Buffalo Chicken Ranch Garlic Bread

This is something that we put together ourselves, but here is what you will need.

Prep Time: 20 min. Cook time:  About 1 hour Serves 2

1 loaf French bread

10 slices of cheese – we used provolone

3 chicken breasts

12oz. bottle of hot sauce

2 packets of ranch mix

3 cloves of garlic

butter (about 3 tablespoons)

Crumbled Blue cheese

parsley

Liquid ranch *optional

Cut the load of bread in half and then down the middle, so you will have 4 pieces. (The recipe only covers 2 pieces of bread, but you can use all 4 if you like.  With only 2 pieces we had chicken left over.

Melt the butter, (the amount you use it up to you) we used about 3 tablespoons.

Get your chicken boiling on the stove, and once that is done – Shred it!  If your wife has a KitchenAid Mixer it makes it all worth while. It shreds chicken like a dream!

Once you have shredded the chicken place it in a pan on the stove, add both packets of ranch seasoning, and 12 oz. hot sauce. Mix it around.  Salt and pepper to taste. Let it cook on low.

Melt the butter, and then add the 3 cloves of garlic.  We crushed our own. Spread the garlic on two of the pieces of bread.  Put 5 pieces of cheese on each piece of bread (you can use more if you want)

Put the 2 quarter pieces of bread in the over for about 15 minutes at about 325 degrees, just enough to melt the cheese.

Next, pile the chicken mixture evenly on the bread, and put it back in the over about 15 more minutes. or until the bread it nice and toasty.

After it is toasted to your liking, pull it out,  drop on some blue cheese crumbles, and hit it with some liquid ranch dressing (optional) and sprinkle on the parsley.

All Done!

This was only made to serve 2, but you can use all 4 quarters of the bread.  We had plenty of leftovers!

Banana Pancakes

As a newly married couple we have started a tradition of doing something for breakfast every Saturday morning.  Some times it is rather excessive, and other times we just keep it simple.  This is what we tried this past weekend. Super simple, super cheap, and kind of healthy. All you need to start is:

1 banana and 2 eggs

We did add a few drops of vanilla, just for more flavor.

Mash the two bananas, the squishier the better, and mix in the eggs.

Mix together, with a few drops of vanilla, and this is what you get. You can hit it with some butter, maple syrup, and powered sugar – we won’t tell.

This is what you have.  For every 1 banana and 2 eggs you should get about 4-5 pancakes. Keep then about the size of you palm, they will flip better and wont be so thin.

EAT UP!

 

Out for awhile…

Most of you that know us on a more personal level know that we are moving.  Just like most newly wed couples we have bought our first house.  So we will be away for a while, but we will have plenty to share once we return. 

The transition…

Now that we are newly weds, I have taken some time to adjust some things on this site. I’m sure the rest of the adjustments will take place over time, but for now I will slowly incorporate the Miss into this blog. 

Not so long ago I enjoyed taking pictures of people, but now I have chosen to take this in a different direction; and I’m bringing someone else along. So you will just have to tag along and see where this blog goes. 

As most newly weds do, we have a large amount of activity going on right now, but we will do our best to keep this up to date.  Or, you can just SUBSCRIBE and follow along. 

Wedding Videography

This is just a small note about our wedding video.  I briefly laid out in a previous post as to why we felt that it was important to have a video of our wedding day. I just can’t stress enough  how important it is to do your research.  At first, we decided against doing a video, because we had a photographer documenting the entire day. We looked around and found that in some cases a video-grapher was just as much as a photographer.  No! Several people that had one done, being married ten or so years, said they have probably only watched it twice up to this point in their marriage.  Several others, said even if they had one they may have only watched it twice.  So, some further online research told us that even though it was’t at the top of the list, many people wish that they had something small to look back on for that special day.  

• Your day will go by very fast, and you won’t likely remember everything that happened. 
• They will be little things that you won’t see at your wedding, but things that people may mention in future years.  
• It;s likely the only way you will get to see everyone that shared your day!

In conclusion, we have a video camera that we have chosen to give to a friend.  Nothing fancy, no credits, or set to music, we just wanted something very simple to watch if we ever felt the need. There are so many programs and apps out there now, that you can easily edit and create your own if you want.  So this is what we went with. 

This is my advise – Do some online research, and do a video.  You wont have to hire a fancy professional, but if you have a video camera, USE IT! Or you might look into renting one….

My edit lists

My Lists…

These are usually what I listen to while I edit.

I seem to find the biggest inspiration from the classics!

A good place to shoot! UPDATE!!

So since I am rather new to the area, I have settled on several places that I have feel are rather cool places to set a shoot.  Problem is, this is such beautiful country here in NWA, so I decide to share with you some my favorite places to shoot. –  [AND BY ALL MEANS FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOURS].

I started out at Crystal Bridges  and after they finished the final touches, I then moved from there. The only issues at the time was that they charged a fee to shoot on the grounds.   To my knowledge they no longer charge a fee, just as long at it does not interfere with the other site-seers. 

After that I did several shoots at Lake Atlanta, and then moved on to Beaver Lake.  So, if you were in the mood for a shoot where would you choose your desired location? Or, if by chance you would like to share, please do! Now that we are coming upon warmer weather, I’m kinda itchin’ for some suggestions.  So far I have Crystal Bridges, Beaver Lake, and Lake Atlanta.  I am well aware that there are many out-doorsy people in this state so ya’ll must be hiding the good places!

UPADTED

SO, after I shared this on  Facebook  several people chimed in with other suggestions that I will definitely have to try: 

Hobbs State Park Conservation Area

20201 Hwy 12, Rogers, AR 72756

(479) 789-5000

=========================

Mount Magazine State Park

Elevation: 2,753′ (839 m)

Prominence: 2,133′ (650 m)

Mountain range: Ouachita Mountains

=========================

Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel Home

=====================

www.arkansasstateparks.com/devilsden//

Devil’s Den State Park is a 2,500-acre Arkansas state park in Washington County, near West Fork, Arkansas in the United States.

Address: 1133 Arkansas 170, Winslow, AR 72959

==========================

War Eagle Mill: Home

11045 War Eagle Rd, Rogers, AR 72756
(479) 789-5343

War Eagle Mill is a working gristmill in Benton County, Arkansas. A mill has been located on the site as 

early as 1832, but was destroyed three times, and last rebuilt in 1973.

I can’t just jump in!?

I would think that at some point every has seen some kind of meme floating around the internet that goes something like this:

What my friends thinks that I do…

What my Mom thinks I do…

What society thinks I do… etc. 

They is a very great deal of truth to this depending on what type of profession that you are in. Some people make it look really easy, when in fact it is farther from the truth that you would think.  People do this because it is something that they have a great deal of interest it, or it is something that are are rather passionate about. 

A great deal of people spend their life on the edge of a cliff because they are afraid to make the leap into something that they really want to do. Truth be told – If you are passionate enough about something , and you devote a great deal of energy and resources to it, you will eventually turn a profit.  (Hence the phrase, I have a degree in underwater basket-weaving.)

So for the past several months I have been watching, learning, and listening to what might make me a better photographer.  There is an incredible amount of resources out the available to teach you , guide you, and inform you of the pitfalls.  Having said that, I am going to be one of those people that decided to go ahead and make the jump, and see where it it takes me. 

So the truth to this is YES, you really can jump in! 

– A classmate took this of me abut 5 years ago,  so I think I am pretty comfortable in saying that I have come quite a ways already. 

Twitter Chat!



Twitter is now full of chat about the BCS Championship game and not too much about photography!  Just looking for something that catches my eye in between plays.  I’m still good with my goal of reading one informative photography article a day. 

I’m bored at the moment, and browsing Twitter for a good #photography article…Any suggestions ???
— Travis Nance (@TN_Photography) January 7, 2014

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New Year 2014

 

                

      In all honesty I gave up on New Year’s resolutions several years ago.  Not because I was never able to achieve any of them, but because I was never able to follow through with any of them.   Of course, there is there ever popular weight loss goal (I say that as I am sitting here drinking Green Tea, and chomping down on peanut clusters) the goal to make more time for yourself, love more, or just to be a better person.  Maybe at some point it was the intervention a life that kept me from proceeding with resolutions, or maybe it was that I was younger and that I knew that I had plenty of time to change myself.
     When I attempted to do the weight loss, I DID! I lost the weight, made an attempt to eat more healthier and it really worked. My downfall was that I was not able to maintain the resolution, and I found myself starting from scratch the following year. I think that the older we get, we gain a greater sense of responsibility, maturity, and appreciation for those and the things around us. (AND HUMOR>>>DONT FORGET HUMOR – EVERYONE NEEDS A GOOD LAUGH!)
     So this year I decided to called it a more of a achievement than a resolution. So I started rather small and this is what I came up with. (I decided to steer clear of the more common ones)

–     I want to work more on my trade.  So I have made it a daily goal to read at least one photography related article every day, and try to teach myself something new. If I learn something, I fully intend to share.

–    My next one is too read more, and by that I mean books.  I have a small collection of books that I want to read, but some of them have never even been open.

–  My next one is to dive head-first into the photo industry.  Starting your own business came be a little terrifying, but there is plenty of resources available and I intend to use every one of them.

–  Lastly, I do have a few more in the works, but I will keep them to myself until the time is right.  Until then I will focus on maintaining the goals that I have already accomplished – and just broaden my horizons a little more.

Cheers!

P.S. – keep an eye out for a update, as I will keep you posted on my progress.

              

 

Why I became so attached to photos!

 

I would suppose that most would say that the time that they knew they wanted to be involved in the photographic process, was from the time that they first laid they eyes on their dad’s Minolta.  Well, my story is a bit different.  Yes, my father had a Minolta, but it happen to be the most awkward pieces of equipment that I had ever used. It made its home in a worn brown leather bag that had an array of pockets, and several zippers that could barely hold it together. Oh, and you really can’t forget  that old shoulder strap that would squeak when you walked, and almost non existent hooks that held on to the bag for dear life. 

 

Maybe it was some time in the transition from film to digital, or when the strap on the bag finally broke, or the frustration from carrying those endless amount of little black canisters that held the new rolls.  I’m sure those are good for something.

 

I can’t really pinpoint an exact day, all that I can say is that it happened over a period of time.  I can distinctly remember my mother making several comments about her father never wanting to be photographed.  To this day, I only have several photos to remember what he looked like.  Oh, and might as well forget about trying to find a frame for them to go in, because I don’t think it’s possible.  I think that for my junior or senior birthday present my parents got my first film Pentax camera, and I’m pretty sure if I looked long enough I would find it.  I would just run just run around taking little snapshots of random things that I thought was interesting, just before I made my way to people.  I stared taking pictures of family events, birthday parties, and moments where I thought I would be able to catch the most awkward situation.  Then some time later I upgraded to a digital camera, and that might just be when this passion took hold. Of course, at that time I had no idea of the concept of photography, or what was better light,  or how to pose.  All that I knew way that I could get a really great picture, and all that I had to do was to keep erasing it until I liked it.

 

I remember sitting in my college counselor’s office, being rather erratic because the only Photography 101 course only accepted about 20 people and it was full. BOOOO! So she directed me to a nearby technical school that offered a full blow degree.  After thinking about this for a period of time, I decided that I would give it a try, and then at least. I might a good a use for this old brown camera bag.  HA!

 

To make a long story short we got into the digital world, Photoshop, editing, and really began to learn how to “paint with light”.  I think that the rest is history, and that it has brought me where I am today.  I suppose that it was the fascination of being able to stop a perfect moment in time, or the kind of emotion that you feel when  you look at a 10 year old photograph of yourself, and think “why would anyone wear their hair like that!” 

 

Just remember that each and everyone of us has a creative outlet.  For some it is reading, and others it might be building something, or simply spending time with friends and family, but it is that creative outlet that eventually helps us ROAR!       

 And if you are curious, I took the above 2 photos with a point-and -shoot!



 

 

 

What do you listen to?

 

 

Please forgive me if I seem hooked on the Golden Oldies. There really is some modern country coming down the pipeline! In high school I could never work and listen to music at the same time, but now….I can’t seem to work without it! So me question is what kind of music to you listen to?