community table @ the ecology center || san juan capistrano, ca

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Food is one of my favorite things. I grew up around my parents cooking every night. They taught me the value of good quality, whole ingredients and the joy cooking for others can bring. Those values stuck with me over the years which makes it no surprise I ended up spending so much time at The Ecology Center. They recently began a series of monthly farm-to-table dinners, each featuring a local chef and also the farmer responsible for the local ingredients. This dinner was prepared by Chef Richard Mead featuring farmer Alex Weiser. Along with locally grown produce, the meal included beer and bread made from heritage grains grown at Weiser Family Farms in Tehachapi, where they are making a great effort to preserve and grow organic heirloom grains that are naturally drought tolerant and help restore Southern CA's grain growing heritage (www.tehachapigrainproject.org). Pretty cool stuff if you ask me!! :) I was so happy to take part and to be around people who are so committed to creating such high quality foods. Here are the photos from last month's dinner. 

baby dylan || mission viejo, california

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Meet Dylan and his awesome parents, Carrie and Bob. They are just the cutest family ever. Dylan was so sweet and sleepy....it was so much fun to photograph him. He is long and tall, just like his daddy and has beautiful dark hair, just like mama :) Being true Kings fans, it was only appropriate to capture him in his first Kings hat! He looks so tough. Congrats Carrie and Bob! Your family is adorable. 

baby ben || aliso viejo, california

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I reconnected with a friend from high school who just had the cutest baby boy named Ben. My... we all grow up fast. Before you know it, you go from weddings to babies just like that. But I'm not complaining!! It was such a joy to photograph little Ben who was just perfect, sleepy and adorable the entire time. Congrats Britney and Kevin. He is a sweetheart.