A Session built for a Little Man

After a good break from blogging, I'm happy to get back into the "sphere" and introduce to you this super adorable baby boy I got to spend some time with a couple of weeks ago.

Little Man Jake was born over Memorial Day weekend so I got to meet him when he was just over a month old.  He has the most precious expressions and he even came up with his own poses for the pictures.  I let him run the show since he clearly has a knack for modeling.

Mom, Jessica, was super sweet and looks stunning for just having a baby.

She's an A&M alumn so of course we had to incorporate some Aggie paraphernalia into the shots.  I'm big into lifestyle so I don't carry too many props since I like to add more personal touches to my photos.  This cushy pillow pet and of course the ring were perfect additions.

Dad, Erik, could seriously pass for a Val Kilmer double (pre weight gaining days of course) and was very attentive to his families' needs.  While prepping for another shot, Dad was soothing Little Man and I came back into his nursery to capture this

So sweet!

The red door is from an old barn on a family property and Erik and his friend re-purposed it to create a beautiful rustic pallet wall and closet doors.  Charlotte's Web was a favorite of Jessica's growing up so there is even a spider web with the phrase, Little Man, written in it.

Both Mom & Dad are from the country so while they settled on living in the 'burbs to be closer to work, they back up to a gorgeous park so Jake certainly won't be lacking in space to run around and burn off that little boy energy.

Thanks for letting me spend time with you and your beautiful family Erik and Jessica.  Let me know if Jake ever needs head shots for his future modeling career, I would be happy to help ;)

Tending to My Nest III

Little Miss will have been in our lives for 7 months tomorrow.  While it was a tough transition with this precious little stranger, she brings a balance to our family that completes us.  She is by far, the most mellow and inquisitive baby.  She can entertain herself while we go out to eat by studying her surroundings or being mesmerized by whatever item I've given her. When she's bored of that, she's perfectly content just sitting on your lap. She reminds me of Jude when he was a year old and had such a stoic personality, the photographer that inspired me to get back in the game, took note of his disposition on her blog.  It will be fun to see how she evolves over the years.

I took a quick snapshot with my IPhone but I thought this was such a great representation of Little Miss.

Her room seems to compliment her personality.  It's soft, delicate, and cheery.  There are also subtle touches that encourage you to take in your surroundings while not overwhelming you.    

I've added a couple of touches to her nursery, one for practical reasons, the other for aesthetics.  I am currently looking for a jewelry box that I can store her flower head bands that I swore I would never have her wear.  I'll continue to add more elements as she grows and take away some as her hands and feet catch up with her inquisitive mind.

I found these Pottery Barn black out curtains above on a buy/sell/trade site on FB.  While I got them for a quarter of the price, you can find similar ones at Pottery Barn Kids

 

I believe this element was the missing piece to her nursery decor.  I originally envisioned the branches alone framing the crib but adding this custom made mobile from TinyGoldenArrows brought it all together.

For more angles and details about Little Miss' room, read about it here.

If you want more up to date information about Simply E3 Photography & Design, "like" my FB page.

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

Pregnancy and having an infant has been a major damper on any culinary creativity in the Ellenbecker household.  Our foodie mentality has been subjected to eat to live vs. our normal live to eat.  I have also reverted to Beau being the primary cook after years of finally finding my place in the kitchen.  

Last night, however, I had a creative breakthrough.  A dear friend gave me a Tagine for my birthday back in September which has been sitting cozy in our Costco closet (yes, we have a closet dedicated to the big bulk warehouse).  I had made Moroccan in the past which she remembered.  In fact, Moroccan Chicken was my first signature dish that I doctored up from a Betty Crocker cookbook I received from my wedding.  The majority of the time, it was delicious and I proudly served it to my in-laws at one point, but unfortunately on that particular occasion it fell into the dry but edible category that sometimes occurred.  Did I mention this was my first time cooking for them?

Problem solved with this odd looking vessel.  In all honestly, the Tagine looked intimidating and time consuming.  I felt that I needed a special occasion to break it out.  With chicken thawed in the fridge and minimal ingredients at hand, I decided that an ordinary Tuesday was the perfect time to experiment.  

I was given a cookbook along with my gift that had a few recipes but none were quite what I was looking for.  Internet land gave some inspiration but in the end I created my own version.  The fusion of flavors was a symphony in my mouth.  Spicy, bright, savory, and sweet all worked in harmony.  The chicken was flavorful and so moist it fell off the bone.   My husband upgraded my title from cook to chef.  The best compliment I could ever receive.  

The best part is, this is one of the easiest dishes to put together but will impress your guests.   You can also let it just sit while you socialize which is important for me because I am a nervous cook and hate an audience. I was able to put it together and let it sit while I strapped Little Miss in my ring sling, grabbed a glass of wine, and met my husband and son outside and chatted with the neighbors for a bit.  The perfect way to cook in my book.

Make it for your next dinner or party or when you are in a cooking rut.  It's simply amazing!

Moroccan Chicken Tagine

Olive Oil

Butter

2 lbs Chicken Thighs or Drumsticks (6-8 pieces)

salt and pepper

1 yellow onion diced

Tbsp minced garlic

1 1/2 inch ginger peeled and diced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp tumeric

1 tsp cayanne

2 2 inch cinamon sticks

14oz can of diced tomatoes with juices

1 cup chicken stock

2 tbsp honey

juice from 1/2 lemon

3/4 cup dried apricots

Small bunch of cilantro

Couscous

Heat oil and butter in bottom of Tagine or Dutch Oven, season chicken with salt and pepper and brown chicken in batches to prevent overcrowding for about 5-8 minutes turning once.  Transfer to clean plate.

Heat tsp of olive oil, saute onions, garlic and ginger until onions soften.  Add in spices, cinnamon sticks, and cook until aromatic.  Add in tomatoes, chicken stock, honey, lemon and apricots.  Nestle in chicken. Bring liquid to a boil then reduce heat.  Cover and cook for 50-60 minutes.  Serve over couscous and garnish with cilantro.  Enjoy!