Kate Brown

Curiosity

2011-09-22T19:14:00.000-04:00

If I had an endless amount of time I feel as if I could do anything.
And, so could you.

The Rock You Found at Recess.

2011-09-20T02:34:00.000-04:00

Do you remember the day when you found an amazing rock on the playground? You probably took it inside and hid it in your desk. You may have peaked at it a few times just because you couldn't resist. At lunch one day, you could have shown it to a friend, but he or she didn't understand your intrigue. No one else seemed to appreciate it's smooth exterior protecting the layers hidden beneath.

Later that week, when school was over, I bet you stowed the rock safely in your pocket. You may have jumped on a bus, or made the long trek home, but either way you held that rock tight to the palm of your hand. You more than likely burst through the front door, immediately searching for anyone to show it to. You may have found your mom in the den, on the phone. She might have had a magazine out and been flipping through it as she complained about some poorly-made shoes.

Standing in the doorway, that day, you may have realized that the gem you were clutching so tight wasn't actually something anybody else could see. You may have realized, standing there, that you couldn't actually show it to just anybody because they wouldn't believe. Now, If I were in your shoes, on that day, I would have gently slipped the rock back into my pocket, thinking to myself, "Maybe someday someone will ask if they might be able to see what it is that only I can see. But, until that day ...or if that day should never come... then I can always know that all that I do need is for me and that rock to always be."

Dishing Up Nutrition Podcast Addiction

2011-09-18T22:36:00.002-04:00

I have discovered a new podcast that I love. It's a podcast put on by Weight and Wellness, which is a nutrition clinic in Minnesota. The women who work there, and who produce the show, are licensed nutritionists. They provide theories and advice that doctors today wouldn't even consider. The podcast is on iTunes under Dishing Up Nutrition. It's fantastic!

Here's their website:

http://www.weightandwellness.com/dun_radio.html

You can listen to the podcasts directly on their site, or you can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes. It's Dishing Up Nutrition.

I recommend one titled, "Are you carb sensitive?" back from July 16, 2011.

I hope you enjoy!

Breakfast for Dinner: Quinoa & Wheat Pancakes

2011-08-10T01:47:00.002-04:00

It all started when I tried experimenting with quinoa flour. I wasn't eating meat at the time, and I wanted to make breakfast for dinner with a healthier pancake or waffle than the old Bisquick recipe. Honestly, I'd never really baked before this, but I had faith that if both my parents could bake then I'd rely on my genes to get me through.

I started at Whole Foods in the baking section. I read the ingredients on all the pre-mixed pancake and waffle options, but I wanted something simple. I can't have dairy, nuts, or soy, which complicates quite a few things when baking a vegan treat.

I'd read a few recipes that recommended mixing quinoa flour with buckwheat flour, but I'm already allergy-prone, and buckwheat flour tends to be highly allergenic. I decided to stick with whole wheat flour to intermix with the quinoa flour. You can use whatever you like, but know that each flour has a different consistency. Quinoa has a nutty flavor and is a bit grainy (gritty). Brown Rice Flour has a very gritty texture, actually quite close to corn bread once baked.

The mix that I use for this recipe is just whole wheat flour with a bit of baking powder. The recipe on the back of the bag recommends adding yogurt and maple syrup, but you can really improvise. I came up with something a bit different after making them a few times.

Here's how I make them:
(The measurements are always a rough guess. The pancakes turn out pretty much the same every time though!)

2 Tbsn Quinoa Flour
2 Tbsn Whole Wheat Flour
1 tspn cinnamon
1 - 2 Tbsn Brown Sugar (or less depending on whether you like the way it tastes)
2 Tbsn vanilla soy yogurt
2 Tbsn Maple Syrup
1 Egg OR 1/2 cup cinnamon apple sauce
1/2 cup - 1 cup of water (depends on amount of dry ingredients)
1/3 cup of baking powder

*Without the baking powder you end up with incredibly dense crepes!

I've made these pancakes without a few ingredients and with substituting what ingredients I have on hand. I've used brown rice flour instead of quinoa flour, I've used Agave Nectar instead of syrup, I've used apple sauce and eggs together... The concern here though is that the pancakes end up tasting a lot like egg, so be careful. These pancakes are already going to be thick, so don't feel the need to add extra egg! Apple sauce actually helps keep them light, I think, because the acidity of the apple sauce reacts with the base of the baking powder which really helps them puff up.

I really recommend that you let the batter sit for a few minutes before you start cooking even. Just allowing the baking powder to mix with the apple sauce will really help keep the first and last pancakes pretty consistent as you bake.

Cook on medium-high heat, and put a bit of EVOO or Pam in the pan before each pancake. Spoon in however much batter you like, and don't be afraid to spread the batter thin. Also, add blue berries or banana!

If I find a picture of them I'll add it to the post.

Food and Food Science: Turkey Veggie Burger

2011-07-28T00:14:00.002-04:00

I've become mildly obsessed with food and food science in the last year. I used to eat to satisfy my emotional cravings. Now, I eat to satisfy my nutritional needs and the process of grocery shopping has become one of my favorite activities.

This is my own version of a Turkey Burger. I came up with the recipe after making several rounds of bean burgers. I started eating meat again, and boycotting beans, so I wanted an alternative to the all veggie/legume recipe. (If you want to try beans or beef instead of the turkey you can definitely do that! Just make sure you mix the legumes thoroughly otherwise they may get dry and fall apart. I recommend even adding some oats to the mix and instead of cooking the burgers in a pan bake them. There are many options for burgers--vegan or with meat.)

I don't often measure what I put into recipes because I prefer the creative side to cooking. I struggle with restrictions such as fine measurements and precision. I like to know what's in my food, but I don't over-analyze every last teaspoon. I admit though that perhaps there is a happy medium.

In this Turkey Veggie Burger:

1 package of Ground Turkey 99% Fat Free
1/2 an Onion
1/2 a Red Pepper (or any color pepper you prefer)
1/2 a Zucchini
1/2 a Summer Squash
And, honestly, any other veggies you desire.
Depending on what I have on hand, I use either brown rice or 1 egg to bind all of the ingredients together. I recommend the egg, personally, but I make them both ways.

It's best if you have a food processor to mince or finely chop all the veggies, but I always do it by hand. It takes a while, but healthy eating/cooking is a time commitment no matter which way you spin it.

Finely chop the onion, the zucchini, squash, and pepper. Prepare the brown rice separately if you're going to use brown rice, or just crack one egg in a large bowl. Place the finely chopped veggies in the bowl with the egg. Add basil, rosemary, or any salt and pepper that you'd like. I really recommend a seasoning that has garlic in it!

Place the package of ground turkey in the bowl with the veggies and the egg, you're going to begin mixing the ingredients with your hands. I think of this process much like making meatloaf, but instead of adding breadcrumbs or crackers you're using vegetables. Once you've thoroughly mixed your ingredients, heat a pan with a little bit of EVOO. Form several thin small patties and place them in the bottom of the pan. Make sure the burgers are cooked all the way through before removing from the heat.

I love to serve turkey burgers with homemade sweat potato fries, and/or a serving of vegetables. I sometimes even use large pieces of iceberg lettuce in place of the bun. That way I can pick up the patty and add slices of tomato, pickles, and a bit of Simply Heinz Ketchup!

This recipe usually makes about 6-8 burgers, and everyone always has at least 2 so plan accordingly! This meal is incredibly light and versatile. I recommend that in the summer you make the burgers ahead of time and put them in the fridge to cool. You can pair the burgers with a quinoa salad or a green salad for a cool and refreshing summer meal. Enjoy!

"Yield" - Cinematography Video HW #2

2011-02-27T14:16:00.000-05:00

In cinematography, we are required to shoot a variety of assignments focusing on certain visual elements each week. For this assignment, we were to shoot a 3-5 minute story (about ourselves) while incorporating various movements and use of different lenses, iris/aperture settings, and color temperatures.

The previous week I filmed myself using a tripod as I cut my hair. I moved the camera to a variety of angles, incorporating close-ups and medium shots. This week I made it a personal goal to not use a tripod whatsoever. I used a monopod with weights attached, and a Canon T2i DSLR camera. I hung the camera from hangers in the closet, a floor lamp, and the back of a desk chair to appear as if someone were holding the camera the entire time.

Let me know what you think. What shots speak the most to you, and which shots catch your eye (or distract you)?

(Click on the video and watch in HD on YouTube by clicking 1080p dimensions.)

President of Production at Universal Pictures Speaks about the Value in South Park Series.

2011-02-27T12:57:00.000-05:00

I work for the College of Communication website at BU cutting together interviews, filming events, and just generating video content for the site. I recently finished cutting together an interview with the President of Production of Universal Pictures, Debbie Leibling, as she speaks about her favorite project - South Park.

To make the interview more dynamic (and less 'talking head'), I cut together clips from select South Park episodes. A legal consultant for COM declared the interview Fair Use! It's been getting a lot of attention on the site, and the COM design team even designed a South Park character (doppelganger) for Debbie, which she will see in the coming weeks.

Safety Officer

2010-11-11T19:11:00.001-05:00

These are stills taken from my current 16 mm film project.

Some of the shots at the end are incredibly dark

and will be reshot, but I wanted to give you an idea.

*I shot these, and several other angles, using three rolls of film.

Total film time: roughly 8-9 minutes.

Beginning

Egg hits windshield.

Safety Officer hesitates.

Windshield wiper.

Wipes the egg away.

Sits

The End

Realistic Recreation

2010-07-07T05:49:00.000-04:00

In April, I finally cracked. I decided to try the recommended 30 to 60 minutes of exercise, per day, that the doctors are always promoting. I finally stopped asking, "Everyday, really?" and just accepted my fate as a physically active adult. It could happen, if I would only give myself a chance.

I began a journal, as everyone does. I wrote the most trivial details down for several weeks before forgetting it entirely.

I chose to start with running, a task that always seems easy in principle, but is impossible with any added speed or distance.

After several light jogs (I'll be honest) down to the Sundance Market, I decided I was ready to tackle hills. I went to Google Maps and picked my route; six miles, with a slight hill in the middle. I laced up my shoes, slipped the door key in my pocket, and took off. I found myself surprised at how easy the first three miles were; after I'd survived the first breathless, cramped mile only wishing I'd turn around...

When I made it back to Hilyard after tackling a personal record of six miles, I decided to challenge myself and take an extra lap around the block. Hell, I'd just run six miles and felt as if I could run another six. I thought to myself, "I might as well sign up for that marathon everyone's been talking about!" (Ha...I'd never stand a chance.)

The next day I decided to run a different route with a bit more slope. I set the iPod Shuffle to an alternative beat and hit the hill. Only a few blocks up I seriously debated whether it would hurt more to roll back down or to keep going... By the time I'd made it home my knees were killing me and I couldn't see straight. "Since when was April ever so humid?" I thought. I took a puff of my inhaler, and pushed my slipping glasses up to the bridge of my sweaty nose.

As a part of my journalling, I used to record my activity, as well as my diet. If I was going to eat and enjoy the donuts, the cheesecake and the many calorie filled drinks, then I was going to have to write it all down. Surprisingly, after the painful hill rolling debate, I thought two and three times about anything I might have to write, or run off later. I highly recommend this method.

After 30 days of intense exercise though I saw almost no improvement. I had muscle, but now it was mixed in with the pre-existing fat, and celebratory cheesecake. Maybe I could run six miles up hill, and bike a circle around the city, but I couldn't put on my jeans. Neat.

In May, I tried another approach, unintentionally. I began filming for the Adrenaline documentary project, and found myself sleepless and incredibly sick. After we finished shooting, I decided to make some time for a trip to the health center. The doctor said that I had a raging ear infection and that I needed antibiotics. Much like any intelligent and motivated individual would, I chose not to take them. I thought I was on the mend anyway, and the trip to the doctor was just to reassure my mother that I wasn't on the verge of pneumonia. I'd be fine.

After a week of blowing a rainbow of color out my nose, I lost my hearing, in both ears. I told myself that I didn't need the drugs, at least not yet. In another week I sat in my desk chair while the room went spinning around me. I had Vertigo, and bad! In the middle of editing the doc I shamefully went back to the doctor to admit that I hadn't taken her previous advice, and would very much like for her to stop the room from spinning!

After a month straight of sitting in a chair because I couldn't walk straight, and staying up all hours of the day (and night) editing, I found myself uncomfortably overweight. I couldn't fit in my jeans, or run up the street much less six miles.

Somehow, it is now July and I have re-discovered my faith in exercising 30 to 60 minutes per day. I've learned to embrace it, and am still learning to enjoy it, but there's hope. My only wish is that I would keep this up, and never lose my faith, or focus, again...for several dozen reasons.

I'll let you know how the rest of July and August go!

Adrenaline: 72-Hour Film Project

2010-07-07T04:47:00.000-04:00

We filmed this documentary May 4-9, 2010.
We finished editing and mixing the final documentary May 31, 2010.
I did not sleep in May, and I am proud of the result.
Let me know what you think.

Mission Impossible

2010-04-05T22:31:00.000-04:00

This is a short "video project" my group and I made for our documentary class. Our professor wanted to make sure we could produce a complete video. Overall, it was simple, but fun to make.

DEQ E-Cycles Program

2010-03-12T00:17:00.000-05:00

DEQ and Oregon E-Cycles Program has electronic recycling companies over worked and under funded.

The Springfield School District Outsources Lunch Accounts to MyLunchMoney.com

2010-02-26T18:17:00.000-05:00

For J432 Reporting for Electronic Media this last week I interviewed Brett Yancey, the Director of Business Operations with the Springfield School District, about outsourcing student lunch accounts. He signed the contract last week and hopes students/parents will begin using the system in the next month.

Oregon Unfolded

2010-02-21T22:17:00.000-05:00

Spent an hour and a half cutting and folding this map.

2" by 2"

Accordion Book: Dynamic Difference

2010-02-21T20:06:00.000-05:00

The directions for this book were to have wide and tall panels. I wanted something smaller and intriguing, but wasn't sure what to do. I started folding very thin panels, and in a hurry as we were running out of class time. After I folded the whole sheet I realized how crooked the edges were. Not one lined up. Rather than cut off the excess to make one sheet flush, I cut the sheet in half and then overlapped them. The edges almost look like a staircase, and overlapping the two sheets makes this so much more dynamic. The cover is almost like a cardboard material, which I sewed the white paper into. Rather than cutting off the excess, again, I just wrapped the cover material around several times until I reached the end. The extended cover material supports the two layers of white paper when pulled out. So, form and function work together here.

Accordion Book: The First

2010-02-21T19:50:00.000-05:00

This is my first accordion book. It was fairly easy to make, but those leery of glue should be prepared. For now the book is empty, but I'll put it to use.

Accordion Book: Penn Station, wrapped up.

2010-02-21T19:43:00.000-05:00

The assignment was to think of a place. I chose Penn Station in New York City. In class we took large sheets of paper and used watercolor to create an abstract image that we would later cut into strips. Initially, I painted several flowing segments of color almost to mimic the moving traffic and the trains as if seen from above or far away; representing the blur of city life. After class, I spent the evening painting and drawing trains, railroad tracks, etc. Eventually I settled on staining a large sheet of thick card stalk brown and black. I used watercolor and water to form this paper into a wadded up piece of paper on the floor in Penn Station. While the paper sat wet I balled it up and left it to dry scrunched up.

This morning I had a difficult time flattening it out, which was perfect. It's what I hoped would happen. When I got to class my paper was slightly smaller than the rest of the class's so I had to make alterations to the dimensions the professor provided. It worked out perfectly, although the binding is slightly small for how thick my paper is, but it works. I ended up cutting panels that were somewhat shorter than others for variation. I also glued crumpled sheets of tracing paper in between some of the sections to add more layers for when I add written description. To enclose the piece, I found a piece of torn apart cardboard and roughed it up a bit. I folded it around the book and massaged the creases to appear work and somewhat rounded. With twine holding it all together, the book slides in and out perfectly. To me, the cardboard is a representation of shelter and its frequent and diverse use in NYC.

Cupcake

2010-02-07T19:06:00.000-05:00

Initial sketch

Adding shadows

Building down up

To get the frosting to look textured and glossy I used several layers of acrylic to build a sheen.

First or second 'go-round.' There were several alterations and layers added.

The shadow of the mountain of frosting, as well as the top of the cupcake.

I painted on a pad of canvas, which worked incredibly well.

First few sprinkles filled in and shadowed. First layer of the cupcake wrapper. Developing depth for the wrapper took several tries.

First attempt at the cupcake wrapper was far too dark.

Cupcake wrapper ends up much lighter in the end, although these images don't show the true dramatic difference.

Soundtrack

2010-02-02T03:48:00.000-05:00

(Unfinished)

Photo Story: New Place, Old Face

2010-01-27T21:26:00.001-05:00

Friday Night Fever

2009-12-14T01:06:00.000-05:00

I did a photo story about the making of "Friday Night Fever," a weekly sports show on KMTR NewsSource 16.

Here is the link to KMTR's YouTube page:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSqbEHHjrKE

External Flash

2009-10-17T22:11:00.000-04:00

J365 Photojournalism: Learning to use the external flash. I shot with the flash at several different angles and have decided that my favorite is when held to the side and diffused somewhat. I also really appreciate how much bouncing the flash off the ceiling or a wall can do. Below are seven images out of hundreds shot. Nothing too fancy or formal, just experimenting.

-Korrin, with the flash diffused and to the left-

-Korrin, with the flash bounced off the wall-

-Korrin, flash bounced off the ceiling-

-Korrin, with the flash directed straight at her but diffused-

-Korrin, flash diffused and held to the side-

-Korrin, backlit and then fill flashed-

-Korrin, flash direct and pointed straight at her-

-Korrin, with flash held to the side and diffused-

*Personal favorite

MYA

2009-09-15T05:54:00.000-04:00

Rest in peace Teddy.

The Ionian Sea

2009-09-15T05:46:00.000-04:00

I used to dislike painting landscapes but I actually had a lot of fun drawing and painting this. Done in acrylic.

Vans Cityscape: Acrylic

2009-09-15T05:21:00.000-04:00

This is a night cityscape painted inside the outline of a Vans classic lace-up shoe. A friend of mine came up with this idea and I decided to paint it. I spent several days straight on this and it was actually the first time I'd really used acrylic paint for fine detail work. Only reason I was semi successful is thanks to my tiny (tiny) paint brush. To see the progression in pictures start at the bottom with the initial sketch and work your way up.

FINAL PIECE

INITIAL SKETCH

09.09.09