Kayla Rochelle photography: An August Recap | Family, Maternity and Children photography
When we headed back to New York for a few weeks in August I was so excited to be able to book some family sessions. I have the best clients and being able to see them grow and change is the best part!
This year was the first time I was able to work with the H family. The kids were so sweet and polite! This family has an amazing dynamic and I am so happy I was able to capture that for them!
The T family and I have been friends for years! I photographed Mom and Dad before their wedding, when their oldest was first born and now just a few months after their second! Poor Dad was just a few days post- back surgery ( what a trooper!) and their 2 year old was not interested in having his photos taken. We had to do a bit of funny dancing to keep the youngest happy but we got some amazing images of the 4 of them!
I was so lucky to be able to photograph the wedding of the S family earlier this year and was so eager to see them again for their maternity pictures! They both had a baby glow which came through in all of the images. Their love came through so strong and I still swoon looking at their photos today!
The F family knows how to work the camera! Their little girl has killed it in sessions with me before so I was so excited to capture some great pictures for her first birthday. That scrunch face? Oh my goodness!
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I service the New York City and Capital District areas of New York state.
Contact me today if you’re interested in getting some photos of your lovely family!
kaylagodin1@gmail.com
Life at the White House: Visiting Medieval Times
Before we left Texas I had one very serious thing on our Dallas bucket list we had to check off, a trip to Medieval Times! We lived about 5 minutes down the road from the Dallas location and JT had never been. I happen to love all things themed and cheesy so this restaurant has been pretty much made for me. We made reservations and headed out for a fun double date!
If you aren’t familiar with Medieval Times, they are essentially dinner and a show. You are seated in a section that is dedicated to one of the competing knights. Wenches deliver your meal ( no silverware!) which you enjoy while watching the knights compete in classic games from the Renaissance ages. We had a great time and were all a little hoarse after an evening of cheering!
It’s the King!
Before the knights compete they brought out these beautiful horses who performed some amazing tricks!
While our knight, the red and yellow knight didn’t win he did come in second!
The food was delicious and the portions were huge! We had such a great time with our friends. It was the perfect way to end our time in Dallas!
Kayla Loves: Crockpot Cooking | My favorite crockpot recipies
The chilly air has settled in, the leaves are turning orange and all I want is my home to smell like warm home-cooked goodness. Enter stage left, my crock pot. How I lived life so long without it I’ll never know. We are big crock pot lovers in the White house and will typically eat about 2 crock pot meals a week ( especially during the cold months). As I’m gearing up and stocking the fridge I thought I’d share some of my favorite recipes and tips.
First of all, crock pot liners! Trust me.. run to your nearest grocery store or click on this link and stock up! These things are like gold in our house and so easy to use. I hate having to wash the crock pot after something delicious has been simmering all day ( it’s so heavy!) but when we use these liners you just hold the liner close and throw it out. Clean up done!
Secondly if you are not familiar with the website Get Crocked, get familiar! Jenn has the biggest collection of crock pot recipes I’ve ever found. I follow her on all social media and get her newsletter. She is always coming up with new meal ideas! Plus I own her e-book ‘ Get Crocked‘ which has over 400 recipes. Every so often I sit down with the book ( I printed out the e-book and put it into a binder) and a pretty highlighter and find new meals for us to try. So far we’ve loved everything we’ve tried!
Thirdly, freeze freeze freeze! I saw the ‘freeze ahead’ crock pot ideas spread across Pinterest and couldn’t help but to join in! Normally I find about 5 or 6 recipes for the upcoming weeks. I do one big grocery shopping trip ( and usually stay within a $150 budget) and then spend 1 afternoon preparing the meals. Some are as easy as ‘ open chicken package, open spaghetti sauce, dump everything into ziplock bag’ and some involve a few more steps. I write on the outside of each bag what the meal is and any additional directions I may need which makes them easy to identify later. Then into the freezer they all go! That way we have ready made meals. When it’s time to cook, I put the bag ( still sealed) under hot water for a minute or two and then slip the entire bag contents into the crock pot. It couldn’t be easier!
We have a number of favorite crock pot meals, but these are some of our go-to’s!
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Meatballs are a big win in our house. Whenever I see Ground Turkey on sale ( we prefer it to ground beef) I always grab a few pounds. I try and make a few batches of meatballs and bake them until cooked through ( usually about 20 minutes in the oven). Then I divide out the meatballs into ziplock bags and into the freezer they go. When I add them to the crock pot I usually dump a jar of sauce on top of them. ( I’ve also added a container of bbq instead of red sauce! )
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Why didn’t I think of this sooner?! When I’m stocking up on turkey for the meatballs, I also grab a few pounds just for cooking ahead. Dump the ground beef, turkey or chicken into the crock pot and leave it on low for about 2 hours. I stir it every so often and keep an eye on it but when it’s done we have fully cooked ground meat!
( Original post here)
Anything with a mexican flavor is a big hit for us. Plus this one is another simple recipe! Following the link will take you to the original recipe but I’ve also made this with just chicken breasts, a jar of salsa and hot sauce. It was also yummy (but not as yummy as the original if I’m being honest).
( Original post here)
This is my favorite fall recipe. When the apples are fresh and crispy in all of the stores I try to make as much applesauce as I can! Follow the original recipe to a tee and you’ll be just as happy as I am!
Do you have any favorite crock pot meals? I’d love to add more to my ever growing list!
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