New pictures added to website

Added these new pictures on my website at http://dennisbutlerphotography.com

 Pisgah Fog 

 

 Autumn in the Smokies...

Haw Creek Sunset

Sharing recipes/Ham Glaze...

Thanks to my very good friend Melissa Myers Krieger in Idaho for two really good recipes. She was able to sample my Pumpkin Bread this week as I sent her some. Now she cant get enough, right Melissa?  Thanks again for the recipes for the Funeral Potatoes aka Cheesy Potatoes and the Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Cant wait to try them.

Tomorrow is Christmas and that means Ham baby.. I have a really good recipe for preparing the ham. The key is to keep putting the glaze on during the baking process and to use whole cloves in the ham.. Put the cloves into the ham 30 minutes prior to cooking.. Be generous with them. You can add some pineapple rings on the ham after doing this for additional flavor but that is completely optional. I like them on there and they add extra flavor.

Here are the key ingredients needed for this glaze

One can of crushed pineapple- use the juice too.
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup water
pinch of kosher salt 
2 tbsp Dark Karo syrup- optional


Bring these items to a boil in a small saucepan and let thicken..

Brush glaze on ham prior to cooking generously all over..
After an hour in the oven, brush ham again w glaze and then bake and do again about 30 minutes before taking out of the oven. Let ham sit for about a half hour. Remove the whole cloves in the ham and slice and serve... YUM!!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!  

                               

New images created with my new camera..

Just love what my new Nikon D90 camera has allowed me to capture this past week. Here are a few

 Family Christmas Tree

 Moore Cove Falls in Pisgah National Forest

 Standing Tall and Proud in the Pisgah National Forest in this black and white image titled "Majestic Essence"

 Old CCC Bridge over Looking Glass Creek.

 Close up of our "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree outside this week.

 Blue Ridge Parkway Magic yesterday at the Wash Valley Overlook

 There is a Silver Lining in every cloud..

Heavy Fog at Mt Pisgah area on BRP...

"Fire in the Wooods"

Took this picture last week before sunrise outside my house in Asheville..I went to the barbershop to get my haircut a few days later and showed my barber the picture and he said it looked like fire in the woods and from there the name stuck.. Love the variation of colors in the sky and of course the colors behind the trees. This will be placed on my website today..

Pumpkin Bread Day...

Every year at this time I converge on to what is become a annual holiday tradition.  I bake my pumpkin bread.. My mom taught me when I was younger and I couldn't be able to turn out such a good recipe with out mom's help. Thanks Mom.. Here are some pictures from the process and then the results from alot of hard work and love...

My Pumpkin Bread Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup applesauce
1/3 cup oil
1 can pumpkin
2/3 c water
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves- a must!!!
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
2/3 c coarsely chopped nuts- I use only pecans.. Mom used walnuts
2/3 c raisins- make sure you soak them in water before adding them to the batter.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease loaf pans- 9x5x3 or whatever size you like. ( I have small loaf pans to make miniature loaves)  with Pam or whatever non stick spray you desire.
Mix sugar and oil and applesauce in large mixing bowl. Stir in pumpkin, water, vanilla and eggs. In separate  mixing bowl mix dry ingredients together- flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt and baking powder. Fold in these ingredients gradually with the pumpkin mixture. Add raisins and nuts. Mix well. Pour into pans. Bake until wooden toothpick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. For small loaf pans bake for 30 mins. Large loaf pans 60-70 mins. Let bread cool before removing and placing on cooling rack. 
Enjoy.. This will be the best pumpkin bread you'll ever taste..

Dennis

Camera upgrade - YES!!!!

Thanks to my great instructor Brian Osborne at the Photoclassroom in Charlotte, I will be the proud owner of a new camera- at least new to me. I'm getting a Nikon D90.. Can't wait..

Cashew Chicken Recipe- Springfield Style...

I have had several requests from my facebook friends for my Springfield Cashew Chicken Recipe..

Springield Style Cashew Chicken

While this recipe calls for boneless chicken breasts, I recommend the boneless chicken thighs. They have much more flavor... More moist.

Ingredients

4 skinless boneless chicken thighs

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

5 tbsp cornstarch- divided

3 eggs beaten

2 cups peanut oil for frying- dont use anything else!

2 cups chicken broth

2 tbsps oyster sauce

1 tbsp white sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsps chopped green onion for topping- optional

2 cups cashew halves

Directions

1. Cut the chicken thighs into bite size pieces. In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and 1 tbsp of the cornstarch.. In another dish or bowl  beat the eggs. Dip chicken pieces in flour mixture then egg, then flour again. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet or Wok and deep fry coated chicken in hot oil for 3-4 mins. Drain on paper towels.

2. Meanwhile (while frying chicken), heat broth to boiling in a medium saucepan. Add oyster sauce, sugar and soy sauce. Mix remaining 4 tbsps cornstarch with a small amount of cold water in a cup.  Stir cornstarch mixture slowly into broth mixture to thicken. Make sure you keep stirring to avoid lumps in the sauce. Cook for another 5 mins over medium low heat.

3. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Heat cashew nuts and chopped green onions in preheated oven for about 5 mins. Pour sauce over fried chicken and top with cashews and green onion. Serve with soy sauce over a bed of rice - steamed or fried if desired.

Enjoy!!!

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