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Lord Leycester – Warwickshire Photographer
Wedding Photography
Click on an image below to view some real weddings at this venue
Wedding Photography
Click on an image below to view some real weddings at this venue
Lord Leycester Hospital offers civil ceremonies that are usually held in the 600-year-old timber-framed Guildhall. This wonderful room can seat up to 70 and its ancient atmosphere makes it an unforgettable venue. A civil ceremony may also be held in the ancient Great Hall which can accommodate up to 100 under its splendid beamed roof of Spanish oak.
After the ceremony, there are unique opportunities for photographs in the Courtyard and the Master's Garden under the Norman Arch or beside the thatched summer house. The reception or wedding breakfast is held in the medieval Great Hall where up to 100 guests can celebrate the occasion.
Lord Leycester Hospital – Warwickshire Photographer, Hi I'm Andy, a wedding photographer from the Coventry area, and have been shooting weddings since 2007. I started in the photography industry back in 1995 when I was shooting portraits around the UK and America. This has provided me with the early experience and I now have my signature natural storytelling photography style. My approach is unobtrusive and discreet, blending in with your wedding guests. Often the best photos I take are when they don't realise they've been taken.
I've photographed hundreds of weddings and totally love them. I'm very fortunate to be doing something I love doing and being part of such a special day. Every wedding gets 100% honest time and attention. This is my full-time job and I don't do it to supplement another income like many other photographers. You can expect only professional results. If you are looking for a professional wedding photographer in Warwickshire or the Midlands area, please contact me for further help and advice. Lord Leycester Hospital – Warwickshire Photographer
Meeting with the photographer is really helpful to establish a connection before your wedding day. I have a meeting room with lots of my storybook albums and wall art for couples to browse over. I also offer Skype and Zoom calls for couples if more convenient.
If you're looking for a wedding photographer for your special day, feel free to browse through lots of my posts on my blog with real weddings to help you understand my natural style of documenting a wedding along with some beautiful portraits of the couple.
Booking is simple. You complete some details online and a 20% deposit is all that's required to secure the date. I can only cover one wedding per day and many dates are booked 1-2 years in advance.
Drop me an email or call 07702 134573. I'd love to hear from you about your special day.
Andy photographed our wedding in May this year. We had an early wedding so Andy had a long day but he was there from the prep until late into the evening to take some sunset and dusk shots. He managed to truly capture the atmosphere of the day and when we look back through the pictures it is like experiencing it all over again. He was very professional through out the day and we would highly recommend him.
- Rachel & Richard - Plum Park
We've just received our Wedding photo's from Andy and we are so pleased with how they all look. Andy has been great to work with in the build up to our Wedding and on the day itself. He was so professional and made us feel comfortable throughout the day. The photo's themselves are amazing, and looking back through them brings back all the amazing memories from our special day. We would highly recommend Andy. Lisa and David
- Lisa & David - Ashton Lodge
Our wedding photos recently received from Andy are absolutely stunning. They are so beautiful, natural and really capture our perfect day. Andy made us feel so at ease on the day and we have even said that the time on our own having photos in particular was one of our favourite parts of the day. The day was amazing and perfect for us and we thank Andy so much for his part in that.
- Frances & Anthony - Brandon Hall
Oh my.... Just seen your lovely review Jessica & Andy. Not sure where to start, but thank you, thank you, thank you. Such a beautiful review and such kind words. I'm delighted you loved all my natural shots and how I managed to float around discreetly capturing them little moments during the day. You wedding day at Shustoke Barn was full of love and laughter and was a privilege to be part of. I loved creating your unique storybook from Italy which is the perfect keepsake of your day. Soon to be your anniversary. Take care Andy x
- Jessica & Andrew - Shustoke Barn
We chose Andy to photograph our wedding in April as he was recommended by our venue. He was fantastic and we will cherish the amazing photos forever. He was incredibly professional and easy to work with and got the perfect balance between natural and posed photos. Highly recommended!
- Amy & Matthew - Crockwell Wedding Venue
We worked with Andy as our wedding photographer. Neither of use particularly like having our photo taken, so were nervous about what we would get for our money, but once we met him, both of us liked him and his style and felt relaxed talking to him about our ideas and our few concerns. He listened to our ideas and advised us on how we could best achieve what we wanted while also dealing with our family and their requirements. On the day, ever the professional, he was in charge when required to herd our guests into some sort of order, but then blended into the background to provide us with some lovely relaxed shots of family and friends. We never felt uncomfortable with Andy and I think that shows in the finished product. While on honeymoon, we were amazed when we received an email from him to say that the photos were ready for viewing and spent some time going through them online. We find the photos very reflective of the chilled out vibe of our day. Once we start looking at them, we can't stop and they make us smile time and time again as they remind us of what a great day it was. Because of our dislike of having our photo taken, we had considered not having a photographer, but working with Andy was the best thing we could have done and it was money very well spent; no nervous smiles, gurning or closed eyes in our wedding photos! We can't recommend Andy highly enough and have since recommended him to friends who are now planning their own wedding.
- Fleur & Duncan - Windmill Village Hotel
Andy did mine and my husbands wedding photography in July 19. I cannot rate him highly enough. I was quite nervous as I'm very camera shy, but Andy made me feel completely comfortable and took the most beautiful pictures. All of our guests loved the photos, Made for the perfect day
- Jemma & Joe - Wethele Manor
I knew Andy professionally and he was so easy to work with and the end result was always fantastic. So I couldn't think of anyone better to then capture our wedding day. Andy listened to everything we wanted to achieve prior to the day and reassured us that all would be absolutely fine on the day. It's amazing how times flies on the day, and with a fair bit of wind meant Andy was up against it but he was a pro, and he managed to get everything we wanted without compromising on quality. We are thrilled with our photos, as are our families. And they look even better in a photobook - something to help us reminisce on forever. Thank you so much Andy!
- Sophie & Oli - Crockwell Farm
So we've just spent an hour screaming at our laptop because we didn't know how to choose just 100 photos for the wedding album out of those taken. Andy was a consistently incredible person to work with, from before the event (organising with us even on his birthday), and throughout the day. He fit in seamlessly with the guests, and was completely unnoticeable while we held the ceremony. You will not regret a penny.
- Danny & Charlie - Coombe Abbey Hotel
We used Andy to photograph our wedding in December and we were not disappointed. I love his work and to top it off he is a great bloke. Easy to get along which makes it more comfortable, We forgot he was the photographer and felt like he was more a friend. I could not recommend him enough. Book with him and you will not be disappointed.
- Jon & Lucy - Windmill Village - Coventry
Andy was the photographer for our wedding last July. From start to finish, he was absolutely fantastic. His style and photography was excellent and he captured our day perfectly. It can be quite a daunting prospect deciding on a photographer, but right from the start we knew we'd made the right choice. We would recommend him without hesitation and can honestly say we couldn't have asked for more. He has the perfect balance between getting the many photos you want whilst not being intrusive in the slightest way. He accommodated our every request and got our completed album to us far quicker than expected. Many thanks Andy once again, Amy and Steve
- Amy & Steve - Stratford Park Hotel
2 years ago on getting engaged we took a trip over to the Ricoh Arena wedding show. Whilst there we came across a photographer who's images stopped us in our tracks. Jaw dropping and beautiful, stunning and unique unlike anything else on the market. We knew straight away that Andy was who we wanted to capture our wedding day. On July 1st this year he did just that. On arrival it was clear to see that I (the bride) was slightly frazzled and yet Andy calmly and discreetly went about his business, capturing the build up to the ceremony without hindrance or intrusion. This really was his ethos throughout the day. Even during the ceremony itself I was totally unaware of his presence until the last minute when I realised he had been stood in front of us all the time. We have just received our online gallery to view and we are utterly delighted with the results. Andy's carefree in the moment style means every emotion, character and essence of every man, woman and child who attended that day is forever encapsulated in a photograph for us to cherish and muse over again and again. We love all of them and haven't stopped going over and over them. The memory of our day reignited with each one. We really cannot praise Andy, or his work enough he really is a master of his art and we are really looking forward to working with Andy to finalise our album and we have already decided we are having a large canvas of at least 2 or 3 of the photographs. So if you want a collection of wedding photographs that capture you the REAL YOU, then snap him up you will not be disappointed.
- Mr & Mrs Edwardson - Mythe Barn
Andy, we cannot thank you enough for the stunning pictures you took of our wedding day We couldn't believe how many moments you were able to capture throughout the day or your attention to detail For someone who normally half cringes when looking through photos, I can honestly it was a pleasure to look through yours You really brought to life the story of our special day, which we are forever grateful for You are incredible at what you do and provide a first class service For all of those looking for a photographer (who may be as fussy as I am) your pictures really WILL be as beautiful as the ones you see on this site. I guarantee that when you get your pictures back you'll feel that booking Andy was the best decision you ever made Thanks again Andy Anna & Liam xx
- Anna & Liam - Bordesley Park
Wow!!! No words can express how amazing Andy is! He done our wedding photography back in may 2017 and I was completely blown away by his photos. He captured moments that I didn't even see on the day!!! He's attention to detail was impeccable and we couldn't recommend him more!!!!!!! Look no further- you've found your wedding photographer!!!
- Nicola & Anthony - Crockwell Farm
Do not hesitate to book Andy as your photographer... you will not be disappointed! He manages to capture every aspect of your day, even the bits you might of missed without you even realising he's there. Our wedding was one of the hottest days of the year and even when we were getting flustered in the heat, Andy remained calm at all times and was so flexible in changing the original itinerary due to the weather.... I'm not sure what we would of done without you Andy. We now have a stunning album (which I had to increase the number of photos because there were too many amazing ones) allowing us to look back on the memories of the day forever. Thank you
- Hayley & Nick - Swallows Nest Barn
There are not enough words to describe how brilliant Andy is. Perfect doesn't even come close. Polite, Discrete, Funny, Helpful, Professional, Smart, Punctual, Hardworking, to name but a few of his talents. From helping me, the best man and my Dad with our ties, to helping my wife put her necklace on. I'm not sure how well our day would have gone without Andy. And that's without mentioning the pictures. We have over 700 pictures from our wedding, every one of them I want to get printed. We can't thank you enough Andy. Craig and Stacy Mason x
- Craig & Stacy - Plum Park
After months of planning, the special day passes so quickly and you hope that the only lasting record you have captures the day as you remember it.. Andy listened to our preferences, made recommendations and we placed complete trust in him and his judgment - we could not be happier that we did. The photographs are perfect: he has managed to capture the essence of the day - emotion, personalities, ambience and aspects of the day that we didn't see. We cannot thank you enough... the memories are so precious and we feel so proud looking back at the photographs. Thank you...so much!
- Karen & Ian - Coombe Abbey
Andy really works for his money. In fact, our guests kept saying "He's worth his weight in gold!" We found Andy to be an incredibly professional and skilled photographer but at the same time a very friendly and unassuming guy. We were blown away with the quality of his work from the beautifully atmospheric shots he setup during dusk, with the sun setting in the background, to the spontaneous moments that he caught where guests are completely unaware. He did not stop from the morning of the wedding to the evening reception, catching every moment in the most natural way. He is reliable, affable, meticulous and quite clearly a very well-seasoned and experienced photographer. We would absolutely recommend Doherty Photography to anyone! Thank you Ian & Jo
- Ian & Jo - Manor Hotel Meriden
Andy, did the most perfect pictures for our wedding in May! He made me and the bridal party feel so at ease and didn't even notice he was there, very professional and friendly. He captured the feel of the day and really love the natural shots he got of everyone at the wedding. They're stunning pictures! And will treasure them forever. Would highly recommend for your wedding or any photo needs. Thanks Andy! Mr and Mrs sage:)
- Mr & Mrs Sage - The Granary at Fawsley
Andy was fantastic! From start to finish! And without a shadow of doubt one of the greatest decisions we made for our wedding! He knew exactly what we wanted and guided us to get the most amazing photos!.. He asks questions about our family prior to the big day so he was more than prepared and made us feel so at ease! On the day he turned up and was so professional. He captured literally everything with amazing skill and talent. Because of Andy we will now always have memories of all the small details that no one would of thought to capture! Our wedding photos are better than we had hoped for, he really knew how to capture us completely and our guests, making everyone feel comfortable with brilliant natural shots. We have had so many compliments on our photos but also so many of our guest have said they didn't even see him or realise he was there. Andy thank you, we feel honoured to have had you capture our incredible day! Mr and Mrs Harrison X
- Mr & Mrs Harrison - Moxhull Hall
So glad we chose Andy to capture our wedding day ! From start to finish, he was completely professional and didn't spend too long capturing the most amazing pictures. We were truly amazed when we received our photos, every one perfect! He spent the whole day and late into the evening with us, capturing sunset and firework shots...which were unbelievable. We are so happy, the day goes too quick and to have photographs of this quality, will last a lifetime.. thank you Andy, you're amazing! Clare & Tim Kelleher x
- Clare & Tim - Coombe Abbey
Choosing a wedding photographer is one of the most important decisions, you are relying on them to illustrate your memories and I cannot recommend Andy highly enough. He has captured every aspect of our day perfectly, thanks to his meticulous work ethic and his knowledge of photography. The photos are everything we wanted - natural, timeless and we can't think him enough for doing such a fantastic job!
- Lauren & George - Wethele Manor
We asked Andy to cover our small evening wedding after seeing the quality of his work from his portfolio. When we received our photo's, we were blown away with the images, they were truly exceptional. He captured everything we were looking for and more. His creative eye for detail and professionalism is outstanding, and we recommend him wholeheartedly. Andy you're a gem, and it shows in your work that you genuinely care and love what you do. Thank you so much , Anthony and Wendy.
- Anthony & Wendy - Coombe Abbey
Andy previously photographed another family members wedding, we knew then that we'd be picking him for our own in May 2019. Andy's photographs are visually beautiful and everything we could have hoped for. We had compliments from guests regarding how lovely they found Andy which is a true testament to his character and professionalism. We wouldn't hesitate recommending Doherty Photography. Thank you Andy!
- Linda & Jack - Mythe barn
"Andy is simply amazing at what he does! He made us feel comfortable and we weren't even aware he had took our photos until looking through our online gallery! Which is exactly what we wanted. The photos are fantastic, relaxed and natural. Can't even describe how happy we are with them! Andy listened to our ideas and we had a quick run through before the day to find the perfect spot for our first look Our guests commented on how lovely you were, we can't thank you enough you captured our day perfectly, and we will be recommending him to everyone!
- Megan & Hayden - Coombe Abbey
"Andy was a true professional, I can't recommend him highly enough. Our photos are amazing and everyone is commenting on how beautiful they are. Thank you so much for capturing our day, it's going to be hard picking out favourites as we love them all. Katie and David x"
- Katie Parker - The Old School House
"what can i say absolutely stunning photos of my daughter Megan and husband Hayden, didn't even realise andy was snapping away so many beautiful pics to remember a wonderful day. i would recommend andy to any wedding and event a true professional and very nice man. from mother off the bride"
- Mo Atkinson - Coombe Abbey
"Andy photographed my wedding back on 29th September, the photos were absolutely stunning! We opted for the USB package which arrived in a lovely wooden presentation box. On the day itself Andy was great, very professional and friendly. There was a good mix of group photos and candid shots and it was such a joy looking through our gallery, it really was like reliving the day. I'm so pleased with all of the photos and so glad we chose Andy for our special day!"
- Cherie Williams - Manor Hotel Meriden
"Andy photographed our wedding on 10th August this year. We can't recommend him highly enough! We received the photos last week as promised by Andy, and they brought a tear to my eye! They were INCREDIBLE! On the day Andy was smartly dressed, took hundreds and hundreds of photos, but it was as if he wasn't there! He was an expert at organising people quickly for a well shot photo. Everyone felt so relaxed in front of the camera, and Andy captured everything from formal shots to our nieces and nephews playing on the grass. He sees everything and frames it perfectly. He was so flexible in designing a package that was right for us. All the photos we received were edited to look stunning and it only took him 2 weeks to get the finished photos to us - something we were incredibly impressed with. Andy was a real professional but was so friendly and approachable. Everyone commented on how amazing Andy was on the day and on the quality of his photos. We really couldn't be happier! Our wedding was at Crockwell Farm and he took us into one of the fields for some really special, romantic shots. His mixture of formal and informal shots really tell the story of our day and we're so pleased we asked him to be our photographer! He truly is an exceptional photographer."
- Stephanie Kellet - Crockwell
"We got married last November and Andy was our photographer. I hate my photo taken but he made me feel so comfortable posing for the shots he took. His style is very casual but professional making everyone feel comfortable in his presence which enabled him to get some amazing natural shots. We couldn't believe he took so many photos of the day and every single one of them amazing. The hardest job in the world was trying to pick our favourites for the Story Book Album. Which when we saw completed blew us all away. All our families commenting that it was the best Wedding Album they had ever seen. Our biggest thanks to Andy for the memories captured, we will treasure them forever."
- Stacey Downing
"I got married on the 28th July at Crockwell Farm in Northamptonshire and we choose Andy as he was Crockwells recommended supplier. He was lovely to meet and really helpful. We exchanged many emails and all were responded to really quickly. We were also able to meet up prior to the wedding day to discuss our requirements. During the wedding day, Andy was punctual and friendly. He was also very subtle which meant he did not get in the way and there were lots of nice natural photos. It was great that he knew Crockwell as he knew the best places to take photos. Our wedding photos are stunning and we have had lots of compliments about them. We can't wait to order our wedding album! We would definitely recommend Andy!"
- Nicola Jelley
"Andy! What can I say?!? You're photography is amazing! You captured our perfect day incredibly without being too intrusive. Thank you to both yourself and Pippa for capturing our memories forever! Gareth & Hannah"
- Hannah Morris - Ashton Lodge Wedding
"We can honestly say that andy was absolutely fantastic at our wedding! He was truely fantastic! Such a nice bloke and genuinely cared about about us and the photos he took! He worked so hard throughout the day and we cannot wait to see our photos! We are sure they are going to be amazing!"
- Edward Page
"Andy was our photographer in July for our wedding. He was friendly and very discreet in taking the photos. When our USB arrived with the photos we loved them. We would recommend Andy to anyone. He won't let you down. Thanks Andy!"
- Vicky Leigh
"We would just like to thank Andy for the brilliant wedding photos he took on our big day. The photos look stunning and really capture every moment - we can't help but keep looking at the photos, bringing back more memories every time. Andy was very professional and everyone commented on how great he was."
- Adam Wigley
Andy, did the most perfect pictures for our wedding in May! He might me and the bridal party feel so at ease and didn't even notice he was there, very professional and friendly. He captured the feel of the day and really love the natural shots he got of everyone at the wedding. There stunning pictures! And will treasure them forever. Would highly recommend for your wedding or any photo needs. Thanks Andy! Mr and Mrs sage:)
- Nikki Cambray
"We booked Andy after seeing his work and liking his style at a Crockwell Farm open day. Andy is the consumate professional, on time, polite, friendly, and helpful. Great communication before, during, and after the wedding day. Even with rain and thunderstorms for part of the day, Andy managed to get some cracking shots of the wedding, guests, venue, and my wife and I. He has a great temperament and a nice style, that makes people feel at ease, so he gets the good shots. Thanks for making the day go so well. (and helping me with my tie!)"
- Paul & Tracy Fagg
"Best photographer ever Thank you!"
- Lottie Alton
"Andy was fantastic! From start to finish! And without a shadow of doubt one of the greatest decisions we made for our wedding! He knew exactly what we wanted and guided us to get the most amazing photos!.. He asks questions about our family prior to the big day so he was more than prepared and made us feel so at ease! On the day he turned up looking rather dapper and was so professional. He captured literally everything with amazing skill and talent. Because of Andy we will now always have memories of all the small details that no one would of thought to capture! Our wedding photos are better than we had hoped for, he really knew how to capture us completely and our guest making everyone feel comfortable with brilliant natural shots. We have had so many compliments on our photos but also so many of our guest have said they didn't even see him or realise he was there. Andy thank you, we feel honoured to have had you capture our incredible day! Mr and Mrs Harrison X"
- Dyanne Harrison
"I cannot begin to express how overjoyed my husband and I are with the wedding photos Andy created! The shots are beautiful and captured the day brilliantly. The way Andy conducted the day really put us at ease. We couldn't have asked for more!"
- Hannah Molloy
"Andy captured our day on the 5th November perfectly. All of our guests have had a look at the gallery and have been so impressed with the quality of the pictures as well as the moments that he managed to document in the most unobtrusive way. Andy put us at ease immediately, listened to what we wanted and respected that. I would highly recommend him for his manner, professionalism, ability to put people at ease and above all for the quality of his work. Thanks Andy!"
- Joanne Brown - Crockwell Farm wedding
"Thank you so much for the fabulous photos you took of our wedding day. You have an eye for a picture which is sublime"
- Katie and Austin
"We just wanted to write to say thank you for the amazing job you did photographing our wedding and designing an album we will treasure forever. Everyone who has seen the album has been blown away with the quality of your work and we couldn't be happier with the outstanding photos in the album. There was so many good shots we had to have more then we anticipated., but money well spent! We will be forever thankful for all your hard work and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend you to anyone in the future."
- Lindsay & Malcolm
"Andy, thank you so much for the wonderful wedding photographs. They really couldn't have been better!."
- Nicki & Kadek
"Dear Andy, We would like to take this opportunity to send our enormous thanks for your amazing work. We have just finished showing off our storybook album to family and friends. Everyone is simply blown away with it! You just blended in so people didn't even notice you were there. I don't know any of our wedding guests that hasn't made a positive comment about you. There's just something about you and your style that sets you apart and you are in a league of you own. You are worth every single penny! I can't praise you enough. Thank you Andy."
- Tabby & Chris
"Andy, thank you for taking the photos on our wedding day. They are amazing!"
- Mr & Mrs Chimbur
"Dear Andy, as mother of the bride, and this having been such an important day to us all, I would just like to say an enormous thank you for the fantastic wedding photos you have taken of the great day. Jonathan and I have had such fun looking through them all and reliving the day, of which you have captured just about everything. You did a fantastic job, never getting in the way and being unobtrusive at all times. So many people have commented on this and hardly realised that you were there. We all now have the impossible task of choosing the best photos. Where on earth does one start when all the photos are spectacular! Once again, thank you so much for capturing Becca & Alex's fantastically happy day so well, and giving us photos that we will all be proud to show people. "
- Lizzie
"Dear Andy, we wanted to drop you a line to thank you for the beautiful album and DVD storydisc of our wedding pictures. They are exactly as we hoped they'd be, and bring back wonderful memories. Without exception, our families and friends have also spoken highly of you and your work."
- Max & Lee
"Dear Andy, we just wanted to say many many thanks for Laura & Ian's wedding. We haven't seen the photos yet - but I am sure they will be great. We just wanted to say thank you for how you were on Saturday, you made everything so easy and you just seemed to take photos without being intrusive at all. A great experience!."
- Jill and family
"Andy, just a small note to say a huge thank you for doing such a great job of our`wedding photography. Everyone has complimented on your photos and how fantastic they are. You captured the day perfectly. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend you"
- Kate & James
"Andy, we picked the wedding album and parent books up over Christmas and they are brilliant, thank you. The quality of your photos are amazing when blown up large in the storybook album. Alex (who is the hard one to please) was blown away as well. Thank you again for everything and I'm sure our friends will be in touch. Alex and I will be recommending you for sure!"
- Rich & Alex
"Andy, Thank you so much for doing the photos of our special day. When we started planning the day we realised that the photos would be one of the only parts that we could keep forever so thanks for making them so special. We will definitely be in contact when we need photos taking in the future "
- Kate & Matt
"Andy, Thanks you so much for the wonderful job you did taking the photos on our wedding day. The photos are excellent!! We hope you enjoyed the day too."
- Michelle & Scott
"Dear Andy, Thanks you ever so much for all your support doing our wedding. The photographs were amazing! It made our wedding day even more perfect. You organised everyone so well with a happy smile! We were very lucky to have you. Thank you once again. We look forward to seeing you again with new photo opportunities. "
- Ru & Dan
"Andy, Thanks you so much for making our day so memorable and for such wonderful photographs! "
- Debs & Dave
"Hi Andy, We would like to thank you for all the wonderful pictures you have done and for making us feel so relaxed on the day. Sometimes it was easy to forget you were there! We will defientely recommend you to friends. Many thanks ."
- Jo & Toby
"Andy, The photos are fantastic, thank you so much! I'm sure you hear it all the time, but I have no idea how we are going to pick 100 photos for the album 🙂 "
- Emily & Tim
"Andy, we are sincerely grateful for the amazing photos you took on our wedding day. We are so impressed at the way in which you captured the day, with fantastic detail shots, natural shots and poses too. We loved the creativity of your photography and how dedicated you were in making sure you got great shots (the one of us in the field which made for a stunningly dramatic shot) You made us feel really comfortable and you were also very discreet. We'd highly recommend you to anybody considering have their photos taken for a special day or event. Thank you!"
- Simon and Harjeet
"We used Andy two weeks ago for our wedding and cant praise him enough. He was the first photographer we saw and we were immediately taken with his quiet unassuming style as he took us through his various products and services. There was no hard selling and we had already made the decision to use him before we got home! Andy spent about 14 hours on his feet working damned hard to cover our day. We have just seen all the photos online which were ready promptly just 9 or 10 days after our wedding and they are stunning. Andy really has a talent for capturing very personal and warm moments as he glides around like a ninja in between the posed group shots and usual set pieces. Andy is friendly, patient and utterly professional. You really will forget he is there as he works his magic. We were also hugely impressed with his photo booth service for the reception, there were some great funny pictures taken of our family and guests. Can't recommend Doherty Photography enough!"
- Amy and Scott
"We got married last November and Andy was our photographer. I hate my photo taken but he made me feel so comfortable posing for the shots he took. His style is very casual but professional making everyone feel comfortable in his presence which enabled him to get some amazing natural shots. We couldn't believe he took so many photos of the day and every single one of them amazing. The hardest job in the world was trying to pick our favourites for the Story Book Album. Which when we saw completed blew us all away. All our families commenting that it was the best Wedding Albu they had ever seen. Our biggest thanks to Andy for the memories captured, we will treasure them forever."
- Stacey & Paul
"Andy photographed our wedding at Crockwell Farm the end of June, I would highly recommend him, he was extremely professional, and at the same time made us feel really comfortable, at times we completely forgot he was there. We got the posed shots we wanted but he also made sure we had plenty of time to enjoy our day with our guests and took lots of more informal photos that really capture the occasion. He got some amazing shots using the backdrop of our venue and fields, trees and the gardens. We had fireworks in the evening of which he got some great shots. He took hundreds of photos and all of our guests have commented on how fantastic they are. The photos were all ready by the time we got back from honeymoon, he designed a montage of our favourite photos which now has pride of place on our living room wall, we love being able to see our wedding photos every day."
- Hayley & Richard
"We asked Andy to photograph our wedding after he shot my sisters wedding and we knew we would not be disappointed. From the moment we made contact he was a true professional and was extremely approachable. We got married in March and had a white wedding which made us feel a little anxious about the day. Andy called a couple of days before the wedding and reassured us that despite the weather we would get some great shots and it will be a great day. (There was no need for him to do this but it really put us both at ease!!) On the day Andy was a star! He blends himself into the guests almost like he is not there and despite the snow he braved the cold and got some really great shots. The album he produced is outstanding. His eye for detail and photos is amazing and he captured our day beautifully. We highly recommend his work and will definitely use him for family portraits and occasions in the future."
- Adrian & Sam
"Andy, thank you for our beautiful wedding photos. Every moment has been perfectly captured and we will treasure them forever. Thanks you for all your help and ensuring everything was smooth and comfortable on the day! Can't thank you enough and think everyone should have you at their wedding. You're the best!"
- Keziah & Jordan
"Andy photgraphed our wedding on 10th August this year. We can't recommend him highly enough! We received the photos last week as promised by Andy, and they brought a tear to my eye! They were INCREDIBLE! On the day Andy was smartly dressed, took hundreds and hundreds of photos, but it was as if he wasn't there! He was an expert at organising people quickly for a well shot photo. Everyone felt so relaxed in front of the camera, and Andy captured everything from formal shots to our nieces and nephews playing on the grass. He sees everything and frames it perfectly. He was so flexible in designing a package that was right for us. All the photos we received were edited to look stunning and it only took him 2 weeks to get the finished photos to us - something we were incredibly impressed with. Andy was a real professional but was so friendly and approachable. Everyone commented on how amazing Andy was on the day and on the quality of his photos. We really couldn't be happier! Our wedding was at Crockwell Farm and he took us into one of the fields for some really special, romantic shots. His mixture of formal and informal shots really tell the story of our day and we're so pleased we asked him to be our photographer! He truly is an exceptional photographer."
- Steph & Piyal
"We asked Andy to be our photographer as he had photographed a friend's wedding five years ago and we were so impressed by his shots. He was so helpful in the run up to the wedding and so efficient at answering queries and responding to emails. We unfortunately did not have time to meet him before the wedding but it made no difference. He was so friendly and put us both at ease immediately. He captured all the shots we asked him to do and created the most beautiful images. He successfully took photographs of both the bride and groom as we prepared for the big day and captured all the guests as they arrived. We also went for the option of the party booth, which our guests loved."
- Ellie & Jeff


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GeForce Developer Stories: Adding Rigid Body support to HAWKEN for massive destruction
Winner of 10 E3 awards, HAWKEN is a Free-to-Play online FPS developed by Adhesive. Built using the Unreal Development Kit (UDK), it features giant robots fighting in a ruined city.
The video below shows a HAWKEN demo level that we showed at GDC 2013 and other events. We designed it from the ground up to be completely destructible and support multiplayer.
We used APEX Destruction to create buildings with walls that crumble, leaving thousands of GPU rigid bodies strewn about the level. Here's a look at how we did it.
What is APEX Destruction?
APEX is a suite of products that we built on top of PhysX to make it easier for content creators to put physically simulated effects into games. APEX Destruction has two parts: authoring and runtime. The authoring can be done through the PhysXLab standalone tool or with our plugins for Max and Maya. For destruction, the artist imports level geometry, and then specifies how it should break. The APEX runtime then takes these files and uses PhysX to implement destruction in response to collisions.
There are two possible methods of doing destruction: pre-fractured and runtime. For this project we used pre-fractured destruction, we designed how the level geometry should fracture in the authoring tool. When destruction happens in the game, APEX swaps the un-destructed asset with the pre-fractured asset and then PhysX calculates the motion of the chunks. The pre-fracturing is done in a hierarchical manner. In each successive level of the hierarchy, the tool (or artist) splits each chunk into multiple smaller chunks. This gives the artist a lot of control with how the initial fracturing occurs at the coarse levels, and allows the player to break big chunks into smaller ones. This also provides an elegant way of dealing with Level of Detail (LOD) within the game, as well as scaling from low end platforms to machines that can run destruction on the GPU.
HAWKEN is a networked multiplayer game. What challenges does this bring?
One goal of this project was that destruction should affect game play. For example, we wanted to make it possible for you to blow a hole through a wall and then shoot through that hole at an opposing player.
This means that destruction had to be synchronized over the network. We had to make sure that all players would see the same shaped holes in the scenery, however the exact motion of the fractured debris was not critical to game play, so that did not need to be the same for all clients. As a result, we could make the debris more plentiful with higher detail for players with more powerful machines. This is where GPU acceleration becomes important.
So how does the destruction scale?
When a wall gets destructed, it breaks into chunks. The smaller and more numerous the chunks, the cooler it looks. As HAWKEN is a multiplayer game, many walls can be destructing at the same time. Without GPU computation, it is only possible to simulate a small number of chunks in each wall. With GPU acceleration, hundreds of chunks can be simulated.
Why can the GPU simulate more chunks?
Simulation is naturally parallel. Each chunk can be simulated on a separate thread with communication between threads when objects collide. CPUs can run tens of threads at once, but GPUs can run thousands of threads at once.
Since the GPU can do more chunks, does authoring GPU content cost more art time?
No. The tool chain can automatically produce higher levels of destruction detail, which can be controlled by the content creator. One method of authoring destruction is Voronoi fracture. The authoring tool cuts up objects according to placed points. They can be placed at random, making it easy to add more detail by adding more points. This means that it needn't cost more to support higher resolution destruction on the GPU.
What was particularly hard about the HAWKEN demo?
Almost everything in the level is destructible. This is not typical of most games. If two adjacent walls are destructed, then the debris from one wall can add to the pile of debris from the other wall. Due to the parallelism of the GPU, the simulation handles the changing workload size gracefully. Still, care must be taken to ensure that the lighting and rendering in the game can scale similarly.
Many game engines are designed to display a few hundred dynamic objects. Debris may add tens of thousands of objects, so we had to make sure that the game renderer could handle this.
For this demo, we deliberately went over the top with the detail and quantity of destruction to showcase the technology. With a full game you have to design the destruction to maximize the visual appeal, while minimizing the simulation and rendering cost.
What is hard about doing rigid body dynamics on the GPU?
Some types of physics are easier to map to the GPU than others. For example, in a grid-based fluid simulator, the data can be laid out linearly, every thread needs to read about the same amount of data, and every thread does about the same amount of work. Yet the world we live in is very sparse, environments are huge, some areas have lots of solid matter, and others are just air. The distribution varies considerably. Also, destruction looks most impressive when you have a wide range of object sizes. This means that uniform grids don't work, data has to be gathered from many different places in memory, threads process different amounts of data, and that takes various amounts of time. It is a complex problem to solve. Fortunately, PhysX GPU Rigid Bodies (GRB) takes care of all this for you.
How do developers get hold of APEX destruction?
To find out more about downloads, licensing and other issues, head over to the download page on developer zone.
Where do you see physics and simulation in five years' time?
We see physics resolution scaling just like graphics resolution did. Remember when you played DOOM for the first time at 320*200? You probably had an idea of how much better it would have looked if it were higher resolution. Then resolution got better every year, until we got to where we are now, with screenshots that can look indistinguishable from reality.
Physics has the same evolution ahead. We're still at the 320*200 stage, in the Hawken level the walls are breaking into chunks about the size of basketballs. Every year the chunks will get smaller, with more varied sizes and more geometric detail in the chunks. In five years, we'd like to have complete scalability, crushing big boulders down to specks of dust, but we'll see…
To find out more
Head over to NVIDIA Developer Zone to find more information on APEX, PhysX and other technologies from the leader in visual computing

subset: commoncrawl


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"I can tell you I may not be the best fighter in the world. I may not have the same skill set as some guys do. I can always promise you that I will want it more than anyone else does."
"If Chuck Norris was a human being and not an evil alien robot he would be Matt Brown." - Forrest Griffin
When Forrest Griffin speaks, people listen. Once the above sentence was uttered by the former UFC light heavyweight champion, the collective ears of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) faithful perked up and became specifically mindful to one particular soft spoken contestant with the indelible "Immortal" tattooed across his midsection. Such high praise captured the attention of fight fans and, ever since, they have been treated to a burgeoning fighter's young career fueled on a gutsy "never say die" fighting style.
On November 20th at The Palace of Auburn Hills at UFC 123, Matt Brown will be stepping into the Octagon against fellow up-and-coming welterweight Brian Foster. Originally, Brown was scheduled to face 21 year old Canadian Rory MacDonald, but he was replaced due to injury. "I had not gotten into the specifics of training for Rory's style yet," Brown says of the minimal effect the change in opponent has had. "We were just approaching that point in training when Rory got hurt, so it didn't change our camp any."
"The Immortal" hones his mixed martial arts craft under the guidance of the legendary Matt Hume at his AMC gym in Washington. Now, Brown's training will be geared towards the heavy handed Oklahoman Brian Foster. "Brian looks fast, strong and explosive," Brown comments, sizing up his opposition. "He likes to come at you hard and he throws hard punches. He doesn't look like he is trying to outpoint you in there; he looks like he is trying to knock you out." All of this isn't unsettling to Brown and instead is quite familiar. "I'm trying to do the same thing to him. It looks like it will be an exciting fight."
This fight will mark the 29 year old Ohioan's eighth appearance in the UFC since his stint on TUF season 7. Besides receiving interestingly phrased compliments from Forrest Griffin while in the TUF house, Brown memorably knocked out the ultra annoying Jeremy May via devastating head kick. "I felt blessed to be there and wanted to do the best that I could," Brown reflects on his time on the television show. "Some guys take it for granted and don't realize what a great opportunity it is. It got me to my dream."
For Brown, talking about his time on TUF comes naturally, but re-watching it is another story. "I just watched my season of The Ultimate Fighter the other day because a friend of mine had never seen it. I was almost embarrassed to watch it. I just wanted to say, 'I am so much better than that now.' I definitely have come a long way. I'm sure in a few years I am going to be able to look back at where I am now and say the same thing."
After TUF, "The Immortal" went 4-1 in his first five fights with each win by a referee stoppage, including a third round TKO over TUF: USA vs. UK winner James Wilks. The lone loss to Dong Hyun Kim was a well-fought, paper-thin split decision.
"When I am in a fight, I am never thinking about judges. I'm trying to finish the fight the entire time I'm out there. It may not be just one punch. I am always looking for a way to damage this guy or looking for a finish. It is the same way with the Dong Hyun Kim; I was looking for a way to finish the fight the whole time. He's just a good fighter. I think the one time I really had a chance was at the end of the second round, but I ran out of time."
This past year has been full of ups and downs for Matt Brown. The "ups" could not get any higher with Brown becoming a father of twin boys in October. The "downs" have manifested themselves inside the Octagon as two submission losses against top fighters: Ricardo Almeida and Chris Lytle. "I was competitive in both fights. The fights were at the point where they could have gone either way, but I made mistakes."
It is no mystery to Brown why he lost these fights, "In both those fights, I can see I got finished going for things I shouldn't have gone for." In the rear naked choke loss in March to third degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Ricardo Almeida, it was a simple miscalculation due to over-confidence. "With Almeida, I was able to get up every time he took me down. One time I tried to stand-up and it was a bad time to stand-up," Brown continues with his own blunt self-assessment. "My confidence got to the point that I thought I could stand-up whenever I wanted to and I gave up a bad position, which he capitalized on immediately and took my back."
The July loss to the surging veteran Chris Lytle was a different mistake associated with Brown's trademark "go for broke" style. "With Lytle, I was thinking about shooting in on him and taking him down because I knew he wouldn't expect that," Brown explains his first error was hesitancy with this takedown because at the last moment he felt the urge to keep the fight standing. Nevertheless, Brown was partially committed and Lytle went after him, which is where Brown's next decision cost him the fight.
"[Chris Lytle] went for the guillotine choke and I tried to flip him behind me instead of fight the hands from the guillotine. I tried to go for a big move and roll over and end up on top of him, rather than just stick to the basics and hand fighting the guillotine to keep myself in the fight."
The buzz word for these losses in Brown's opinion is "mistakes" and the solution is "discipline", which is something he works on daily in training. "It might serve me better to be more disciplined. I should stick to my guns and stick to my game plan. Let the fight go from there instead of trying to force things." Being able to find the happy medium of using Brown's innate ability to take chances and risks in a fight while staying disciplined enough to not put himself in comprising situations is where Brown seeks to improve to win these caliber of fights in the future.
"A lot of times those things work out for me in fights and it makes for an exciting moment for me. And it makes for a pretty shitty moment for me when it doesn't work out for me. In my past two fights it didn't work out. Both those two guys are at the next level where I have to be disciplined because if I make a big mistake they are prepared to finish the fight pretty easily. That's personally what I think I need to work on the most."
Matt Brown's lucid and pragmatic critique of his losses is that of a man ready to move on towards the future and get back to his previous winning ways. "I have never had a problem getting motivated for a fight. I have never had a problem training to my full potential." Brown is purely focused on his next challenger, regardless of a win or loss in his previous fight. It is that mental edge of loving to fight and being able to look at a fight objectively that will serve him best in preparation for his UFC 123 bout with Brian Foster. When that cage door finally does shut, Matt Brown's greatest strength is simply his will to win.
"Sometimes situations come up in a fight where you are both tired, you are both worn out and it comes down to who wants it more. It's not necessarily about who has the better cardio, who is faster or who is stronger. It is literally who wants it more. I can tell you I may not be the best fighter in the world. I may not have the same skill set as some guys do. I can always promise you that I will want it more than anyone else does."
And with the conviction in his gravely voice, you would swear Chuck Norris was talking to you.


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I spent the weekend in a village in Provence
with blogger friend Corey...
On Friday, Ann (MobayDP) commented:
You need to start showing us some buildings in Paris now!!!
I hope some buildings in this village will do...
Until I get some Paris shots...
Please note this shade of blue!
A typical Provencal fountain.. No running water since there's been no rain for months.
A typical serene village street... Plenty of blue shutters but where's the baguette?
It's 45 minutes outside of Aix..
The soft muted colors everywhere kept reminding me of something...
Especially that shade of blue,
A favorite in my paintbox -
"Cobalt blue"
Ah Ha!
Did Tiepolo pass through Provence enroute to Venice..? Or did all these villagers visit the Musee Jacquemart-Andres ?


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Clayton Kershaw (8-6, 2.95) vs. Chris Volstad (0-7, 7.94).
As Vin is fond of reminding us, "Men plan, God laughs." Okay, big fella, here it is, for your chuckling pleasure: I'm planning on attending today's game with my brother, also a Dodger fan, and two of his kids (not pictured above), who happen to be ardent Giants fans.
I'm planning on showing them the beauty of Dodger Stadium and hoping they won't get bored because it doesn't have a giant bottle of soda bottle behind the outfield.
I'm planning on watching Clayton Kershaw dominate the Cubbies.
I'm planning on the Dodger bats making mincemeat of Chris Volstad, who has a lifetime 5.01 ERA against them.
I'm planning on bringing a transistor radio so we can listen to you during the first three innings.
There it is. Do your worst.


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MUSC-2610C Non-Music-Major Applied: Voice
Private lessons for non-music majors on an instrument or voice. Lessons include studies in technical, stylistic, and aesthetic elements of artistic performance. Repertory studied is from the standard literature. All courses are repeatable for one or two hours of credit--one 25-minute lesson per week per credit hour. An applied music fee is charged per credit hour enrolled. Requires departmental permission to enroll.
Lecture Hours: 0 Lab Hours: 1.00 to 2.00Total Hours: 1.00 to 2.00


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Read on for the latest installment in UFC.com's weekly series of articles on proper nutrition from the biggest names in mixed martial arts...this week, Pat Barry
In the cage, Pat Barry has fashioned a 7-5 record. At the dinner table, however, the UFC heavyweight is virtually unbeaten. Broach the subject of food around the Louisiana native and brace yourself for an earful. When the 33-year-old talks food, his pupils dilate, his speech accelerates and his voice rises. His approach to diet: There are no rules. Barry eats vegan a lot of the time, but spontaneously hits up fast food drive-thrus and pizza joints regularly, too. We caught up with the loquacious wonder and quickly determined that no heaping plate of food, no all-you-can-eat buffet, is safe around this man.
Barry: My mom will make a turkey roaster of spaghetti, freeze it and then (send it) overnight to me in Minneapolis.
My diet hasn't necessarily changed since I've become a pro fighter; my diet has changed since I've gotten older and become more aware of my body. Now, my wife and I cook a lot. But we are both not opposed to stopping at a drive-thru on the way home to get cheeseburgers from McDonald's. I know it's not for everybody, but personally, eating makes me happy. And when I'm happy I'm DANGEROUS.
If I'm eating totally clean, I might be in the best shape ever, in the best physical appearance ever, but if I'm not happy then I can't perform. I'll sacrifice the physical appearance a pinch just to get a taste of those sweet and salty French fries.
I eat whatever I want. That doesn't mean that I eat garbage all of the time. My wife and I do cook a lot and eat clean a lot, we take care of ourselves, but we are not opposed to stopping by Taco Bell like we did yesterday. Oh my God we spent $21 at Taco Bell. We ordered two Mexican pizzas and four beef meximelts.
Yeah, I did, but my wife has a ridiculous appetite. That's part of how we got together. The first time I saw her eat … it was one of the things that attracted me to her, because I could finally eat however I wanted to.
The upside of being a heavyweight is that I don't have to weigh my food when I eat it or restrict myself. I can eat whatever I want. I've always been a firm believer in, 'Eat whatever you want but only if you're willing to train that much harder.'
Me and my wife love eating. It's what we do. I'm 33 and I've got a hearty appetite. But I train stupid hard, so …
We make Beet soup. It's a Lithuanian dish – my wife is Lithuanian. Beet soup is all vegetables and broth. It is outrageously delicious. We call it 'mush.' We blend broccoli, carrots and cauliflower and then pour Thai chili sauce on top of it, which makes it like a cream. We put that over rice and that right there is a spectacular dish.
We also eat a lot of Vietnamese Beef Pho (wife gets shrimp), which is probably one of the greatest flavors I've ever put in my mouth EVER. It's like an addiction; we can't stop. We probably eat that maybe four times a week.
I also eat a lot of oatmeal and clean vegetable dishes. When we cook we don't cook any type of animal products. It's almost like we are vegans. But we're not opposed to hitting a fast food drive-thru, or ordering a pizza or getting a sandwich at Jimmy John's.
Right around 235, 240 pounds. That's the weight where I can last the longest (cardio) and have the most strength. When I'm 245, I can hit really hard but I might not necessarily be able to fight 25 minutes. And when I'm 230, I can last all day and night but I'm not necessarily the strongest dude in the world. You know?
I could get pretty low. I'm 252 walking around. My fight weight is around 240. But with a professional dietician and scientists, telling me what to eat, when to chew … I'm pretty sure I could get to 220? 210? I could get to 205 … I could get to 170 with enough time and dedication. I mean, I'm 5'11". But for me, right now, I don't see the purpose of losing the weight. I can't think of one fight that I've lost because I was too small. So I stay heavyweight.
When it comes down to it, I don't know hardly anything about diet and nutrition. So I keep it simple.
I'm from New Orleans, Louisiana. I come from a heavy Cajun background – red beans and rice, shrimp, gumbo, crawfish. Meatballs and spaghetti was like our Number 1 dish because it was CHEAP and it was EASY. Mom was a single mother of two kids and she worked a lot. As a matter of fact, meatballs and spaghetti and my mom's tuna fish were easy meals for her to make, they were cheap, and it was something that would last a long time and she could make a lot for a small price.
So I've been eating meatballs and spaghetti my whole life and my mom's spectacular tuna fish for all of my life. But, at the same time, every once in a while we would have holidays … and I would have Road Runner's pizza delivered to my house… woooh!!!
I learned how to scramble eggs, so I would make scrambled eggs sandwiches for my brother and I when I was really young.
Pizza. Any kind, it doesn't matter. Even if it's the really, leathery, crunchy one that they sell at the gas station and has been sitting there for years. The pizza jerky? Doesn't matter. If it's pizza, I love it. I probably eat pizza once a week.
Probably 12 slices, which is one and a half large pizzas.
Nothing scheduled yet. I'm healthy, ready to go and would like to fight before the end of the year.
Hey man, that could definitely happen. Maybe I could just somehow become a food critic. Barry vs. Food. I could do that for sure. I watch "Man vs. Food" all the time, that's a great show. And I'm sitting there all the time going, 'Man, I could do that."


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Photography: A Cultural History
Mary Warner Marien
Laurence King
Now in its 3rd edition, you might be wondering why this colossal text deserves yet another review? It's simple. This book provides a concise history of our beloved photograph, and places images within the context of their day. Today, photos are disposable with the constant changing of status updates in the social networking world; at times images can lose their meaning.
The collection operates as a textbook, but don't let that put you off. It's incredibly accessible and a key reader for anyone interested in contemporary image making. The intelligent commentary transcends photography and relates to the impact the camera has had on the way we communicate.
Marien, an Emeritus Professor at Syracuse University, uses a scholarly, but pragmatic, approach to understanding the photograph both in its production and consumption. She traces the steps from daguerreotype to digital with zeal looking at portraiture, documentary, war, mass market, advertising and art photography.
Photography is ultimately about interpretation, and this book explores the potential of that very notion.
Cherie Federico


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Another ingredient that is available during spring is the fiddlehead fern and the last few years I have been enjoying experimenting with them. Fiddlehead ferns are young ferns that are picked before the frond has opened. They are commonly used as a vegetable and their flavour can be compared to that of asparagus. This year I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the fiddleheads, a savoury fiddlehead tart! For the base of the tart I used sheets of phyllo dough and I topped them with some sauted leeks with a bit of garlic and then I covered everything with a layer of gruyere cheese followed by the fiddlehead ferns themselves. I like using phyllo pastry for tarts like this as it bakes up nice and light and flakey and golden brown which is perfect for a light spring meal.
Fiddlehead and Gruyere Tart
A fiddlehead and leek tart covered in melted gruyere on a light and flaky, golden brown phyllo crust.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and sliced thinly
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/2 lemon, juice
- 3 sheets phyllo dough, thawed as directed on package and cut in half lengthwise
- * olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup gruyere, grated
- 1/2 pound fiddleheads, well cleaned and blanched for 3 minutes
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the leek and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Remove from heat, mix in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
- Place a sheet of the phyllo dough on a greased baking sheet and brush it with oil. Repeat with the remaining sheets each on top of the last.
- Sprinkle the leeks over the phyllo followed by the cheese and finally the fiddleheads.
- Bake in a preheated 375F/190C oven until the phyllo dough is golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
Asparagus and Gruyere Tart
Zucchini and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Parmesan Tart
Ham and Leek Tart
Fiddlehead Carbonara
Fiddlehead Shrimp Scampi
Wild Leek and Double Smoked Bacon Tart
Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Mushroom and Feta Phyllo Pie
Kolokithopita (Greek Zucchini Pie)
Agginaropita (Greek Artichoke Pie)
Mushroom and Goat Cheese Strudel with Balsamic Syrup
Tomato Tart
Apple and Cheddar Quiche
Galaktoboureko (Greek Custard Pie)
Chicken and Date Pastilla
Asparagus and Walnut Phyllo Pie (aka Asparagus Baklava) with Avgolemono Sauce
Roasted Pumpkin Quiche with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Sage
Strawberry Goat Cheese Banitsa
Lamb Exohiko (Lamb, Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Phyllo Parcels)


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In this page you will find detailed information about the cage code "SRX43" of "FUNDACION PARAGUAYA DE COOPERACIONY"
Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Codes
A Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code is a five-digit identifier assigned to a business by the Department of Defense's Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) which allows the business to sell goods and services to the federal government. More than 1.9 million businesses are represented by CAGE codes internationally. The CAGE code identifies a business, or its subsidiary, at a specific location. CAGE codes are assigned in the System for Award Management (SAM), created in 2012. The CAGE code is used in government systems awarding contracts, purchasing, or for security purposes.
Status Code
The one-position Status Code is the company's standing:
- A = Active
- C = Active CAGE, but not Catalog Code
- E = Excluded or Suspended
- F = Unknown or Obsolete
- H = Discontinued
- J = Item meets industry specifications
- K = Item meets government specifications
- M = CAGE code used with Federal/NATO catalog number
- N = Cancelled, No replacement. Company or CAGE code is void
- P = Cancelled, no replacement
- R = Cancelled, Replaced by successor through acquisition or merger
- T = Joint venture in 50/50 partnership
- U = Vendor representing companies by their CAGE codes
- W = Contractor separate from company name and location
- Y = Operating company sells only through vendors
Type Code
The one position Type Code describes the CAGE Code location as U.S. or a NATO manufacturer or non-manufacturer:
- A = U.S. or Canadian Manufacturer
- C = Civilian Standard Supplier
- E = Foreign Manufacturer with a NATO Code
- F = Vendor other than the manufacturer
- G = Intangible Service Provider
- H = Government or Military Department or Unit
- I = NATO allocated special code
- M = Military Standards and Standards Organizations
Dun and Bradstreet Number
A 9-digit data universal numbering system (DUNS) number created by Dun and Bradstreet is required to obtain a CAGE code. Dun and Bradstreet maintains profiles of 250 million businesses internationally. A business profile consists of the business name, phone number, address, type of service, and credit information about the nonprofit or for-profit entity. A Dun and Bradstreet Number is required to apply for federal government grants.
Registrer or update a CAGE Code
You can obtain or update a CAGE code for your business by going to the DLA (Defense Logistics Agency) website at https://cage.dla.mil/request and filling out the information needed.
Federal government contracts are awarded through the SAM website, a combination of the General Services Administration (GSA), Central Contractor Registration (CCR/FedReg), the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), and the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). Registration to sell products or services to the federal government usually takes 20 to 40 hours, and the government has no obligation to notify you if your information is incomplete or incorrect. Two critical elements of the CAGE Code are: your physical business address and the government entity you want to solicit.
Simplified Acquisition Program
U.S. Federal Contractor Registration created their Simplified Acquisition Program to aid small businesses marketing goods and services to federal procurement officers. The Simplified Acquisition Program creates a government website for your small business with references, past performance, testimonials, pictures, and your SAM registration. Government purchasers view your website, your brand, and unlimited updates. You'll receive a business plan of prime vendors and buyers in your market sector, including a list of procurement officers and a Small Business Association resume. You'll receive monthly solicitations, bids, and emails for a year. You can transact business with the Federal Government from your computer or Android cell phone.
CAGE Codes in Bids and Solicitations
Contractors must apply CAGE Codes when soliciting the Federal government or bidding on government contracts. CAGE codes may be used with the supplier's part number as a National Stock Number to help government purchasers find supplies, parts, or services. A search for a manufacturer's name returns CAGE codes, company names, addresses, country, status, and type codes, which may be entered in bids or solicitations.
CAGE code lookup
You can search our business catalog by CAGE number or by business name, or you can browse by country, and find businesses based on their location.


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Home Selling Advice
To sell your home, you'll need more than ads and signs. When you work with a Real Living Professional you'll receive top-notch, priority service, in addition to powerful and effective offline and online marketing. Our goals are to serve you and to provide you with professional guidance that will:
- Obtain the best possible price for your home
- Negotiate the most favorable terms
- Secure a buyer in the shortest period of time
- Relieve you of the stress and inconvenience that can occur when selling a home
You can learn more about the home selling process by exploring these topics:
- Six Critical Elements of a Sale
- Best Time to Sell
- The Role of Location and Selling Your Home
- The Home Appraisal: Why it's Important
- Expected Selling Time
- The Listing Agreement
- Spotlighting Your Home's Features
- Home Improvements that Yield Big Returns
- Showings and Open Houses
- Your Home's Exterior
- Receiving an Offer
- Negotiating the Sale
- Home Inspection: Taking a Closer Look
- Selling and Capital Gains
- Closing & Possession


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Privacy Drive is easy to use encryption software that uses Virtual Disk and "on the fly" disk encryption technology to not only lock and encrypt your data, but also hide it. Whatever you want to keep away from prying eyes - photographs, videos, graphic files, documents, spreadsheets or even whole folders. All of your private information will be fully protected from unauthorized access.
Using industry-leading 256 bit encryption algorithms, Privacy Drive can create as many encrypted volumes as you need to mount as virtual disks. Once mounted they can be used as other regular hard drives. All data on the virtual disks is encrypted and unencrypted automatically before they are saved or loaded. So there's no need to encrypt or decrypt each file or folder individually.
When you have finished working with your private data and you want to lock folders and files, simply dismount the virtual disk, and everything will be instantly protected. Without the correct password, nothing from the encrypted volume can be read or accessed.
You can also share, copy and transfer your encrypted volumes via email, backup, external hard drives, CD/DVD, Cloud Servers (eg Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox or Google Drive) or any other portable storage device. This allows you to take your confidential data and information anywhere you want, without the fear of data loss or theft.
Privacy Drive supports AES 128-bit & 256-bit industry standard encryption algorithms, works on Microsoft Windows 11/10/8.x/7/2022/2012 (32/64-bit) and supports FAT16/FAT32/exFAT/NTFS file systems.
Major Features:
- Virtual Disk & User-transparent "On-the-Fly" Disk Encryption Technology.
You don't need to manually encrypt or decrypt each and every file or folder. - Lock, hide, encrypt and password protect all kind of pictures, videos, documents, files and folders.
- Simple drag and drop to encrypt files & folders, just like using normal hard drive.
- Support AES 128-bit & 256-bit industry standard encryption algorithms.
- No limit of the numbers of files and folders protected.
- Protected data is highly portable.
Encrypted volumes can be stored on external hard drives, USB drives, Firewire drives, CD/DVD and Cloud Servers (such as Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive). - Support for Deniable Encryption.
Encrypted volumes do not contain any signatures that would prove this is an encrypted volume or container. - No Backdoors.
Encrypted data is protected from being accessed/modified by unauthorized users. - And much more...
Key Benefits:
- Easy to use
By using Virtual Disk & "On-the-Fly" Disk Encryption Technology, Privacy Drive has made security as simple as using your hard drive. Files can be created, saved and opened just as before. As long as they are put onto the virtual disk, they are automatically encrypted or decrypted on-the-fly. - Speed
All algorithms are optimized and blazing fast! Privacy Drive processes data on-the-fly meaning data only gets decrypted when it is accessed. Other file encryption software encrypts or decrypts the entire file before you can use it. Privacy Drive does this automatically in the background and only to the data that you access, saving valuable time and system resources. - Security
Privacy Drive uses industry trusted and proven algorithms. Among the chosen algorithms is AES, the Advanced Encryption Standard, selected by the NIST to be the US Federal Government standard to protect sensitive information.
- Intel/AMD or other compatible processor
- Microsoft Windows 11/10/8.x/7/2022/2012 (32/64-bit)
- 4GB of RAM or more
- 10MB of available hard disk space
- Why do you need Privacy Drive?
- For protecting sensitive information. For example, you can hide your sensitive data from other people who might have access to your computer, or encrypt your files on a removable storage device for transportation to prevent that the files can be accessed when the device is stolen or lost.
- How does it work?
- The encryption engine of Privacy Drive operates at system kernel level between the operation system and the virtual disk, providing user-transparent, on-the-fly disk encryption and decryption. Every read operation on the virtual disk causes decryption of the data to be read to RAM memory, and every write operation causes encryption of data to be written to disk. All data are automatically encrypted or decrypted right before they are saved or loaded, without any user intervention. This "On-the-Fly" encryption technology is called Transparent Encryption.
- Your data is always stored in safe, encrypted form, entire file system is encrypted (e.g., file names, folder names, contents of every file, free space, meta data, etc.). There is no data stored on an encrypted volume can be read (decrypted) without using the correct password.
- How strong is protection in Privacy Drive?
- The program uses the AES-256 encryption algorithm (with the 256-bit key length). Currently, there are no computers that could break the encryption key in a reasonable amount of time (it will take millions of years).
- How can the password be broken?
- A password, or more precisely its hash (SHA-256 or SHA-512), is used to protect the encryption key. Neither the password nor its hash is stored anywhere. You enter it while mounting an encrypted volume. If the password is not correct, it will be impossible to get the encryption key and consequently to decrypt data info.
- We recommend that you do not use short or simple passwords. Choose something that will be easy for you to remember but hard for others to guess.
- Is there a "Backdoor" in the software?
- Absolutely No! Please keep in mind your password. If you forget your password, you will not be able to access your data anymore. There is no special procedure, secret code, or hidden entry method to fall back on.
- What is Encryption & Decryption?
- Encryption is the conversion of data into a form, called a ciphertext, that cannot be easily understood by unauthorized people. Decryption is the process of converting encrypted data back into its original form, so it can be understood.
- What is Encrypted Volume & Virtual Disk?
- Encrypted Volume: A special container that will be used to store encrypted data, it can be mounted as a virtual disk. All files and folders stored in the virtual disk are automatically stored in the container file in encrypted form. The container file is called encrypted volume. By default, the container file has a .pdv file extension, however you can store your encrypted data to a file with any extension.
- Virtual Disk: A virtual device that will be used to access encrypted volume. You can use the virtual disk to access encrypted data (pictures, videos, documents, files and folders.) that stored in encrypted volume.
- What is the maximum size of encrypted volume?
- The maximum file size is limited by 2GB for FAT16, 4GB for FAT32, 16EB for exFAT and NTFS file systems.
- As designed, the maximum NTFS file size is 16EB minus 1kB. As implemented, the maximum NTFS file size is 16TB minus 64kB (Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 or earlier implementation). With Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, the maximum NTFS file size is 256TB minus 64KB.
- Is it possible to increase the size of encrypted volume?
- No. In this case, you should create a new encrypted volume with a larger size and copy all the data into it.
- How to delete an existing encrypted volume?
- First you need to dismount the encrypted volume, then right-click on it, click "Delete from disk" on the popup-menu. You can also delete its .pdv file directly from hard drive as long as it's not being used.
- Can I share the vitual disk on a network?
- Yes, you can. The virtual disk look like usual local disk, and any software or operating system utility will work with the virtual disk in the usual way. As an example of this feature, the virtual disk can be shared on a network in the same way as other local drives.
- Can I store the encrypted volume on a network share?
- Yes, you can. It is safe to store and mount an encrypted volume on a network share since Privacy Drive automatically encrypts the data transmitted over the network.
- How to use Dropbox/OneDrive/Google Drive to backup encrypted files?
- There are two solutions:
- 1. If you place Dropbox folder in virtual disk, all files in the folder will be "read-out" from the disk and synced to your Dropbox account by Dropbox client. That means all files in the folder will be first decrypted to RAM memory by the encryption engine of Privacy Drive and then be synced to your Dropbox account. In this case, all your files are stored in normal/unencrypted form on Dropbox cloud servers.
- 2. If you place the encrypted volume (.pdv file) in Dropbox folder, the .pdv file will be "read-out" from the folder and synced to your Dropbox account. You can then mount the .pdv file from anywhere, anytime to access the protected data. When you finish your work, simply dismount the encrypted volume and Dropbox client will automatically sync any changes that have been made within the .pdv file. In this case, the .pdv file is always stored in encrypted form on Dropbox cloud servers.
- What happens after the license period expires?
- You will not be able to create new encrypted volume and existing encrypted volumes will be mounted as read-only mode. You can always download the latest updates from our website at any time of your convenience.
- How to install Privacy Drive?
- If you download Privacy Drive self-extracting setup file from Internet. Just double click the setup file in Windows Explorer and the setup process will start. If you download the Privacy Drive zip package, please extract all files from the package into a temporary directory using your archiver, such as WinZip or WinRAR. Run the installation program(setup.exe), follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
- How to uninstall Privacy Drive?
There are two ways to uninstall Privacy Drive:
1. Click Start > All Programs > Privacy Drive > Uninstall Privacy Drive
2. Click Start > Control Panel > Programs and Features or Add/Remove Programs > Privacy Drive


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When designing a billboard, six words or less is ideal. You have a brief glance to capture a driver's attention and get your idea across. And the same strategy applies when designing your tradeshow booth. Granted, attendees can stop and learn more if interested, but your moment to engage them is fleeting.
Tradeshows are essentially a competition to stand out—so we've compiled a few ways to do so, without having to get obnoxious. Remember, you want to tactfully attract customers and then reel them in with a polished elevator pitch.
Below are three useful tips to keep in mind when planning for your next tradeshow:
Tip #1: Your booth design is your handshake.
Without even having to talk to you, attendees will have already made a snap judgment on your company based on their booth presentation. They might not even listen to your pitch before deciding whether or not to stop. You have to impress them long before that.
Plan on taking along some large-format graphics for your booth that includes your logo and a simple headline explaining your services. The key word being "simple"—as with the aforementioned billboards, people likely won't stop walking unless you give them a reason. Consider using high-resolution pictures, large posters mounted on foam core board or other large banners. People are visual creatures; we're naturally attracted to photos over text. Keep this in mind when setting up for your next tradeshow.
Tip #2: If you're going to give something away, make it good.
Everyone in the world has enough freebie pens and terrible mints. Not saying that they can't be done uniquely, but we'd encourage you to think more outside of the box.
What about giveaway mugs printed with your company logo filled with hot coffee for the morning sessions? Or fans with your information on them for those often uncomfortably hot conference centers? Perhaps a nice-quality bag to hold all of the freebies that other companies give away? Brainstorm items that are practical that won't be tossed in the trash after attendees leave.
Tip #3: Simplify.
You can't tell attendees everything you'll want to about your awesome company. Pick one or two things to highlight in your elevator pitch. Don't overwhelm them with excess, unnecessary information that they can easily look up later. Rather, focus on the qualities that make your company unique from all of the other trade show booths. You've probably spent months brainstorming your unique niche—now is your opportunity to show it off.
Determine before the show what will appeal most to those specific attendees. And keep in mind that they'll likely be tired when listening to your pitch. Keep it upbeat, keep it short and remember to keep it simple.


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"You say tomaaahtoh, I say ... sauce!" "You say tomaaytoh, I say ... salad!" "You say tomato, I say ... chutney!" Then I'll say "STOP!" before you give me any more tomatoes!
I am seeing red right now - tomato red! My CSA box has been overflowing with lovely ripe tomatoes and my mother-in-law's green house has been producing more tomatoes than she can harvest. Last weekend I found myself with something like 4 kilos of tomatoes
Not a bad thing really as they have an incredibly mellow and sweet flavor - just like organic and homegrown vegetables usually do. It's all the goodness in them that makes them taste so good and there was no way I was going to give them always.
After making tarts and salads, I turned my attention to sugo, ketchup and chutney. I spent a greater part of the previous weekend working my way through the tomatoes. I was extremely pleased with myself and my efficiency. I honestly dislike waste and when you have such excellent quality produce it's always a pleasure to can, stew, freeze and preserve them in several different varieties. I know that come Winter we will enjoy the taste of summer again.
For this particular chutney I used simple ingredients from my pantry. I went for a slightly aromatic spiced flavor –not hot – just piquant, which complements the sweetness from the dried apricots and juicy tomatoes. Just a sprinkling of garam masala and this chutney peaks to new flavor levels.
Don't ask me why I chose garam masala for the chutney, probably because it's the first thing that came to hand or even maybe because it's a surprise Indian spice mix which really has all the spice flavors I was thinking of, most probably it was due to the fact that I had recently grinded my own garam masala and I could still smell the wonderful mélange of cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, coriander, fenugreek to name a few spices.
As you see I am not calling it an Indian chutney nor is it an Indian inspired chutney simply because it has a sprinkling of an Indian spice in it. It's just a pretty damn good tasting chutney – thick and chunky with lots of tomatoes, a handful of apricots, a crunchy pepper and plenty of onions.
The best thing about it is that it's not too much of work. The most is peeling and de-seeding the tomatoes, but after that it just simmers in the pot to make one of the best chutneys I have had in a long time. The cool thing was I was not the only one who thought so!
Tomato Apricot Chunky Chutney
[Printable version of recipe here.]
800g tomatoes
400g onions, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
100g dried apricots, cut into strips
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey mustard
- Peel the tomatoes. The easiest way to do this is gently score a shallow x on the bottom of the tomato. This helps to peel the tomato easily later. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then place the tomato/es for 30 seconds. As soon as you notice the skin peeling off remove the tomato/es and place it in a bowl of ice water. Allow it to rest until completely cooled, then peel. Cut it in half and with a small spoon scoop out the seeds. Discard seeds and peel.
- Cut the peeled and seeded tomatoes into quarters.
- Put the tomatoes, onions, apricots, bay leaves and red bell pepper in a large saucepan and turn the heat to high. Add sugar, garam masala and salt and bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes until the mixture thickens. Stir the mixture occasionally, scraping the bottom of the saucepan.
- Add vinegar and honey mustard and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and season according to taste.
- Allow the chutney to cool completely, then fill in clean sterilized jars and refrigerate.
- The chutney will keep in the refrigerator in the jars for up to 2 months.
- This is a very versatile chutney and can be enjoyed with grilled meats like lamb or chicken, but it's also great in sandwiches or on hamburgers and hot dogs.
- If garam masala is not your spice then use other spices and herbs you prefer. Try adding rosemary or thyme or smoky paprika powder. If you want to spice it up add a few drops of Tabasco sauce or add a finely chopped red/green chili into the saucepan while it's simmering.
- Usually if the tomatoes are ripe and aromatic you will get a wonderful flavored, really red chutney, however, if you find the flavor needs a bit of spiking add about 1/2 tablespoon of tomato paste.
Food Guide Tips:
- How healthy are tomatoes?
- What is garam masala and how can I make my own spice blend?
I took a jar of the chutney to a friend's place who had invited us to a barbecue. They were grilling lamb chops, zucchini marinated in herbs and garlic. The chutney complemented the meal incredibly. It's tangy sweet flavors highlighted with the slight spiced mixture was just perfect. Between the four of us adults and 3 children we were easily able to polish off a whole jar!
Monthly MingleThis month my lovely guest hosts are the truly wonderful dynamic duo at Jugalbandi. They've come up with a really sensational theme this month and are pairing this event with their photography event Click.
Heirloom recipes are what you are required to create for this month's challenge. Old vintage recipes that have endured the test of time. Head on over to Jugalbandi and get all the details. They're even giving away a prize!
Deadline is September 20th.
As my tomato supply slowly diminishes I see my attention needs to be turned to plums and apples slowly piling up. I'll probably be spending another weekend creating a few mouth-watering yummies with them.
Hope you all enjoy your weekend!
You might like these tomato sauces from WFLH:
Roasted Tomato Sauce | Sun-dried Tomato and Tamarind Chutney | Tomatoes in Agrodolce |
Daily Tiffin Reading Tip
Immunization - Truth and Rumor written by Hilda
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2009 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First


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Weekends and it's time to let go a little. My weekdays are lost in a whirlwind of rushing between to dos, chores and tasks. Although I take the time to visit my "islands" throughout the day, I realize it's hard to really relax the mind entirely. I am constantly checking and re-checking making sure I am on top of my list. I could not imagine it any other way, really. It's me, it's what makes me tick. The surplus energy I have drives me through the day.
While Tom's latest project takes him away to Stockholm during the week, it is the complete responsibility of an 8-year old that keeps me on my toes and sometimes more tense than I actually am. Somehow being able to share the responsibility eases the burden and not always having to be the one who sets the rules and have endless discussions about the whys and hows of those rules just makes things more relaxed.
Weekends allow me the mental break.
I get to sleep in and come down to a perfectly laid breakfast table and as the three of us catch up with each other, I can feel my shoulders begin to relax. For the next few days I can take a break from playing the responsible one, become the carefree one again. I do not have to be specific about enforcing the rules and allow daddy to take over the exhausting discussions.
As Soeren matures it is exciting and often satisfying, albeit a little exhausting, to accompany him through his phases. He's in one now. Physically I notice the metamorphosis from a child to a young boy. He's becoming more muscular, taller and the features on his face more structured. Mentally he is transforming from a little boy into a not so little boy. There is more sensibility even though he lacks concentration at times, there is more patience and a new ambition in his actions and there is that outstanding dry sense of humor that I have not come across in his peers. And the typical Virgo – he can discuss and debate incessantly with an innocent charm.
One of his passions his playing the electric guitar and while we have gone through many phases with it, he has never lost the interest or the will to keep at it. He seems to know exactly where he wants to go with music, expressing very clearly that he would like to be able to write lyrics and compose his own songs one day. This crystal clear train of thought often gives me the goose bumps. Earlier this year he had his first solo spot at a school event. Last weekend, however probably gave him a real taste of a rock star life.
His guitar teacher, who herself sings and plays in a rock band and whose husband does sound checks for big rock concerts all over Europe, organized a fantastic event last Sunday at the local Irish pub. Sixteen acts playing songs from famous groups like Green Day, ACDC, The Cranberries, Joan Jett and of course there was a-ha too. No prizes for guessing who played that. It was my special a-ha moment and for one afternoon I was roadie, groupie and screaming fan all in one.
For those who do not know him would be amazed at the coolness and tranquility he emits. One would think he is on stage every weekend. The reality however is that there are butterflies, the size of dinosaurs, doing somersaults in his stomach. And as he removes the guitar, his eyes search the crowd and when he sees me he smiles, intoxicated by the cheers and applause. He whispers:
"I have the sweatiest feet and hands ever, mum!"
From a big rock star to my big boy again! And me? From groupie back to mum!
And we enjoy the rest of the weekend together before the week has us in its grip again. Gathering around the television with a special treat of a rustic cake made with simple ingredients, we watch the performance again.
The cake is the perfect "easy baking" kind of cake for the weekend. Apples, vanilla, almonds, and toffee flavor the cake making it irresistible. The toffee syrup has a splash of Bailey's Irish cream giving it a unique note.
Printable version of recipe here
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
For the apple cake
- 50 g ground almonds
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 100, butter, softened
- 100g sugar
- 10g vanilla sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- 2 apples, quartered and cut in slices
- 150g flour, sieved
- 50g almonds, sliced
For the toffee syrup
- 50g sugar
- 150ml heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Line a baking form (20 x 14 cm) with baking paper.
- Mix together flour, ground nuts, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl whisk butter and 100g sugar together until thick and creamy – approx. 10 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well to make sure they are incorporated well into the batter. Blend the flour mixture and the milk and whisk until smooth.
- Spread the cake batter into the batter and smooth the top. Arrange the apple slices on the cake and gently press into the batter. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar and the sliced almonds.
- Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes Take out of the oven and allow to cool slightly.
- In the meantime make the toffee syrup by melting sugar in a saucepan until light brown in color. Add the heavy cream and the Bailey's cream. Cook on gentle heat until reduced, thick and syrupy.
- Remove cake from the form and drizzle 1/3 of the toffee syrup over the cake. Cut into pieces and serve with whipped cream and the remaining toffee syrup.
The cake is somewhere between grandma's baking and gourmet food, the flavors reminiscent of a rustic apple cake but with a characteristic of a luxury dessert. I call it a lazy weekend baking cake, because it really is so easy to put together. You can make the same cake using peaches, apricots and pears too, each time creating a new flavor palette.
A slice of this sticky toffee apple cake is going all the way to Cape Town to the lovely Nina, who is my lovely hostess for the Monthly Mingle this month. She chose Apple Affection as her theme. Hope to see many of you at the party at the end of the month.
Here's to great weekends everyone, especially to my American readers celebrating Independence day. Enjoy the long weekend filled with fireworks and parades. To the rest of you may it be filled with sunny warm summer days, lots of laughter and loving family and friends!
More cake from WFLH:
Fig Plum Sheet Cake | Dimpled Mirabelle Plum Foccacia with Lemon Poppy Seed Butter | Dulce De Leche Cheesecake |
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2011 Meeta Khurana Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First


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How to Maintain Your Hydraulic Log Splitter
A properly maintained hydraulic log splitter will allow you to split cord after cord of wood safely and efficiently. Use the following log splitter maintenance tips to ensure your machine continues to run smoothly and efficiently all year long.
Instructions for maintaining a hydraulic log splitter
Step 1 - Check for leaking hydraulic fluid
If you suspect hydraulic fluid is leaking from your log splitter, you can check by passing a piece of cardboard or wood underneath the damaged area. If drops of fluid are present on the cardboard, you've located the leak. When checking for hydraulic fluid leaks, be sure to wear work gloves and safety glasses to protect yourself from dangerous fluids.
Step 2 - Fill hydraulic fluid reservoir
When hydraulic fluid is low in your log splitter, the machine will operate with noticeably less power. To add the appropriate amount of hydraulic fluid, you must first remove the oil filling plug. Then, fill with hydraulic fluid until the reservoir is three-fourths full.
Step 3 - Remove air from the hydraulic cylinder
After you have added the correct amount of hydraulic fluid, you'll need to remove, or bleed, the trapped air from the cylinder. First, extend the piston rod to its maximum length and remove the oil filling plug. Then, twist the release screw in a counterclockwise motion as fast as you can. The piston rod will draw back into the cylinder which will release the trapped air. When bleeding the cylinder, stay clear of the moving piston rod and use the same safety precautions that you would while operating the machine.
Step 4 - Sharpen the blade
If you notice any dull areas, chips or nicks in the hydraulic log splitter blade, sharpen it with a coarse metal file. Use the file to smooth down the sides of the blade to reform the sharp point. Then, run a fine metal file along the edge of the blade to finish the process.
Step 5 - Clean the log splitter regularly
If your hydraulic log splitter is not self-cleaning, be sure to clean the machine regularly to remove oil, grease and debris. Make sure the machine is always turned off before you perform any cleaning. Also, remove debris around the machine as you work to prevent anything from getting lodged in the log splitter during operation.
Step 6 - Store your hydraulic log splitter in a dry area
A shed or garage is the perfect option to store your machine to avoid water damage and rust if of course the building unit stays dry throughout the year. Cover your machine with a water-proof tarp for extra protection.
Step 7 - Replace worn log splitter parts
If any log splitter parts are worn or broken, replace them before operating your machine. Compare the part and model number to the new part when you're ready to make the purchase. This will ensure you buy the right part for your specific hydraulic log splitter.
With these basic hydraulic log splitter maintenance tips, you'll be able to keep your machine in prime working order and ready to operate for years to come. To ensure proper maintenance of your log splitter, refer to your operator's manual for repair and maintenance instructions specific to your model. Following the manufacturer's recommended maintenance instructions will ensure that your log splitter runs safely and efficiently so you can split more wood at a faster pace. We know you depend on your wood splitter to work properly, so trust Cub Cadet to help you properly maintain, clean and operate your machine with confidence. Use our Parts Finder to locate and order any replacement parts you may need for maintenance.
If your hydraulic log splitter has aged past the point of maintenance, consider buying a self-lubricating log splitter when you replace it. A self-lubricating log splitter automatically cleans the log splitter parts after every use. There is minimal effort required to keep your machine maintained. One of the biggest advantages the self-lubricating log splitter provides is cleaning the blades routinely so they stay sharp for a longer period of time.