Melting Like Tears

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 15:57:33 -0500

Excerpt from Without and Within
by Richard Henry Stoddard, 1825–1903

The night is dark, and the winter winds
Go stabbing about with their icy spears;
The sharp hail rattles against the panes,
And melts on my cheek like tears.

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Macro photograph, hand-colored ice sheet

Register now for the March 6th benefit photowalk. More info is available here:

http://www.vrphotowalks.com

Bacon and Radish

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 15:00:31 -0500

“I've long said that if I were about to be executed and were given a choice of my last meal, it would be bacon and eggs. There are few sights that appeal to me more than the streaks of lean and fat in a good side of bacon, or the lovely round of pinkish meat framed in delicate white fat that is Canadian bacon. Nothing is quite as intoxicating as the smell of bacon frying in the morning, save perhaps the smell of coffee brewing.” 
- James Beard, 1903-1985
Chef and Food Writer

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Photograph: Sheppard Mansion's baby bibb lettuce with radish, blue cheese cream and their own bacon. Visit and photograph at the Mansion as part of our March 6th photowalk. More info is available here:

http://www.vrphotowalks.com

Stress Relief

Sat, 6 Feb 2010 19:02:16 -0500

"Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!"
- Anonymous

This could cure a lot of stress!

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Cure your stress; photograph and eat several desserts from the Sheppard Mansion. Join us on our March 6th photowalk. More info is available here:

http://www.vrphotowalks.com

Dessert

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 21:35:17 -0500

"Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first."
- Ernestine Ulmer, b. 1925
American Author

dessert |diˈzərt|
noun
the sweet course eaten at the end of a meal : a dessert of chocolate mousse.
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from French, past participle of desservir ‘clear the table,’ from des- (expressing removal) + servir ‘to serve.’

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Would you like to photograph and eat several desserts from the Sheppard Mansion? Join us on our March 6th photowalk. More info is available here:

http://www.vrphotowalks.com

Shoofly

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 19:17:20 -0500

Shoo fly, shoe-fly, shoofly. They're all pie to me!

Sugar-filled desserts have been common for many centuries, including ancient MIddle East pastries. In early America, molasses was substituted in what became our shoofly pies, Montgomery pies and Centennial cakes. The clever name we now call this sweet dessert was first used in print in 1926.

It's possible that the popularity of the dessert in some geographical areas is owed to the simplicity of the ingredients, which would have been found in most kitchens.

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The photograph above was shot at the Sheppard Mansion, the site of the second stage of our upcoming photowalk event. If this makes you as hungry as it does me, Chef Little has shared his recipe in a recent blog post, available by clicking here. Ingredients include coffee and malted milk.

Would you like to photograph and eat several desserts from the Sheppard Mansion? Join us on our March 6th photowalk. More info is available here:

http://www.vrphotowalks.com

History in Glass

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 17:54:44 -0500

The tradition of producing colored glass originates in ancient times, with both Egyptian and Roman cultures practicing the art. By the 7th century, British churches began using stained glass in windows.

As the size of the churches and cathedrals grew, the windows also increased in size, necessitating strong frames of iron. Lead was placed between the various colors of gas, and later copper foil.

In addition to this window that highlights the architectural history of the congregation, St. Matthew Lutheran Church (Hanover, PA) also has a rose window and a large Resurrection window by Tiffany, an innovator in the art. These works may be seen as part of the March 6th photowalk event. For more information, visit:

http://www.vrphotowalks.com

Nativity

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 19:54:25 -0500

This stained glass nativity scene is a close up view of the window shown in Friday's Font and Imagery post. I really appreciate the skill and artistry in creating such work.

This window and a Tiffany Resurrection window are found in Hanover's (PA) St. Matthew Lutheran Church, part of the March 6th photowalk event. For more information, visit the event web site:

http://www.vrphotowalks.com

Photowalk Venue

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 18:45:35 -0500

The black and white photograph above shows the venue for the first stage of our March 6th photowalk event. We'll meet here at 10:00 AM for a demonstration and behind the scenes view of the organ works. The organ console is visible in the photo near the choir loft on the right.

Your $35.00 contribution to the day's events will benefit the restoration and continuing care of this amazing Austin organ. For more information, visit the event web site:

http://www.vrphotowalks.com

March 6th Photowalk

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:48:23 -0500

Register now for a fun and unique photo and food opportunity in Hanover, PA. We'll raise money for the restoration of one of the world's top ten largest pipe organs.  On March 6th we'll meet at 10:00 for a demonstration and behind the scenes tour of the Austin organ at St. Matthew Lutheran Church. You're encouraged to bring your camera to photograph the beautiful church and this incredible musical instrument, which has 14,341 pipes and 231 stops.  Afterward, we'll walk across the street to Hanover's historic Sheppard Mansion where Chef Andrew Little and his staff will have another photo-shooting experience set up for us...  Desserts! There we'll find a layer cake and two other desserts for us to photograph, and naturally we'll each have a sampler plate of our own. Central PA magazine's "Phantom Diner" has called the Sheppard Mansion Central PA's "best kept secret", and Chef Little was the first recipient of the state's Governor's Award for the Culinary Arts, so you know that you'll be in for a treat.  If the weather cooperates, we'll end with a mini-outdoor photowalk around the downtown Hanover area, and share all of our photographs on our own Flickr group afterward.  Not a great photographer? It doesn't matter. The fun is in the shooting and eating! And best of all, all profits go toward the St. Matthew Organ Fund. A well-spent $35.00 for a great cause.  Visit the event web site for more information, email or leave a comment here if you have any questions.  Site: http://www.vrphotowalks.com