Guest Post: Baked Zucchini Bites

So excited to be able to share a post with Kelli's readers today! My name is Amanda, and I blog at Serenity Now, a lifestyle blog. Something I've been thinking a lot about lately is eating healthy, and what better way than to use those things in our garden called vegetables? I know it sounds crazy, but I thought "Wouldn't it be cool if I could find a good use for those greeny things I've been growing all summer?"

My sister is a great cook, and she shared a zucchini recipe with me that I just had to try. Before you click away, let me just say that I normally find zucchini to be fairly blech unless it is all shredded up in a sweet bread recipe. I found this recipe to be absolutely delicious....I make such an effort for my girls to eat balanced meals--it's time for me to do the same!


Baked Zucchini Bites

Ingredients:

1-2 Large Zucchinis (depending on how many "bites" you want)

Bread Crumbs

Egg Yolk

Herbs

Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper, to taste

My grocery was out of bread crumbs when I rushed in with two cranky kids, so I had to settle for herb seasoned stuffing mix, which I crushed in a plastic baggie with a rolling pin and placed in a small plastic container:


I sliced my zucchini into thin pieces and set up a little "dipping station." (Please forgive the photos...a thunderstorm came through as I was cooking and ruined my lighting--a blogger's worst nightmare!)


The first station was to dip a slice into the egg, then coat with bread crumbs and set aside:

I placed the zucchini bites in a single layer on a baking sheet and baked them for 20 minutes at 450 degrees F. I was rewarded with a nice plate of tasty veggies!


Paired with a small salad and some chicken, it was a great dinner. I'll be posting the recipe for the Red Pepper Chipotle Lime Sauce soon if you're interested in a great veggie dip/spread:


What are some ways you "dress up" healthy food to make it tasty for your family?

Thank you so much, Kelli, for sharing your blog with me today!

I hope Random Thoughts of a SUPERMOM readers will stop by Serenity Now to say hi. You'll find crafts, thrifty decorating, recipes, and more at my blog. I also host a weekly Weekend Bloggy Reading party for bloggers to share their best post of the week. I'd love to "see" you there!

Guest Post: Photography Tips

Hi there! I'm so excited to be guest-posting for Kelli while she's away!  My name is Liz, and I blog over at Sugarplum Creations.  I'm a stay-at-home mama to four little girls.  Yep, FOUR.  Our newest little sugarplum was born in June, and she is keeping us quite busy.  We spend our days homeschooling, crafting, and playing dress up and beauty salon.  And I insist on documenting every single second.

Photography has always been fascinating to me.  I would spend hours poring over photo albums when I was little.  I love the way you can come across an old photo, and be completely transported back to that time.  I love to journal, don't get me wrong, but there is nothing like a photo to tell the whole story.  And if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a good picture . . . well, that's priceless.

So, let's talk about some simple ways to improve your everyday photos.

Have your camera ready.

Okay, this seems like a no-brainer, but if your camera is hiding away in its bag in a closet somewhere, guess what, it's not easily accessible.  And it's going to be more than a little difficult to capture those fleeting moments.  Get your camera out.  Use it daily.  I take my camera to the library, grocery store, and dentist.  Cameras are not just for birthdays, holidays, and vacations.  Capture the little moments.  You'll be so glad you did.

Now that you have your camera ready . . .

Say no to "the cheese"

While posed photos definitely have their place, if you really want to document every day life, you're going to have to be sneaky.  Catch your littles playing Barbies, brushing teeth, climbing trees, even pitching fits {hey, someday you'll miss the feisty moments too!}

Remember and implement the Rule of Thirds

Subjects don't always need to be centered in the frame.  In fact, eyes are not naturally drawn to the center of a photo.  Try to compose your shots by envisioning a grid of sorts on top of your photo, dividing it into nine equal parts.   Then place the most important subjects on or near the "lines", especially where those lines intersect.  A simple way to make your photos even more interesting!

Look how little Miss' eye and mouth fall right on the lines.

Find the Right Light

Lighting is probably the single most important factor in photography.  I won't go into a long explanation of how ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture work together to give you a properly exposed photo.  That would take way too long, and probably bore you to death.  What I will say is that, whenever possible, find natural light to work with.  I stay away from flash completely because it is difficult for me to use without creating harsh shadows and giving an overall unrealistic feel.  Sometimes you have to experiment with lighting to see what works best.  For example, on our camping trip, my daughter had crafted a bracelet for her American Girl doll.  She wanted me to get a picture of her with Meghan {her doll}.  It was sunny, but we were among many trees.  The lighting was very uneven.  I snapped a picture:

Hmmmm.  Dark shadows.  Not real flattering.

I simply moved my subject a couple of feet over . . .

And voila!
Okay, so the photo is not phenomenal, but I think you can see that moving a little made a big difference.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There you have it, a few simple tips to make your photos spectacular.  Now, go find your camera's manual, and read up.  And remember, practice makes perfect!

Guest Post: Chocolate Chunk Cookie Recipe

I am not a baker but do love to cook. However, I decided I needed to come up with a chocolate chunk cookie that suits my needs; lots of chocolate, and thick. Many people like cookies that flatten as they bake, but not me. I like them thick, the thicker the better:) My kids get all excited when I bake a treat during the week, because it is not something I do often. I am not cool so have to do everything by hand, no KitchenAid Mixer here, like my dear friend Kelli. This is really the ultimate chocolate chunk cookie recipe giving me everything, huge chocolate chunks and a nice sized cookie. I highly recommend doubling the recipe as the basic recipe only makes about 36 cookies, which will not last long. When making this cookie the dough may seem crumbly so get your hands in the mixture to make a large ball:) We like messy cooking in our home, so why not do it with baking as well! I hope you all enjoy this recipe. Fall is coming so baking season is coming up quickly!

Chocolate Chunk Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter-unsalted, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 oz Semi-sweet baking squares-chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat butter and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture, beat well. Chop the baking squares by hand(1/4 inch chunks or so). Stir the chocolate in by hand. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets(I do 12 to a sheet). Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes(set your timer) Immediately move from pan to wire racks to cool. Enjoy with a glass of ice cold milk!

Nichol is a mom of two, and blogs over at KiddiesCorner Deals, where she posts about online kids deals, recipes, reviews and giveaways. She knows kids are expensive, but shopping for them doesn't have to be! She is thrilled to be guest posting on Kelli's blog while her family is away on vacation.