Finishing a Video, Focaccia With Pine Nuts, Mushrooms

While digitizing the family's history is the larger project, the more pressing need has been to finish the digital slide show for my sister's upcoming birthday. I finished it last nite. My plane leaves at 8am tomorrow morning. This will be a brief post.

This has been an amazing learning curve. While my hobby has been taking photographs, putting together a digital slide show involves all kinds of knowledge which - as an acupuncturist - never comes into play in my life. But they say that one way to keep your brain young is to challenge it. I guess in that case, I've lost about 5 years in the last two months. Challenge? I'll say!! I am now aware of hidden corners of the digital world - such as formatting for DVDs and limitations of various programs. My eyes have become redder and my bottom has become squarer from sitting in front of a computer for so long.

But in the end, it comes down to the results. And I must admit to being pleased with the results. I'm glad I learned as much as I did with this, because it will make the next project flow more smoothly. There are photos going back to the late 1800s, and a few from 1900 and 1901. I've learned to be a ruthless editor, and to be obsessed with getting the right image to be on the screen at just the right moment in the particular song.

And through this whole process, I've managed somehow to tear myself away often enough to socialize with friends. And for me, that always seems to involve food. (I pick my friends carefully too!) So when I was invited a few weeks ago to a friend's party, I jumped at the chance to make this focaccia bread again. I had made it before and loved it. It's amazing how long a single focaccia can sustain you. Especially when you spend your days and nites in front of a computer!

To see the recipe, click here. The only difference is that this time I made it as a rectangle and topped it with caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms and pine nuts.