Suzi's Blog
Photo Collaging Apps on an iPad: Recommended Tools for You
How did I do that collage? My iPad.
The iPad has spawned an incredibly diverse new industry of low-cost apps for the iPad that do photo editing and collaging. I do mean low cost. The program I used for this collage cost $1.99.
There are dozens of programs out there, too many to easily decide which to use. Here are the ones I use on a regular basis:
- Layout
- InstaFrame
- Photo Mess
- Collage
- Arc Frame
- Pic Joiner
And here are some apps I have used but no longer do. Some of these were limited in features, some have been outclassed by the apps above.
- Picture Frames
- Nostalgio
- Frametastic
- InstapicFrames
- aPhoto
- MyPics
- Linea
- Pic Stitch
Of course, you will certainly try and test on your own. New apps appear weekly, so a year from now, I may have a whole new list of favorites. But for now, I hope you’ll use my list of favorites as way to get started.
I am a computer geek. The iPad has literally changed my daily routine and the ability to do such rich photo editing and organization make it a vital tool for any blogger.
Hot Chocolate Options
There are many, many ways to make hot chocolate. I just posted two marvelous recipes earlier today from Fred Thompson and Linda Collister. But in your portfolio of hot chocolate ideas, you need to consider these things.
What is the liquid I use?
Your options include:
- Pure milk
- Pure water
- Pure heavy cream
- Some combination of those three
- Dashes of booze, such as coffee liqueur or kahlua or brandy or tequila
What is the source of the chocolate?
- Cocoa powder
- Unsweetened chocolate, or semi, or milk or even white
How do I thicken the beverage?
A “thick” beverage is simply more satisfying than a thin one so consider:
- Whisking
- Arrowroot
- Cornstarch
How can I augment the flavor?
- Orange or lemon or lime zest
- Chili powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Honey
- Maple syrup
- Brown sugar
- Dulce de leche
- Vanilla bean
- Cinnamon stick
- Lavendar
- Homemade caramel sauce
- Malted milk powder and malted milk balls
- Nutmeg or allspice or cloves
- Peanut butter chips
- Ground peppermint candy or peppermint oil
- Espresso powder or a shot of coffee
- Cardamom
- Eggnog
How can I flavor the whipped cream?
- Cayanne
- Chocolate
- Cinnamon
- Liqueur of any kind
To find specific recipes using these ideas, you can consult Hot Chocolate by Fred Thompson or Hot Chocolate by Michael Turback.
Or, you can wing it. You’ll be fine. It’s a dash of this, a teaspoon of that. Your goal is to create flavor overtones and you can certainly do that using one or more of these flavor additions.
