Egg Nog Snickerdoodles | Commercial Food Photographer

Two perfect reasons to make these cookies:
1. You love Egg Nog.
2. You hate Egg Nog but someone left it at your house.

Either way, you'll like these cookies! If you don't, take them to work and make your coworkers eat them. They're really light and the flavors are subtle, a nice contrast to the majority of holiday treats.

Love this photo? Buy a copy from Photo Kitchen. 

The paper trees in the background have been my favorite part of this holiday season. I've really enjoyed making them, thanks to fellow photographer and blogger Davina Fear, who happily shared the idea. Those of you who are parents, Davina has some of the cutest crafts and activities I have EVER seen.

Eggnog Snickerdoodle Cookies
www.whatkatiesbaking.com

1 ½ c flour
½ stick butter
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup egg nog (I used soy Silk Egg Nog, and it worked perfectly.)
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 cup sugar + 1 tbsp cinnamon for rolling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and 1/2 cup sugar. (I used the paddle attachment like it says, but I used a regular beater for my next cookie recipe (also to combine butter and sugar) and it worked just fine.
4. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.
5. Add egg and eggnog, and beat to combine.
6. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine. Don't overmix.
7. You can chill the dough for an hour or more to make the dough easier to scoop, or go ahead and scoop them a little messier.
8. In a small bowl, combine 1/8 cup sugar and 1 tbsp ground cinnamon.
9. Use a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar.
10. Place about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
11. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack, about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after five minutes. The cookies will feel a little doughy when you touch them, but trust me, they're finished.
12. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack as soon as they are cool enough to not fall apart. Yields 18-20 cookies.

Homemade Orange Rolls | Columbus Ohio Food Photographer and Stylist

Pillsbury Orange Rolls have always been an all-time favorite of mine. I'd eat the entire can in a sitting if no one was watching. So, when I had leftover orange icing (recipe included below), what better to make than Homemade Orange Rolls? They would beat the store bought kind, right? Yup, they did. And I had just as hard a time  sharing them with others.

Warning: This is one of those recipes you have to let "rest." Which means work, then wait. Work some more, then wait. There's a wait time of an hour and fifteen minutes, then another wait time of 25 minutes, so don't expect to do this in a hurry.

Here's a picture to entice you.

Making the dough was easier than I thought it would be. Historically, I don't have much luck with homemade dough. This one came together just as the recipe said it would.

This recipe has you roll each of the rolls (I couldn't see how to avoid saying that!) individually. Since I'd never made rolls from scratch before, I followed the instructions, but I recently watched someone else make cinnamon rolls, and they laid the dough out in a rectangular sheet then poured the filling over it, and rolled the whole sheet up and cut it into pieces. This seems much faster. The knife might smoosh the rolls as they're being cut and the butter might squish out the ends, but I will try it that way next time anyway.

I might cook them just a little less next time. I like them a little gooey-er and less brown on top, but once I put the icing on and it all melded together, there was little that could be done to make them more perfect. The dough TASTED homemade, in the best way, and the icing was amazing. The rolls grew HUGE, so each roll was equivalent to 2-3 of the store bought kind.

A special recipe to share around the holidays, but consider making them on a normal weekend. Whomever you choose to share them with will be indebted to you. 


Homemade Orange Rolls (from myrecipes.com)

Ingredients

   Dough
* 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
* 1/2 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
* 2 tablespoons butter, softened
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
* Cooking spray

   "Filling" For Dough
* 1 stick butter, melted
* 3 tablespoons grated orange rind
* 3 tblsp cinnamon
* 1/2 cup sugar

   Icing (from Wilton.com)
* 1 stick butter, softened
* 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
* 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (about 2 lbs.)
* 1 tablespoons milk
* 1 tablespoon orange juice
* 1 tablespoon orange zest

* You can prepare icing ahead of time and refrigerate, covered. (Icing directions are listed at the end.)

* To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons softened butter, salt, and egg, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 cups flour to yeast mixture; beat until smooth. Add 1 cup flour to yeast mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).
 
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour and 15 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)
 

Photography Matters, No Matter Your Business

Why hire a professional photographer? This is a question I here a lot, especially since the rise of digital photography. I recently found two articles (not written by photographers!) that explain how the use of quality photography is integral to your business.

This first excerpt is about hiring a professional photographer for a political campaign, though it could apply to any business's advertising and marketing endeavors.

Photography can be the key to a successful direct mail campaign. When it comes to direct mail, you get approximately five seconds of a voter's time between the mailbox and the trash can so you need to make those five seconds as eye catching and powerful as possible. In a misguided attempt to save resources, many campaigns skimp on one of the most crucial aspects of direct mail--photography. It's akin to building your dream house on a dirt foundation. All of the work you put into your mail program--the research, writing and strategy--won't be as effective if the piece is dragged down by low resolution, amateurish, overtly political photos taken by a well-meaning volunteer.

A picture is worth a thousand words, especially in political mail. A compelling and unusual photo can leap out of the rest of the clutter in the mailbox and get you those precious seconds of voter attention. A few tips on getting the right image to make your point:

Hire a professional photographer, not your neighbor who has a new digital camera (unless he or she is a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer in which case I hope they have better equipment). Spend the money on a real shoot with a real photographer....

Chadderdon, Liz. "Don't Skimp on the Visual - It Seals the Deal." Politics (Campaigns and Elections). May 2010.

This second excerpt is about using photos that best illustrate your brand.

The right picture truly is worth a thousand words. It can tell your story, showcase your products, and intrigue, interest or excite your audience. But the wrong picture--well, there's a whole other phrase that describes that: Not worth the paper it's printed on. Problem is, how do you tell the difference?

A good photo or illustration communicates more quickly and leaves a longer lasting impression than words alone. It's the old left brain/right brain thing. There is an emotional and a rational aspect to every communication, and you want to enhance both. The right picture can make people read the words. The right words can make people internalize the message. The visuals you use will create a perception of your (company) in the minds of the people who see them. Make sure it's the perception you want.

There's no way to tell you exactly how much you should pay for professional photography, since so much is dependent on the specifics of your job: How many pictures? Of what? Where? When? Even where you are located geographically makes a huge difference in photo costs. The best advice is to check around. Look at photographers' portfolios, find a few whose work you like, and get several quotes. Often photographers negotiate based on use.

Before you send any image off to a publication, ask yourself if that image would stop you, engage you, interest you. Then answer yourself truthfully.

The bottom line is, the better your photos, the better you'll look. It's worth the time and trouble to get it right.

Muhleman, Janet. "Picture Your Brand." Franchising World, February 2005.

Professional Retoucher | Columbus Ohio

Here's a quick example of a recent image I retouched. To save time while shooting, the client and I decided to add the fire in the fireplace after the fact. This way, we could also control how the fire looked and how bright and out of focus it would be. See if you can catch all the other things that changed! Click below to watch the animation!

http://www.photokitchen.net/Photogalleries/fireplace.gif

Are All Burgers Created Equal?

No!
Just like burger's aren't all created equal, neither are pictures of burgers!
Why is food photography so important? Why would you want to hire someone to do it vs. buying a point-and-shoot and saving some $?
BECAUSE
You can't hear, touch, taste, or smell a photo of a burger.
The photo has to do all the work when you only have one sense at your disposal, and seeing is believing. If that burger doesn't look juicy, hot, sizzling, and downright mouthwatering, then who's going to believe that it is?
Let your photos reflect the deliciousness of your food. Hire a professional!

7 Reasons to be Thankful for the Recession

Whether you call it a recession, an economic downturn, or hard times, everyone has been effected, and rarely in a good way. While it's easy to look at the downside, I want to take a minute to look at the bright side. Here are 7 reasons I'm thankful for the recession.

1. Professional Wake-Up Call
Business has slowed down enough for me really look at what I've been doing, take stock of what I like and don't like, and the excuse I needed to change it.

2. More Food, More Fun
While business was rolling right along, I didn't have the time to cook, or even think about what I was eating. Now I'm eating healthier and better foods, reigniting my passion for cooking, and enjoying all of it a whole lot more!

3. Whole World View
I've always been passionate about the environment, that hasn't changed. But now that it's not just about the environment, but also about saving money, I've become more strict about my environmental choices, which makes me happy and proud. I buy props from garage sales and used stores, avoid buying new whenever possible. Not to mention saving on gas means saving money, too. Also, I've had the time to call up all those catalog companies and request to be taken off their mailing list.

4. Materialism Isn't Happiness
I've never considered myself a shop-o-holic, or anywhere close, but I've often found myself wondering if buying something would solve my problem before I'd consider a buying-free option. For example: organization. Instead of looking at my current organizational system and seeing what needed to be changed, I'd think "If I buy this shelving unit, would that help me be more organized?" The answer is often No. Instead, I started looking at it backwards--"Here are these 4 piles of things that need to be organized. What is the best way to do that? Do I currently own something that would help me? Do I need these things at all? Could I turn them digital instead of keeping the originals?" Then, if when I was done organizing, I decided a shelving unit would help, then I could go from there. Mostly, I found I didn't need it.

5. Expenses, Expenses, Expenses
I find that life is often a balance between time and money. If you don't have the time, you have the money. If you don't have the money, you have the time. So, now that I've had the time, I've carefully gone through my expenses and found small and large ways to save money. I lowered my cable bill by $20/month without losing any services. I return things I purchase if they don't fit/work instead of setting it in a corner until the receipt expires. I've fixed things that are broken instead of replacing them. I've canceled services I forgot I had, sold things I no longer use, spent hours lowering my health insurance by $100/month by switching companies, and so on. Now, when business picks up and I don't have the time for these things anymore, they'll already be done and I'll still be saving money!

6. Learning Isn't Just For Kids
I've been reading up on all kinds of things, like business practices, self help books, how to use Twitter to your advantage, cell phone manuals, all kinds of less-than-exciting stuff, but hey, I'm learning! It feels good to be empowered by knowledge. Now I can go forward in a more purposeful way.

7. Loved Ones
Instead of being caught up in work 24/7, I can take a few hours and hang out at my sister's house, go on a walk with my mom, go camping for the weekend, drive a friend to the airport...and do so without thinking how I should be at my computer retouching more images!

Now it's your turn, what are your reasons?

written by Catherine Murray