Food Styling Challenge

Food Styling Challenge: Tidymom

The Food Styling Challenge is all about showcasing talent for styling food. I have asked 12 amazing bloggers to pick any chocolate cake recipe they want and style it anyway they want. The catch? They only have $25 to do it! Join us on the journey to see how they can transform a cake stand into a work of art!

April is all about Cheryl from Tidymom. Cheryl is one of my favorite bloggers and has taught me SO much! When she agreed to be a part of this challenge I was literally giddy.

Not only is Cheryl one of the smartest bloggers I know, but she is totally willing to share everything she learns. Her blog is an amazing combination of scrumptious food and homemaking and photography tips!

And just look what she made for us today!

Malted Chocolate Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Cream

(be sure to click over to Cheryl’s blog to get the recipe for the mouth watering cake creation!!)

Did you find the Food Styling Challenge to be easy or difficult? A little of both. Generally I don’t give much thought to how I will style a shoot before I make a recipe. I usually make it, them rummage thru what I have and start playing while I shoot. – I know that’s not how the pro’s do it, but, it works for me. I’ve learned to just pick up cool stuff when I see it, so I’ve grown a pretty good collection of props.

For your challenge I actually gave thought weeks ahead of time of how I wanted to style my cake shots, and had items in mind that I wanted to look for. Shopping second hand is what I usually do, but it’s definitely more challenging when you have specific items in mind. I do have a large Antique Mall almost walking distance from my house, and GoodWill and a few resale shops in town, so I was able to eventually come up with what I thought would work.

Decorating cake is a challenge in of its self, so I decided to make this an easy one, and I found shooting a dark chocolate cake to be a challenge too. It’s hard to get the right light on the cake, without blowing out everything else in the shot. That took some time, I didn’t expect.

Was the spending limit a challenge? Not at all, I’m pretty sure I was well under budget. Let’s see….. the silver tray was $3.50, the assorted silver ware came to $4.00, the blue cup $ .50 (the pink cup I had), plates $1.00, books were $2.00, fabric remnant $1.00, blue mason jar $.50, glasses $2.00, the faux wood surface is a piece of wallpaper I had. So that comes to… $14.50!! All of these items are pieces I will use again.

What are your favorite props to style with? Oh gosh, I’d have to say old darker pieces, especially pans and fun fabrics and napkins, I have a huge collection of both.

What is your favorite part of the challenge? Pushing myself to think about styling BEFORE I even make a recipe. I also tried my hand at more of a darker feel, by using my black foam boards instead of white. I wanted my photo to have a feel that “is was a lazy day spent reading, it was getting late and I stopped to enjoy a piece of cake with a glass of milk.” It’s funny to look at my first photo in a shoot, and then see where I end up, usually nothing like where I started.

Kudos to you Amanda on all your beautiful cake decorating AND styling! You sure make it look easy!

I cant get over how delicious this cake looks. I might have to skip breakfast and lunch so I can have cake for dinner!

Thank you so much Cheryl! Please do take the time to visit the amazingness that is Tidymom. net. And check out her Pinterest boards… over 100,000 people follow everything she pins!

Blog TidyMom.net

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TidyMomFanPage

Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/tidymom

Pinterst http://pinterest.com/tidymom/

Instagram http://instagram.com/tidymom/

Google + https://plus.google.com/106011087914023320492?rel=author

Be sure to check out the Food Styling Challenge Participants thus far!

JANUARY – Dine & Dish

White Chocolate Confetti Cake

FEBRUARY – Verses From My Kitchen

Blackberry Chocolate Cake

MARCH – Inspired by Charm

Cookies and Cream Cake

April 22, 2013 · 12 Comments

Food Styling Challenge: Inspired by Charm

The month of March is all about Michael from Inspired by Charm.

One thing I love about this challenge is the unique talents of each participant. Kristen is a trend setter in food photography and is forever creating stunning ways to think about, feel towards, and view food. Michael from Verses From My Kitchen has a talent and passion that is unequaled, and his ability to visually match images to the power of his words is astounding!

And Michael, Michael is a absolute master of finding hidden gems and turning them into art! Part of the theme in Food Styling Challenge is styling on a budget and re-purposing everyday items. Micheal’s blog is full of charming designs and creative ways to use household items. I knew he would flourish in this challenge! He owns and runs a Bed and Breakfast that is constantly beautify-ing it and everything around him.

Michael has made a Cookie and Cream Cake for us today! Please do be sure to check out his blog for the recipe!! And look at that vintage cake plate… swoon!

Did you find the Food Styling Challenge to be easy or difficult?

To be honest, at first I was a bit nervous. While I love baking and photographing my adventures, I never really take the time to fully stylize my photoshoots. I usually just take pictures in my kitchen or dining room and call it a day. Although I still used my two favorite spots to photograph my creations, this time I pushed myself to try new things, extra props, different angles. I even took a few of these photos on my kitchen floor. It worked perfectly, and the lighting was excellent! Once I started styling and photographing, the challenge was so enjoyable!

Food Styling Challenge for March: Inspired by Charm's Michael Wurm Jr.

Was the spending limit a challenge?

No, not at all. I have a great thrift store in town. I found a tablecloth, cake cutter, fork, plates, and server for about $8. I also picked up a few party supplies for under $5. I actually didn’t need the full amount. I think less is best. It’s really about letting the food have the starring role. The accessories just help to tell a story.

What are your favorite props to style with?

Cake stands are my all-time favorite. I have three milk glass stands that I’m obsessed with. They are all great quality (and were kind of pricey), but every cake looks like a million bucks on any one of them. A white cake stand is a must. I’m also a huge fan of vintage pieces. They make me feel right at home. Anytime I’m eating or cooking, I always want to feel comfortable in my environment.

What is your favorite part of the challenge?

I think we constantly need to push ourselves to experiment and take risks. I could have played it safe and photographed things the way I normally do, but I stepped outside my box and learned a trick or two. I’m actually excited to get back into the kitchen to make something else and continue trying new things.

Food Styling Challenge: Inspired by Charm's Michael Wurm Jr.

So glad you had fun Michael… I know I am dying for a piece of that cake!! It looks just delicious. If you want to see more about the talented that Michael has to offer please do stop by and visit him!

Blog www.inspiredbycharm.com

Facebook facebook.com/inspiredbycharm

Twitter twitter.com/inspiredbycharm

Pinterst pinterest.com/inspiredbycharm

Instagram instagram.com/inspiredbycharm (or @inspiredbycharm)

Vine @inspiredbycharm

And be sure to see January and February’s participants; Kristen from Dine &Dish and Mike from Verses From My Kitchen.

I think you are going to love April’s Secret Stylist… cant wait to share! Here’s a hint… she is super ‘neat’!

March 28, 2013 · 10 Comments

Food Styling Challenge: Verses From My Kitchen

So very exited to share this months Food Styling Challenge participant!

The month of February is all about Mike from Verses From My Kitchen.

I cant say enough amazing things about the talent that Mike possess. His blog is not only photographically visually stunning, but beautifully written. It reads like a novel, an enticing and captivating escapade of love, food, and everything in between.

Having him participate in this little food challenge is such an honor, I am still wrapping my head around it! Thank you Mike, for sharing your passion, your love, and your talent with the world!

And please, whatever you do, make a moment of your day to stop by and see what amazing talent this man has. And dont forget to check out this Chocolate Fudge & Coconut Cake. Can we just all agree that gorgeous doesnt do it justice?

The beautiful creation that Mike has made for us is a Blackberry Chocolate Cake. Mike has the full recipe on his blog, and you are going to want to make it as soon as possible!

I asked Mike a few questions about his experience:

DID YOU FIND THE FOOD STYLING CHALLENGE TO BE EASY OR DIFFICULT?

I would say it was more difficult than it was easy. I think a large part of that was my lack of cake styling. I don’t bake a lot on my site so trying to ice and style a cake pushed me to try a few new things.

WAS THE SPENDING LIMIT A CHALLENGE?

Actually, it was more than I normally spend on props.I normally look everywhere for props, including wood thrown out behind commercial stores. So this challenge worked out well. We’re lucky where we are to have a wide variety of antique shops and second-hand stores nearby. I found the chair and wood at one shop for $6, the cake pans at an antique shop for $3, the plates in the ASIS department at Ikea for $2, the vintage milk bottle for $1, a $4 glass cake stand, the sifter for $2 and a $3 vintage cake spatula at a second-hand shop. All these stores are within minutes of one another. And most of these are props I’ll use again and again.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE PROPS TO STYLE WITH?

I love different colours and shapes of fabrics and napkins and props. They can add colour and texture and dimension to an image. I also love weathered wood and antique silverware and to try to find the right items for the food I’m highlighting.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE CHALLENGE?

Baking and icing a cake! I can’t say I’ll turn into a baking blog, but it was fun trying for this post. I also loved trying to style a cake, which brings a different dimension than I’m used to. I think I’ll stick to smaller cakes in the future, but don’t be surprised to see a cake show up from time to time.

Just look at that. How on earth he manages to make an empty plate look appetizing and beautiful is beyond my realm of comprehension!

A huge, HUGE thank you to Mike for his beautiful contribution to the this project! You can see more of Mike’s awesomeness on facebook and twitter!

Be sure to check out January’s Food Styling Challenge participant, Kristen from Dine & Dish. She made a heavenly White Chocolate Confetti Cake!

Also stop by and see what I thought 2013′s Food Styling Trends were. (Mike and Kristen are definitely trend setters!!)

February 26, 2013 · 31 Comments

Food Styling Challenge: Dine and Dish

I am so so SO excited to share with you a new feature on my blog!!! One of my passions has long been admiring the talent and skill of the folks that are able to beautifully style food. I personally find cake to one of the hardest foods to style, and am constantly searching for new and creative ways to share baked creations.

Since my talents are so very limited, I thought it would be fun to see what the best in the business could come up with!

I asked 12 different fabulously talented bloggers if they would be up for a little challenge. With $25 total and the common theme of Chocolate Cake, I was dying to see what they could produce. I requested that they shop only second hand, but were able to buy and use any props within their budget.

January is all about the fabulous Kristen from Dine&Dish.

I am a long time fan of Kristen’s ability to style her food and pictures. Every time I go to her site I want to immediately make what she has shared!

Kristen also shared her about her experience on her site, and it is definitely worth checking out!

I asked Kristen a few questions about her experience:

Did you find the Food Styling Challenge to be easy or difficult? It was a mix of easy and difficult. We don’t have any antique stores near where I am, and if we did, going there with a 3 year old in tow would not be my idea of a good time. So instead, I hit up Goodwill. Goodwill is one of those places where it’s either hit or miss. The price is often right, but whether you find what you are looking for with just one trip can be the challenge.

I believe the right textures in a photograph make or break a picture. I had trouble finding the base fabric I wanted to use, but finally found an ivory tablecloth with a coffee stain or something on it for cheap. Considering I would only be using a portion of the cloth, it worked out beautifully.

Beautiful White Chocolate Rose Cake from Dine&Dish

Was the spending limit a challenge? Surprisingly, it wasn’t, but it’s because I found things with blemishes. The tea kettle is missing a leg. The tablecloth has a stain. I bought the tea cup but could have probably gotten away without it as I didn’t really like it in the pictures (seemed like too much). In fact, my favorite picture is the simple stack of plates without the extra props. I spent $1 on the forks, $3 on the plates, $2 on the tablecloth and got the napkin like fabric out of a remnants bin for 25 cents. I could have spent that much and would have been happy with the pictures without the extra props.

What is your favorite part of the challenge? Attempting to decorate a cake

Cake decorating is not my forte, at all. My daughter is currently taking a cake decorating class so I am having fun learning along with her. Even though I didn’t nail your rose technique, I loved trying it. Following your tutorial made it so easy – mush easier than all those things we are learning in her class.

White Chocolate Rose Cake from Dine&Dish

White Chocolate Confetti Cake

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
4 ounces high quality white chocolate squares, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cups butter, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup pastel sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare your baking pans by sprang with Pam Baking Spray (see note at end of recipe regarding pan size).
Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt.
Heat milk in a microwave safe bowl until hot (not scalding or boiling). Stir in the chopped white chocolate pieces and stir until melted.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter, sugar and sour cream together until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla until well incorporated.
Turn your mixer to low speed and add melted chocolate mixture followed by the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
Turn off mixer and remove bowl. Using a wooden spoon, fold in pastel sprinkles until just incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared cake pan(s). Note: I baked mine in mini 5 inch spring form pans for 20-23 minutes. For 2 8 inch round pans, bake for 18-20 or until toothpick comes out clean.
Top with your favorite Vanilla Buttercream
Adapted from wilton.com White Chocolate Cake with Raspberry

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White Chocolate Cake from Kristen of Dine & Dish

*****

Thank you SO much Kristen for being the first to take on the Food Styling Challenge! Your work is stunning and your personal style and passion are beyond inspiring!

So I must know… what is your favorite picture of Kristens? What do you love about it?

You can find Kristen on Pinterest, on Twitter (and she is one fantastic tweeter!) , Facebook , Google+, as well as Instagram and Vine.

Stay tuned for next month, you are not going to want to miss the seriously talented blogger who is stopping by!

January 31, 2013 · 52 Comments