Simple flapjacks

Sometimes the best recipe are the simplest. Basic ingredients combining together to make something delicious. I made these a week or so ago for a family picnic and they went down a treat. Flapjacks are something that I never used to like. Shop brought tend to be dry and break your teeth with one bite. When my mum started to make them that's when I fell in love. This recipe is so quick and easy to make there's no excuse not to make them!

Adapted from Good Housekeeping

125g butter

125g light muscovado sugar

125g golden syrup

250g rolled oats

In a pan, over a low heat, melt together the butter, muscovado sugar and golden syrup. 

Once combined stir through the oats until they are evenly coated in the mixture.

Put into a lined (8in) square tin and bake for 25-30 minutes at 160º/Gas 3.

The sides should feel firm and the middle should still be soft. Once baked leave to completely cool. 

Cut up and serve.

Cosy night in!

Tonight we had a cosy night in. We ate our dinner outside and then decided to light the chimenea. To begin with I didn't want to get to close but it gets strangely addictive and we burnt a lot of the moving boxes. Our shed it still full up but we are getting through them. 

We are hoping to plan a night of hot chocolate, marshmallows and churros round the chimenea. It would be a perfect night with the family.

♥

Lately #23

We started the week with more snow! Luckily the sunshine peeked through. I love the sunlight in the room.

Mama made bread, it was delicious. 

I treated myself to some flowers. They always brighten my mood.

I'm really into Pinterest at the minute, especially with interiors, homes and kitchens. Send me your links!

Find me here.

♥ 

Lately #20

Wow what a week! I've done three photo shoots for uni. Been to work, started to create my website. Things are hectic at the moment. I still need to fit in another photo shoot this week some point. I also have so many emails to reply to. Another day in the week please?

I thought spring was on its way as we had a teaser at the beginning of the week now were back to cold and miserable. I'm a little bit fed up of grey skies now. I have so many summer dresses waiting to be worn. 

Hurry along summer!

♥ 

skimlinks

Food photography advice!

I'm about to shatter your illusions that I have a massive kitchen with natural light flooding in or I have a studio. I sadly don't have either but I do have a small porch that measures just over a metre wide and just under two metres long. It's the lightest place in my house and the only place I get enough natural light to photograph my food. 

The black background I've adopted lately comes from a pillow case, or two if I need a wider background. The wooden top you can see is an old table. The legs broke and the top makes a perfect worktop for my food. I also use a black top that is an old chalk board I've had since I was small.

The props I use tend to be things I've gathered from round the house or things I have brought in charity shops, thrift shops or poundland. 

The camera I use in a Nikon D200 it is a great dslr but I dream of a D800. I use either an 18-55mm standard lens or my new lens 50mm f1.8. 

I use a low aperture and a low enough shutter speed I can use without camera blur. I don't have enough space for a tripod so everything is taken handheld. I shoot in RAW as it gives me more freedom in post production (Photoshop).

I retouch using Adobe Photoshop Elements 9. I'd love CS6 but I'm not made of money! (yet). I never change the appearance of food. I retouch the background, crumbs or anything that gets in my way. I sometimes lighten the photo, up the contrast and up the blacks to get a true black background/ 

And that's how I photograph food. I think it just goes to show that you can do a lot with a small space and with a passion for what your doing. I hope that answers any questions people have although if you have others contact me on twitter ( @CathrynDaws) and I will try my best to answer them, I am only a 2nd year photography student so I don't know everything!

♥