Growing up we called her Arizona Jenny. Living in Michigan we were far away from most of our family, so rather than confuse our two cousins named Jenny, we added the more exotic state – Arizona – to her name (sorry New York Jenny!). We didn’t get to see her often, but when the family got together in New Mexico she would braid our hair and play barbies with us, the kinds of things you really remember as a child. Of the memories that stand out the most, the time she gave my sister and me each a lunchbox full of candy for Easter is at the top of my list. We played “dentist” with it the whole train ride home… but that’s another story.

After working her way up through the culinary world Arizona Jenny moved to the tiny town of Boulder, Utah. It was there she and her business partner Blake turned the restaurant Hell’s Backbone Grill into something of a legend. The story of their restaurant is best told through their cookbook, “With a Measure of Grace” which chronicles not only the restaurant and recipes but also the town and people in it. Boulder is a place you have to want to go to, and they have given people many reasons to do so. In fact, one look at their list of accolades and you’ll see how many people agree. In the breathtaking surroundings of southern Utah they have a restaurant committed to sustainability, environmental ethics, and social and community responsibility. On their six-acre farm they grow the majority of their food and preserve, can and dry so that they can enjoy it both in season and after. I’m pretty sure it’s every bit as amazing as it sounds and have been wanting to visit for years.

Until I do go out there, I’ll enjoy working through some of the recipes in their cookbook. Several years ago when I first got the book it sat looking beautiful on my shelf, opened every once in a while as I thumbed through the stories of Boulder and the people behind the food. I didn’t make much from it, I think because I was a bit intimidated. I didn’t have access to as many of the southwestern ingredients (red + green chile in particular) and I wasn’t sure where to start. So, I went with a simple recipe that I knew I would like: cornbread. Once I opened the pages and started cooking I found inspiration and ingredients I could relate to, and have been making more and more. Next on my list: Heavenly Lemon Chiffon Cake. It was on Oprah’s list too, so it’s sure to be a showstopper. For now, it’s cornbread time which I think is incredibly satisfying in the winter. Slightly sweet, thick and delicious let me introduce you to my favorite cornbread recipe… (although I haven’t made “Marry-Me Cornbread” which is located right next to this recipe in the book, so with a name like that I might be missing out!)

Brown Sugar Blue Cornbread

• 2 1/2c blue cornmeal
• 1 3/4c flour
• 1c brown sugar
• 1t baking soda
• 1t salt
• 1T baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c melted butter or oil (I used coconut oil + it added just the slightest amount of extra flavor I highly recommend it!)
• 2 1/2c milk

1. heat oven to 350. Warm a 10″ cast iron skillet in the oven for 10 min while you assemble the batter.

2. In a medium bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in eggs, melted butter, and milk. Batter will be thick.

3. Remove heated skillet from oven, add 1T butter and swirl it around to coast surface (I skipped that part). Pour batter into skillet, spreading around evenly and bake for 45 min, till sides of cornbread pull away.

I found blue cornmeal in the organic section of the grocery store, but I’m tempted to order some blue cornmeal straight from hell’s! Feel free to add a variety of extras to this recipe to spice or sweeten it as you like. Most of all, have a great weekend + if you try this enjoy!

Last night Matt and I had a conversation that went something like this:

me: “so… are we going to do anything for valentine’s day?”

matt: “wait when’s valentine’s day?”

me: “next week – I think Tuesday…. yep… Tuesday.”

matt: “wait so is that the 11th or the 14th?”

me: “it’s the 14th obviously! are you joking?”

matt: “no I get it confused I thought it was the 11th maybe…”

Valentines Day is not high on Matt’s priority list. It never has been. When we first started dating, I was excited to have a reason to do something fun and started to broach the subject when Matt let me know that Valentines was his least favorite holiday. My hopes sank a little more when he said he didn’t understand why people bought flowers since they die. I tried to explain why they were really nice to get as I tried to recover from the shock that I might never receive flowers from him.

That first Valentines day he gave me a large manila envelope with cut out light pink hearts glued all over it. Inside was a handmade, dare I say, don’t-spill-the-glitter-can-you-pass-the-gluestick-brought-me-back-to-elementary-school-days type card made from doilies and red paper. I loved it.

The first time he brought me flowers (I think it was a few months after my defense of them) I was embarrassed. He dropped them off at my office (no, back when I had a “real job” and didn’t work from home) after lunch. While anyone who saw us would probably think he was a really nice boyfriend, I acted like he gave me a pet lizard and awkwardly hide them on my desk. I guess I couldn’t get over the fact that he didn’t see any reason to give them… and I became strangely self conscious. I know, I don’t make any sense. Thankfully he tried again and I received flowers the next time much more gracefully. Once we were married he even took to picking up a bouquet at the store and arranging them in a vase on the table, because he knew I liked fresh flowers.

Matt might not be a romantic – especially when it is forced upon him – so I like to approach Valentines day from a different angle. I totally understand then unnecessary pressure for guys to do something. While Matt may or may not surprise me with something sweet, I plan a few things for us to do or enjoy together so that I can celebrate no matter what. I really don’t mind baking sweets and writing cards which – if I’m organized – I like to send to friends as well. The handmade aspect of Valentines Day is part of the reason the day can be so much fun. When you boil it down, I am the one who would spend hours bending a wire into the shape of a heart and placing it like the filament in a lightbulb, so I don’t mind if Matt wants to sit out for those projects. Of course, when you boil it down you also find out that I would never turn down flowers, especially a gorgeous arrangement from Sassafras like the one you see above. Most of all, remember that Valentine’s Day is sometime next week.

If Jasper and Lexi could pick one favorite thing, it would be snuggling up in a blanket, burrowing down to the perfect spot and sleeping cocooned in warmness. They love it. Jasper also loves to eat – so much that he eats so fast I think one day he could choke and I’ll have to give him the Heimlich, which I really don’t know how that works on a dog. I should look it up.

When I see this little face peek out from under a blanket I can’t help but love it. That’s a good thing, because they certainly need cuteness to make up for their misbehavior. They are not without fault, but they make up for it in loyalty and love, and can you ask for more from a dog?

During those years I didn’t think too much of it, because I wasn’t sure how I felt about the table to begin with. The angles and windows I added to the piece were a calculated although experimental adventure in furniture design back in college. It recently made the journey to our house and I reluctantly tried it out in the living room. It started to grow on my and now I feel at home with it’s modern and imperfect design. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I made it, but I like that it is finally being used.

I loved the chance to work in other mediums during college and have a more well rounded experience with art. Taking a break from the computer and using my hands in a more practical way was a welcome reprieve. It still is – while I don’t have a workshop to make more tables these days I gravitate to the kitchen and start cooking!

aww. it’s matt + jasper!

For two months (end of Nov-end of Jan) almost everyone in my immediate family has a birthday. I don’t want to be a person that tries to roll Christmas + birthday in to one, but of course that means double the planning. If possible I like to give something meaningful and thoughtful – who doesn’t – but again, it seems as though every 4 years I’m able to pull that off.

This time, I think I really got it right. I started to give bathing suits – or birthday suits, as they are more fun to call – for a few reasons. #1 – most people (I should say girls) enjoy getting one even if they don’t have many opportunities to wear them. #2 – I am really good at buying J.Crew bathing suits on sale. Really. I got the one you see above for $20. Combine my bathing suit buying abilities with my need to buy thoughtful and useful gifts – and voila!

I picked out this lavender suit before Christmas and have been waiting to give it away. Back in November I caved in and bought this card from Rifle Design which I fell in love with as soon as I laid eyes on it’s metallic foil overlay. They go so well together I couldn’t have planned it better.

The plate that remained after eating our crepes was visually stunning. Those blueberries were blue. Blue enough to stain our mouths and teeth a hilarious hue and avoid going out in public  for a few hours. This dish is best eaten at home. I was flipping through the cookbook Tyler’s Ultimate last week – which proves I have turned into my mom, since I now read cookbooks – and couldn’t stop thinking about these crepes. I decided to make them after church on Sunday, preparing the batter before we left (it has to sit for an hour in the fridge – perfect!) and putting the rest of the recipe together when we got home. I followed tyler’s recipe pretty closely, although I would probably make some changes next time around – I’ll go in to that at the end of the post. To see some images from my afternoon making crepes go here, and take a look at the recipe Tyler wrote:

Lemon Ricotta Crepes with Blueberries + Bananas

Crepes

• 1 1/3c flour
• 1 pinch salk
• 1 3/4c milk
• 2 lg eggs
• 9 T butter, melted

Filling

• 15oz ricotta cheese
• finely grated zest of one lemon
• 1/4c confectioners’ sugar
• 1 egg

Blueberry Sauce

• 1T butter
• appx 3c blueberries
• 1/2c sugar
• 1t cornstarch
• juice of 1 lemon

2 ripe bananas

1. in a blender combine the flour, salt, milk and eggs and blend until smooth. pour in butter and blend to incorporate, making sure there are no lumps in the batter then put in the fridge for 1 hr.

2. put an 8″ crepe pan or non stick skillet over medium heat and brush with melted butter. Pour 1/4c batter and swirl to coat bottom of pan (ideally with crepes the thinner the better). Cook for 30-45 seconds until batter just sets + flip to other side for 30 more seconds. Slide crepe on to plate and cover with clean towel to keep from drying out. start cranking out the crepes!

3. make the filling by combining all filling ingredients in a bowl + stirring, then get your assembly station ready to put everything together

4. Preheat oven to 400. Put a crepe on a cutting board, spoon 1/2c cheese filling on lower third of crepe. Fold the bottom up, the two sides in, and then roll to make a package. When your crepes are all made, brown them a minute each side in a skillet to help seal the edges and add a little crisp. (you could probably skip that part if you wanted). Put all crepes in a baking dish, pop in the over and bake 10min to allow the filling to firm.

5. Make the blueberry sauce while crepes are cooking. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over med-high heat 3-5 min. To serve, put 2 crepes on each plate, cover with blueberry sauce and add a slice of fresh banana to each. enjoy! then look in the mirror and laugh at your blue mouth.

Now, a few notes. This recipe has multiple steps but one thing I like most is that you can easily do some – or all – of the prep ahead of time. I found that I preferred less ricotta than what was recommended, and would probably have added a little lemon curd to the mixture to add a bit more flavor… or spoon some jam or nutella in to the crepes when assembling. We’re really going all out with these, so might as well. Crepes take a while to master if you have never made them, but don’t get discouraged the first 2-3 crepes are usually pretty rough until you figure out a method of pouring + swirling that works. If you’re feeling adventurous and indulgent I hope you get the chance to try these + enjoy!

I guess when you know, you know. I don’t think it’s always love at first sight when it comes to the client / photographer relationship… but it can be. It takes a while to build trust with a photographer, but when you have a previous connection – for example and the recommendation of a friend – it can happen more quickly.

That’s exactly how Lynda and Keegan found me – through their friends Shannon and Devin’s who I photographed last winter. We sat and talked over coffee before getting started and I got to hear more about their engagement party this past weekend, how they met working at a Christian camp, their long distance relationship between Canada and Australia, and what it was like to be in a place with snow. Even though we had emailed back and forth to plan the session, sitting to talk allowed us to ease in to the session and build more trust before we started. We continued the conversation as I photographed them, and directed them so I could take the best pictures possible and allow them to be themselves in the process. When we ended, I wanted to ask if we could do it again tomorrow… or if they had any friends getting married.

Having a network of people that believe in your business is probably the best asset of any small business owner. That network often starts with family and friends but grows as you reach out and gain experience. However, that network is not really about you, your business or even how great your product is… it’s about everyone else. You grow more by being interested in other people than just hoping for them to be interested in you.

Thanks for a fun afternoon yesterday Lynda and Keegan… and for the delicious macarons and sweets you baked, Lynda – you have serious talent! To all of my other clients I can’t wait to continue to work with you, build a relationship, and see how that network of people changes and grows. If you haven’t started, I’d love for you to join the daily conversation here, twitter, facebook, or through email (hello at marydougherty dot net). Lastly, to all of the family, friends, soon to be clients, acquaintances, casual blog readers, friends of friends of friends, and blog stalkers… thanks for reading and being a part of what I do.

I didn’t expect it so early in the year. In a season of new beginnings, planning and resolutions I suddenly stopped. Something shifted in a way that didn’t just rearrange the furniture in the room I was in, but placed me in a completely new house. (am I getting too complex with my metaphors?) I was faced with more than just a question, but an opportunity to evaluate where I was headed. A chance to examine the faith I claimed to have and an opportunity to make it even more my own. It was hard to see my own weaknesses and shortcomings, and I was reminded of the need to seek God to discern His will and join the community of believers to learn from their experience.

This is more of a spiritual issue and hasn’t found a place earlier on this blog, which is precisely why I’m sharing with you now. I relied on “actions speak louder than words” when it comes to faith but in the verbal and written arena of this blog it doesn’t translate very well. However, posting a ubiquitous statement about feeling blessed and using the gift God gave me felt disingenuous, no matter how sincere the feelings behind it. Each path felt like an easy way out to avoid really saying anything at all.

I don’t pretend to believe that the online world is the best place for spiritual discussions. Often intentions are misunderstood. Words are picked up like toys too heavy for a child and cause more damage in the process of being brought out than intended.

It might not be the best place, but it is a place I can no longer ignore. So I’ve cracked the door open and wanted to let you know where I am at. I’m trying to make my faith more real, to continue to act on it and answer some of the hard questions that come along with it. I’d invite you to have some of these conversations with me, if you wish, although hopefully in a more personal setting. Until then things have started to look up, and as usual I can’t help but enjoy the country life and open fields around me, where there’s plenty of room to sit and ponder.

I’ve taken to afternoon walks with the dogs through the backyard. Since there is about an acre behind the house which also connects to the greenway, there is plenty of room to stretch and explore. I bundle up and put on the work boots (I think it’s funny that we have those) and am ready to traipse through anything. The dogs love it, and snow doesn’t slow them down. We visit the chickens who are now full grown and ready to defend themselves from curious little dogs. Just a little bit of everyday life in the country.

Last night I cooked up a storm using at least half of the bowls, pots, and utensils in the house. It was Matt’s birthday, and after driving home from Pittsburgh I felt the need to make up for a few days of being gone… plus cooking is somehow relaxing to me. Chocolate might as well be a food group for Matt, so it was an easy choice when it came to his birthday cake. I have made several others for past birthdays but I was happy to finally bake a cake I was proud to share. One that looked good as well as tasted good. In fact it was so good we ate some for breakfast. I guess that’s the problem with baking a whole birthday cake for just two people to share.

I seem to be on a 4 year rotation when it comes to celebrating birthdays. Every 4 years I knock it out of the park, a homerun birthday with thoughtful surprise with perfectly selected gifts… this was not one of those years. I still tried, I promise, but after being gone all weekend and spilling my secret about a surprise weekend because of a potential wedding conflict, I knew it was over. Of course, I’m the only one putting the birthday pressure on myself. I love the chance to really show Matt how much I care about him and even though things weren’t perfection we ended the night with big slices of chocolate cake, which made up for it.

Here’s the recipe, originally told to me over the phone by my sister from a cookbook I can’t remember.. and slightly adapted.

Chocolate Cake:

• 12T butter
• 1/3 c bittersweet chocolate chips or 1/4c unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2c flour
• 1 1/2c cugar
• 1t baking soda
• 1t cinnamon
• 2 large eggs

1/2c buttermilk or 1/2c milk + 1T lemon juice

1. heat oven to 400, grease (2) 8″ round pans or one 9×13″

2. in saucepan combine butter, chocolate and 1 c water and stir until smooth and brought to a low boil. remove from heat.

3. into bowl sift flour and add sugar, baking soda + cinnamon and combine.

4. pour in chocolate mixture and stir until smooth.

5. whisk in eggs + buttermilk until combined and pour into prepared pans

6. bake 18-22 min or until knife comes out clean when inserted

Glossy Chocolate Frosting:

• 5T butter
• 3/4c sugar
• 2/3c bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/2c heavy cream
• 2T sour cream
• 1t vanilla extract

1. melt butter in saucepan. stir in sugar + chocolate (mixture will be thick and grainy)

2. combine heavy cream and sour cream and gradually add to chocolate mixture. cook until smooth but do not boil

3. take off heat, add vanilla and let cool for a few hours at room temp or in fridge until thick + spreadable.