rosie the sea lion

I got to help John out with his job profile assignment today at the St.Louis Zoo, I had a great time behind the scenes meeting Rosie the curious sea lion.

whoops

Next post...

how to safely and organically mend a sliced off finger!

Park Experience

Yesterday we went to the park.

This is how Zeppy felt about the experience. She basically hid in the back of my sweatshirt for most of the time. I think it is my job as a kitty mama to help them experience life... instead of just sitting on the couch all day long. Although sometimes that seems like a pretty good life...



I think they would rather not leave the house, ever.

Fava Beans with Feta

I've been trying new things lately.

After being distracted by the bargain bin at Barnes & Nobel, I found a fantastic new recipe book! The Vegetarian Bible- Fresh From the Garden. I've tagged a few recipes, and actually tried two, and they are TOTALLY out of the box for me. So... I pushed my fears back in the cupboard and I gave them a try.

First of all..... beans.

I hate beans.

Scratch that- hatED beans.

Yesterday, I made Fava Beans with Feta.

The only thing I knew about fava beans was from how Hannibal Lecter ate them. You know the quote, "a census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti."

I didn't find fava beans in the fresh veggies section, but I did find them in a can. It's a start.

Fava Beans with Feta

Ingredients
1 lb Shelled Fava beans
4 tbsp extra virgin oliv eoil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill, plus extra to garnish
2 oz feta cheese, drained and diced
salt and pepper

1. Bring saucepan of water to a boil. Add the fava beans and cook for about 2 minutes, until tender. Drain throughly and set aside.
2. When the beans are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the outer skins to reveal the bright green beans underneath. Put the peeled beans in a serving bowl.
3. Combine the olive oil and lemon juice, then season to taste with the salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the warm beans, add the dill, and stir gently. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
4. If serving hot, add the feta cheese, toss gently, and sprinkle with extra dill, then serve immediately. Alternatively, set aside the beans in their dressing to cool and then chill until required.

Num num num! Dr.Lector was right... fava beans are great! I was surprised by how large they were, I've only really eaten beans when I really have to at Mexican Restaurants. These were smooth, buttery and wonderful. They also opened my mind to the wonderful world of dill! I've been putting on everything now. When using the caned beans, you don't need to shell them. Apparently, fava beans are the staple of many diets, and even saved the Romans from starvation. But here in America, fava beans have never really been popular, and that's because of how labor intensive they are! Like corn, you have to peel and shuck them until you end up with a couple of beans. Save yourself some pain and give them a try in can form, then maybe progress onto the big world of fresh green fava beans.

My Edit

Dola multimedia edit from Chelsea Sektnan on Vimeo.

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Isn't Dola wonderful? She just makes me smile!

Class Edit

Dola Haessig Class Edit from Chelsea Sektnan on Vimeo.

Turn down the audio for this one--- it's a print edit. Watch the other one for audio.

Snowy Morning

So... it snowed today. Yesterday it was 65 degrees. When people say, "You don't like the weather in Missouri, just hang around a bit and it will change," they are so right.


Zeppy is unhappy with this change of weather. She was enjoying looking out of the open window at the geese.

So am I.

Snow, rain, sun, sleet, sun, snow etc... that's Missouri weather for you.

Instead of sulking about the movement of my flip flops from the doorstep to the closet, I made pancakes.


Num!!!! Except John didn't want any.... so I have a lot left over. Anybody want to come over and drink tea and have strawberry pancakes? They're hot, they're ready, and they're here!



Janky Pancakes with Fruit Recipe

Strawberries, rinsed
1/4 cup real-deal, PURE, maple syrup

2 cups white whole wheat flour (or unbleaced all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup natural granulated sugar (evaporated cane sugar)
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 1/4 cups milk of any kind (I added in some creme brule creamer)
2 large organic eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted (melt in the pan skillet you are going to use. Use as much butter as you want. Go ahead, it's snowing!)

To make the pancakes combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Stir all the ingredients until they are just combined. Don't worry if the batter is a bit lumpy, you don't want to over mix.

Heat your skillet, pan, or griddle to medium-hot and brush it with a bit of butter. Test for the right temperature. If a drop of water dropped onto the pan starts to dance, you are in the ballpark. Pour about 1/3 of a cup of batter into the skillet. Wait until the pancake bottom is deep golden in color, then flip with a spatula and cook the other side until golden and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve with butter and plenty of berries and real syrup.
(My Granddad used to make real maple syrup in the spring time at our Minnesotan cabin... so real maple syrup is important.)

They won't be the perfect, fluffy pancakes, but they will be a flavor explosion for your mouth. Goofy shaped pancakes are the best anyway!

This isn't a recipe for one person. Set the table for friends, fashion some sort of center piece and give your friends a breakfast call.

I know.. white sugar... if you have the money for maple sugar go for it.

Mama's Secret Recipe Cookies

I felt Betty Crocker'ey yesterday, and decided it was about time to make my mom's secret recipe cookies. They were fantastic.

Lets just say there is sugar, flour, baking soda, eggs, vanilla and some extra special amazing things that make them fabulous. Come on over, I'll let you taste one and guess what the special ingredient is. I won't tell you.

Window Light

I love love love love love diffused window light.

Oh... little brothers

My New Friends

Meet my new friends, and final project subject!

Zar Zar is a 24 year old refugee from Burma. She came to Columbia 6 months ago, after living in India for 4 years after being expelled from Burma from producing anti-government pamphlets. She is an amazing woman and I am having such an amazing time getting to know her and the Burmese community in Columbia a little better.



This is San San and her two twin boys. I first met them a year ago when San San was pregnant with the two! I volunteered for Refugee and Immigration Services and drove her to the hospital for check ups. I got to see her and the boys for the first time today since she was pregnant with them 7 months ago! It was really exciting to see her happy, and the boys so big. I love how they carry them!



I am excited to start this project because of the enthusiasm I have for continuing this project for a considerable amount of time. I have been interested in the Burmese people's story for a long time, and as Bill Jay and David Hurn said, photography is about communication and enthusiasm. I think it will be a good project because the outcome of the project will be an appropriate length and will not be too large of an issue for a 30-day project, and the people involved are all fantastic. I am so excited to get this started and done well!

Poor Presley

My friend Matthew and I set up a janky studio in my bedroom and made some purrrrfect photographs for a friend's birthday calendar.

The colors came out funny, but he's hipster, so it's okay.

ps.
His paw's red because he signed a letter with ink earlier. NOT because he murdered Zeppy.


he's such a camera whore

First Sunny Afternoon

Statue Moments

Finally Free

Job Search

I have this theory about the job market. Recently, I've actually been taking it more seriously, and plan to implement it soon.

Make yourself unique.

Resumes can be all glittery and flashy, but it's what is on it that really counts. I will soon be graduating with my degree in Photojournalism that took 4 years... but in only 16 short weeks I can be a SPY. And while photojournalists are being laid off daily, apparently the demand for private investigators will go up 28% in 2010. I also think my facebook skills will help me with the investigative portion of this job. No, really. I have requested more information, hopefully there will be an informational packet in my mailbox soon. I know this may sound goofy, but I'm being serious. Have you ever met a lame spy? Not only are they gainfully employed, but it seems that they all have their own TV shows. Go-Go Gadget, CSI:Miami, Mr.Magoo... even the bounty hunter. (bounty hunting will be my second online degree....) PLUS... you get to dink around with pretty sweet toys. (Batman anyone?! And what about Clark Kent?! Journalist... superhero... same thing as a PI) Hopefully, in a few short months I can post my new degree from PI school, THEN I will update you on how the job search is going.

Chelsea Sektnan. Photojournalist. Certified Private Investigator. Badass.


cool gadgets are all part of the job.


***UPDATE***


Just got this in my email.. I will be calling them tomorrow. Anybody want to do it with me? We can have spy study sessions... they would have to be uber stealth... we may have to have a password/secret handshake or an underground meeting place.


it's just a theory.
I'd hire a spy.

POYi Multimedia

The final week of multimedia judging at POYi has finally ended... what a wonderful whirlwind of a week it has been! There are many things that I took away from the judging, but the most important thing is inspiration. The most inspiring projects came out of the New York Times series, Second Chance. I highly suggest you check out a few of the amazing stories!

Portfolio

You can buy my portfolio online!




not saying you would want to, but that it's an option.

Best farm dog ever.

(left to right) Leo, Moses and Dakota beg for an Ole Roy dog treat.

This afternoon my mom made the tough decision to help our 12 year old (?) farm dog to sleep. He had a basketball size tumor on his back, and had trouble standing up. It was time and she made the right decision. He protected the house well for years, and was the best companion possible.

It was fate that we found Dakota. Days before we found him at the pound went to the Dakota County Fair for a little small town Minnesota fun. We ate corn dogs, probably got queezy on a few rides and went to our favorite part of the fair, the kiddy zoo! In one of the stalls was a litter of lab mix puppies for raffle. We always wanted to enter one of these, but we always had too many pets and our mom wouldn't let us enter. This time was different. We put our name in the raffle and waited all day for our name to be pulled. It never was. We were heartbroken, but our mom promised us that we could go to the pound the following week and start looking for a farm dog to protect our new home. That's when we found Dakota, a little tiny adorable lab mix puppy, lonely in a metal cage in the Faribo pound. To this day we are convinced that we still won one of the raffle dogs. Perhaps the man who drew the raffle names pulled out the wrong name from the hat, just missing ours by inches, and one of the adorable lab mix puppies went to somebody who wasn't prepared to take care of such a sweet, loving dog. Even though our name wasn't pulled from the hat, we were meant to find him and make him part of our family. His name was Dakota. We kept it, and we kept him.




Do me a favor and give your pet a big hug for me today! All living things deserve all the love we can give them. They become an important and wonderful part of our families, and they are never on this earth long enough. If you are looking for a wonderful, loving pet, the very best place to find one is in your local humane society. They will be your best friend, I promise.

Real Person

Yikes. Today was a big day. Not only did the flowers John bought me for our 14 month anniversary bloom, but I received my work visa for Australia, and I finished my application for ABC Radio. I currently have a cuddly John sleeping in my bed next to my two kitties, which is perfect because now all that is left to do is play the waiting game...



Three months from now my entire life will be different.



I can't wait for a new adventure!