Chicken Masala and Banana Muffins with Homemade Peanut Butter

Chicken Masala, baingan (eggplant), and crispy ginger garlic potatoes over naan.

Banana, peanut butter, oatmeal muffins with honey homemade peanut butter

Columbia Masonic fraternal members, families volunteer at Boone County Fair

Here are two shots from my story on the Aleppo Grotto and their volunteer work at the Boone County Fair. The group is very family oriented and includes multiple generations of volunteers.

Rex Taggart and Joan Barron prepare orders in the Aleppo Grotto food stand at the Boone County Fair on Sunday, July 24, 2011. The food stand became a part of the fair in 2010 and raises money for children's organizations.

Rex Taggart, center, works in the Aleppo Grotto food stand while Lily Tinker Fortel, left, and Tim Cullen, right, dine outside. The organization has been working at the Boone County Fair since 1993 but opened the food stand last summer to raise money for children's organizations.

All is Fair

I have been covering the Boone County Fair all weekend in Columbia. I have yet to indulge in a funnel cake but who knows what will happen before the fair ends on July 30. This is my first state fair outside of Minnesota so I am trying to get used to not having everything on a stick. Overall, the fair has been really interesting with several events including horse shows, the carnival, fireworks, and the parade.

Hunter Skouby leads his horse outside the arena at the Boone County Fun Youth Horse Show on Saturday at the Boone County Fairgrounds.

A competitor in the Boone County Fun Youth Horse Show rides around the arena at the Boone County Fair.

Garrett Anderson leads his horse outside the arena at the Boone County Fun Youth Horse Show on Saturday at the Boone County Fair in Columbia.

Katilynn Berbridge pets her horse before she competes in the Boone County Fun Youth Horse Show on Saturday at the Boone County Fair in Columbia.

Boone County Fair Queen Royalty ride in the Boone County Fair Parade on Saturday.

The Redbirds basketball team eat freeze pops handed out during the Boone County Fair Parade.

A carnival worker waits for customers at his game booth.

Emma Schudel sits on Nick Schudel's shoulders watching fireworks on Sunday at the 65th Boone County Fair.

View full Columbia Missourian galleries here:

Photo Gallery: Equine excellence

Boone County Fair Parade marches through downtown

Photo Gallery: Sunday at the fair

River town businesses hurt by flood fear

Here are some photos from the story I wrote on how the perception of flooding in Missouri river towns is  detrimental to business.

Roscoe Robinson and Travis Brobst sit in the Trailside Cafe & Bike Shop after biking the Katy Trail in Rocheport on Tuesday, July 19, 2011. The perception of flooding has been detrimental to business, and owner Larry Horning is worried the shop may go under.

 Nancy Lewis looks at a product catalog with salesman Ron Eggleson at White Horse Antiques in Rocheport on Thursday, July 21, 2011. Several Rocheport businesses have lost revenue since news of flooding began.

Gary Smith, treasurer of the Rocheport Area Merchants Association, works at his store, Two Sisters and Me, in Rocheport on Thursday, July 21, 2011. Since news of flooding began, Smith has had an estimated 45 percent decrease in revenue at Two Sisters and Me

Cows & Balloons

Here is a shot from the California Balloon Invitational. I ended up going on "the chase" following the balloon with the crew through farmland and cow pastures.

Summer Heat

This week Columbia's heat index is expected to fluctuate between 105 and 115 degrees. I contributed to the Columbia Missourian's story on how the dangerous heat conditions are expected to prevail all week by examining how children's day camps are affected. Here is a photo from Camp Adventure that ran with the story.

In The Air: Before the Balloon Race

This weekend I will be attending the 1st Annual California Balloon Invitational. I spent the evening with Columbia balloon pilot Gary Whitby who will be participating in the race. Whitby demonstrated the "hare and hounds" style of balloon racing. The lead balloon takes off and marks an X at its landing spot where the balloons must toss a 3oz sandbag as close to the X target as possible. Pilots have limited control over the direction of their ballon so they must calculate what degree to launch from in order to hit the target.

Shrimp Fajitas and Homemade Green Chili Salsa

Shrimp, bell peppers, and mushroom fajitas with sweet and spicy corn and green chile salsa.

Roasted tomato green chile cilantro salsa

Columbia volunteers use acupuncture treatments to make a healing difference in Joplin

Here is my first story published in the Columbia Missourian where I will be spending the rest of the summer as a reporter.

Read the full story here.

Patriotic Portraits

Just a few fun portraits with friends for the 4th of July.