Christmas Portraits 101....

...or Why I Will Never Be a Children's Photographer.

Rule No. 1:  Three days prior to Christmas portrait event there will be no running by children whose portraits are being taken (that includes tripping and bumping heads on hard basement stairs.)

Rule No. 2:  Scissors will not be left in full reach of said children thirty minutes prior to Christmas portrait event, resulting in one previously long-haired blonde girl who now sports a pixie-ish emergency haircut.

Rule No. 3:  The portrait hack artist will not mess with the camera settings prior to said Christmas protrait event resulting in strange pictures because she could not get the camera to go back to its normal state.

Rule No. 4:  The photographer will not attempt to create studio conditions when all she has to work with is a king-size sheet and a 42" plasma television on a stand.

Rule No. 5:  The photographer will, prior to the event, take the maximum amount of Advil allowed.

The girl with the nice bruise between her eyebrows.

Kaitlyn

Gaige practicing his yoga while Nathan attempts to distract him.

Nathan caused a lot of laughing.

Matthew was a whole lot easier last year when he would stay put. This year he just wanted his mommy!

It's like herding cats. Seriously.

Out of hundreds taken, here are a few that made the cut.

Gaige

Nathan

Kaitlyn

Lauren

(the previously long-haired girl!)

Matthew

Best cousins, best friends.

Oh well, there's always next year!

Here's looking at you, kids!

Christmas Bonus

Cranberry-Pecan Bars

(a tried and true recipe of many years)

For the crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup butter

1 cup finely chopped pecans, divided

For the filling:

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 beaten eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped cranberries

2/3 cup shredded coconut

Zest of one orange

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray (or butter if you prefer).
2. Chop pecans in food processor. Reserve 1/2 cup for filling.
3. Combine 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, butter and 1/2 cup pecans in processor and pulse until you have coarse crumbs.
4. Press into prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes or until light golden brown.
5. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix 1 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons flour. Stir in eggs, milk, vanilla and orange zest.
6. Stir in cranberries, coconut and remaining pecans. Spread over hot baked crust.
7. Bake 23-25 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on rack. Cut into bars when cool.

Note: it takes about 1 1/3 cups pecan halves to make 1 cup chopped pecans.