cutie patootie referral cards

I am supposed to be preparing for a crop, so what do I do instead? Start messing around with marketing ideas:

I was tinkering with an idea for referral cards recently shared by this photographer on the MOO blog. I love the Mini Cards almost as much as the business cards and was excited to see them both on sale this weekend. Very cool.

Hope to see you at the crop today. And if not, no Martian Cookies for you.

And too, if you're looking for a bloggy makeover my favorite Blogger designer is offering $10 off in honor of her 2-year business anniversary. Click HERE for details. (She also designs cards and Twitter backgrounds and business cards and Etsy banners and invitations.) Be sure to stop by and say hi.

I'm off to finish loading up. Have a great day!

this post is chock full o' zucchini recipes

Thought I'd share my favorites (and soon-to-be favorites) with you, in case you're busting at the seams with zucchini.


Baked Zucchini Chips

INGREDIENTS
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices (the thinner, the crispier)
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). In one small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Place the egg whites in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini slices into the egg whites, then coat the breadcrumb mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn over and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until browned and crispy. (Tip: Spray the tops w/Pam to ensure crispiness.) Serve with marinara sauce or Ranch dressing.

Martian Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large mixing bowl beat butter until soft, add sugar, and beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beat until well mixed. With a wooden spoon, stir in oats, zucchini, walnuts or pecans, chocolate and butterscotch pieces. Drop by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool sheets and then cookies on a cooling rack.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups white sugar

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. In large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt, mix well. In separate bowl, combine sugar and eggs, beat until well blended. Add oil and vanilla; beat until combined. Stir in zucchini. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Spoon evenly into loaf pans. Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pans; cool completely on wire rack.

How about you? Any tried and true zucchini favorites? If so, please share them as a comment to this post.

guess it's a sign o' the times

Cabela's no longer offers bonus fudge when you purchase a pound. And that pound? Now, a honkin' $10.99.

Ouch. And that doesn't even include the little plastic knife.

Thankfully, that didn't stop my hubby from picking up a batch on his way back into town :-) Getting ready for the crop on Saturday and finishing up a bazillion edits. It feels like I'm finally on top of things... about time. Here are a few images from Tuesday night after football:

Ren had a birthday party to attend and thankfully we were able to make it because his buddy Dack was there! Dack moved to Iowa a few weeks ago and with the craziness his family (and ours) was experiencing at the time, we were unable to officially say goodbye.

The boys had a lot of fun playing at Cascade Bay while a few the moms had a nice visit. (Rest in the midst of a busy schedule.) Though Ren is bummed about his buddy's move, he was encouraged by the visit.

Good times.

Too, as a reminder for all of you Creative Memories fans... the former 12x12 pages and page protectors will be "going, going, GONE" beginning September 1st. The are available until then in unlimited quantities so plan accordingly. (If you're anything like me, you might have a dozen or so never-quite-completed projects scattered about.) We've been transitioning to the new size (a true 12" page) for the last couple of years. If you have any questions, let me know!

he huffed and puffed...

But still couldn't get those candles out!

a little bit o' everything

A day at Grandma Pat's pool w/Tilly and her girls last Friday and a birthday party for my sweet nephew on Sunday:

The start of football season:

And Cindy's birthday:

All within the last five days! It's enough to make your head spin. No wonder summer is zipping by so quickly.

Someone is waiting patiently for their computer time (and I really need to get the lesson written for our crop on Saturday). Enjoy the day!

hint**hint**hint**

Our next Faithbooking Crop will be on Saturday, August 8th from 9:00 am-4:00 pm at Hosanna Lutheran Church in Lakeville. The crops are FREE and include snacks, beverages, and make-and-take supplies. Feel free to work the crop around your schedule, just let me know if you plan to attend and I'll be sure to have a spot ready for you.

Miss Shakopee Coronation | Minnesota Event Photographer

An excerpt from my current issue of Professional Photographer:

Always say yes. That was how I grew my skills and my business after finding photography at 40. I was asked to shoot a rehearsal... and I'd never shot in flash before. I was asked to shoot from a helicopter... knowing nothing about aerial photography. With only eight food shots in my profile, I wanted to do a photo shoot for a large food product company... and I've had them as a customer for 15 years. You have to be willing to say yes, to ask for help, to learn, to experiment, to take risks.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

On Thursday, I received a call from someone on the Miss Shakopee Royalty Committee asking if I'd be interested in taking a last-minute gig. Could I be there on Saturday? Without thinking too much about it, I said yes.

Had I ever photographed a coronation? No.

Would it be outdoors? No.

Do I routinely book sessions that have little to no light? No.

So why in the world did I say yes? Because I would never learn if I didn't step out of my comfort zone. I wouldn't move forward if I refused to take a step into the unknown. I was PETRIFIED (though I usually am with most sessions) but knew I had to do it.

The result:

A tough night, but I learned a lot. I prayed the whole way there and back, asking for the Lord's help. After the coronation, I overheard a grandma telling her granddaughter (after she'd been chosen as one of the junior ambassadors)... you can do all things through Christ.

Sometimes we could all use a reminder like that one.

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13