Addverb’s Blog

Today, I visited the 2009 Philadelphia Flower Show, presented by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The theme this year was “Bella Italia,” and it was indeed  all very “bella,” and very busy with a bustling crowd of botanical enthusiasts.

See the photos here, or read more about the show here.

Get a great behind-the-scenes look into Rowan grad Luke Weichmann’s studio here, at this set of images here on Flicker. There are images in this set that are both humorous and meaningful, not to mention eye-catching.

A little more info on Luke, who goes by the alias “aluminum ghost” on Flickr: “I have been teaching Art k-8 in Berlin for two years. It is hands down the best thing I have ever done. I love my job, and I love my students. They are so creative and inspiring to work with. They make you remember why creating Art is so wonderful in the first place.

Of course this was where I made the fish cup. I really suck at 3-d work, but everyone seems to like it. His name is Sushi by the way (Air dry clay, not kiln fired).”

Luke graduated in 2006 from Rowan University with a BFA and a teaching certificate. Since Rowan, he has taken to kayaking and biking, and he still draws a lot.

I have just uploaded some more nature photos that I took on a recent walk through a local park. Check them out here: Bamboo and Bark.

Here’s an easy cucumber dip recipe from the Food Network’s Sandra Lee, prepared by the MumChef. See the recipe at the Food Network website by clicking here. See more images on Flickr here.

Ingredients

• 1 medium hot house cucumber
• 1 cup fat-free plain yogurt
• 1 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Greek seasoning, divided (Substitute salt, pepper and garlic powder if there’s no Greek seasoning in your kitchen; it’ll turn out just as yummy.)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 whole-grain pita pockets (recommended: Thomas’ Sahara)

Cut cucumber in half lengthwise and grate into a medium mixing bowl. Add yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning (or salt, pepper, and garlic powder). Stir to combine.

Season with salt and pepper.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve with toasted pitas chips.

The MumChef baked some delicious cupcakes in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Stay tuned — at some point she’ll send me the recipe that made these cupcakes so lovely.

Click here to see the complete set on Flickr.

These images were taken on an unseasonably warm day in February, at Morris Arboretum. Morris Arboretum, a beautiful and expansive refuge of botanical diversity, is part of the University of Pennsylvania, more on it at its website: www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretu m/

IMG_6873

Originally uploaded by ContentUnknown.com

While today’s warm temperatures might make a nice break after the cold, there are environmental implications to such abnormal weather. What about all the ice that normally coats waterways? More on this issue from ContentUnknown:

“I just uploaded some photos of a stream in Bucks county in the process of freezing and a frozen pond in the Pine Barrens.

I know it’s not relevant to the warm temperature we are experiencing this week, but maybe it can be a reminder that cold weather isn’t all bad, and that there are serious implications to warmer, wetter winters… a lot more erosion for example, especially in mountain regions that are normally snow-capped.”

– Adam Taylor, aka ContentUnknown

Here are twenty-nine photos from February 8, when temperatures crept up above 40°. See more on Flicker.

This post is a little different than the others on the blog thus far… it’s a photo essay that follows my close friend, the MumChef, as she bakes and ices a red velvet cake. She got her recipe and tips from PinchMySalt.com, where you can see more lovely photos of the cake and get a ton of more delicious info. For more photos of the cake in-progress, see the set on Flickr.

Continue reading ‘Red Velvet Cake: Baked by the MumChef’