Hi friends!

I’m ecstatic to introduce you to the launch of the Wisch You Were Here Monthly Newsletter! Connecting with yall in a format other than social media is something I’ve been dreaming about for years. I’m so happy that you’ve joined the fun and will be apart of the journey, one newsletter at a time 🙂 Whether you’re a longtime fan or just stumbled upon me on the internet, this newsletter is all about sharing the good stuff straight to your inbox. I designed this Newsletter to be your go-to source for staying informed and engaged with VIP content about booking 2024 inclusive Portrait Photo Sessions & Intimate Weddings, Neature Photo Book & Print Shop offers, and a fun list of my favorite curated Spotify playlists, books, amazon finds, family recipes, quote of the month, word of the month, and a fun word search. Thank you for joining us in this exciting new adventure and looking forward to December’s birthday month edition!

Cheers,

Emily

BOOK OF THE MONTH: “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear” by Elizabeth Gilbert (purchase here)

This book was gifted to me at the end of 2020 by one of my college roommates and I can without a doubt say that it positively changed the trajectory of my life. If you ever have the opportunity to look through my collection of books you’ll see that I love writing and underlining as I read. This book has hundreds or favorite wisdom nuggets and I 10/10 recommend it if you’re a creative.

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST OF THE MONTH: 📸 Hustle 💰🏃🏻‍♀️. (listen here)

This is a curated playlist I started when I first had the idea to create my Photography Business back in 2018. I needed a playlist I could put on at any given time of day that would inspire me to keep going and to pursue my dreams. Currently it has 2,055 songs and is over 127 hours long. The vibes are motivational, anything that has a beat I can dance to, classic karaoke favorites I love singing at full blast, and soundtracks from my favorite movies. It’s my biggest curated playlist to date, I’m always adding to it, and I’m really proud of it 🙂

QUOTE OF THE MONTH: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.” This quote sticks with me as a reminder that we can’t change the past, but we can change the present, which will inevitably become our future. A part of me regrets not starting this newsletter when I had officially started my business in 2019, or even in 2021 after I had sold my house and set out on my epic adventure with my dog and travel trailer, but I didn’t – and instead of being sad about it I’m going to be excited that the newsletter is now here 🙂

WORD OF THE MONTH: Words are the foundation of human communication and expression. They allow us to convey our thoughts, feelings, ideas, and experiences to others, creating a bridge between our inner world and the external reality. Every word carries its own unique power and nuance, shaping the way we perceive and interact with the world. Having a “Word of the Month” has been me a source of inspiration, sparked creative thinking, and promoted my love for language. This month’s word is sonder.

Sonder : (noun) the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own — populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness — an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.

AMAZON FAVORITES: Camera Gear (purchase here)

This is an extensive list of almost all my camera equipment I’ve collected since the start of my Photography Business. If you’re looking to get into photography or starting your own business this is a great place to start! Please note though that the equipment doesn’t make the photographer and you don’t need a deep list of gear before becoming a photographer. Just pick up a camera, any camera, and start taking photos. Practicing is the best way you’re going to learn and find your own creative perspective.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH: MawMaw’s Cajun Chicken Fricassee

This section of the newsletter is dedicated to my Mom, who loves cooking our favorite Cajun recipes that were passed down to her from her Mom, my MawMaw. My MawMaw and PawPaw have strong Cajun backgrounds as they met in Leroy, Louisiana. After they got married in 1950 they moved to downtown Houston and raised 7 children, my Mom being the 5th. My MawMaw passed away in 2009 from brain cancer but my PawPaw still lives in that same house. The first recipe I’ll be sharing from the family cookbook vault is one of my personal favorites, Chicken Fricassee. Instructions below are from my Mom, who told me to remind you that the Roux is one of the most important parts of this dish and can be tricky to make if this is your first attempt. If you burn the flour and the oil, toss it out and start over as the burnt flavor will stick and ruin the entire dish. She also said if you have any questions about the recipe to let her know and she’ll walk you through it, feel free to email me at hey@emilywisch.com if needed.

CAJUN CHICKEN FRICASSEE INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup cooking oil for the Roux.

1 whole chicken, or 6-8 of favorite pieces of chicken, (ex. thighs, breasts). Season raw chicken with salt/pepper. My mom recommends to use a mix of thighs and breasts as the different types of meat creates a better flavor.

1 medium to large white onion, chopped.

2-3 stalks celery, chopped.

3-4 bay leaves.

3 cups of water.

1 cup chopped parsley.

1 cup cut onion tops.

Tony Chachery’s seasonings.

1 can or 1 package of frozen Corn.

2 cups cooked rice.

Tony Chachery’s seasonings.

COLE SLAW: 1 shredded head of cabbage, 2 heaping tbsp mayo, 2 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 heaping tsp pepper. Wisk everything (except cabbage) together in bowl, then add cabbage and thoroughly combine. If dressing is too thick add vinegar, if too thin add mayo.

This is one my favorite recipes my Mom cooks that was passed down to her from my MawMaw. Every time she cooks it I’m teleported back to when I was a kid and my entire family would be hanging out at my MawMaw and PawPaw’s house, it’s the best. I’m so excited to share this family recipe with you and that you’ll get to recreate it in your own kitchen with friends and family. Bon appétit!

CAJUN CHICKEN FRICASSEE COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1: Make a roux, 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup worth. How to make a Roux: In an 8 cup Pyrex measuring glass microwave, start with 1/4 cup all purpose flour and 1/4 cup cooking oil. Mix together thoroughly and microwave for 3 minutes. Immediately and thoroughly stir together. Microwave for 2 more minutes. Immediately and thoroughly stir together. Microwave for another 2 minutes. Immediately and thoroughly stir together. Microwave for 1 minute. Immediately and thoroughly stir together. Continue with 1 minute microwave/stir until the roux is a dark penny color. If roux is too thick, add more oil. If it’s too runny, add a tablespoon of flour at a time to thicken. While the roux is cooking have a heavy cooking pot heated on the stove with 1 cup of water.

Step 2: When roux is cooked, add in onion and celery. Incorporate thoroughly together. Cook for 1 minute increments until wilted, 4 increments. Meanwhile in a heavy club aluminum pot that is sprayed with Pam cooking spray, add a little water to boil (about 2 cups). My mom said if you don’t have a club aluminum brand pot to use a heavy aluminum or copper pot as the heat conductivity is better.

Step 3: When roux mixture is done, slowly mix into water. Wisk together well. Add 3 cups additional water.

Step 4: Add bay leaves and a couple of shakes of Tony Chachery’s seasonings and chicken.

Step 5: Cook for about 1 to 1.5 hours until chicken is done.

Step 6: Add parsley and onion tops.

Step 7: Serve over a bed of rice with cole slaw and rice as sides. Fricassee gravy amount is determined by what ratio you want you rice and how “soupy” you want it to be. Personally, I combine the cole slaw and corn with my rice, gravy, and chicken into one bowl. To each their own.

WISCH’S WORDSEARCH:

See you next month on December 1st for our next newsletter. If you haven’t signed up yet and want to receive the monthly newsletters please visit: https://emilywisch.com/newsletter

Disclosure: The link to my favorite Amazon Finds is an Amazon Affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through this specific link and finalize a purchase using this specific link.