Erica M Photography »

Julio, Kara, & Elle came all the way to California to see me, well me and Kara’s dear sister Brianna & Family. You might remember them from their shoots in July and November. It’s so awesome Julio and Kara made a point to come see me while on their trip out here, especially since as of four months ago they have a new addition to their family! Elle is such a happy baby, loves being sung to and bounced around :) They were all troopers, you can’t tell from the photos, but it was in the 30′s on our shoot! But they were the best smilers and laughers! Thanks for braving the cold with me!

When winter is lingering like an unwelcome house guest, I feel there is nothing I can do but preheat the oven to 350° and fill the house with wonderful aromas and my stomach with wonderful carbs. I’ve never been a rice person. I guess it’s always been sort of boring and bland to me. But I have a new love: risotto. It’s a carb, creamy, and often starts off being cooked in beer or wine. What more could you want? This Risotto Milanese is cooked with turmeric which turns everything a vivid yellow. Including your wooden spoon. But it’s well worth it.

I start off with Arborio rice which is nice and plump:

The culprit that makes everything bright yellow:

If you have’t had Barefoot wine, you need to. It is THE BEST cheap wine out there, I’m talking under $7 a bottle. We also love their Merlot, often made into my infamous Sangria.

After cooking the rice in oil for a minute, you cook it in the wine to give it an incredible flavor.

The trick with risotto is to add the liquid, in this case vegetable broth, in a few increments, allowing the liquid to be soaked up before adding more.

I served it with roasted winter vegetables: potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips, and onions with sage and thyme. This combination smells and tastes amazing!!!

What’s your favorite recipe for these cold and blustery days?

I’m proud to announce my first magazine cover! You may remember adorable Olivia from her family’s shoot back in October. I remembered her too and thought she would make the perfect cover girl for the Valentine’s issue of Red River Family Magazine. When shooting we didn’t tell Olivia what the photos were for. Olivia and her mom were at their pediatrician’s when the magazine was delivered to the waiting room. Olivia went over to the magazine and starred at it for a little while and then started handing it out to everyone in the office exclaiming, “This is me!” SO cute! She did such a terrific job on the shoot!

Thanks so much to Laura for giving me this opportunity, I’m looking forward to shooting the April cover for month of the military child!  You can go check out the magazine online here!