5 Things for Amanda

5 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago
1. Just switched to Palmer High School from Colony
2. I was really missing my friends in Georgia
3. Reading magazines and talking on the phone
4. Crushing on boys
5. Plucking my eyebrows into shape for the first time

5 Things on My To-Do List Today
1. Get out of bed
2. Tend to Cruz
3. Wash the pots I meant to was yesterday
4. Plan for two different parties this weekend
5. Go to my soccer game tonight

5 Snacks I like
1. chips and salsa
2. hot sauce and crackers
3. chocolate chip cookies and milk
4. spring rolls from Mekong
5. I don't know if you can count this, but a fully loaded salad.

5 Things I Would Do if I Were a Millionaire.
1. Like Amanda...hire a house cleaner.
2. Make sure my husband and parents never have to work again.
3. Give a big chunk to the Church
4. Buy a beach house
5. Take a exotic vacation every year
6. Buy Stocks

5 Places I Have Lived for Various Times
1. Hiawassee, Georgia 9 years
2. Bethel, Alaska 3 years
3. Hiawassee, Georgia 4 Years
4. Palmer, Wasilla, Anchor Point, Alaska 10 years

5 Jobs That I Have Had
1. Baby Sitter
2. Slack's Sugar Shack
3. Office Cleaner
4. Secretary at Mat-Su College
5. MOMMY

5 People I Tag (to post a "5 Things . . . " list on their blog)
-sorry I don't know how to tag people_
1. Norman and Tara
2. Casey
3. James and Andrea
4 & 5??? I think everyone else I know has been tagged.

Portraits...

For the longest time now I have been wanting to do portrait photography. Of course I love taking photos nature, but I think taking pictures of people draw out more emotions. I also want to make people feel good by capturing their beauty... especially their eyes. I want to get to a point where my subjects don't feel like they have to pose... where they can just be natural. Right now my favorite technique is overexposed picture and the eyes still with full color. I don't know what it is called, but The Picture Lady does it really well (I have got a link to her blog under photographers). So if anyone has any techniques, angles, or lighting advice please let me know. Thanks

Allison and Dawson 3

Allison and Dawson 3, originally uploaded by Katie Cannon.

I took several shots of her in the living room surrounded by toys to capture her life as a Mom.

Allison and Dawson 2

Allison and Dawson 2, originally uploaded by Katie Cannon.

Again, the same positioning. This one came out a little blurry, but I still like it.

Allison and Dawson 1

Allison and Dawson 1, originally uploaded by Katie Cannon.

They were on the stairs and I was up in a chair looking down over them.

Jumping off and having fun!

Jumping off and having fun!, originally uploaded by Katie Cannon.

I took this photo of the guys in Kauai at Barking Sands Beach.

orchids

orchids, originally uploaded by Katie Cannon.

Who Puts Green Onions in Their Salsa?

A while back after eating out several times and either really enjoying my meal or thinking I could do it better I decided that being a food critic would be the best job ever. I love to go out to eat and I really enjoy great food so even though I won't be getting paid I am going to start giving reviews on the restaurants that I feel needs to be discussed.

So back to my title "Who Puts Green Onions in Their Salsa" who does that? Well I tell you who...Garcia's in Eagle River does... at least they did Friday night. Here is the breakdown: 1-5 1-terrible 5-good

Service: 4 for the hostess they walked around screaming the names of those who were waiting after it was obvious they were no longer there.
5 for the waitresses they never let our glasses go empty, they were prompt, and one gave me a compliment.

Atmosphere: 4 it was loud but not overpowering and they decor was fitting.

Food: 2.5 the salsa was terrible (green onions & lack of salt). Steven and I got the Lalapolooza Platter for 2 the enchiladas were good but everything else was blaaaa. The beans were cooked under the heat lamp so they were stiff and crusty. And I'm not really a fan of veggies in my Spanish Rice.

Price: 3.5 for the taste it was way overpriced, but for Alaska it didn't surprise me.

So overall score: 3.5

Personal Notes: Steven, my parents and I remembered why we haven't been there in years. And we probably won't be back unless they get some tips from anyone that can cook good Mexican Food. We are also a little picky because we LOVE eating Mexican food, we cook it all the time and Steven's Family is from S. Texas so they can cook it pretty good.


Here is my quick and easy Salsa recipe:

2 cans rotel
1/2 onion
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro (use stems) and chop it up a little
Pour in some granulated garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lime juice and don't be stingy with the garlic. Whip it up a couple of times in either a food processor or a blender.

If you have never used Rotel it is diced tomatoes with a Mexican twist. You can find it in the canned tomato section in most grocery stores. You may wonder why I don't use fresh tomatoes... well if I had them and they were good I would.
Enjoy!

palms

palms, originally uploaded by Katie Cannon.

Lonely Palm 2

Lonely Palm 2, originally uploaded by Katie Cannon.

I made this look like it was taken in the 60's. I love it!

IMG_6391

IMG_6391, originally uploaded by Katie Cannon.

Cruz riding his Wonder Horse this summer while we worked on the back porch.

Old Truck 2

Old Truck 2, originally uploaded by Katie Cannon.

This old truck sits out in the pasture in fronts of my parents house in Georgia. In the summer the bush in the back is full of roses. Nest time we are down there I would like to take some close up photos of it.

Hatchers Pass

Hatchers Pass, originally uploaded by Katie Cannon.

I went hiking one day with my parents, brother and Cruz on the zig zap trail and this was overlooking the other side.

Pioneer Peak

Pioneer Peak, originally uploaded by Katie Cannon.

Please ignore the black spot in the sky. I need to get my camera cleaned and for now I don't have the patients to fix it in photoshop.

Palmer Nights

Palmer Nights, originally uploaded by Katie Cannon.

This is from yesterday.

Poor Cruz is sick this week. He has been coughing and congested and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Hopefully it is working its way up and out. Poor Guy:(

I have also started to put his room together. It is time for him to have a big boy room. So I moved a shelf in there and laid it on the floor so we can stack his books and toys in there.

Over the weekend Steven had to work 31 hrs straight. He got called out on Thursday about 6:30 to work in Anchorage. While he was there they got another call for Kenai. Some part broke so they had to wait for someone to bring another part out from Anchorage. He didn't end up getting home until 8:00 Saturday morning. That's why we weren't at Church on Sunday he slept straight through it.

Black Spruce

Black Spruce
Originally uploaded by Katie Cannon

Black Spruce

Sterling Hwy to Kenai. I was driving down the road and couldn't keep my eyes off the beautiful trees so I stuck my camera out the sun roof and took the photo.

Flickr Photos

Check out flickr.com if you haven't already. I am uploading a photo a day and I will try to upload it to here too.
This photo was taken in 06 at Little Breneke Beach in Poi Pu, Kauai, Hawaii.

Happy New Year Everybody!

I hope all of you had a Great New Year. I spent the last couple hours of 2008 trying to capture the perfect fireworks picture. I got myself all bundled up and walked outside and set up. Our neighbors were shooting them off so they were practically right in my face. The shots came out amazing... I am so excited!!! My brother just taught me how to take photos at night and I have been trying to practice every chance I get. So despite it being -25* outside I was pleased with the outcome. As far as the rest of the clan... Cruz went to sleep and Steven was playing games with our nephews.

So an update on the workout: We did it for the third time last night and I am really starting to feel a difference. It is getting a little easier every time.