About
Erica on Dec 20th 2008
Learn a bit about the Cook
I am high school graduate with a desire to cook quality food for my family of seven (Dad, Mom, three sisters, one brother, and myself). My Dad is from right here in Northern Minnesota. From him I get my love of different, interesting flavors and the willingness to try something new. My mom is from Kansas City, Missouri. From her I have learned how to cook simple, comforting food without using a recipe.
To me, quality not only means a dish that’s delicious, but one that is nourishing as well. It is my belief that irresistibly scrumptious and healthy are not mutually exclusive. Admittedly, I sometimes splurge and eat/cook something totally unhealthy. But I try to keep things natural.
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The Photography on Cooking for Seven
In my opinion, a good photo is just about as important as a good recipe. I like to see what the finished product will look like before I put my time and effort into preparing a dish. I hope to give you that chance will my recipes!
The camera I use is the wonderful Nikon D80. I have the use of two lenses: an 18-135mm zoom and a 50mm prime. I try to use a tripod when shooting in low light.
Stop by my personal blog to see more of my work, or click here to see my portfolio.
You may use my photos on your blog or website as long as you link back to the post or my blog. All unauthorized reproduction of my photos is prohibited.
Where Cooking for Seven has been featured
Yeast Spotting (100% Whole Wheat Bread)
Joy the Baker (Smoky Barbecue Sauce)
Posts About My Recipes:
Banana Cake from Greedy Gourmand
Apple Muffins from Revamp Boutique
Fruit on the Bottom Baked Oatmeal from Little Joys
I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your blog! I do believe I found this site through Tammy’s Recipes. Possibly Tuesday Tips… Do you cook a considerable amount for your family?
Do you any advice to give to a novice photograher? Our middle son is taking digital photography this year. Right now he is using a point and shoot digital camera (Nikon CoolPix, 10 megapixels, 5x zoom.) My husband just bought his first non-automatic camera. A Nikon D-40 with two lenses but I don’t remember what they are. At present we have 4 out of 5 in our family who are interested in photography but we are all truly novices, to say the least!!
I just wanted to say thank you and let your know how much we enjoy your site (me for the recipes/photography and my family for the prepared food!)
Peggy in chilly Alaska
Thank you for your kind comments!
As of now, my sisters and I take turns preparing the meals for our family. Our system is rather complicated, but it works! Mom still likes to cook sometimes, though.
I’m still a really new photographer, so I have a lot to learn. Here are a few tips that have really helped me:
1) Turn off your flash Unless you have the money to set yourself up with professional lighting, it’s a good idea to stick with natural light. On-camera flash is very harsh and unflattering. To learn more, I highly recommend the book Professional Secrets of Natural Light Portrait Photography. I was able to order it from our library.
2) Be aware of your angle. It’s very tempting to just stay put and shoot away. Move around. Experiment with different angles. The perfect shot could be just a few feet (or even inches) away.
3) Employ the rule of thirds. It seems natural to center your subject in the middle of the frame. This is not the most dynamic framing, however. Try off-centering your subject. For portraits, it’s a good idea to place your subject’s eyes 1/3 of the way down the frame. To learn more about the rule of thirds, read this article
There are many great articles on the web for beginning photographers (please note that these sites could lead you to inappropriate content):
Wikipedia’s Article on Photography
The Pioneer Woman - some great articles on composition, exposure, and editing. She uses some crude humor, but her articles are very informative.
VeganYumYum has a very good article on food photography that also applies to other forms of photography.
Digital Photography School
Another book I recommend is The Digital Photography Book. He presents his points in clear, easy to understand language.
I hope this tips will help and inspire you!
Erica
Yay, some one like me
I am the 5th born of 13 children and have been one of the main cooks since I was 14 years old.
I love your photos and recipes…they all look simply delicious!
In Christ,
Rachel
Hi Erica! I found your photography site off your sister Janna’s and then this one from there, and I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your blog!! I am a 16 year old Christian girl and I love baking and cooking thing. I’m the 3rd out of 12 kids (the youngest due in may) and share the cooking with my sister and sometimes my brother.
I bookmarked you and will be coming back!
In HIS Love,
Samantha
You’re pretty
Another “Miny-sooota” blogger, and a teen at that! I have enjoyed perusing your blog.
Warm regards,
Tami in Southern MN
Yeah, it’s great to find another Minnesota blogger! I’m so glad that you had fun looking through my blog. Have a great day!
Erica
I gave you a Lovely Blog Award!
What a great site you have!
http://delightfullysweet.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/a-lovely-blog-award/
Your blog is making my mouth water and my stomach rumble!
So far I like your recipes. I am a mom in a family of 7, husband, me, 4 girls and one boy at the tail end. So your blog title caught my eye..
Your blog name grabbed my attention. I am the second oldest of 5 siblings in a family of 7. And I’m so glad I found your blog- it’s wonderful!!! And your photographs are amazing! I’m looking forward to following your blog.