Molly & Paul -5.27.16

Posted on June 24, 2016

So truth be told, there are two weddings that I always look forward to photographing. Offbeat Weddings (because frankly they’re awesome and unique every time) and small intimate weddings. Now… I’m not saying I don’t enjoy every wedding I photograph, but there is something wonderful about having less then 25 people at a wedding… and that’s including the bridal party! There just tend to be more little moments throughout the day, less timeline rushing drama and a loving bond is always evident in everyone that’s attending.

Molly and Paul’s wedding was just that! I mean, we fit all the guests in one photo and you can see everyone! That’s definitely not something you get at every wedding. Check out all these lovelies in attendance, seriously, aren’t they fantastic!

I’ll tell you though… this was probably the hottest wedding I’ve shot to date. I mean it was a good 98 degrees.. plus, like a gazillion percent humidity. This photog had to go home and wring out her clothes afterwards not to mention, chug like 10 gallons of water. It was nutty! Everyone was a trooper though, I mean, look at all those smiles!

Molly and Paul were perfect too! They champed through the heat and absorbed some sunshine for their photos. These two both have a love of the outdoors, hence the beautiful estates of Allenberry Resort Inn and outdoor ceremony, small ring box made to look like a tree stump (with their initials carved into it), and a beautiful flower covered arbor. Paul also has a love of fishing (note Yellow Breeches Creek in the background). He makes a lot of his own flies too. They even incorporated a fly into his boutonniere. How cool is that?!

Their ceremony was beautiful from beginning to end, starting with the groom’s son leading both mom’s down the aisle followed by his daughter with a huge bouquet of flowers! The bride’s father gave her away under that stunning arbor, much to the smile of her groom! The vows went swimmingly and everyone had a chuckle when the ring bearer struck a pose handing off the rings. The first kiss was had and the couple, all smiles, walked down the aisle for the first time as husband and wife. A tiny intimate reception followed with unique candy apple favors, a lovely three-tiered cake (the kids helped pick out the flavors!), ‘butterfly kisses’ and lots of laughs! What a wonderful day it was for these two! I was so honored to be a part of it, so without further ado, I give you Molly and Paul’s wedding:

Photography and writing by:

Alysha Yoder Photography

(b) www.alyshayoderphotoblog.com www.alyshayoderphoto.com

(e) alyshayoderphoto@yahoo.com (p) 610.762.7810

Vendors:

Venue: Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse

Cake: Snickerdoodles Bakery

Flowers: Royers

2 Comments

Coconut Corn Flake Kisses

Posted on May 17, 2016

Are you guys ready? Ready to have your mind’s blown with this crazy recipe??

I’m not joking. This is like a French Macaroon, meets an American coconut macaroon, meets rice crispy treats (just made with corn flakes). Your brain and tastebuds are about to go… BOOM.

Grams was the queen of baked goods. Cooking in general. But man, every time we came to visit, grams was always sure to make your favorite meal and dessert. There were always cookies, pie, cakes, you name it… it was there. She loved experimenting in the kitchen and her desserts were no exception. I couldn’t even tell you how many different types of grandma cookies I’ve tried over the years. This recipe is one of my kitchen experiments. I’ve never seen anything like it, so what the heck?! Figured we’d give it a try.

This is actually perfect for kids. It’s a fun interactive recipe and it kind of like a healthier version of rice crispy treats. You know pretty much everything that is going in it. You could use any cereal for this and make it gluten free too!

Now again, I have used a recipe from gram’s mother’s cookbook. This recipe is originally from a Mrs. S. F. Henderson of Apollo, Pa. And yes… I know it’s spelled Cocoanut in this book but know that’s the old fashioned way of spelling coconut. This is the same with a ‘moderate oven.’ This is an old school terms for an oven at 350°-375°. So without further ado, I give you this unique 70+ year old recipe!

Cornflake Coconut Kisses

2 eggs whites, beaten very stiff (stiff peaks)
1 cup sugar
2 cups of “Kellogs Corn Flakes”
1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut (found it very cheap in the bulk bins at Wegmans)
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°. Separate eggs. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Whip in one cup of sugar. Carefully fold in corn flakes, coconut and vanilla. Make sure that everything is combined and coated well. This is a very ‘loose batter.’ Don’t worry. Trust me, as long as everything is coated, this will cook.. puff up and stay together. Once everything is combined, drop balls of about 1-2T of the mixture onto parchment paper. Make sure to space out drops evenly. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool and enjoy this craziness 🙂

Ever wonder what it looks like when we’re shooting? Here’s a bird’s eye view. Anyone who tells me their space is small hasn’t seen where I shoot. Especially when the hubs is 6’5″ and sitting on the floor lol. He’s doing such a good job hand modeling though, isn’t he?

Photography and writing by:

Alysha Yoder Photography

(b) www.alyshayoderphotoblog.com

www.alyshayoderphoto.com (e) alyshayoderphoto@yahoo.com (p) 610.762.7810

1 Comment

Cheesy Spinach Squares

Posted on April 26, 2016

Onto another one of Gram’s cook books. This time, it was one she happened to have a few of her own recipes in. I’m fairly certain that it somehow was connected to The Shriners. Both my grandfather (an actual Shriner, who also dressed up as a clown for many of their parades) and grams were involved in the Shrine. I mean, she still has ticket stubs to the ‘ladies luncheon’ she attended as a book marker… leave it to grams to keep something from 1986 haha.

Delving through the treasure trove of cookbooks grandma left me is pretty fun. It’s like a treasure hunt every weekend… looking for a new recipe that’s sucks me in. This one is no exception.

Now, for those that know me, they know I’m a HUGE cook. I’m always cooking and I’ve tried to recreate, remake, and frankly…. all around experiment with just about any food I come across. This recipe is a first for me. Seriously…. something I have never eaten or seen a recipe for. This is like a combo of a strata… cheese bread… and appetizer. It’s definitely unique and delicious. The recipe is called Spinach Cheese Squares and it’s from Mrs. John Carter.

Now just to be honest, I messed up and mistakingly only got one package of spinach to make this. In reality, I think that it is better with the one package. But feel free to use two packages. I also snuck in some garlic and onion powder to give it a little more flavor (and garlic makes everything better… duh) and I’m telling you… this is really good. You could also totally add in some chopped onions or sautéed mushrooms if you’re feeling crazy. I think either would be a winner. In reality, I don’t even know what I’d classify this as. It could be an appetizer, but you could also serve it as a side. Heck, if you’re not too hungry, it could be the main course. So without further ado, I give you…. drum rolllll… Spinach Cheese Squares.

Spinach Cheese Squares:

4 T butter
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp salt (we added a little more, but this is more to taste)
1 tsp baking powder
1 lb sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 or 2 pkgs chopped spinach (depending on your love of spinach), thawed and drained
1 tsp of garlic and/or onion powder (optional)

First, make sure to pull out spinach to thaw. Preheat oven to 350°. In a 9×13 pan, melt butter in oven and remove. In a bowl, beat eggs, add flour, milk, salt, baking powder, and optional garlic/onion powder. Mix well. Drain spinach well. I find the easiest way to do this is with a dish cloth. Place spinach in the center, roll cloth around the spinach and squeeze until most of the liquid has been removed. Slowly add cheese and spinach, and make sure they are blending well. Pour mixture into buttered pan, spread evenly. Bake in oven at 350° for 35 minutes. Remove and cool 10 minutes to set. Cut into bite sized squares and enjoy! The hubs and I both agreed this was better warm. This also keeps in the fridge quite well and is easy to reheat. You’ll thank me later. This seems to be a good ‘veggie hiding’ recipe for kids too!