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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

Puppy Chow Cake

Puppy Chow. Monkey Munch. Muddy Buddy Mix.

Crazy fun names. Crazy yum taste.

Mix that with a crazy baker and you just know I just had to make it into a cake.

The hardest part about this cake was deciding how to make it. Do I make a layer of peanut butter? Should the outside be covered in powder sugar and the inside crispy chocolate? Should I just eat the entire bag of Puppy Chow and forget about the cake?

Yes.

I mean no. Must focus.

I used The Best Chocolate Cake recipe for the cake. (Please just ignore all the pictures in that post. Talk about terrible!) Simply bake cakes in 9×9 inch square pans. I cut a 3-inch section off each cake after it had cooled, then placed the two 3-inch sections side by side for the center layer of the cake.

I made a 1/4 batch of this Classic Buttercream to spread in between the layers. I opted to not use any peanut butter frosting in the cake itself.

I think the flavor of the peanut butter is so subtle in the Puppy Chow that I didnt want to call special attention to it in the cake. If you decide to try it with some deliciously smooth PB, please do share your results!

Then a batch of this Rich Chocolate Buttercream to slather all over the cake. Cause like, slathering things over cake sounds fun right? Ok, ok. I will invest in a thesaurus and choose better descriptive words next time.

Here is a basic recipe for Puppy Chow, or Muddy Buddy Mix, or Monkey Munch. I got it right from the box of Rice Chex Cereal! (Which, oddly enough, is what my pregnancy cravings have been lately. Rice Chex Cereal. We go through a box a day around here. And by we I mean me.)

Puppy Chow Cake

Ingredients

9 cups Rice Chex
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powder sugar

Instructions

Pour 9 cups of cereal into a large bowl.
In a microwave safe bowl, add chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Melt ingredients together in the microwave in 30-second increments until chocolate is just melted. Remove from microwave and stir in vanilla extract.
Pour chocolate mixture right over the cereal and gently stir until evenly coated.
Spoon half of cereal mixture into a gallon sized plastic bag. Cover cereal with 3/4 cup of powder sugar and then close bag tightly. Gently rotate and shake bag around to cover cereal with powder sugar. Repeat with remaining cereal and powder sugar.
Store in airtight container.

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April 10, 2013 · 26 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

White Chocolate Cheesecake and Chocolate Milky Way Cake

White Chocolate Cheesecake surrounded by a layer of Milky Way cake and rich Dark Chocolate Cake!

Most folks are doing what should be done right about now. Posting healthy recipes, exercise plans, motivation factors to help us follow through with our New Years Resolutions of Losing Weight and Getting Healthier. I am completely incapable of honoring any diet resolution, so instead sharing with you one of [...] Read more »

January 2, 2013 · 43 Comments

Neapolitan Rose Cake

UPDATED: Video Tutorial HERE I am obsessed with Neapolitan lately. And if you are friends with me on Instagram you already know this. I shared this picture yesterday. As well as another picture of the pre-frosted cakes the day before. And I even made another Neapolitan Rose cake last week [...] Read more »

May 9, 2012 · 279 Comments