Photo #11: Story; The Creation of the Stuffed Cheddar Bacon Burger

I love food, I will eat and almost try anything. However if there is any food that I dislike it is, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and most of all turkey burgers. Besides my love for eating food, I love to cook. It has always been a passion for me and I believe that I can cook almost anything, including a burger that I like. Follow my story, to create the best burger, or at least Rachel's favorite burger.
Ingrediants:
2 pounds ground beef(lean/chuck/round)
1/2 an onion
1 cup cheddar cheese
4 slices of bacon pan fried
Burger buns

The ingrediants needed to make a stuffed cheddar bacon burger. Using two different types of meat really bring out the juices and the flavor of the burger. Lean ground beef still makes the burger seemingly healthy but the ground round makes it fuller.

For the 1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded cheese works just fine. However grating your own cheese allows it to be a lot finer and fit into the burger better later on.

Nobody really enjoys chopping an onion. Thank goodness this recipe only calls for one to chop half of one because it doesn't take long before you start to cry. There are tips on how to chop onions without crying, by cutting out a certain part of the onion. Why would one do that when you can purchase handy onion goggles. Glasses lined with foam to keep out the onion fumes, they are extremely effective, fun and of course silly.

Mix the two meets, or just the one if thats all you decided to use, in a bowl. Put in some salt, pepper, and any other spices you desire. Sometimes a steak seasoning works great. Mix the combination with your hands the form into eight small round patties and set aside.

Fry the bacon in a frying pan. It has to be done this way because the bacon grease will be needed later for browning the onion. Even though the recipe only calls for four slices it is nice to make more than that just in case some pieces are overcooked or if you just want something to snack on.

After you remove the bacon from the frying pan, place the bacon in some paper towels off to the side to let some of the grease soak out. Take the half of onion chopped an place into the frying pan and cook with the bacon grease. Cook till it is brown, will only take a few minutes.

After the cheese is grated, bacon is fried and onion is cooked, combine them all into a bowl. Break the bacon into a bunch of tiny pieces so it will fit into the burger. Mix until it is well blended.

Place the mixture on top of four patties, then place the other four patties on top of the mixture so it creates sandwhiches. You will have four of them. Try to keep the bacon cheese mixture in the center of the burger.

Seal the edges of the burger sandwhiches so it creates one whole round burger. Make certain that the patties have plenty of meat in them because they will separate when you grill them. Follow these instructions and you will enjoy Rachel's favorite burger.

Photo #10: Issues Part 2

Another issue that recently arose in St. Augustine is the installment of 227 moorings in the St. Augustine Waterways. The moorings are located north and south of the bridge of lions and in the Salt Run. The cost was $500,000 just to install the moorings.

This has become an issue for many people who live on the water. They are now required to tie their boats up to a mooring instead of dropping anchor thus having to pay a fee that they normally didn't have to pay.

The city is generally trying to get rid of derelict boats that don't properly dispose of waste and lack registration

Salt Run residents, including previous photography subject Rick Cardella, have said they do not want a mooring field in their area.

Several Mooring balls sit in the St. Augustine Waterway just north of the Bridge of Lions. With the recent installment of the moorings, boats are now required to tie up if moorings are in the area.

Salt Run residents do not want moorings in their area. Many of them now are moving to dock their boat or leave all together to travel to different waters where they are not required to pay a fee. These residents are frustrating in paying for what was once free.

Many of the residents of St. Augustine feels with the moorings that the water ways look far more cluttered than they use to. Boats are required to be closer together, which can block some of the views of the water. This photo here was taken from the Bridge of Lions looking south.

Photo #10: Issues

Photos and Captions by: Christina Arzapalo and Rachel Kuhl

For the second time in two months, one of Christina Arzapalo's tires on her car blew out while driving north-bound on I-95.

The first time, it was her front left tire.

This is a photo of Arzapalo's tire after it exploded. It also shows the damage it has done to the car, affectionately named Cupcake.

Yesterday it was her front left tire.

Yesterday's tire explosion caused damage to Arzapalo's hood, tire and headlight. It also tore off a long portion of the car's body on the right side. When the tire itself exploded, the rubber whipped around so fast and ended up being the cause of the damage.

This is an issue because many people are going to be traveling to see their families over the holiday break, and it is very important to get your vehicles checked before hitting the road. Arzapalo has had had two very close calls in the last two months, and now she knows it's time to get rid of the cheap tires that came with her car and pay the big bucks for the expensive, but safe tires.

Please get your cars checked before traveling this holiday season. She has been spared not only once, but twice, while driving at a high speed on the highway. Don't let it happen to you. It's very scary and we wouldn't want anyone else to be hurt by something they could have prevented.

Check the air in your tires, and the fluids in your car. It's so much better to be safe than sorry!

-Rachel

Planets

Planet Patron

Planet Pen

(Photos by Stephanie Hart)

Planet Glass

(Photos by Stephanie Hart)

Planet Salt Run

Planet Pumpkin

Photo # 9: Night Photos

Taking night photos was by far the most difficult assignment that I have had so far. I love night photos and I was excited to take them but as it turns out I didn't have an approrpriate camera for the photos I needed. I have a very simple camera and I cannot adjust the f-stop or the shutter speed. I did fiddle with ISO a little bit but that did very little, the pictures still came out very blurry and grainy. I did my best to get creative so hopefully it will be of some interest to someone.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse sits in the dark as it guides boats safely into harbour. Some people wonder why the lighthouse seems so far from the coast. As it turns out the when the lighthouse was built, it was 500 yards northeast of its current location, however the shoreline has changed over time giving the impression that light house has moved. In this photo, lights from houses also accompany the lighthouse's light.

A different view of the St. Augustine lighthouse and the spotlights on the houses around it. The lights look like they are moving. The lighthouse is on the lefthand side of the photo and the homes are located together on the right.

This photo is of some of the lights the line the roof of the storage building at the Conch House Marina Resort. All the buidlings on the property have a similar lighting effect to give off a festive and island oasis vibe. The angle is viewed looking up at them.

This is a blurred photo of a boat in the By the Sea Marina at the Conch House Marina Resort on Anastasia Island in St. Augustine. A green spot light on the dock gives the boat and the water aound it a spooky ambiance. However, since the dock gates were locked so I was unable to get the name of the speed boat. I like the photo being blurred because it makes look a bit ominious and strikes a little mystery into what the photo may be.

Awkward Angles Part 2

I loved taking photos from different angles and getting creative. I also loved the look on peoples faces as I got into neat positions to take the photos.

The base of an antique gas lamp. These lamps line the Conch House Lounge in St. Augustine, Florida that help build the unique vibe of the place.

This a piece of equipment out on a sailboat. There are many different parts to a sailboat and this one was in prime condition.

This is part of a pulley system that once belonged to a boat. It now sits as a decoration in the Conch House by the popcorn machine. Most of the pieces found on the property are antiques.

Another hook that belonged to a pulley system. It is only appropriate that a restaurant and bar are owned by the oldest family in St. Augustine. The Ponce family has owned the property for over sixty years.

Photo 7 Environmental Photo

Rick Cardella, 52 is one of the many St. Augustine residents that suffer from unemployment. Cardella currently lives on a sailboat near Anastasia State park. He has been unemployed for over four months and last worked for F&A Marine doing a dredge job. “I waited two months after I lost my job before I applied for unemployment, I am currently looking for a job in marine industry,” said Cardella.