krysta howell PHOTOGRAPHY

Tim and Janet Married 05.17.14

2014-06-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

Daniel and Hillary: Married 09.14.2013

2013-10-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

Climbing Woodstock

2013-08-19T11:27:00.001-07:00

It's climbing time! After a somewhat rough start to the morning (none of which was due to Heather's excellent functioning after only an hour of sleep the previous night) we met up with some 300 hardcore bikers for our morning beer at the local Woodstock bar. Nah I'm just playing, that would have made for a very unsafe knot tying experience. We bypassed the bikers and beer and went climbing instead.

Aside from all the creepy crawlers, the weather was absolutely perfect top roping.

Photo Credit: Heather

Hands down the sickest heel hooking bouldering cave I've been to.

Fall Forward

2012-12-20T21:30:00.002-08:00

Amidst the chaotic hustle and bustle of the crazed holiday food hoarders and frantic wish list making on Amazon- I find a certain zen in simply being with my family during this time of the year. The holidays always seem to be a super comforting and cozy affair (filled of course with delightful food!).

Planning a menu for Thanksgiving is not a a task for the wishy-washy and casual kitchen goer in my home. No. You create a well thought out menu and follow through. If it's not acceptable it doesn't make it to the table- end of story. It's just how we roll.

So... our menu this year consisted (among other things) of a delightful Spinach and Cashew dip, Cranberry Basalmic Brussle Sprouts, Rosemary and Garlic Clover Biscuits, and a Walnut, Apple, and Cranberry Goat Cheese Spinach Salad- followed obviously by a Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie and Pumpkin Cheesecake.

Darren Kyle Yoder- so chubby and adorable, the new addition to our fam!

Dasha, Byron, and Braedyn.

Braedyn turned 2!

Even after 30 years of marriage they still got it!

Look for us in the upcoming L.L. Bean catalogue!

In line with showing off my family. Somehow my photos from last years cozy cabin in Colorado vanished... so here there are once more

what a babe.

Dan and Brittany: Married 8.25.12

2012-09-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

Just another day with Braedyn

2012-07-01T18:51:00.002-07:00

Couldn't help myself- he is just too adorable not to take pictures of...

Dasha Maternity Session

2012-06-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

My lovely sister Dasha and her son Braedyn came to MD for an

extended visit and I just couldn't resist taking some maternity shots while she is pregnant with her 2nd babe. So while Braedyn was napping, I grabbed my camera and snapped a few of this little alien growing inside her belly!

Yosemite

2012-05-31T09:28:00.001-07:00

Three days in the Yosemite Valley: Hiking through El Capitan, Nevada, Vernal, and Yosemite Falls.

Camping out at the summit of El Capitan

Yosemite Valley seen from Eagle Point

Carmel-By-The Sea

2012-05-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

Picnicking at the top of the mountain at sunset

To Winston!

Monterey Bay Aquarium... sooo cool!!

In order to get to the roof you have to climb up this tree... Avery's first attempt at doing this was hilarious!!

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Don't let the topical looking water fool you... it's very cold.

Avery's massive monster of a vehicle.

The Lone Cyprus on Pebble Beach's 17 mile drive.

Socked in fog

San Luis Obispo: biking, bookstores, bubblegum alley

2012-05-02T17:47:00.000-07:00

After leaving Carrizo Lavender I had several days to tour San Luis Obispo which has great outdoor sights and a nice downtown area with loads of coffee shops, bookstores, and neat restaurants.

On a semi-rainy day Montana de Oro is perfect for a rugged and secluded trip. Named for it's fabulous wildflowers it really is quite a pocket of gold.

Sarah looks so sporty kayaking on Morro Bay!

Eucalyptus (which is obviously not a native plant to California) grows all over San Luis Obispo and makes everything smell so wonderful.

Such a tiny Morro Rock

On one of my last days in San Luis Obispo I rented this adorable blue cruiser and rode 12 miles to Avila beach, ate an orange, then rode back.

Bubblegum alley is in downtown SLO and is not as glamourous as it sounds. Essentially it consists of old chewing gum stuck to a wall encrusted with years dirt and grime... gnar gnar.

... in transit again on yet another Amtrak train...the novelty definitely has worn off

Next stop: Big Sur

Carrizo Lavender

2012-04-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Today sadly marks the end of my stay at Carrizo Lavender farm. So here are the last few days I spent at Green Fire as well the short two weeks in the California Valley.

This beaut of a picture was taken by Audrey Hart!

That beet sauerkraut we made when I first arrived was finally ready to eat. Pretty fantastic if you ask me. Goodbye Green Fire Farm, hello Carrizo Lavender!

California Poppies!

Each day at Carrizo Lavender we "watched the morning happen" as Patrick would say with a few essentials....coffee, NPR, magazines, and obviously the sunrise.

The view from Rattlesnake Mountain/ John Wayne Hill at sunrise overlooking the entire farm.

Waterproofing and mudding the eco-dome which is an awesome sustainable structure made almost entirely from dirt! Patrick and Lindi are using their dome as a root cellar.

The San Andreas Fault line. Wouldn't want to be there during an earthquake.

So it turns out that movies set in the desert are right- tumbleweed does roll around everywhere!

Here is a little glimpse of the secret life of bees... just kidding- that movie wasn't even about bees anyway.

Smoking the bees makes them think a fire is nearby so they gorge themselves with honey and are much less likely to sting.

Back on the coast we took a quick sail around the harbor and saw the Sea Lions

Times Magazine named San Luis Obispo the "Happiest City in America"- and for good reason! I can't imagine living in this quaint coastal town with so much going on in the community and being unhappy. Also it doesn't hurt that they have a killer farmers market every week.

Thank you Patrick and Lindi!!

Cali Coasting

2012-04-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

As sad as I am to leave this beautiful farm in Hoopa, I know that California has much more beauty that I need to see during short stay here. During my last week here the weather was slightly improved from the constant rain that we have been getting the past few weeks. So with this nice weather we decided to hike in the Redwood Forest on our day off. Whoever said that the trail we took was meant to take roughly 30 minutes each way obviously never hiked it. If they had hiked it they would know that you need to stop at every tree and admire it which adds about an hour each way.

Megan and I also made a ton of muffins this week. Blood orange muffins, Banana walnut muffins, and Almond spice muffins!

Audrey looks so good with that weed wacker!

Down by the river again.

Look at Dan in the background!!!

Driving away from the Redwoods we spotted a bunch of elk... so cool!

Audrey and Dan bouldering

We caught the end of an Arts festival in Eureka, saw some break dancers, local musicians, and some cool artwork.

In the spirt of California- FREE TEA!!

Rainy Days

2012-04-01T14:50:00.000-07:00

Hoopa has had seven inches of rain in the past. Seven inches!! So this relentless rain we've been having this past week prevented us from doing much work outdoors. That being the case I spent a good chunk of the past few days clutching a mug full of tea and sitting by a fire with several layers of sweaters on. The rain however did not prevent me from taking pictures of all the blossoming trees in the orchard.

All the blooming trees in the orchard are reminiscent of Van Gogh's Blossoming Almond Tree painting- don't you think?

I can't deny that the rain, the chickens, and all the wheelbarrows really make me think of this poem.

The Red Wheelbarrow

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens.

-William Carlos Williams

Can you see all the tiny lettuce and onion plants we put in the ground?

On one of the not-so-rainy days Kathleen showed us how to make a beautiful sauerkraut with beets, ginger, and cabbage!

We thought it was only right that we end such a leisure filled week with some baked good.

A Rugged Escape

2012-03-25T17:21:00.002-07:00

Alas, another week on Green Fire Farm.

Homemade Challah bread with homemade wine.

This particular wine was made in 2008- a year during which forest fires consumed a large portion of Northern California's forests. The ashes and soot carried through the wind over time left residue on the grapes skins, which was then crushed into grape mixture- resulting in a somewhat smoky pinot noir.

There is something so honest and comforting in eating directly off the land. Food that was grown, cultivated, cared for, flourished, and picked right before it goes on your plate. So fresh, flavorful, and beautiful.

Dan's sweater still makes me chuckle

Fresh, organic, cage free chicken eggs all the time.

I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that everything is stored in mason jars.

Makeshift items... pepper grinder, and stereo for the greenhouse.

I'll never get sick of waking up to this view every day.

Lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, squash, and so much more in the early stages of growing in the greenhouse.

Buster and Moses get a whole lot of affection

Did I mention that there is a river in the "backyard"?

with horses...

Don't I look so rugged and earthy?

After a week of wine tasting, pounding stakes into the earth, planting lettuce, harvesting kale, sewing seeds, and working in the dirt we headed to Arcata to do some rock climbing (and see the Hunger Games!!) So if our hands weren't dried out then... they certainly blistered and torn up now from climbing.

No matter where you go, this view cannot be escaped.

makeshift wine bottling of the smaller containers after racking the wine.. very legit

The sediment that comes out of these barrels is the most gorgeous purple!

California Dreamin

2012-03-18T15:32:00.000-07:00

Thus begins my WWOOFing adventure...

What is WWOOF you ask? Oh yea its kinda like couchsurfing meets camping meets health. But really, it stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms and is a program where you can essentially so anywhere in the world, work and learn on a certified organic farm, meet other people who are invested in healthy living, and forget what stress is... I'm serious. So here is Green Fire Farm, residing in the Hoopa Valley which is on a Native American reservation at quite an elevation.

Okay, old rundown van, chickens, Tibetan peace flags, peace sign... yes this picture captures the atmosphere beautifully.

My quaint cabin I share with Audrey.

More Tibeten peace flags than anywhere I have ever experienced.

Over the weekend Dan, Audrey, and I went into the town of Arcata which is a sweet college town full... REALLY full of hippies. Here I made my first step to fully embracing the farm lifestyle by buying a really fantastic muddled ochre color chunky knit sweater from a consignment shop. After visiting some bookstores, and some local shops we went down to the beach. Freezing and gorgeous.

The Fix- Jasmine Star at the Gala Theatre

2012-03-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

Jasmine Star (totally fabulous wedding photographer) came to the Gala Theatre in D.C. to offer her wonderful words of wisdom with a night of mingling, heartfelt advice, and fun. So here are just a few snapshots of the night!

Best Chocolate Cake

2012-03-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

So my sister and I have been on sort of a sweet tooth kick for a while, which means we have baked (and eaten) this cake every night for the past week. Whoa! Thats a lot of cake right? Well because this cake is the most moist, decadent, and heavenly cake I have ever tasted, it only makes sense that we would eat so much of it. I got this recipe from the Post Punk Kitchen- so bonus... no milk or eggs!

Amazing.

I suggest doubling the recipe and making it a night before so you let the chocolate ganache harden and the cake stand for a while to get all moist and perfect.

Makes one 8 inch round circle cake

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular (or a mix of both)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix together wet ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix all dry ingredients together in another bowl.

Using a hand mixer slowly add dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

Lightly grease an 8 inch springform pan. Pour in the batter and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted through the center comes out clean.

Ganache

2/3 cup almond milk (or other non dairy milk)

8 oz dark chocolate chips

In a small saucepan bring milk to a boil, then turn heat down to simmer. Add the chocolate chops and mix until melted. Stir until everything is smooth and well incorporated. Set aside and let cool for until the cake is done.

Place the cake on a cake stand and pour the ganache over the cake smoothing it all around until the ganache is everywhere. If you doubled the recipe, place the second cake on top and repeat the ganache process. Let the cake sit in the fridge for a while until you are ready to indulge!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Pie

2012-02-27T12:42:00.001-08:00

Once you take a bit of this pie, you won't put the fork down until you it's gone. I'm serious this pie is outrageously delicious. Also... you would never guess in a million years that it is vegan. So it's practically good for you... well thats a little bit of a stretch, but it certainly isn't laden with fatty butter and cream.

Ingredients/Directions:

Graham cracker crust:

1 package good quality graham crackers

2-3 tablespoons melted soy butter

If you want to make a homemade crust take the graham crackers and crush them. (Easiest to put the crackers in a large ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin. Mix the crushed crackers with the melted butter. Once with mixture is crumbly, press into an 8 inch round pan and bake for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from oven and cool.

Mousse:

15 ounces ( 1 package) Extra firm tofu

1/4 cup soy creamer or non- dairy milk

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 vegan/soy cream cheese

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup agave

dash cinnamon

In a high speed blender like a Vitamix blend the tofu, creamer, peanut butter and cream cheese until smooth.

On a stovetop melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil.

Once melted pour coconut oil and chocolate chip mixture into the blender along with

salt, agave, and cinnamon

Blend until very smooth.

Pour mixture into pan once graham cracker crust has cooled.

Topping:

3 Tablespoons chocolate chips

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Melt chocolate and oil and spread smoothly evenly over top of mousse.

Place in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours or until mousse has a light cheesecake consistency.
Adapted from the Health Happy Life Vegan blog!

Enjoy!

Nutella: a dish best served on everything

2012-02-23T10:10:00.002-08:00

I havent met many people who don't like Nutella, and for good reason too. Nutella is simply delicious and is great on fruit, toast, or eaten plain with a spoon!

This recipe is dairy free, vegan, and of so easy.

Fresh Vegan Nutella

Ingredients:

1 cup hazelnuts

2-3 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 cup cocoa

1/3 cup agave (or honey)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F

Spread hazelnuts onto a cooking sheet

Roast for about 8 minutes (they cook fast so keep an eye on them)

Once they are golden brown (shown below) remove from oven and place on a clean kitchen towel

Rub the hazelnuts with the towel to remove the skins (you don't need to remove all of them)

Place cooled hazelnuts into a high speed blender or food processor

Grind until the hazelnuts are powdery

(I like my Nutella with some texture so I don't grind them all the way)

Add the coconut oil and blend

Add the cocoa and agave until you have a spreadable paste

If you want a thinner more liquid consistency add more sweetener, oil, or some almond/dairy free milk

Remove from blender and enjoy.

This stuff is seriously amazing... so go try it out!!

Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

2012-02-21T11:37:00.001-08:00

Since I try new recipes all the time anyways- I may as well document the deliciousness and pass the recipes along to spread the tastiness. So last night made chocolate pistachio biscotti... which I patiently waited until the morning to savor with my coffee.

Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti Recipe:

Makes roughly 18 biscotti

Ingredients:

(Dry)

1 2/3 cup four (white or whole wheat)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup pistachio (whole, chopped, or however you like them)

(Wet)

1/4 cup Earth Balance soy butter (softened)

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 6 Tbsp warm water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:

Handful of dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°

In a bowl combine all dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt) Add pistachios and mix well.

With a hand beater mix earth balance butter, sugar, and vanilla until well incorporated. Add flax and water mixture and beat.

Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until dough forms. You may need to use your hands because mixture will be dry.

On a dry surface knead dough into two long flat slabs about 8 inches long and a few inches wide.

Place on a cooking stone and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for several minutes.

Using a serrated knife slice the slabs into thin strips (the size you want your biscotti to be)

Place biscotti strips back on cooking stone ad bake for about 5 minutes on each side.

Once the biscotti are cooled melt the chocolate chips and pout on a flat surface. One at a time dip the biscotti in the melted chocolate to coat the bottom.

Let chocolate harden, serve with coffee or hot cocoa, and enjoy!

Jaclyn at sunrise... and Renee!!

2012-01-18T11:36:00.000-08:00

If I were to play a theme song to this photo-shoot it would be a mix between Mumford and Sons "Roll Away Your Stone" and Wiz Khalifa & Snoop Dog "Young and Wild and Free". So now that I have officially set the tone for this post you can now fully enjoy the final product.

Let me give you a little background about this shoot- sunrise was around 7:20 in the morning and rather chilly....in the low 40's... in January. So I give Jaclyn mad props for looking this stunning under the

given conditions.

Dreamboat Alert!!

Changing the entire mood of the shoot was as easy as an outfit change. And just like that you might feel like you are in a dream... a dream with really soft lighting, where your socks are made of frilly lace, and you suddenly want all the furniture in your house to look like shabby chic antiques. It's a good place to take a nap and dream.

Okay fine!! I'll admit it- it looks a little like I am trying to sell something from Urban Outfitters but I think she looks like she just came out of a role in Midsummer Night's Dream. Rather ethereal and feminine don't you think? Regardless... what a babe.

I can not fathom why but somehow my photoshoot of Jaclyn's darling sister Renee disappeared from my blog. So to remedy that I have added them once more.

Up close and personal

2011-12-14T21:33:00.000-08:00

My quiet walks are often ideal

St. Augustine, Florida

2011-10-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

St. Augustine, FL is such a sweet little town. So many local businesses and everything is so close to the ocean. So I went for a little visit for probably the last time in a long time.

Jammin'

2011-10-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

So as it turns out- when you have no plan sometimes the answer is jam. Or in my case... apple butter.

Yes, ten pounds of apples, loads of mason jars, a bit of kitchen dancing, and a few pandora playlists later ...viola!

I also make Hot Banana Pepper Rings ...because let be honest- they are awesome on everything!

From me to you:

Apple Butter Recipe (Adapted from Ashley English’s “Canning and Preserving”)

(Will make roughly 8 half pint jars)

Things you should invest in if you are going to make this yourself:

5 pounds cooking apples (I prefer tart ones such as Winesap or Stayman but other varieties such as Gold Delicious or McIntosh are good as well)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ginger

Before you get messy with the apples:

Sterilize 8 half pint mason jars, lids, and screw bands. You can do this by immersing them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Always sterilize more that you think you need because you just might get inspired to double the batch)
Place cleaned jars on top of a cloth on a clean counter.

Now the apple business:

Peel, core, and roughly chop the apples, place in a large stainless steel pot along with 2 cups water. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and add water in ¼ cup increments if sticking occurs. Remove from heat.
Press the cooked apple mixture through a food mill, fine meshed sieve, or you can use blender, food processor. The texture should look like really smooth apple sauce.
Return the apple puree to the pot, add sugar and spices. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 25 to 30 minutes. Stir often to prevent sticking. Remove from heat.
With the help of a canning funnel (which is optional) ladle the apple butter carefully into the jars leaving ¼ inch headspace at the top of the jar. Use a non metallic spatula to remove any trapped air bubbles and wipe the rims clean with a damp cloth. Place the lids and screw bands on, tightening only until fingertip-tight.
Then fill a canner or large stockpot with water and bring to a boil.
Using a jar lifter, place the jars into the canner/stockpot. Process (boil) for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Lift jars out carefully with tongs and set on counter to cool.
Enjoy!

Maddy's Bridal Shower

2011-10-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Every time I see the Higdon family I am reminded of just how much I adore them! For Maddy's bridal shower she had an adorable victorian style tea party setup complete with all the details.

The winner of the toilet paper wedding dress game!

Maddy- I wish you and Mike all the happiness in the world!