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Simple Apple Tarts

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As I was cleaning out my refrigerator I found some sad, wrinkled apples. Me being me, and not being fond of wasting food I decided to make these apples into a dessert. There wasn’t enough for an apple pie so I scoured my cupboard and found a few silicon baking tart pans.

Apple Tart Recipe

My make do Apple Tart recipe is very easy. Had to be, I was short on time and was feeling lazy. Pyrex glass bowls work just as well for this, I just didn’t have a matching set. Yes it’s all about taking the food photos I tell my husband as he rolls his eyes. 

Ingredients

  • 1 apple per tart (any kind you have around)
  • Cinnamon, Allspice, Nutmeg, white sugar (to tell you the truth I didn’t measure, geee surprise)
  • 1 TBSP Flour  per tart
  • Butter (1 TBSP per tart) GOTTA have real butter
Pie Crust (I do measure on this)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, chilled (again, gotta have REAL butter)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1/3 cup ice water

Instructions (Filling)

  1. Slice one apple per tart directly into baking dish
  2. Mix flour, sugar and spices together
  3. Sprinkle liberally on apples
  4. Place a pat of butter on apples
  5. Cut out rolled pie crust and place on apples, cut vent holes in crust.
  6. Brush with butter or egg whites (which I forgot, but it makes the end result look pretty)
  7. Bake on cookie sheet in 350 oven for 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown

Directions  for Pie Crust (taken from Allrecipes, red edits on what I really did)

  1. Combine flour and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. (I used a plain bowl) Cut butter or margarine or butter and shortening into tablespoon pieces; add it to the flour and butter. Use the paddle beater (fork) to cut the butter and flour together. Alternatively, this can be done by hand with a pastry blender. ( I used to have one)
  2. With the mixer on low speed , or while stirring the mixture with a fork, pour in the cold water. When the dough starts to clump, and before it turns into a ball, stop stirring.
  3. Lightly knead (mix and mash with hands)  dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Divide dough into two parts. Flatten each part into a disk, and chill for about 30 minutes before rolling (didn’t do that, just put out on floured counter and rolled with my Pampered Chef Roller).
Almost forgot the end result. Eat and enjoy
Apple Pie Tart

Making Tulips “Pop” With Photoshop

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Photoshop is a powerful photography tool when used properly. My goal for most photo editing is to create an image that doesn’t look like it’s been edited. So let’s render an image of a tulip into something that pops just a little, but doesn’t take it over the edge.

See how subtle editing can improve a photograph without going over the top, as I have a tendency to do sometimes, according to my daughter.

Tulip SOOC (straight out of the camera)
Tulip SOOC (straight out of the camera)

This edit first involved adding a levels adjustment layer and darkening the whole image.  I selected the pink color in Image/Adjustment/Selective Color and added more magenta, which brightened the color in the petals.

The white portion of the petals seemed washed out so I then used the Burn tool and stroked over the creases in the bottom of the petal, which brought out the fine streaks.  I then used the sponge tool and desaturated the background.

I tried some special effects with this image, but I was never quite happy with them, so I settled on realism.

Learn How to Edit in Photoshop

120 Easy Tips And Tricks For Photoshop: LearningAdobe Photoshop CS6 Revealed (Adobe CS6)Adobe Photoshop CS6 Classroom in a BookAdobe Photoshop Elements 13Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan (Photoshop CC +

Butterflies and Lilacs: Signs of Summer Already

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image

Taken and posted to WordPress on my Android phone. Was curious on how it would look on the computer compared to my phone. Of course I want to work it up in Photoshop, but I’ll think I’ll leave that for another day.

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Meatloaf Cupcakes Recipes Your Kids Will Love

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You heard right, it’s a Meatloaf cupcake recipe.

According to my daughter two words that should never be put together. But based on the response from uploading a picture to Facebook I think my Meatloaf Cupcakes with mashed potatoes for frosting deserves some blog time.

Meatloaf cupcake3s mashed potatoes

I didn’t find this idea on Pinterest,  it was a Family Magazine recipe while getting my hair cut, although anyone who wants to Pin this is more than welcome.

Meatloaf cupcakes are actually quite easy. In very simplistic terms, use your favorite meatloaf recipe, bake in muffin tins and frost with mashed potatoes. Easy peasy. They actually make meatloaf cupcake tins now!

Now, for a beginning cook who has never made either, here is my recipe below. Remember I’m a “creative cook”, recipes are used as guidelines and measurements are liberally flexible.

Meatloaf Cupcake Recipe

  • 2 lbs of ground beef
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • Salt & Pepper (1/2 tsp each)
  • Cupcake tins (didn’t have these so I baked them in regular muffin tins, messier, and not as pretty)

Mix raw ground beef with all the remaining items on the list. Scoop into balls and press into muffin tins.  Glaze with ketchup and bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

Since I have posted this Meatloaf Muffin recipe it has become VERY popular on Pinterest. Thank you, everyone, by the way. Now there are multiple stuffed meatloaf muffin recipes and even a special muffin pan designed to drain the fat from the tins, genius I say!

Norpro Nonstick Mini Meatloaf, Muffin PanNorpro Nonstick Mini Meatloaf, Muffin PanMuffin Tin Menus: 47 Fun & Delicious RecipesMuffin Tin Menus: 47 Fun & Delicious Recipes

Mashed Potato Recipe

  • 4-6 potatoes
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

  1. Peel and slice potatoes into 1/2″ pieces.
  2. Boil in a large pot of water (make sure water is at least 1/2″ over potatoes) until easily poked with a fork.
  3. Drain water (save potato water as stock for cooking) and add milk, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper.
  4. Mash all ingredients together with a potato masher, or blender. 
  5. Add cheese and mix with wooden spoon until cheese is melted. (add more for cheesier frosting)
  6. Insert mashed potatoes into a piping tube, I used my Pampered Chef decorating tube (did I tell you I got a lot for my wedding)
  7. Top with grated salt and pepper
Options
Top with bacon bits, shredded cheese, or chives.
Find More Meatloaf Cupcake Recipes
Get creative with your meatloaf and your cupcakes. Food doesn’t have to be boring. If you have any meatloaf cupcake recipes you would like to share let me know.

Top 50 Most Delicious Meatloaf Recipes (Recipe Top 50's Book 74)Top 50 Most Delicious Meatloaf Recipes (Recipe Top 50’s Book 74)Meatloaf Recipes: 26 Meatloaf Recipes That Will Make Your Kitchen The #1 Favorite (Rory's Meat Kitchen)Meatloaf Recipes: 26 Meatloaf Recipes That Will Make Your Kitchen The #1 Favorite (Rory’s Meat Kitchen)Meet The Meatloaf: Easy and Delicious Meatloaf RecipesMeet The Meatloaf: Easy and Delicious Meatloaf RecipesMeatloaf Recipes: 28 Must-Eat, Super Easy and Yummy Meatloaf Recipes at Every Meal!Meatloaf Recipes: 28 Must-Eat, Super Easy and Yummy Meatloaf Recipes at Every Meal!

#12/52: Flower Porn and More

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Oops, did I really say that? Flower porn? Oh, I said it again. I’m really into Flower porn (not human kind so stop there if you are and just leave), which is very close up shots of naked reproductive parts of flowers, the stamen and pistils or macro photography. I just can’t help it, I have to not only look but point my camera at those intimate detailed parts.

Tulip flower porn
Week 12: Tulip flower porn

Some of my favorite flowers to expose are Irises, check out my shots from last year.

Summer Day Lily

The secret to good macro photography is plenty of light and a fast shutter speed. With flower photography wind is your enemy and some days you may just need to bring the blooms inside. Expose for the petals to get the texture and details. Try different angles, different lighting, back-lit sun streaming through the petals. Get on the ground and shoot up against the sky. Break out of the boring and stereotypical flower photos.

Iris Garden in Nebraska
Iris’s Galore

Use an open aperture under 5.0 and focus on the itty bitty flower sexual parts, you know the ones, deep inside the flower that few people look dare peek when no one is looking.

Macro Peony
Macro Peony

Macro Photography Tools

Macro Extension Tube Ring for Canon EOS DSLR / SLR4-In-1 Lens Attachment – For iPhone 6, Telephoto/Macro/Fish Eye +CowboyStudio One Way Macro Focusing Rail Slider Macro Bellows forNeewer FC100 32 Super Bright LED Macro Ring Flash For77mm Macro Reverse Ring Adapter for Nikon AI MountUnderstanding Close-Up Photography: Creative Close Encounters with Or Without aClose-Up and Macro Photography: Art and TechniquesCloseup Shooting: A Guide to Closeup, Tabletop and Macro Photography

Flower Photography Tips

How to master the art of flower photography

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25 flower photography tips for beginners | Digital Camera …

Improve your spring photography with these 25 flower photography tips that show you everything from how to compose to how to set your camera.

Spring is Here: Beautiful Flower Photography – PictureCorrect

Just step out of your door and turn around. Someone has planted flowers in front of the building? That could be the perfect place to trigger a few photos! For some unusual and interesting flower photography, take a trip to nature, maybe to park …

31 Incredibly Captivating Flower Photos by Wei-San Ooi

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