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Stop Motion Food Recipe Videos (iPhone Basics)
Have you ever made a stop motion food recipe video before? Is it something you have been wanting to try, but didn’t know what to do? Well, today is your lucky day as I have just launched my latest video: Stop Motion iPhone Basics (Gear, Demo and Edit Process). These videos are fun to make and once you make a few, you will gain confidence and become even more creative in the kitchen.
I created this helpful tutorial video because it’s not enough these days to only post food photography images on social media platforms. Over on the Make & Taste IG account, I like to change things up when I can. By doing so I grab the attention of my audience. Even I get bored of the same old still images. During a typical blog post for Make & Taste I am capturing still images of my kitchen helper making the recipes along side of me. On occasion I have also made videos of our baking adventures, which you can see on the video section of the blog. With all the technology advancements over the years that it’s now possible to create stop motion videos on your iPhone with a simple free app called Stop Motion. How fun!
In the stop motion video below I documented a middle part of the cookie baking adventure with my kitchen helper. In the app I placed the timer setting to 5 (5 frames per second) I hit play and we did our rolling and cutting out process, then stop! I could have paused the video, baked the cookies and then shown the final baked items, but for this video I wanted to capture the middle portion of the baking adventure. Additionally, I could have started from the beginning when we mixed and poured all of the ingredients to form the dough. So many creative ways to represent the same message!Stop motion video with my kitchen helper
By day I am a brand photographer for creative entrepreneurs so branding is always on the forefront of my mind. I hope this post helps you jumpstart your stop motion video making.Do you have any questions? Add a comment, I’m happy to help!
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A Beginners How-To Video On iPhone Food Photography
Fall baking is my favorite time to be in the kitchen. The holidays and birthday celebrations all happen during this time for my family. So why not capture some amazing memories with your iPhone along the way. As a professional photographer I am constantly using my iPhone to capture daily milestones, funny moments and family life. Food photography is no exception. There are many times when I have been out enjoying a meal and need to capture a shot. When professional gear is not in use, my iPhone is the next best thing and I can’t wait to show you the possibilities.
I created this Beginners How-To Video On iPhone Food Photography as a starting point. In this video you will watch me use the iPhone live to capture the images and edit in a free app Snapseed. This side by side capture helps you see what I am seeing while capturing images. You too will develop this eye over time after taking many images along the way. I wanted this video to be approachable as possible that even your older kitchen helpers could develop their own skills. Simple set ups with foam boards and natural light are all that is needed, besides something delicious to eat.
Have fun, get creative with foam board, surfaces and recipes. Let me know if this was helpful and if you have additional questions.
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Small Batch Ginger Molasses Cookies
September is here and let’s bring on all the fall dessert treats! In my family ginger molasses cookies are something we enjoy all year round. We are typically enjoying them from a local bakery but for this upcoming school week I wanted to make our homemade version. Now my family does not need a dozen or more cookies in the house, so I adapted the recipe to just make 6 total cookies. Now the cookie dough does spread so they are a treat worthy size cookie.
My kitchen helper finally made a video together again. Since I have been talking about photography more these days, I left in seeing me in action taking photos while making this recipe. I was using my Canon 5D Mark iv and 35 mm prime lens. This is my go-to camera set up with baking and photographing my kitchen helper in action.
Baking these cookies will fill your house with warm spice smells that will get you into the fall spirit. Do you have a favorite fall spice to use when baking? Leave a comment below
Recipe Source: All Recipes Big Soft Ginger Cookies
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Easy Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Fall 2020 is about enjoying all the little things. Fall foliage, apple cider, cooler weather and of course pumpkin desserts. I was in search of a pumpkin dessert that also doubled as a dessert my kitchen helper already loves, which is coffee cake. So when I came across this Pumpkin Coffee Cake recipe from King Arthur Baking I knew I had to try it.
This recipe is a classic streusel coffee cake with the thick layer of crumb topping and center layer of more delicious sugar cinnamon mixture. The pumpkin flavor is not overpowering and the cake has a great texture. The use of the oil really provides a moist and delicious cake. There are three parts of this recipe and it’s pretty easy to put together, this would be a great Thanksgiving morning breakfast treat, Sunday brunch and if you are like me, a perfect companion to my 3pm coffee break.
New Section: Food Photography Tips
There is a new section to this post that I’m excited about. Scroll down and check out my Food Photography tips for this recipe. Let’s face it, some recipes are more photogenic than others so it’s nice to see different angles and perspectives that you can utilize and capture more impactful images. Let me know in the comments if you find these helpful and want to see this on every post!
Recipe Source: King Arthur Baking Pumpkin Streusel Coffeecake
Products Used (Affiliate Links I can enjoy another cup of coffee!)
8″ Nonstick Baking Pan
Glass Bowls
GIR Mini Whisk
GIR Silicone Mini Spoons -
Cast Iron Blueberry Cornmeal Cake
When I received a special issue of Bake From Scratch Magazine called One Layer Cakes, and passed by this cast iron blueberry cornmeal cake, I knew I had to try making it. Since pick-your-own blueberry season is still underway here in Connecticut, our first step in making this recipe was to drive to our local farm and pick the required amount of blueberries, plus additional for daily snacking.
This recipe is great to make with your kitchen helper(s) of any age. Once I pre-measured all the ingredients he could pour and mix as much as he wanted. Definitely start pre-heating the oven with your cast iron inside when you begin to pre-measure ingredients. By the time your kitchen helper completes their task of pouring and mixing, your cake will be ready to assemble and bake. I recommend that only the adults making the recipe handle the cast iron assembly portion of the recipe. The cast iron is heavy and is hot since it was pre-heating.
Once the cast iron blueberry cornmeal cake is baked and cooled for 30 minutes your kitchen helper can help with garnishing the cake with confectioners’ sugar. Who could resist the fun of dusting sugar everywhere! This cake is packed with blueberry flavor and the lemon zest provides a great hit of citrus. The addition of the cornmeal also adds great texture to cake.
Happy Baking!
Looking For More Ways To Use Your Freshly Picked Blueberries Check Out The Below Recipes
Lemon Blueberry Bread 
Blueberry Buckle Cake 
Lemon Blueberry Baked Donuts 
Small Batch Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins -
Food Lifestyle Photography With Kids
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be providing a video tutorial series on Food Photography with kids! This series is four years in the making and it’s time to pass along some helpful tips and tricks to you so you can feel more confident photographing your children while baking with your children. As if baking wasn’t stressful enough with little hands in the mix, right? Capturing images adds another layer of complexity, but it can be done. I’m here to show you my tips and tricks to do both masterfully.
As a professional brand photographer for the past 10 years I love to capture the action of others and how they create their products and services. I take the same approach and attention to details in every post I shoot for Make & Taste. When I started the blog (my son was 3 years old) it was important to show and celebrate the process of the recipe. To highlight that a kitchen helper can be happily involved too. My kitchen helper and I have made over 260 recipes together. We capture the action (and sometimes video) while we make the recipe once. There are no second chances, no finished desserts waiting on the kitchen counter and no re-shoot opportunities. This has made me very efficient and knowledgeable about camera lenses to use and kitchen tools/equipment to utilize.
This video series is designed for food bloggers, new and experienced, who involve their kids in their posts and recipes; and brand photographers who work with food bloggers and culinary school who run classes for children. During the unusual time in 2020 there has been a huge increase is parents cooking and baking with their kids while home. Many of you might have even started a blog to capture this new and exciting world of food.
I will be using my professional camera equipment (Canon 5D Mark IV and lenses) throughout these videos with the idea that many of you are utilizing a DSLR camera for your blog. Now if your kitchen helpers are like mine, then you might have a budding food photographer in your house. I will also be creating videos with jr. photographers in mind, which will utilized an iPhone for shooting and editing.The virtual suggestion box is open! Leave a comment or send me an email with any tutorial suggestions you might have (nicole@nbphotog.com)
Keep capturing those memories and enjoy the first video of the series below.
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Slow Cooker Beef Tacos with Homemade Flour Tortillas
Summer has arrived and tacos are a great meal to enjoy all season long. These slow cooker beef tacos with homemade flour tortillas and pickled red onions satisfied my family’s street tacos craving. I also love that my kitchen helper was involved in making the spice rub and rolling out the flour tortillas. I’m pretty sure the warm tortillas were his favorite part of the dish.
This recipe calls for a boneless chuck roast, which requires low and slow cooking for 8 hours. The slow cooker was the perfect tool for this recipe. (Time Saving Tip: Combine the spices for the rub the day before.) While the beef was cooking I could address the other parts of this meal, which included pickled red onions. These sweet pickled onions counterbalanced the richness of the shredded beef. The recipe is easy to make and is worth the minimal effort. See the below graphic for ingredients and steps.
A taco isn’t a taco without the tortillas. We opted for a flour tortillas for this recipe and the additional flavor it brings to the meal is outstanding. The dough comes together quickly, rests for 10 minutes, then it’s off to rolling into balls, pressing into small discs to the desired taco size and cooking each to a bubbly goodness. Once you make them, you will be looking for more recipes to include them into a meal. See the below graphics for ingredients and steps. Also check out the below video for step by step video tutorial.
Flour Tortillas Tutorial Source: Joshua Weissman YouTube Video
Other components to consider in creating your tacos are avocado, fresh cilantro, cheese, fresh squeezed lime juice and even some crunchy slaw. Tacos allow you to create a customized food experience in your own home, so include additional toppings that you love. Enjoy the simplicity and included a few homemade touches to make it a new family favorite.
Recipe adapted from Hostthetoast.com
I highly recommend this video tutorial on the making of the tortillas Joshua Weissman YouTube Video. After you make them once, you will be a pro.
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5 Desserts To Make This 4th Of July
Fourth of July 2020 is upon us and although we won’t be celebrating as we did last year or years before that, we can still celebrate with the ones we love at home. Why not enjoy a delicious dessert to cap off the day. These are 5 recipes worth trying this holiday. They are fun, festive, colorful and would please most palettes. Take a family poll, chocolate, vanilla or fruit? Or cookie, tart, cupcake or cake? To see what to make this holiday.
Recipe Snapshot
Mix Berry Tart: No bake, use seasonal fruit and your kitchen helper will love using the food processor to break down the graham crackers. Keep in the refrigerator and enjoy this cool dessert on a summer day.
Mini Chocolate Whoopie Pies: Bite Size and fun chocolate cake with frosting in the middle. Yum! The original recipe was posted for Halloween so they were made into mini spiders, but eliminate that step and you still have a super cute dessert for the family.
Mini Angle Food Cakes: Individually sized cakes for the smallest of gatherings. The post provides the recipes for 2,4, and 6 cakes. Slice from fresh fruit and enjoy cake without all the leftovers.
Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cookies: Your go-to chocolate cookie for all occasions. Kitchen helpers love unwrapping all the rolo candies to pack inside each ball of cookie dough. This recipe will impress and wow any size gathering.
Sprinkle Cupcakes: The next level vanilla cupcake. A sprinkle cake, vanilla buttercream frosting topped with Milk Bar cake crumb for added texture. Sprinkles always make a dessert fun and festive and your kitchen helper(s) will love mixing them into the batter.
Which dessert will you try? I love to see what you make, tag @makeandtaste on Instagram to show me your creation.
White Chocolate and Mascarpone Mix Berry Tart
Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cookies
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Homemade Cinnamon Bread
I can’t believe I’m going to confess this, but when I was in graduate school I used to reward my good grades with store bought cinnamon bread (without raisins) Ha! Thinking back on this makes me laugh and even funnier is that when I was talking to my little kitchen helper about our 4 year Make & Taste blog anniversary he suggested Homemade Cinnamon Bread to be the feature recipe. How could I say “no”.
Happy 4 year Make & Taste Anniversary!
It’s hard to believe that four years ago I clicked publish to my first post on Make & Taste, and now I’m here writing my 260th post. Today also marks the opening day of pick-your-own season here in CT and it was the first experience there with my son and I that sparked the idea for this blog. I love that his first instinct now is, “let’s make it” vs “can we buy …” He has also tried his hand at food photography along the way. When we started he was home with me full time then half-days once he entered preschool. We had the whole day to fill with playing and baking. Now that he is school age, baking time has moved to the weekends. Hopefully this summer will be filled with more recipe adventures.
Let’s Celebrate!
Homemade Cinnamon Bread (without raisins :)) was a great idea to celebrate our four years of recipe baking, memory making and continuing family traditions. This single loaf recipe can be accomplished within a day and will fill your home with the sweet smell of cinnamon. I found this recipe on Sally’s Baking Addiction and it’s pretty amazing. This is now my go-to cinnamon bread recipe. I have the list of ingredients you will need and the schedule we follow along the way. See below for ingredient amounts.
Here is the break down of our baking schedule.
Step 1: 5 Minutes (blooming the yeast)
Step 2: 5 Minutes (cut in butter, add flour and salt and mix until it pulls away from the bowl and smooth)Step 3: 1-2 hours (Place the ball of dough into a greased dish and allow it to proof until it doubles in size) We use a proofing box to ensure the correct environment. I have linked the one I’m using but research the one best for you and your kitchen needs. You could also place it in your oven.
Step 4: 5 Minutes (Degas the dough and roll it out to 9×18″) Add the cinnamon and sugar to the rolled out dough and leave a 1″ border. Roll the dough and add it to the greased loaf pan. Note: I add a piece of blue painters tape and mark the 9×18″ for both my kitchen helper and I can keep track of our rolling.
Step 5: 1 Hour (Proof rolled loaf in the pan for 1 hour) Preheat oven to 350° degrees, place rack to the lower part of the oven, butter the top of the loaf before baking for 35-45 minutes. The golden brown color is what you are looking for.
Allow the bread to cool a bit before cutting the first slice. We couldn’t wait to dive in. Look at all those swirls!! Thank you for celebrating with us and coming along for this delicious ride.
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No Bake, Small Batch S’mores Cake
Memorial Day Weekend 2020 is going to be a bit different, like most national holidays this year. Never did we think a pandemic would sweep the country and restrict us from seeing family and friends. But it’s all to slow the curve and hopefully holidays in the future will be filled with family and friends again; without social distancing. For all these reasons I decided to make my family of three this No Bake, Small Batch S’mores Cake. This recipe was adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction recipe and it did not disappoint. The graham crackers soften to a cake consistency and the ganache and marshmallow meringue just brings the taste of S’mores right to your dessert table.
Making the ganache and marshmallow meringue are the key components on this recipe. Ganache is pretty straight forward so don’t worry if you haven’t made this before. You are simply warming up the heavy cream and pouring it over the chopped chocolate. After 1 minute you stir and watch it magically turn into ganache. This was the first time I had tackled marshmallow meringue and I’m happy I did. You will create a double boiler on your stove, which means you bring 2 inches of water in a pot up to a simmer. Then you place a heat proof bowl onto with your meringue ingredients, minus the vanilla. Continue to stir for about 4 minutes and until the sugar dissolves. Once this occurs transfer the bowl over to a heat proof surface, add the vanilla and start your hand mixer on high. Continue to whisk for about 5 minutes until it is glossy. Success! Now you have everything to build this amazing dessert. Your kitchen helpers will love assembling the layers of this dessert, they just have to wait the 12 hrs for it do set before they can enjoy it.
Tips for Success
- Plan to make this the at least one day before you want to enjoy it. This recipe take 12 hours to set, but can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2 days
- Use a loaf pan to build your small batch cake.
- Reserve 1 cup of the marshmallow meringue after making. Seal tightly and refrigerate until cake is set and you are ready to enjoy. This cup of meringue will be the topping to the cake.
- Use a hand mixer when making the marshmallow meringue. Since this is a small batch my large mixer would be too large, so the hand mixer whisk attachment worked great
- If you have a kitchen torch, you can torch the top to bring that campfire touch to the dessert. Make sure the cake has been remove from the parchment lining first. If you don’t have a torch, like me, it is still amazing.
Kitchen Helper At Work! 
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