A Donut Kind of Weekend

I'm slowly making my way through the foods that I want to include in this cookbook.  Last weekend and this weekend, I only made two things that weren't already on the list.  I didn't do a whole lot of cooking since I decided that I needed to tackle the food that is already in the freezer.  Friday night when I actually took everything out to make note of what's in there, I discovered that there are 42 individual meals waiting for my attention.  Now there's a list on the fridge and I have to take care of that before making many more meals.  So I guess it might be a while before I post another set of photos.

Grilled Chicken with Strawberry Balsamic Salsa

This is sooooooo yummy.  I made it a few weeks ago but I didn't have my lights out to photograph it. Since it was so good, I knew that I'd be happy to make it again soon and since there were some cheesy bacon cauliflower tots (not yet photographed - I'll do that when I make a fresh batch sometime) in the freezer that needed eating, I made it today.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my childhood.

This photo was really hard to do.  It was my final assignment for the online course and it was done with light painting.  All lights were out and I had to light up the photo using a jimmied flashlight during a 30 second exposure.  I didn't enjoy the process at all...why on earth wouldn't I just use regular lights or flash so I can see how the photo will turn out?  Anyway, the cookies are yummy.

Sweet Potato Chili with Shredded Turkey

I actually had some chili in the freezer but I volunteered to participate in a chili cook-off at work so I had to make another batch.  I wasn't anywhere near the office that day so I didn't get to try any of the other chili selections but I heard it was a great turnout and a lot of fun.  I didn't win.

Asparagus with Balsamic Glaze and Parmesan Cheese

I have made this a million times over the years.  I love asparagus.  It's hard though, to judge just how long to cook it based on the size of the stalks.  I overcooked this batch a bit but it was tasty anyway.  I'll likely redo this photo some time and try to spread the parmesan less clumpily.

Spicy Butternut Squash Fries

I know, they're not fry shaped.  I only had the bulb part of the squash left.  I find this photo boring so I'll likely do it again some time and use the neck of the squash so the fries can actually look like fries.

Banana Chocolate Chip Nutella Donuts

I love my little donut pan.

Apple Cinnamon Donuts

Apples...and cinnamon...how can you go wrong?

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Donuts

Ditto for oatmeal and chocolate chips!

And that's it for this episode of "Sharon Makes Too Much Food for Herself."

Meet Minerva

Minerva is the new camera.  Hermione had some health issues that were not covered by Universal Health Care so she is on long-term sick leave.  Minerva is basically the same but with some upgrades to the internal workings.  Her formal name is Professor McGonegal but since I feel I already know her (her buttons and settings are exactly the same as Hermione's), I am calling her Minerva.  I am hoping that she is not as lemon-y as Hermione has been.

I spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen this weekend so there are lots of yummy photos.  As a side note, only two of the things I made this weekend were on the list for the cookbook.  Darn social media and emailed newsletters are going to make this cookbook project never-ending.

For the course this week, I had to change up the angle I was shooting from (most often a 45 degree angle to the food) so the photos are from overhead and from eye-level.

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

This recipe was in an email I received on Thursday with five pancake recipes.  I printed two of them and this was the one I chose to try this weekend for the on-line course.  Hungry Girl is the culprit, if you have seen her cookbooks or perused her website.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt Pie

This is so yummy with strawberries and a bit of cool whip.  The peanut butter flavour was not at all detectable so I will either have to increase the amount or leave it out altogether.  I will likely crop this into a square for the cookbook...there's way too much of nothing in front and behind.

Indian Chicken Curry

So this photo is not at all appetizing but the dish was outstanding so I will make it again (properly) and re-shoot it.  I mis-read the instructions and pureed a portion of the entire dish at the end.  The instructions said to puree some of the broth and chickpeas...not the chicken, peppers, etcetera, so I guess that's why it looks kind of unappealing.

Two-ingredient Bagels

The recipe for these bagels is so versatile...it can be used to make naan, weiner wraps, pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, soft pretzels and many other things that are not immediately coming to my mind.  I have only made the cinnamon rolls and bagels so far.  The bagels have become my weekday first breakfast (second breakfast is usually chocolate yogurt with strawberries).

Mexican Cauliflower Rice

I think this recipe has potential but it was kind of blah.  It needs more spice to be enjoyable on its own.  With the sriracha chicken (below) for dinner tonight, it was fantastic.  And yes, that glass of wine was also fantastic.

Cauliflower Biscuits

Before I discovered the two-ingredient bagels, these were my go-to morning carb fix.  They taste a bit like sourdough.

Tangy Sriracha Chicken

This has a nice kick to it.  Quick and easy and a great way to flavour boring rice.

And again, I am looking forward to leftovers!

January 14

I did a bit more cooking this weekend 😋.

The lesson this week was about using an artificial light source so while dinner was cooking last night, I got out my lighting equipment for the first time.  After making the photo I uploaded for the course, I kept the equipment out until this morning when I made this yummy dish.

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Home Fries

I realized too late that I didn't stack the food evenly but look at that steam coming up.  Woohoo!  I probably couldn't have done that if I tried on purpose.  By the way, YUM!!!

Chicken Enchilada Bubble Up

The leaning angle is on purpose...trying something out of my comfort zone.

Ginger Mango Yogurt Parfait

Look Mom, I used the crystallized ginger you gave me for Christmas.  Too bad the mango wasn't ripe enough.  This photo was the one I submitted for the course.  The instructor likes depth (shadows) throughout the food.  Let me tell you...it was very difficult to do that without getting ugly reflections on the glass.

Gotta run now...going to Stokely for a snowshoe/chocolate extravaganza.

Oh, if anyone has any idea how I should title these posts, I am open to ideas.  The date as a title is pretty boring.

The Cookbook Begins...

Just a reminder that none of the foods that I will be posting here are my recipes.  I don't create recipes, I just follow them and make necessary adjustments as I go along.  

I started the on-line food photography course yesterday and since the table and tripod were set up, I just kept going.  Here are the things I made this weekend...

Yesterday I made a couple of dishes for meals for the next few days.  This first one is the photo I submitted for the on-line course - I had to submit two versions of the same photo, each with slightly different lighting.  I'll see what the instructor says later on this week.  

Asian-Flavoured Quinoa Salad

This next one isn't something I planned for the cookbook.  I needed to make something chocolaty or peanut buttery for Pam for book club tomorrow night (she doesn't like cooked fruit and my inclination was to make a crisp-type thing).  I did lick the knife that I used to take the slice of pie out of the dish so I know that it's yummy and will make it to the cookbook.  I wish it came out more firm but I was running out of daylight so I didn't have time to let it set long enough in the fridge.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Cookie Crumble Topping

Next is what I had initially planned for book club.  When I took out one bar to photograph it, I messed up another bar so I had to eat it.  It was tart but yummy so I think it will also make it into the cookbook.  I am now worried that this book will end up being too big to be easy-to-use!

Raspberry Streusel Bars

And this is something I made for the first time a year ago but wanted to try again with shredded turkey instead of ground turkey.  They turned out okay but I will add a bit more flavour to the recipe when I write it in the book.

Turkey Stuffed Mini Peppers

On Friday before I got the photography equipment set up, I made these donuts thinking that they would suit Pam's chocolate preference.  What I learned is that marshmallow fluff is a bugger to work with and it sticks like glue...unless you want it to stay on the donuts, then it slides off.  I will keep this recipe but modify it somehow to avoid the fluff.

S'mores Donuts

What I have learned so far...

1.  I seem to have a preferred set up that I will need to make an effort to vary.

2.  I need to learn how to manage the glare on the plates.

3.  Styling and coming up with the props are VERY difficult.

4.  I really need to follow up on the non-delivery of that set of coloured napkins I ordered back in October.  Three checked napkins isn't going to cut it for many more photos.

Well, that's a start.