I was working in the kitchen the other day when I heard a loud THUNK. I turned around to check the window, and this is what I saw. What you can't see in the photo is that directly above this squirrel (but back about 7 inches) is the bird feeder. This guy was dive-bombing the bird feeder from the fence and missed, hitting (and catching) the screen on the window instead. Crazy view of a squirrel though, eh?And yeah, I called Magda into the kitchen and man, she was TOTALLY into this form of entertainment. Once she jumped up to the window, the squirrel dove from the screen taking his chances on the landing.For your internet share today, I'm sending you to the trailer for next year's Jurassic World release. You guys know I love dinosaurs, yeah? I am pretty darn excited for this.
Oh you guys, I have so many awesome baby hats around the house these days. Magda loves to steal them for her nests. I love to force her to pose in them. As you can see, I am winning this game (for now).For your internet share of the day, I'm sharing 
But of *course* I'm gonna save my amazing mashed potato recipe for Thanksgiving week! Now, I don't think mashed potatoes are ever really bad... ok, sometimes. But it's rare. But these are my very favorite way to make them, and my guests always rave, so I thought you might want to try it.
What you'll need:• Yukon gold potatoes. For this batch (which makes about 8 servings) I used six medium potatoes• Fresh chives• Sour cream (about 2 tbsp)• Butter (about 1/2 stick)• Milk (which I forgot to picture!). I used 1/4 cup, but you can vary this depending on how creamy you like your potatoes• Salt and pepper to taste 
First, fill a large pot with water and heat it to boil. While waiting on the boil, quarter your potatoes. Once ready, cook in the water for about 15 minutes or until soft when a fork is inserted.Next, add in the milk and butter and stir until butter melts. Then add in the sour cream and chives (I use about 1/3 of the package and I cut them with scissors -- way easier than with a knife) and mash everything together.
I use an old-fashioned masher because I like my potatoes kinda chunky. Also, salt and pepper to taste.
So there you go! If you just want mashed potatoes, you're done. BUT WHO WANTS PLAIN MASHED POTATOES?? Actually, I think these are good enough that they are divine plain. But lets be real. You need gravy.
People also always rave about my gravy which is hilarious because it's all packaged goods. But here you go!I am religious about the Knorr turkey gravy mix. However, the instructions say to mix it with water and bring to a boil and simmer until thickened and you're done. How boring!So instead of mixing with water, I use turkey stock to make it richer and I also add in the bits from the bottom of the turkey pan (the fatty goodness). Then I also add in about 3 glugs of wine. That's a measurement, right? Glugs? Well you know what I mean. And that takes it to a whole new level and it makes your gravy taste home made. Ha! Let's go fool them all!
So there you have it! Go enjoy! And no calorie counts on Thanksgiving. That's blasphemy.Oh! But for your internet share of the day, here is 
Last night we got gussied up and went to see 
Isn't Rosie here adorable? I photographed her family's holiday photos this past weekend and just fell in love with this sweetie all over again. She's... 1 and a half? One? She's a youngin', that's what's important, and she is impeccably trained. And? She looks adorable in reindeer antlers as well, but you'll just have to trust me on that one.For your internet share of the day, if you're trying to figure out what to spend that extra $2.8 million on, 
This is one of my favorite shots from this weekend. One thing I really try to focus on in my work is photographing kids having fun instead of photographing kids posing for photos. I think we all hate posing for photos, so if we can make the experience fun, it's just ... better. Yeah?Anyway, these two LOVE to play with my props, and in general they just make everything entertaining. They came up with the concept for this photo and art directed it themselves, which was super fun to watch happen. What a couple of cuties.For your internet share, how about 
This weekend I was prepping for my holiday shoots in my studio (8 families in 8 hours!), and I wanted to test the holiday lights in photos. So.... Magda got called into duty. She was not very pleased. But the good news is that treats weren't even needed because once you begin wrapping her in electrical wiring, she freezes! Great survival instincts on that one. Oh, and don't you worry, she got her treats anyway.And for your adorable Magda story of the day, I had Ezra in his bassinet in my office while I was working this week. He was sound asleep, Magda was on the first floor, and I ran across the hall to use the restroom. When I opened the bathroom door, Magda was standing over his bassinet wagging her tail. I ran over to make sure all was OK, and she had gently laid two of her toys on his feet while he slept. She wanted to play. ADORABLE. I cannot wait to see these two grow up together.For your internet share of the day, check out 
Oh yeah, I think chili season is upon us now that we are in single digit temperatures in Minnesota.Jamie's brother was in town last weekend, and he made us his white chicken chili one night for dinner. It was so perfect for this weather, so I thought I'd share it with you!
First, here's what you need:
Begin by dicing the onions and garlic. Next, combine beans, chicken stock, garlic and half the onions in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer.While that's simmering, saute remaining onions in oil until they soften, then add the chiles and spices and mix thoroughly. Once the seasoned onions are ready, add them and the chicken to the bean mixture and simmer for an hour.
And that's it! We served it with shredded monterey jack cheese, salsa, sour cream and fresh cilantro on top. The nice part about this recipe is that most of the ingredients can be kept in the pantry, which means you can be ready to make it at a moment's notice. Also? This makes an enormous pot that make fantastic leftovers to enjoy all week long. Bon apetit!