I swear I do shoot...

Spring semester of third year was when I really started to buckle down and shoot more food. My photo interest stream has been all over the map but once I switch to advertising at the beginning of second semester I quickly learned that making portraits was not for me. I learned that I am not the fashion photographer type which is completely fine. I love shooting food and still life. I get focus and problem solve and use my tricks. Much more fun for me. 

This shoot was really fun for me. It's a spinach cheese dip I found online (Thank you interwebs always). The end of third semester was a real late night cooking and baking semester for me. I felt comfortable in my kitchen and I must've had time tuesday nights to bake stuff to shoot in class Wednesday mornings. I wonder if I'm remembering my schedule right.... 

Anyhow, this shoot was fun and I loved it and it was great. I actually ran across the final image today and remembered it, of course 9months later I'm still working on it. This shot has a design element that goes along with it that I still need help with. Gotta make some calls to my designer friends, not like everyone is busy buried in school work... poor shoot... you were so good.. hopefully one day soon the final image will be complete and up on my site. One day! 

Funfetti = Fun Times

Funfetti = fun times always. Period. End of Story. 

My friends from high school and I love funfetti. It is our cake mix. Our tradition. Every birthday, holiday, rainy day - is funfetti day. Funfetti is perfection, and it will never stop being something that is good and love and friendship.

This night I was baking for a photoshoot. I have a cute little cookies and milk shot I planned out and I had to do funfetti cookies because I found a recipe online. And while I was at it I happened to make a funfetti cake too because why not! I've mentioned I'm a night person, and obviously by the glow of the stove light, I was up a little late baking, which sounds funny if you don't know me and completely normal if you do. Baking is cathartic, and baking at night when I can't sleep is just downright perfect. Throw in some funfetti and my night is made, it almost doesn't even matter that I can't sleep! 

Through all of high school we made countless funfetti cakes and cupcakes but this was my first batch of funfetti cookies and I loved the way they turned out. They're beautiful and made for a shoot I was happy with. Small kicks of color in a neutral set. Funfetti still hasn't stopped meaning love. Even at 21. 

Bacon Pancakes

That's right I said it, BACON pancakes! I'm all on board the bacon train, I haven't had crazy bacon things yet but honestly, if I was offered a chance to try bacon ice cream or something along those lines, I'd take it! 

This isn't from my hunger games cookbook. I took a break from it after the first three sections of the book, but not to fear, the catchy hunger games related recipe titles will come back in a little bit, I haven't give up on the book completely. 

This recipe came from the internet. Oh magical internet, so full of random recipes and knowledge. Now, I'm not a huge pancake fan. I explained the whole breakfast thing, and while pancakes can be quite savory and whatnot, they're not my thing. This isn't a waffle v. pancake debate either. I have neutral feelings towards both of these things. They make awesome 'breakfast for dinner' choices but as a breakfast item, totally not my thing. I know I said my dad used to sit is down for breakfast when I was little but I can honestly say I don't think I had my first pancake until high school. Remember, I'm a first generation American and my dad is a chef at a chinese restaurant. I grew up eating rice porridge and soup for breakfast as well as left over dim-sum food items dad picked up from work. That might explain why I don't really have a hankering for sweet breakfasts.. 

Anyways! This was my first attempt at making pancakes on my own and it was interesting to say the least, but when bacon is involved, where there's a will, there's a way! One of my roommates last year had these great little pancake stencil things you use to make cute shapes out of your food. I figured hey, it'll totally be easy to use these guys. And it probably would've been! If I was using a griddle.... instead I made pancakes in my little frying pan with higher edges that doesn't bode well for flipping pancakes in a stencil that has a handle and I struggled a little bit, hence the semi burnt pancake.... but it really was only semi-burnt on that one side!! and the pancakes were actually really great! The bacon was so good and the salty-sweet combo with the syrup was a pretty great idea if I do say so myself. I'm not gonna lie, I've only made these the one time but if someone asked, i'd totally do it again! (But I'd probably cut up the bacon this time...) 

Raging Wild Mushroom Ragout

I'm not really sure what I was expecting when I read the word Ragout in this cookbook but I can tell you, this was not what I what I imagined. Still, this dish ended up being really great. I never liked mushrooms growing up and avoided them at all cost but first year of college I started eating salads and mushrooms were suddenly really not that bad. By second year I went through a mushroom kick and cooked them in pretty much everything. Third year when I made this, it was perfect! This guy had probably 5 different kinds of mushrooms in it and it tasted great! However, by the time I got the to the end of the batch a week later, it wasn't as amazing anymore. This was when I figured I should probably pay more attention to the serving size unless I want to spend weeks eating 4-6 servings of the same ragout before it completely goes bad... 

Heavenly Onion and Dill Bread

Like the French Bread this little guy was a little dense. Mot as much but still not perfect. What was different was that this was a little dryer so it was much more fun to munch on. Similar to the biscuits, this also made a pretty awesome breakfast. Pre-sliced and put into a ziplock and it was perfect to go! Maybe one day I'll get bread right...