my meager budget, he offered up the chair for $5. $5???? are you kidding me? this retails for over $250! my cute handy husband is going to sand down and refurnish/repaint this in july. it adjusts from infant to adult which is genious. the one i got looks like this toddler set up and doesn't have the infant part w/tray, so we may need to hunt one down. who would have thought being pregnant would be this much fun??

even when you mess up, it still tastes good

2009-06-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

i wanted to make a breakfast shake this morning after seeing it on caroline's blog. i was all set in my mind, and then i realized i didn't have any yogurt. i figured i'd improvise, and then accidentally added 1/2 c of oats instead of 1/4 cup. shoot, this being pregnant thing really has turned me into a space case. follow her recipe, but just so you know, even when you do it all wrong, it still tastes good and super healthy.

this was my version:
1 banana
1/2 cup oats
half bottle of odwalla protein shake
1/2 cup milk
5-6 strawberries
1/4 c frozen costco tropical fruit
2 T honey
1-2 T blueberry flaxseed from trader joe's (i just pour)

currently drinking: protein, fiber, calcium, vitamins from fruit, omega-3's. eat that baby!

passive aggressive notes

2009-06-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

most of you have busy weekends. mine are slow because i lack a husband and i'm pregnant. if you have time, and feel like laughing, check out this site: passiveaggressivenotes.com

if you've ever had weird neighbors or bad roommates, it's awesome. care, this is for you...

the back story

2009-06-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

i love, love this idea. i'm always thinking of new ways to display images in our house without screaming, hey, look, it's us on the wall, big!! i have some silhouettes, but feel like something new w/more pattern would stand out and act as abstract art as well as a portrait of sorts. along comes ReadyMade mag, with the genious idea of the backs of heads as your art. i'll shoot ours this summer, and add our new addition once he can hold his head up. places like paper-source always have pretty paper to tape on your wall as a backdrop. i am going to do some profile shots of extended family this summer too as a project - i'll keep you posted. i think they would look great on smaller canvases grouped together.

trip home

2009-06-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

things i did when i went home:

1. hiked tennessee valley (saw baby rabbits, baby skunk, 2 deer, quail, turkeys)
2. ate banana carmel chocolate chip ice cream and guava ice cream from lappert's with friends
3. johnny rockets with family in the city
4. placed my dad's hand on my belly to feel mango and then laughed when he couldn't fall asleep until 2am because he was weirded out
5. picked up super cute sushi board book from consignment store for only $1.50
6. picked up some of these cute ceramic plates for mom so the grandkids don't destroy the adult dinnerware. ($2.50/ea w/my discount)
7. went on long walks with dad every day around tiburon
8. talked to the tiburon fire chief. dad's excited about j possibly being a fireman and freelancing video/editing on the side. they work two 24 hr shifts/wk and get paid well with benefits and a pension. my dad is big on pensions. we'll see. :)

overdue pics

2009-06-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

one of my friends asked why i hadn't posted recent pregnancy photos. the truth is, it's just me alone at home. i forget and feel weird taking photos of myself. so i had my brother take one when he was in town (24 wks preg). also included are the orange cinnamon rolls and my little brother and sis-in-law with face masks from lush. ever since my brother was little, he loved putting on masks that freeze your face and don't allow you to laugh. we did one for old time's sake.

clock

2009-06-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

this rad clock is coming up at target at the end of the month from Dror Benshetrit for only $24.99. i wonder if i can get away with adding it to my baby registry.

seen on apartment therapy

secret menu

2009-06-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

most of you know that a lot of places have secret menus. i thought i knew most of the tricks, but in the past week, i've learned 2 new things and now i must share. in & out has 3 flavors of shakes. but you can actually combine them into a neopolitan shake. is it good? oh. yes.

starbucks has a drink off the menu for non-coffee drinkers. the tuxedo. a mix of dark and white hot chocolate. good? again. yes. so good. (now stop reading and go get yourself one)

goodbye mochi

2009-05-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

our little friend has to leave us. i tried to hold on as long as possible, but with neither of us working full time, me being alone and all pregnant, having to travel anytime photography opps arise, the bunny has to go back to the adoption center. we love her. i am sad. anyone want a very soft bunny that looks like a panda? it would be $free and include a house, food and toys. she will travel.

awkward family photos

2009-05-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

there is actually a blog called awkward family photos. the above photo has the caption: This is for the “cheaper by the dozen” kind of unit that has trouble fitting all the kids in the frame. It’s not only a space-saver, but it’s also packed with continuity, an awkward essential. Feeling really daring?… Throw in a lean.

just browse. you'll find some classics.