brookfield family photography: train yard at sunset

I had the great privilege of swapping photo sessions with another local photographer, Jacqueline Barkley.





     It's such a wonderful treat to photograph another artist's family, 
          and to be able to see your own family through another's lens.


Here are some of the highlights from our together time with jacqueline.

I'll post some photos from my family's session soon!

granita!

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it's blazing hot today. and I've a fridge full of fruit.

   what to do?

         

granitas, of course!

let's start with some watermelon, raspberry, lime.

     topped with a sprig of anise hyssop? I think so.

oh, and I also decided to make this one . . .
   lemon, blackberry and pear. ooooh! I'll have two, thank you very much.

add a splash of rum, vodka, bourbon, or gin and call it a sno-cone for mommy.


basic granita recipe
(recipe adapted from bon appétit)


the basis for a good granita is really quite simple, and can be adapted into any number of variations. take some fruit, add some acid, sweeten with sugar, and freeze. for those more trepidatious of experimental concoctions, here's a real recipe with real measurements, just to get you started.  


WATERMELON RASPBERRY LIME GRANITA

4 cups cubed seedless watermelon 
1 pint fresh raspberries, washed
sugar to taste (start with a scant 1/4c)
juice from one lime
anise hyssop for garnish

in a food processor or blender, puree all ingredients until smooth. if you desire a smoother (read seedless) consistency, puree the raspberries separately and strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds. insufficient time and a lack of patience urged me to skip this step--yielding crunchy yet delicious results.

pour mixture into a standard jelly roll pan and freeze for 1 hour. stir with a fork, breaking up any icy clusters with the back of the fork. return to freezer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. just before serving, scrape granita to form icy flakes and scoop into serving dishes. top with a sprig of anise hyssop or mint. for a sophisticated take on the frozen cocktail, add a splash of your favorite liquor and a touch of seltzer.



LEMON BLACKBERRY PEAR GRANITA

1 pint fresh blackberries, washed
2 - 3 extra ripe pears (should be extremely soft to touch)
sugar to taste (start with 2T)
juice from 1/2 a lemon
lemon zest for garnish

see directions above for preparation.




kellyallison photography specializes in creating inspired food images that capture the power and passion at the heart of food creation.

elmhurst newborn photography: welcome little one, 05.14.2011

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beautiful girl, welcome to the world!
     beautiful boy, your sister is a treasure. and she'll think you're the best.

you two will surely make mischeif together throughout your days.
  playing games, building forts, make believe and fairy tales.


may you become the best of friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

kellyallison photography is a chicago area photo studio, specializing in modern family portraits, and narrative portraiture of children, babies and newborns. 

welcome little one packages highlight a new baby's arrival, and document families in their first days together. 

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downers grove family photography: rain dance & sneak peek

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at the close of a gorgeous-weather family session,
     we were doused by an afternoon rain storm

the perfect rain, the perfect timing, and the perfect dancer.

 

 

 

 

 

more from this session coming soon . . . 

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summer fun

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.we love sprinkler days!!!!

 

 

 

 

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tree fort

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making the best of last week's wind storms.

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farm fresh cucumber soup

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here's to delicious summer meals without heating up your kitchen!

     dinner. fresh, delicious, seasonal, chilled, mostly raw, delicious for days.

  

I'm so in love with the vegetables that arrive each week from angelic organics, and each week I'm inspired to create dishes that incorporate all the ingredients in my box . . . yes, I'm even compelled to eat the beautifully green celery tops.
 
     how can one possibly throw away something so fresh, so lovingly tended?


so here's a delicious summertime treat, 
     packed with green goodness, 
          and sure to tempt even the youngest of palettes. 

serve with some good bread & grilled veggies, and you'll have yourself a garden feast.

   Enjoy yourselves. it's summertime.



chilled cucumber soup
(recipe adapted from eating well)

Serves 4

4 cucumbers, cups peeled, seeded &roughly chopped
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons celery tops* (or parsley), plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt

lemon wedges

*note on celery leaves: only use the dark greens from unblanched celery, as grocery store celery has very little color & flavor. If unavailable, parsley is a much better bet.

in a food processor or blender, combine cucumber, garlic, avocado, celery tops, salt, lemon juice, and vinegar. process until creamy and smooth. 

 

strain half of the soup through a fine-mesh strainer into large bowl, using the back of a rubber spatula to press soup through strainer. reserve solids and return liquid to the rest of the batch.

with food processor running, slowly drizzle olive oil into soup, creating a smooth emulsion. add yogurt and process until combined.

 

chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. garnish soup with a drizzle of olive oil, julienned cucumber skin, lemon wedges, and minced celery leaves. pass extra yogurt and sherry vinegar at the table. 

 

soup will keep well in the refrigerator for a couple days, and flavors only improve as they rest. 

 

 

 

 

now as for the reserved solids . . . again, I can't bear the thought of tossing something that is not only beautiful, but delicious! if you're in need of an appetizer, here's the perfect thing. shall we call it cucumber tapenade?

 

mix reserved vegetables with olive oil. serve atop toast points or seeded crackers with hummus, crumbled goat cheese and fresh ground pepper.

kellyallison photography specializes in creating inspired food images that capture the power and passion at the heart of food creation.

 

 

glen ellyn baby photography: 7, 8, 9 months, SP

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kellyallison photography is a chicago area photo studio, specializing in modern family portraits, and narrative portraiture of children, babies and newborns. 

see how they grow packages document baby's first year, offering monthly or seasonal photo sessions to preserve the cherished memories and first milestones.

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see.

glen ellyn baby photography: 4 months, OPL

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kellyallison photography is a chicago area photo studio, specializing in modern family portraits, and narrative portraiture of children, babies and newborns. 

see how they grow packages document baby's first year, offering monthly or seasonal photo sessions to preserve the cherished memories and first milestones.

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