Back to the Basics

It All Begins with Dirt began as a way to explore and share things I've learned about getting back to the basics of eating whole, unprocessed, preferably organic, foods.  Since I started this blog, I have learned a LOT about eating healthier. For one, I've learned that not everyone can eat every healthy food (think allergies to healthy nuts, healthy grains, etc). I have been eating mostly plant-based for about 10 years now (since 2011 firmly) and lI keep learning more and more about going whole-food, plant-based (WFPB).

In case you've never heard about WFPB way of eating, it focuses on:

• Emphasizing whole, minimally processed foods.
• Limiting or avoiding animal products.
• Focuses on plants, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts.
• Excludes refined foods, like added sugars, white flour and processed oils.
• Pays special attention to food quality, with many proponents of the WFPB diet promoting locally sourced, organic food whenever possible. 

"Health and wellness communities agree that diets emphasizing fresh, whole ingredients and minimizing processed foods are superior for overall wellness."  (site link)

Since late 2010/early 2011, I've continued to learn as much as I could about this way of eating. At points along the way, I became Vegan, Lacto-Ovo, Vegetarian, and Pescatarian...

As I tried these different variations of plant-based diets, I kept coming back to "I just want to eat as healthy as I can for my body type. (PS, Vegan is not necessarily healthy. Oreo's are "vegan". I know these things...  just sayin'. )

Then 2020 hit. With a bang! I came down sick, very sick... 3 1/2 months sick, after taking a plane trip to Florida for a Real Estate conference. The morning after I came home, I woke up with a 103 degree fever, and I coughed until I gagged.  My ribs were even sore. I'm pretty sure I had "the virus". 

And up until March of 2020, when the U.S. learned about it, even the doctors didn't know what I had, so they treated my symptoms.  Whatever it was, it knocked me on my ...backside! My honey wore a mask around me (before it was a "thing") and stayed away from me except to slide my meals under our guest bedroom door where I was staying while I was sick. Just kidding, he came in....and left right away, wearing a mask, and washing his hands as soon as he could. He said he didn't know what I had, he just knew he didn't want it! Anyway, he cooked all our meals as he didn't "want me anywhere near our food, or touching it"

Once I got back into the kitchen, I realized then that although I had been eating mostly plant-based, I had allowed myself to become lax in preparing healthy foods. With starting a new career in real estate, I have been busy, ...very busy. First with attending as many classes as I could to learn the business of real estate, then as word got out, I begin to actually start helping my family, friends and new clients buy and sell their homes. I can honestly admit that we've eaten take-out food one-time too many as well as relied on plant-based 'fast foods'. I've stated more than once on my blogs that just because something says 'vegan' or 'plant-based' doesn't necessarily mean it's the best option for you. Remember, technically Oreo cookies are vegan. All-in-all, I let my focus on living a healthy life take a backslide. And because of it, I've gained weight, stopped exercising with any consistency, and I just don't feel as good as I know I can.

Therefore, I've decided it's time to get back to the basics of healthy living.  I'm far from having it perfected, but I look at how far I've come, not how far I still have to go. I love this quote from Maya Angelou "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."  

So, here's to doing better.  As the growing season is ending, all of our last tomatoes, basil and other herbs, and even our zucchini are struggling to continue to produce. However our Swiss Chard is loving these cooler temperatures, and I am chomping at the bit to make one of our fav recipes that I've posted here before, Warm Salad of Swiss Chard and Chickpeas (see the recipe drop down for that one). That one will be dinner soon, I promise!

Anyway, I found this wonderful Dairy-Free Pesto recipe below over at Tori Avey's website. Tori, (if you haven't met her, please jump over to her website) loves to explore the history of food and it's culture and bring it back to the modern day kitchens. Make this easy pesto up and keep it in the fridge for up to a few weeks. It's wonderful on pasta, but did you know there are a bunch of wonderful pasta-free pesto recipes out there too? Try this spaghetti-squash-with-roasted-tomatoes-beans-almond-pesto/ on for size! or see below for a soup recipe to add pesto into.

These pictures are of my basil in happier temperatures.

I made a bee bouquet when I dead-headed my basil, and the bees were quite thankful!

This was just from the stalks I removed when I dead-headed the basil!

Grab the last of your basil, or visit your local farm store for the last of the basil and try this recipe!

Pareve Basil Pesto Ingredients (Dairy Free)

Makes 8 Servings

• 2/3 cup pine nuts
• 4 cups fresh basil leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves roasted garlic (or 2 cloves unroasted)
• 1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste
• 1/2 fresh lemon, juiced (or more to taste)

To Make Pareve Basil Pesto (Dairy Free)

• Warm a skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts to the skillet. Stir them continuously until they’re toasted golden brown. Remove from heat.
• Add toasted pine nuts to a food processor along with 4 cups of fresh, clean basil leaves.
• Pulse the nuts and leaves together into small pieces. Scrape the sides of the processor.
• Add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil along with the remaining ingredients.
• Process again until the mixture becomes creamy, scraping the sides periodically, till you achieve the texture you desire.
• If you’d like a more liquid texture, add more olive oil by the tablespoon and continue to process till you get the texture you want. Add more salt to taste, if desired.
  

See the full post:https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/fresh-basil-pesto/#wJdsBCWWPDDmHSUV.99

Per serving Serving Size: 1 Serving (33g), Calories 60, Total Fat 5.6g, Sat Fat 0.5g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium, 118.2mg, Potassium 109.8mg, Total Carbs 2g, Dietary Fiber 0.6g, Protein 1.7g

Winter Vegetable and Bean Soup with Pesto

2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled, diced

1 6-8 ounce white-skinned potato, peeled, diced

3 tablespoons water

6-8 cups vegetable broth, depending on how thick or thin you want it

1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

6 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, fresh or frozen

1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper, or to taste

1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

Combine first 4 ingredients in heavy large pot. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for about 8 more minutes.  Add green beans; and simmer until beans are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in cannellini and crushed pepper; simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the soup is cooking, prepare the orzo; boil uncovered until orzo is almost tender, stirring often, about 10-12 minutes depending on package directions.

Divide orzo into soup bowls. Ladle soup over the orzo. Top with about 2 tablespoons of pesto; swirl to blend. 

Optional: Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese.

Note: Cooking the orzo separately allows the orzo to stay al dente for any left-overs and not turn mushy. If you know all the soup will be consumed at the same time, you can add the orzo at the same time you add the broth.  This soup is easily adaptable to whatever veggies you have on hand. Some have even added extra beans and pureed them with some broth to make this soup creamy. Let me know what you think!

Whole Food Plant-based Challenge!

Welcome to anyone new who has never read my blog before! HI!!  For those of you who have in the past, It's been way too long, I know. Between some really rough emotional years of losing way too many loved ones, and then there was 2020...I mean..c'mon.  But I am hoping that the blessings of quarantine (yes, I said blessings) have allowed my creative side to flourish once again. It certainly has gotten me back in the kitchen trying new recipes again. There has obviously been talk by the majority of the population about health. And because of the pandemic, many more folks have been in the kitchen cooking rather than eating out. 

As I encounter people who are looking to up their healthy food game, I am sometimes stunned at the lack of knowledge there is about healthy food and the fears of some people trying something new.  So I would like to introduce a Whole Food Plant-Based Challenge. This challenge will provide small steps to incorporating new, and maybe not new, foods to your menu. Either way, I am back in the kitchen (never left, but...publicly back anyway) and hoping to share some yummy and good for you recipes from my own creations to those who I follow who inspire me. 

So, onto the challenge. Maybe you’ve heard about plant-based foods and are confused as to what it is, and what it isn’t. Now throw in the term whole foods and you’re like….???

Plant-based eating is growing more popular every year. “A 2018 report by food consultants Baum and Whiteman showed that more than 30 percent of Americans have meat-free days, and “about 83 percent of U.S. consumers are adding plant-based foods to their diets to improve health and nutrition, while 62 percent do so for weight management.”   A whole-food, plant-based diet lets you meet your nutritional needs by focusing on natural, minimally processed plant foods. 

Michael Pollen, author of Food Rules-An Eaters Manual, says everything he's learned about food and health can be summed up in seven words: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”  There are several major benefits to moving to plant-based nutrition, all supported by excellent science.

According to Cleveland Clinic, If followed properly, a whole foods, plant-based diet maximizes nutrient intake and virtually eliminates foods that can lead to poor health outcomes. following this type of diet will lower your risks of:

• Heart disease
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Diabetes
• Digestive disease
• Colon and breast cancers
• Obesity

Studies also show that a plant-based diet can help to lower body weight and reduce your LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol)

And the Mayo Clinic says “ Investigators have studied the relationship between plant-based food intake and various ailments in many, many studies. Spoiler alert: Eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains wins.”

So, let’s get ready to rummmmble!

Winter has a host of fruits, vegetables, seeds and legumes that are available and at the peak of their flavor during these cold months. Foods like Kale, leeks, avocados, Mandarin oranges, quinoa and black bean to name a few. And I hear you thinking… “Avocados don’t grow in my region during any season, let alone winter.” But wait! They grow in other regions of the country.  Here in the US, they come from the west coast. I live in the Midwest, where not much grows during the winter except the inches of snow on the ground, but thanks to the 21st century, just about anyone can get fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season ….somewhere.  With that said, we are going to start this challenge with Kale!! 

Everyone by now has heard of kale. This leafy green has a solid resume of health benefits. It has vitamins K, C and A and is full of good-for-you antioxidants. But besides all of these goodies, kale is very versatile too.  You can throw a handful into your morning smoothie, you can make a healthy snack with it in the form of crispy kale chips and of course eat it raw as a base or addition to a salad or fix it up into a side (Can you say sautéed kale and cranberries?? Yes please!). . But one of my favorite ways to use kale is to throw it in soups! The last 10-15 minutes of cooking time, toss in a few handful’s of stripped, chopped kale and voila! Instant added health benefit and added color too!

I follow several authors, bloggers, and food sites that never disappoint, and recently I printed off a copy of Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup from Ali over at Gimme Some Oven.  Ali, gives options for Insta-Pot, Crock-Pot or Stove Top methods. Click on the Gimme Some Oven link to see ways to cook the different methods, but I have provided the stovetop method below and the ingredients that I used. This was really yummy and definitely a keeper! Thanks Ali! 

And thanks to My Honey for the photo shoot! I've been trying to get him on Instagram for years to start showing off his pictures. If you're on IG, go show him some love at dhowellphoto. Thanks!

COZY AUTUMN WILD RICE SOUP - by Gimme Some Oven

• 6 cups vegetable stock 
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice*
• 8 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 large (about 1 pound) sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk 
• 2 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed
• Fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

Get Cookin’

• Sauté the veggies. Heat an extra 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.  Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
• Add base ingredients. Add in the vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, sweet potato, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning.  Stir to combine.
• Simmer. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
• Add final ingredients. Add the coconut milk and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed. We thought the original amount was just right!
• Serve warm and enjoy!

If you make this, drop me a comment. Oh heck, drop me one even if you don't. Just say Hi!

Diggin' in the Dirt,

Miss Mindy

Natural Nutrition

In our modern civilization, we tend to think of malnutrition as a third-world-country issue, where people suffer and die due to lack of food supply, clean water and the inability to grow sustainable crops. This is still a true and sad fact.

However, in the past fifty years science has come a long way to assist the current generations with living longer, by creating food-like substances to meet supply and demand. In doing this, they have also created generations that are malnourished due to decades of eating foods that are void of any type of real nutrition.Science and medicine have assisted us in living longer, but we are also dying longer due to sicknesses attributed to chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, Chron’s diseases, and cancer, just to name a few.

Nutrition is defined as the process of providing... 

Read the full article here

Healthy on the Inside

Published June 28, 2016

The statistics are staggering! The National Center for Health Statistics shows almost 71% of all Americans are overweight and/or obese. Obesity is a serious major health problem increasing the risk in almost one out of every three Americans for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Maybe you’re not obese but, like me, struggle with maintaining a healthy weight.

Read the entire article over at Shazzy Fitness where I'm a guest blogger.

Life-Giving Water

This time of the year, many people over the world start to grow weary of all the rain spring brings. The saying “April showers bring May flowers”, a shortened phrase from a poem penned back in the early 1600’s, was a reminder that a period of discomfort can provide the basis for a period of happiness and joy. What we can all recognize is that water is a necessity for life to endure.

Did you know that water makes up roughly 70% of the Earth's surface? Did you also know that water makes up more than two-thirds of human body weight...

Read the entire article here and here where I am a guest blogger. ShazzyFitness.com published this in a 2-part series on May 10 and May 17 of 2016

Spring Cleaning

Spring is coming up fast! I, for one, am ready for it. The house has been closed up since late autumn; Christmas brought extra things to store and I am ready for Spring Cleaning. During this time of the year I always get excited to start purging clutter, organizing rooms and “stuff”, cleaning the house and detoxifying my body. My body needs to be cleared out from all the holiday yummies I allowed myself to have and that are now sitting heavy on my belly.

Detox is a hot word these days. 

It was once known mostly for rehabilitation from drug and alcohol use, but more currently there are detox programs for weight loss and other various health and mental ailments. Detoxification is being used for our insides, outsides, and can be used to cleanse our mental state of mind too.

Detoxification is defined as the process of removing toxic substances or qualities. Our liver and kidneys are great partners in cleansing our body of unwanted toxins and foreign substances that could potentially destroy our health. When we decrease the amount of toxins we put into our bodies while at the same time supporting our bodies with the nutrients it needs to function properly, our body neutralizes and gets rid of toxins & other unwanted waste.

The tools we use to detox with depends on what our goals are, but generally most detox programs or diets utilize organic vegetables and fruits, plenty of water, and encourage getting good sleep. Some will go so far as to add body cleansing, as in sloughing off dead cells with loofahs, tongue cleansers, and sometimes exercise. Often beneficial side effects of a detox regimen include losing weight, sleeping better, healthier hair and glowing skin. That’s what we can see on the outside anyway.

The insides of us, where we can’t see, benefit from a detoxification as well. Our immune system gets a boost, as our bodies are better able to absorb the nutrients we give it. Often once the detoxing is done, our breath is fresher due to the elimination of toxins that had built up in our bodies which caused bad odors. Our brains become clearer as we reduce the sugars and fats that we bombard ourselves with that cause fogginess and cloud our abilities to think and act quickly. A big benefit that most of us don’t realize is the anti-aging benefits. The food we eat, the air we breathe, and the toxins we put on our skins all contribute to the aging process as they oxidize us, causing our bodies to decompose faster than intended. When eating a detoxing diet filled with anti-oxidant organic produce, the amount of free radical damage that has been done to our bodies is reduced, sort of a Spring Cleaning for our insides.

Spring Cleaning and Detoxification are both beneficial to our bodies and mental state of mind, as well as our home environment. But these are hardly new concepts. King David wrote: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me,” Psalm 51:10. He was asking God to detox his spirit.

Paul, the apostle, encouraged God’s followers to prepare their bodies and their minds to be acceptable to God when he said, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect,” Romans 12:1-2. Paul was letting the members of the church know it was time to detox and get their bodies and minds healthy according to God’s laws.

You may wonder how to go about detoxing our spirits. The apostle John wrote: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness,” 1 John 1:9.

As spring approaches, take time to reflect on what areas in your life need a good Spring Cleaning. Spring is the perfect time to slow down, reassess our lives, and make changes. Let’s start that detoxification process to remove the toxins in our lives and start with a clean body, mind and spirit.

Shazzy Fitness Guest Blogger Mindy Kaye is a Christian Holistic Health Coach, wife, mother and nana. She has 3 blogs: one dedicated to life in general; one for her journey during and after breast cancer; and one called It All Begins with Dirt, which is dedicated to getting back to the basics of growing and eating healthy, organic foods. Follow her on Facebook at Healthy Choices Lifestyles.

Read the full article here  This article was posted on ShazzyFitness.com on March 21, 2016, where I am a guest blogger

Silent Night

Silent Night...

Just hearing the familiar Christmas hymn makes me feel peaceful, doesn’t it you? When was the last time you had a silent night and slept well? In today’s fast-paced environment, we often forgo sleep to catch up on what we feel needs to get...

Shazzy Fitness posted my article on their blog site where I am a guest blogger. 

Read the entire article here

The Power of Thanksgiving

Thank you. These two simple words are defined as: “An expression used when acknowledging a gift, service or compliment.” Such a short, simple phrase can produce immense feelings in both the giver and the receiver of this phrase.

Have you ever had those times when "Thank you" just didn't seem to be enough, yet, ... 

Read the entire article over at Shazzy Fitness where I'm a guest blogger.

Almond Butter DIY

I LOVE almond butter, and I go through it pretty quickly. I hated paying the outrageous price at the supermarket to feed my almond butter habit, but I did it anyway. I have always read about making almond butter from scratch but up until earlier this year, I had put it off. It was intimidating to me for some reason.  I thought it was going to be difficult to make.  

That is, until my friend Babs asked me if I had made my own almond butter yet.  When I answered "No, not yet", she told me in 3 easy steps how simple it was to do. I thought to myself "Geesh, and I haven't tried this yet...why?"

I had to make sure I had all the ingredients on hand. Raw almonds.  Sea salt. Check.

Then my food processor had to have the correct blade installed. Check.

That's it. I was ready!

Update!!!  (2018) I have discovered that if you roast the almonds first, it gives the flavor a wonderful depth and makes the processing so much faster.  Honey has told me that he wants me to always fix it this way now!

Preheat oven to 350*F

Place the almonds on a sheet pan and spread out. Roast for 5 minutes, stir and roast for another 5 minutes. Take out of the oven and cool for about 10 minutes and continue the process below. It's totally worth the extra few steps and minutes for the wonderful flavor it gives the spread!

I measured out 2 1/2 cups of raw almonds, guessing the final product would fit into a recycled 12 oz jar.  It did, with no room to spare.  My friend Babs said she measured out 3 cups of almonds and the almond butter fit into her 16 oz jar.

Next I began processing the almonds. BE WARNED, the first several seconds are hard on the ears when the almonds hit the plastic bowl as they swirl around.  But take heart, the noise settles very quickly and soon it begins to purr.  

Once it starts to look like crumbs, stop the machine and scrape down the sides. I added about a 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt the second time I made this, and I liked it better. It really brought out a good flavor. But this is optional.

Within just a few minutes the crumbs start forming a ball. Stop the machine again and break the ball apart. This step is probably not necessary, but it allows the motor to cool just a tad.

Within just a few more minutes, the ball becomes the spread! Continue processing this until you get a nice smooth consistency, scraping down the sides occasionally. Remove the blade and scrape out the butter into a clean, recycled jar or container of your choice. This entire process took maybe 15 minutes. 

Enjoy right away on a piece of bread, or however you enjoy any type of nut butter. You can also use it in the any smoothie recipe. I've provided one of my favorite smoothie recipes below. Store the remaining almond butter in the refrigerator.

                                   Mocha Smoothie

Makes 1 serving

1 cup of original unsweetened almond milk

1/4 - 1/2 cup cold brewed coffee

1 tablespoon almond butter

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

1-2 scoops of vanilla protein powder *

2 teaspoons of raw cacao powder,or unsweetened Dutch cocoa

1 tablespoon of Dandy Blend, OR 1 teaspoon of espresso powder, OR 1/4 teaspoon coffee extract. Optional, but recommended if you really like coffee flavor

3-4 ice cubes**

*I use Plant Fusion Vanilla

** I freeze left-over coffee into cubes, then use these in my smoothies

My son dehydrates kale for me from his organic garden, so I will often add a tablespoon of dried kale to my smoothies. You can use fresh, or any other kind of green complex if desired. This is totally optional, but a good way to get in some greens.

Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and process just until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

From Trash to Treasure

Hang on!  Don't throw away your kitchen scraps!!

This concept isn't new by any means, but I was asked by my sister-in-law to post this little treasure that comes from what you normally throw into your trash. 

Wait, before you shake your head and move onto the next blog, hear me out.

I use vegetable broth all...the...time. And it gets EXPENSIVE! At almost $4.00 for 4 cups of broth, I get all kinds of savings when I make my own!  I've read recipes where they have you use whole, good produce to make broth,  Sure when you are done cooking the vegetables you get some good tasting broth, but you end up throwing away all those veggies that turned into a pile of mush. It always seemed like such a waste, so I only ever did that a few times.  But wait....!

You know those end pieces, onion skins and peelings that you cut away from the good stuff then throw them in your trash or hopefully your compost pile?  Well stop that!

Take a minute to wash up all your vegetables before you go cutting on them.  Then peel and cut away. Just don't discard the scraps.

Instead, put them in a gallon sized plastic storage bag, and throw it in your freezer. Every time you fix yourself some veggies, add them to the bag. Keep doing that until your bag is full.

When you get a bag or two full (depending on the size of your pot), pull out a stock pot and dump that scrap heap in and add water and whatever seasonings you like. For this batch I added several bay leaves, peppercorns, some thyme and some capers.

Each batch is a little different depending on what you have in it and how much of it. Your winter batch will taste different than your summer batch. (I love the addition of tomato scraps!) This batch had onions layers, celery ends, garlic ends, carrot pieces and peels, white and sweet potato peelings, kale stems, asparagus and broccoli stalks, cauliflower centers and who knows what else. Okay, ...well I do.

Fill up your stock pot with water all the way to the top and bring it to a boil. Then turn the heat down and let it simmer, pretty much most of the day.  It makes your house smell awesome!  You can skimp on the time and the variety of produce, but I wouldn't recommend it. I did it once that way and the broth was very pale and the flavor was very light.  Let it simmer for a minimum of 4 hours, It will reduce somewhat, but it should end up a beautiful amber color.  Once you are satisfied with the taste and color take it off the heat and let it cool. Then strain it, and ladle it into containers and freeze. I always keep some out in the fridge to use right away.

Here is the finished product. 

I ended up with about 39 cups of broth out of this batch. If I bought all of that, it would have cost me about $39.00 USD, but instead it was FREE! And when I am all done, I take the strained mushy veggie scraps to the compost pile. It's a win-win for me and the dirt! 

I hope you make up a beautiful batch of broth soon. Enjoy!

Thanks to my honey for taking the photos for me!  See more of what he does over at Photography Musings by Dave.