{Guest Post} Chalkboard Gift Tags Tutorial

Yesterday, I shared with you what I used for my wrapping this year. Today, my sister Bekah is here to share what she used this year.

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On our Christmas shopping trip this year, when we went into Williams-Sonoma, I saw some chalkboard tags and I was inspired to make my own. This year, I was using turquoise with pink and silver accents but these tags can go with any color theme.  

Below is a tutorial on how to make your own chalkboard gift tags. 

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Bekah. 

Twelve-year-old Homeschool student. Piano player. Lover of cats. Avid reader. Crafter.

31 Days of Decadent Desserts {Day 25} Jewish Apple Cake | Guest Post by Lorraine

Meet our last guest poster of the month, Lorraine, who blogs at With a Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart. (Lorraine's blog is where I found the recipe for the strawberry pie I posted on Day 3.)

This recipe is, as my mom would say, as old as the hills. I got it from my mom and she probably got it from her mom. And you probably have a
Jewish Apple Cake recipe in your file box.

It's a moist, dense yet tender cake full of apple goodness.

Here is my handed-down recipe:

Jewish Apple Cake 

PRINT RECIPE

5 or 6 Apples, pared, cored & sliced 2 teaspoons Cinnamon 5 tablespoons Sugar 3 cups Flour 2 cups Sugar 1 cup salad Oil 4 Eggs ¼ cup Orange Juice 3 teaspoons Baking Powder 2½ teaspoons Vanilla 1 teaspoon salt Sprinkle apples w/ 2 tsp. cinnamon mixed w/ sugar. Combine all other ingredients and beat to make smooth batter. Pour half into greased and sugared angel cake pan. Arrange half of the apples over batter and cover with remaining batter. Top with the rest of the apples. Bake 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. Turn out and stand to cool on rack. Note:  To make mini-loaf cakes, I used 6 5 x 3-inch pans and baked 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes.

Lorraine


I am a wife of thirty-seven years to my kind and loving husband, John. We have four daughters and ten grandchildren that we thoroughly enjoy. My saving faith in Jesus as my Savior is central in my life and I am ever thankful to Him. I enjoy many and varied activities including hospitality, cooking, baking, genealogy and flowers (indoor & outdoor... well anywhere for that matter) I like knitting, crocheting, Scherenschnitte, cutting and folding paper projects and photography. I love mornings, quiet evenings, tea parties with my granddaughters, snowflakes, the color white, fireworks, and baby feet. Oh, I love dogs too.

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Thank you so much, Lorraine, for doing this guest post!

31 Days of Decadent Desserts {Day 17} Rainy Day Chocolate Pudding | Guest Post by Kristin

Today's guest poster is none other than my older sister Kristin...

 

I don't know about you, but chilly rainy days make me want to eat...and since I am the primary food-preparer in our house, rainy days often find me stirring up something yummy on the stove.  While a hearty beef stew or a spicy taco soup would suit my palate, a rich chocolate dessert will please everyone, including the children!

Stir the first three ingredients together in a large pot.  Cook on medium heat, stirring often, until chocolate melts.

Mix next two ingredients in small bowl, whisking until mixture is smooth with no lumps.  When you think it is smooth, whisk some more, making sure that all lumps are gone!  Pour into mixture on the stove.  Stir constantly until it comes to a boil.  Turn down the heat and continue cooking until mixture returns  to a light boil and begins to thicken. 

Turn off heat and stir in vanilla. 

Pour into a large bowl and refrigerate for 1-2 hours until chilled and ready to serve. 

Kristin is a  married   mother of five children under the age of 10.  She is also blogging for 31 Days @ Bits and Pieces From My Life.

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Thank you for guest posting today, Kristin!

And the giveaway is still going on.

31 Days of Decadent Desserts {Day 11} Cake Balls | Guest Post by Brooke

Today we welcome our second guest poster, Brooke...

Hello readers of Kati's Little Corner! My name is Brooke and I blog over at The Little Delights In Life. I love cake decorating and I have so many video tutorials that can help you learn how to decorate! Stop by and become a follower :)

I am so excited to guest post today! This recipe is from a book called Cake Balls by Dede Wilson. The recipe is called Toffee-Brown Butter-Pecan. It has a great butter flavor that is incorporated throughout the whole recipe and also compliments the pecans. This is a very rich flavor! I also show you how to dip the cake balls into the white chocolate and then to decorate them beautifully :)

(If you just want a tutorial on how to make cake balls instead of watching the recipe start the video at 5:44)


Here are the exact measurements:
          Pecan Toffee:
-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
-1/2 cup sugar
-Pinch of salt
-3/4 cup toasted pecan halves

          Frosting:
-6 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
-3 cups confectioners' sugar
-2 tablespoons whole milk
-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Recipe ©2012 by Dede Wilson and used by permission
of The Harvard Common Press.

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Thank you so much for guest posting today, Brooke!

And don't forget to enter the giveaway if you haven't already.

31 Days of Decadent Desserts {Day 8} Apple Cobbler | Guest Post by Nela

Please welcome the first guest poster of the month, Nela!

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Hello everyone! How are you all doing? I'm really excited to be writing a guest-post for Kati today. :D

Ever wondered how the classic dessert, "the cobbler" came to be?

Well, according to Wikipedia, the creation of this dessert began in the early British American colonies when they couldn't find any necessary ingredients to make a particular kind of pudding. So what they did was they used uncooked dumplings or biscuits to cover up the filling, and when it was done baking, the surface resembled a "cobbled street". Thus, the famous cobbler dessert was born!

A dessert like this should be enjoyed on a crisp, autumn day. Served with cold vanilla ice-cream topped over, and waiting awhile as it slowly begins to melt and seep through the sugary crust, creating a delicacy taste that is beyond imagination. Hope you enjoy! ;)

Apple Cobbler

Filling:

6 small red apples, half of them peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 TBSP cold butter, diced

Topping:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

5 TBSP cold butter, diced

1 cup buttermilk

To finish:

1 TBSP sugar

Directions:

In large bowl, mix together filling ingredients and then pour into greased 9 x 13-inch pan, set aside. Stir flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Use two forks to incorporate diced butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Add buttermilk. Smooth batter over filling and sprinkle sugar on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr. 15 min. or until lightly brown.

Thank-you Kati for letting me guest post! :)

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Hello! My name's Marianela (but everyone calls me Nela for short), and I'm a blogger over at "Beloved Star" & Nel's Home Cooking. Some of my passions and hobbies are cooking, baking, reading, writing, martial arts, exercising, photography, and of course, blogging. ;) I am also a sinner saved by the grace of God, through faith in the work of His Son, Jesus Christ. So come over and visit for awhile. I would love to meet you. :)

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Thanks Nela!

And be sure you check out the giveaway ~here~.

Baking With Memories

My grandmother, Mommom as she is affectionately called, is a wonderful woman. She loves the Lord. She loved her husband of sixty-six years and still loves him even though he has left her to be with his Lord and Savior.

She loves her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She has an excellent memory!...

To read the rest of this story, stop by the blog Essence of Eve where Eve kindly let me guest post today...

10 Tips and Tricks to Photographing Children

Last week I had the honor of guest posting for Jessica who blogs at Diary of a Beautiful Soul. Thank you Jessica! Since Jessica and I don't have too many mutual followers I thought it would be nice to publish the post I wrote for my guest post here too.

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Photographing children is tough to master. I have been taking pictures of kids for several years. With a little sister and eight nieces and nephews, I have many opportunities to experiment. I have found a few tips and tricks that I find very helpful.

1. Take at least two of the same shot. Who knows if they blinked or made a face. You can go back and delete those that didn't turn out, but at least you have extras.

2. Make silly faces and say silly things. Have some jokes ready or a funny line or noise. I've even been known to put sticks in my hair to look like I have antennae! It got many giggles.

3. Stay calm. If the toddler wants to get up and move around, gently and calmly take her back to the place she is supposed to be. If you get frustrated then it will only make children frustrated. You need to make the child/children feel at ease.

4. Have patience, even if it takes longer than you thought it would. Go with the flow. Kids don't stay still so if they move or talk or cry just take a minute to regroup or change positions.

5. Have fun! Let the kids make a silly face or sit/stand the way they want. It renews their interest in the session and gives a fresh perspective.

6. Let them choose a background. If they pick a place to pose, then it usually speaks to them. Sometimes they'll find a place you hadn't even thought of.

7. Take candids. Those are some of the best pictures I've gotten. As they are getting into postition during a photo shoot or while playing with their toys or smiling at their daddy...

8. Think about the right place to pose. If photographing boys, try having them lie in the grass or sit in a tree. But if you are having a photo shoot with a girl, then maybe the park bench or beside the pretty flowers would be the better backgrounds. Get a feel for the personality of the child and pose accordingly. It will be a more natural picture.

9. Allow for short breaks. If you have a bit of a break in between, then the kids come back refreshed and ready to start again.

10. Check where the sun is shining. Even the slightest angle might make the picture turn out much better. If the sun is shining in their faces, then they will have to squint. If you want the sun behind them, then try out different angles and see which is better or achieves the look you want.

Of course, sometimes these tricks don't apply. Say you just have few minutes. Then you won't need a break. If the child is baby or toddler, he can't choose a background that he likes. Little kids won't need jokes or funnies, but they will respond better to their name being called or a noise that's different to them.

Remember, practice makes (almost) perfect. The more you try the better you will get. I still have a lot to learn, but I find that after each session I have improved, even if it's just a slight bit.

Added after published:

Being inspired by this post, I have done photo shoots of each of my nieces and nephews that live close. You can find them here:

Photo Shoot {Part 1}

Photo Shoot {Part 2} 

Photo Shoot {Part 3}