Life Through my iPhone + Favorite Recipes of 2012

I take a lot of cute photos — of my pets, of my food, of my family, of my friends. However, these photos are all posed and many times, all planned. I have this theory — the photos that really matter, despite their smaller, pixelated size, are the ones that you take with your mobile phone.

Think about it. In the past, we used to say “oh, wait, let me go get the camera!” By the time you returned, point-and-shoot in hand, however, the photogenic moment had passed. These days, whenever there’s a moment we want to capture, it’s much easier to whip out the iPhone (or Droid, or whatever) and preserve it for posterity. Here are 19 moments from 2012 that were worthy not only of capturing with my iPhone, but also saving until the end of the year. These were the events that were significant in my life this year — run your mouse over the picture to see the caption.

Casey Shea, Kelsey, and Tiffany at Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis on St. Patrick’s Day

It’s always exciting to release a new magazine that I was in charge of. It was doubly exciting that the couple on the cover was a former coworker and friend of mine.

It took a year, but we finally honeymooned in Jamaica. Nothing like kicking off a vacation with a glass of Champagne and a sunset over the balcony.

Let’s go, Os! Mother’s Day baseball game with Jenny and Chris.

We finally have all-new appliances in our kitchen!

No more linoleum. I need not say any more.

Not every day is a happy day. In 2012, we said goodbye to David’s uncle, who was killed in a motorcycle accident. The day was appropriately gray.

A blurry picture for a blurry night — that’s what Seacrets in OCMD will do to you!

I never expected it, but a photo I took graced the cover of a magazine in August 2012.

We rescued a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in July, who took to Porter instantly.

I’ll have what she’s having — Katz’s Deli on Kelsey’s birthday

Kelsey finally gets her dream car!

David gets hit by an 18-wheeler and walks away. Talk about counting our blessings — and I counted them even more in October when he got a new job that didn’t require him driving many hours of the day.

A beautiful weddings magazine — and the one that turned out to be my final as managing editor.

This year, I joined the board of directors for the local children’s theatre — there are some kids hamming it up backstage!

Clark Kent and Rainbow Brite

After staying away for 18 months, we visited Arizona (and its sunsets) for Thanksgiving

When visiting AZ in November, we almost brought home a cat. Crouton would not have been happy.

So long, What’s Up…in December, I took a new job at the School Nutrition Association. My little “office” on my last day, after being cleaned out.

Everyone’s in good spirits at our annual Christmas party.

Please hold while I gorge on Jamaican cuisine.

Pepper pot soup.
Fresh mangos and papaya.
Jamaican stewed chicken.
Steamed crawfish.
Straight-from-the-sea snapper.
Jerk pork.
Jerk burgers.
Jerk everything.
Appleton rum.
Appleton run cream.
Blue mountain coffee.
Appleton run cream in blue mountain coffee.

Heaven in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Back Sunday. Don’t worry, crouton is holding down the fort in Maryland.

Porter’s Pub: A Visit to Philadelphia Brewing Company

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” – Ben Franklin

Ahh, the seminal quote by the elder Philadelphia statesman that has been championed by college students and weekend alcoholics (like myself) for generations. Just reading it, you can picture old Ben standing there with a tankard ale and his bifocals playing flip cup and doing beer bongs. Erroneous! Erroneous on both accounts!!

‘Tis Time: Thanksgiving Menu

This time of the year is magical for me — it’s a food lover’s heaven. Confession: I planned my Thanksgiving menu at least a month ago. It’s my first year as a wife in my own home, and I’m hosting my in-laws and some friends on the actual day of Thanksgiving (I’ve made Thanksgiving dinners before, but never on the actual holiday). Needless to say, I’m excited.

I’m nervous, though, because I’ve never made a full turkey. Roasted chicken, yes. Turkey breast, yes. But my mother has convinced me that I’ll be fine — as long as my temperamental oven does what it’s supposed to do.

I’m the type to experiment with new dishes on Thanksgiving, as opposed to my mother who makes (the very delicious) same meal every single year. This year, there are a few things that are the same as last year, but a few new additions. Someday, I’m sure, I’ll settle on what becomes our traditional Thanksgiving meals. But not now.

The Main Event: Herb-rubbed Turkey with Chardonnay Gravy

Stuffing: Apple-Walnut-Sausage Stuffing

Potatoes: Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Check back soon for a recipe on this blog)
Warm Sweet Potato Salad

Vegetables: Green Beans with Creamy Mushroom Sauce (Check back soon for a recipe on this blog)
Cauliflower and Chestnut Gratin
Corn Casserole

Cranberries: Spiced Cran-Apple Relish

Desserts: Pumpkin Cream Pie
Apple Pie (Made by a friend)

Drinks: Autumn Sangria

Throughout this whole month, check back on the blog and on Whatsupmag.com for extra Thanksgiving recipes, tips, and tricks to make your Thanksgiving easier.

What are you making this Thanksgiving? What’s your tradition?

5 Helpful Kitchen Tips

For the past year or so, I’ve written a weekly food newsletter for my job at Whatsupmag.com that is sent out to between 9,000 and 10,000 people. Every week, I include a tip to make your life in the kitchen a bit easier. Here’s a few of my favorites from throughout the past year and half.

Freeze Soup in Small Portions:
Fall just arrived, though with all the rain we’ve been having, it feels like it’s been here for weeks. Autumn means soup and stew season – chicken noodle, butternut squash, chili, minestrone … the options are endless! When you make a big batch of soup, it makes sense to freeze the extras for later; however, even when you break it down into small Tupperware bowls, it can take up a lot of space in the freezer. Instead, ladle the soup into a 12-cup muffin tin and put it in the freezer. In a couple hours, pop the frozen soup of the tins and put them in a large freezer-safe plastic bag, where they will take up barely any room at all. When you’re in the mood for a hot cup of soup, pull two or three of the soup rounds out of the bag and put them into a pot on the stove or a bowl in the microwave.

Extra Flavorful Rice:
Next time you make a pot of rice, skip adding the water. Instead, boil the rice in broth—it adds extra flavor to what can be a boring side dish. Just substitute an equal amount of broth for the water.

A Varied Salad on the Cheap:
Save money on your salads by purchasing small amounts of higher-priced items at the salad bar. Just fill up a container with artichoke hearts, olives, cheese, and roasted red peppers—or other delicious salad additions—and pay the price per pound instead of buying each item separately. Add it to a bowl of lettuce, and you have a meal that’s healthy economically and nutritionally.

Tear-Free Onions:
If you’re tired of your eyes welling up every time you chop an onion for dinner, there are ways to make it a less tearful experience. Start by keeping onions in the fridge, as chilled onions release less propanethial S-oxide, which causes the tears. When chopping, use a sharp knife. This causes less damage to the cell walls, releasing fewer irritants. As soon as you cut an onion in half, turn both halves down on the cutting board, and leave the half you aren’t chopping unpeeled. Fewer irritants will be released into the air. When you’ve finished with one half, put it in a bowl and set it on the opposite side of the kitchen before chopping the second half. Finally, chop onions near the stove and turn on the vent hood, which will pull the irritants up and away from your face.

Easy Shredded Chicken:
Get perfect shredded chicken for tacos or barbecue sandwiches without ever touching the bird. Once the chicken breasts or thighs have been cooked, whether via boiling, slow-cooker, or roasting, put them in the bowl of your kitchen mixer. Attach the ceramic cookie paddle, turn the mixer on low, and let it go to town – you’ll have perfectly shredded chicken in an instant.