People always asked me about the differences between Nebraska, where I'm from originally, and Washington, D.C., where I live now. There are many, but one of the most striking differences is the food scene. Back home, every stereotype about the Midwest rings true: it's a meat and potatoes kinda place, with the occasional Americanized Chinese restaurant thrown into the mix. Larger cities like Lincoln and Omaha are starting to bridge the cultural food divide, but out in the country, where my husband is from, even eating sweet and sour chicken is taboo in some circles.

So, imagine the surprise when I moved out to the DMV area and found food from all over the world. It was like a door to a whole knew universe had been opened!  Just in my neighborhood alone, I can walk down the street and eat everything from Ethiopia's famous injera to Japanese sashimi to  Swiss raclette. (Is anyone else's mouth watering yet?) Over the years, I've come to adore food from all parts of Asia, but am especially fond of Korean bipimbap.

I was first introduced to this Korean comfort food dish by a friend who's somewhat of a Korean food conissour. From kimchi to Korean BBQ, she's all over it! For those who don't already know, bipimbap literally means "mixed rice," and is a warm rice dish served traditionally with vegetables, beef and a fried egg. I have to admit, I was a little weirded out by the egg at first, but one bite and I was in love!

I'd tried to make a simplified version of bipimbap at home a few times, but it never turned out that great--there was just too much going on between steaming the vegetables, cooking the rice and frying the egg. All that changed when another friend gave me a rice cooker + vegetable steamer as a Christmas gift last year. (Yes, folks, it's true. I lived for 30 years without knowing the wonders of an electric rice cooker). Since then, I've been a bipimbap-makin' fool! The rice cooker and veggie steamer makes it so easy!! 

Technically, bipimbap should be served in a hot stone pot called a dolsot. The dolsot helps keep the dish warm and also crusts up some of the rice to give it a great, crunchy texture. I don't own one (yet) but I learned that if I leave the rice in the cooker for an extra minute or two, the cooker will crust up the rice for me.

I love this dish because of how versatile it is. I generally make it with traditional Korean vegetables -- bean sprouts, zucchini, spinach, carrots and garlic -- but it can be made with just about any kind of vegetable and customized to fit specific tastes or dietary needs.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup white rice
• 1 cup water
• 2 large eggs, optional
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce (use Tamari for GF option)
• Sriracha, optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Any 4 - 5 of the following vegetables:

• 1/2 cup matchstick carrots
• 1/2 bell pepper, sliced into julienne strips
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 zucchini, cut into matchsticks
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1/2 cup soy bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup asparagus, diced
• 1/2 onion, sliced into julienne strips

Cooking instructions:

1. Cook rice according to package instructions. 
2. Steam vegetables on stove top or with rice cooker, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick skillet with medium-high heat. Gently break eggs one at a time in the skillet, so the egg whites and yolk stay intact. Reduce heat to low and let the eggs cook for 2 - 3 minutes each. If you prefer sunny-side up, leave the eggs as they are for a few minutes longer, until the egg whites have set. If you prefer an over-easy egg, gently flip each egg over and let cook for another 2 - 3 minutes.
4. When rice is cooked, vegetables are steamed and egg is fried, combine all ingredients by placing the rice into a bowl, carefully arranging steamed vegetables on top of the rice, and placing the egg on top of the entire dish. Serve with soy sauce or Sriracha. 

p.s. If you're looking for a more authentic version of bipimbap, check out this recipe from My Korean Kitchen.

One of the things I love most about Silver Spring is how creative the community is. Artists -- from makers to musicians to chocolateers -- can be found in every corner, and one of them is Katie Meek. 

If you haven't yet met Katie, you're really missing out! She's the creative genius behind a fun, whimsical line of greeting cards, invites, bookmarks and all things paper called Meekly Yours. The best part? She draws all of it by hand! (See what I mean? The talent in Silver Spring is astounding!)

Katie currently has an Etsy shop, but she's taking a big leap with plans to make Meekly Yours her primary source of income. To do that, she's launching her own website soon and asked if I could help with product photos. I was more than happy to! We started with an artist session, moved on to product photos and ended with headshots. Watching Katie work was so much fun! She takes inspiration from the world around her and keeps a collection of ideas in one of the coolest sketch books I've ever seen! 

Transitioning between office/day job to full-time business owner can be exciting and scary, and I applaud Katie for her bravery. Her future is so bright and I have no doubt Meekly Yours is going to be wildly successful!

​When I was a kid, my mom often taught lesions in truisms. One of her favorites was “birds of a feather flock together.” It took me awhile to understand what the rhyme meant, but the older I get, the more I find it to be oh so true.

That’s especially the case now that I live in D.C. I moved here eight years ago (man! I can’t believe it’s been THAT long already!) from Nebraska, where I was born and raised. As someone who isn’t native to the area, I’m constantly meeting new faces and making new friends. It never ceases to amaze me how people who don’t know each other, but who have similar interests and backgrounds, gravitate towards each other.

It happened again with Jennifer! We hadn’t met each other prior to her headshot session at the National Portrait Gallery, but as soon as we started talking, I felt like I’d known her for years. We had so much in common! Like me, she is also originally from the Midwest, she started her career as a journalist, and she LOVES LOVES LOVES animals and cooking!
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It was so much fun getting to spend the afternoon with her talking about our lives and the paths that led us to connect on a sunny, Saturday afternoon. I wish Jennifer all the best as she continues her journey through this crazy thing we call life!

I adore all of the families I photograph, but there's just something extra special about the Fuller - Gilhools. They absolutely radiate love! They're also the first family brought together by adoption that I've photographed -- and it was an honor to do so!

Little Harper is nearly three months old now, but she joined her two dads, Ed and Brandon, in December. Watching Ed and Brandon swoon over their daughter was the sweetest way to spend a Sunday! The four of us spent a few hours together in Yards Park on what turned out to be a beautiful February afternoon!

I have to admit: I was a little worried about doing an outdoor session with a baby this small, but Harper did great. She was so curious and bright eyed -- and that hair!! It was actually blowing in the breeze! I just can't get enough!

I wish Ed and Brandon all the happiness as they raise this precious little one. I know parenting is the toughest job on Earth, but Harper makes it look so easy. Not only is she an absolute joy to be around, but she's got a heart of gold and a smile big enough to light up a whole house. I can't wait to see what the future holds for her!

If you live in Silver Spring and don't already know Abe Saffer, you're probably doing yourself a disservice. Abe is incredibly active in the community, runs a hysterical twitter feed and is the brains behind #Carson2038. (Okay, technically, Carson is Abe's son and based on what I can tell, Carson has no interest in becoming president -- but don't tell Abe that). 

Most notably, Abe is the newest member of the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board. This group of Silver Spring and Takoma Park residents meets regularly to discuss issues important to the community, like transportation, economic development, housing, youth activities and the environment. The board then provides recommendations and advice on these issues to the County Executive and County Council.

What makes the board so incredibly important (and unique) is the fact that Silver Spring is unincorporated. That means we don't have a mayor or a city council. The Citizens Advisory Board is it, and the members work incredibly hard to make sure residents of our community have a voice.

You can find a list of all board members here. If you see any of them, be sure to thank them for everything they do to keep Silver Spring and Takoma Park happy, beautiful places to live!

Family portraits are some of my favorite photos to take, but what makes them even better is the friendship I establish with the families I photograph. That's definitely the case with the Myers-Copp Family. Like me, Graham, the dad and husband you see here, is a labor activist. We've known each other for a few years now, but I met his beautiful wife and lovely daughter for the first time during this photo session. Don't they make a gorgeous family??

The four of us spent an afternoon in some of my favorite locations, Sligo Creek Parkway and Downtown Takoma Park. For me, the best part was getting to spend time with Graham's daughter. She's only seven, but she's incredibly intelligent and super outgoing for her age. She had no problem hamming it up for the camera or talking two of my favorite subjects: current events and cats. Seriously... I think I might be working for her one day :)

As much as I love this entire collection of photos, one of my favorites is all the way at the bottom of this post. (Scroll, baby, scroll!) Jumping was actually Graham's idea, but what I love about it is all the ways it demonstrates just how care-free and fun-loving this family is. Their bond for each other is undeniable, and I'm so glad I was able to capture that love with my camera!

All through the month of February, I held a contest to win a FREE mini session with me. Thank you to everyone who participated and shared a little love via Facebook. I'm so excited to announce that the winner is:

Dawn Marie's name was chosen randomly from all those who entered. Dawn Marie, your prize must be used between April 1, 2016 and October 1, 2016, and includes 45 minutes at an outdoor location of the winner's choice and complimentary digital files. Contact me so we can chat details.

Thank you again to everyone who participated. Your love and support means the world to me!