Tomato Basil Bruschetta

We had a few friends over last night for drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Jesse made this very tasty tomato basil bruschetta which we accompanied with a smoked goat cheese, fontina, piave, and a sheep's milk cheese.

Vegetarian Chorizo Tacos

Darling's Cafe - Center City

Kelly's Seafood - NE Philly

Food shots

I'm starting to experiment with food portraits at home, I was looking at a cookbook last week and just loved the variety of shots and lighting so I thought it would be a fun (and yummy!) project at home. Jesse made this rotini pasta with an olive, edamame, onion, tomato and red pepper sauce. It is topped off with fresh basil, pecorino cheese and piave cheese. It was delicious!

Volunteers at Tabas House

Rebecca Thamm, 15, dances with David Eckstein as Joey Joy plays "Hello Dolly" on the sax at Tabas House. Three Central High School students have been volunteering at the senior home since late July. The girls serve food, clean up and dance with the seniors every Thursday.

Creative Steps Day Camp Floats Above Racism

Alethea Wright, director of Creative Steps Day Camp, guides young campers off the bus at the end of the day on Monday July 20. The camp was recently thrust into local, national, and international media attention after the Valley Club rescinded a membership from the group. Wright later announced that Tyler Perry would be funding a trip for Creative Steps Day Camp to Disneyworld, FL in early August. 

City Harvest - Curran Fromhold Correctional Facility

(clockwise from left) James Castro, Anthony Allen, Stanley Culbreth, Edward Jankowski stand in the vegetable garden behind the House of Corrections on State Road.
Sharat Somashekara is an instructor who works for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, walks by a golden raspberry bush behind the House of Corrections on State Road.
Raspberry bushes are in bloom in the garden behind the House of Corrections as a part of the City Harvest Program. Vegetables are grown and distributed to community gardens in and around the city. Inmates work in the garden and that provides about 4,000 pounds of food to a cupboard in Frankford.

Geckos !

Emma Stachelek, 7, admires the Leopard Gecko Morph Blanco
Tokay Gecko (right) clings to glass
Giant Leaf-Tailed Gecko
Giant Day Gecko

(right to left) Emma Stachelek, 7, and Carrie Chen observe the geckos at the Academy of Natural Sciences in center city. "Geckos - Tails to Toepads" will be on exhibit until September 7.

Citywide Garden Contest

Judges from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (from left) Nick and Ida Roman, and Cynthia Kolesar visit the vegetable garden of Giovanni Cancelliere in Bustleton. The judges look for quality as well as ingenuity in the city gardens. Cancelliere's vegetable garden is made up of tomatoes, peppers, and a fig tree. The 96 year-old works daily to maintain his garden.

PC Week 18, Mothers in Charge

Spts - Archbishop Ryan Track - Tamisha Thomas

Tamisha Thomas recently finished fourth in the 100th meter hurdles during the state PIAA track and field championships. The junior finished sixth in the state during the indoor track season as well.