I bought a Β£4 piece of foam board to use as a background/light reflector for my photos and it has completely transformed my photos.
Who knew it was so simple?!
I’ve still been reading loads and playing around with my camera. It now takes me around an hour to take photos of one recipe… I used to have quite a few recipes ready to go, but now as it takes so long I pretty much make and blog within a few days.
Not that this is a problem, I’m getting into a good routine with Uni work and blog work. I do Uni work all week and then at the weekends I make 3-4 things for the week coming and edit them on Sunday night π
Although I still constantly fight with the light in my house. It’s so infuriating. I have to keep hopping over the cable joining the camera to my laptop and bugger about with the curtains. This is not cool.
95% of the time my house is gloomy as hell. I take all of my photos on the dining table as it’s right by a window and, honestly, it’s the only place in the house which has proper natural light.
Once in a blue moon (like today) there is bright sunlight shining directly into the window which also mucks up my photos as they have horrendous shadows, no matter what I set the camera up to do. I can get a photo where I’m 90% happy with it and then I see a horrible shadow which I know even Lightroom wouldn’t fix and it’s just ruined so I have to do it again.
Anyway it’s all a learning curve, so I’ll just have to keep playing about with my curtains – much happier now that I understand my camera though π
Since it’s Easter next weekend (I know right, where has the time gone?!) I thought I should use the Easter coloured M&M;’s I bought on my recent trip to London and make some bark. It’s uber simple, all you have to do is melt some chocolate with a tiny bit of butter, spread it out over a baking tray and sprinkle with M&M;’s. Then leave it alone to set. For something which takes about 5 minutes to make, it tastes amazing!
Easter M&M Bark
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups good quality white chocolate; I use Green & Blacks
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup M&M's
Instructions
- Line a baking tray and break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl.
- Add the butter into the chocolate and then place in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring between each until the chocolate is gloriously smooth. Make sure you stir for about 30 seconds between heating as chocolate can hold its shape and be melted and then you'd end up with a burnt up mess. Alternatively, you can place the bowl on a simmering saucepan of water and stir until melted.
- Pour the chocolate onto your baking tray and spread with a small offset spatula. My square ended up being 25cm x 28cm - this was a great thickness for the bark, but if you want it thicker then spread it out less.
- Sprinkle the M&M's all over the melted chocolate.
- Leave to set for at least 6 hours, overnight if possible. Once the chocolate is set break it into pieces.
- Bark will keep in an airtight container, at room temperature, for 3 days.
Recipe Notes
Recipe by Annie
I link up at these great Link Parties!
Yum – have pinned!
Angela @ A Typical English Home
Oh yum!
Yummy AND pretty! What a fab combination… π
hugs x
Crystelle
Crystelle Boutique
I love the Easter Bark! Delicious! It's amazing what a little white foam board can do for picture's, there's many times where the husband and I are is some awkward position with a few pieces of foam board to try and get a good shot along with lighting! Have a wonderful weekend I found you over at the Six Sisters Strut Your Stuff Weekend!
This looks delicious. Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday.
I love any kind of candy bark and this look wonderful.. Bought some M&M;'s yesterday to make it… Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday. This is my host favorite and it will be featured at the Daily Dish Magazine tomorrow and also on my blog at the next party. Here is the link to the Daily Dish Magazine… http://www.foodiefriendsfridaydailydish.com/
I love how simple this recipe is and what a great presentation it makes. Thank you so much Annie for sharing this with us on Foodie Friday.
Hi Annie,
Your Easter Bark looks so pretty and is just perfect for the Easter season.
Hope you are having a great weekend and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
So cute! Found you on My Turn and following now! I love the little beater in your logo. So cute!-Tiffany
looks delicious. Thanks so much for sharing at Wednesday's Adorned From Above Blog Hop. Have a great week.
Debi, Charly, Marci, and Suzan
http://www.adornedfromabove.com
Oh, Annie! We must be kindred spirits. I have similar lighting issues in my home. In fact, I can't even take pix in my house. I do all my photography on the front porch…rain, snow, below freezing temperatures…I have no choice.
Your pix look amazing though and I always thought they have! But do tell your foam board secret!
Great recipe, by the way!
That looks so good!! Yum!!! I love the pastel M&M;'s for Easter. Thanks so much for sharing at Thursday's Temptation. I am going to be featuring your bark tonight at this weeks link party!
Jill
Thank you π
Thanks so much! π
I know lol the things we do for photography haha!! I was balanced on one foot with a light over my head the other day!
Thank you π
Thank you so much! π
Thank you! π
Thanks so much, hope you're having a great week too! π
Thank you! Hope you enjoy future recipes and thanks so much, always takes me ages to design things like that, I just sit there staring at a blank screen struggling for inspiration! π
Thanks so much π
I wish I had a porch to take photos on! The only place is on the dining table as it's next to a window although that still creates issues! It sucks, I wish my house was lovely and bright!
Thank you so much!! And thank you for hosting as well! π
Thanks for linking up this post to The Best Blog Recipes @The Weekend re-Treat!
Youβve been featured on todayβs 25 Easter Dessert Ideaβs post!
Hope to see you link up again at the party this weekend!
Shauna
http://thebestblogrecipes.blogspot.com/
http://ready2loseweight.blogspot.com/
Yummy! Oh the possibilities!! Thanks so much for linkin up to Sunday FUNday!
Kristine –The Foley Fam {unedited}
Yum, this looks amazing and so pretty! Thank you so much for sharing at A Bouquet of Talent this week. Have a Blessed and Happy Easter!
hugs
Kathy
So pretty and the photos are great! Amazing what a difference a tweak or two will make! Thanks so much for sharing on Busy Monday!
Great idea! This would be fun to alternate with, you know, chocolate bark with peanut butter m&m;'s. Yum! Happy belated Easter! π
http://dixie-n-dottie.blogspot.com/
Thanks so much! π
I know! Haha I keep thinking of how many different types I can make now and it makes me so excited! π
Thank you so much, hope you had a lovely Easter! π
Thank you so much! π
Happy belated Easter to you as well! I'm going crazy with all the possibilities I could make haha!