Good morning and happy Wednesday to you!
Healthy Vegan Challenge Update:
Today is day 10 of our , how is it going for you? After a few adjustments to my eating habits, I’ve fallen easily into a new, healthier routine and I’m feeling better because of it. In some ways, I am surprised by how easy it has been to make small changes that have big consequences. We have a very supportive group going on over on Facebook, feel free to join at any time and set some healthy goals for yourself for the next 6 1/2 weeks. The Spring Challenge will end on April 22nd which means 46 more days (not that I’m counting…).
Light Box Review:
I am very happy today to include a review of an awesome product I recently discovered and has made a huge difference in the quality of my photos, the MyStudio PS5 PortaStudio made by a company called ProCyc .
You may recall that just about a year ago, my husband made me a photo studio at home using materials from the hardware store . The homemade light box was so much better than any other type of lighting, but the box itself was pretty big and cumbersome:
And, to be honest, we spent over $100 for all of the components, not to mention the time and gas spent driving to the hardware store multiple times and putting the thing together.
With all of the food photos I take for my blog and my recipe app, Vegan Delish , I figured it was time to get a real light box for my food photography. After much research on the internet, I finally came across a product that looked like it might be perfect for my needs, the MyStudio PS5 PortaStudio made by a company called ProCyc . I contacted the owner, Sean, who was kind enough to send me one to test out and review.
The PS5 arrived in a compact package:
The instructions to put it together were very straightforward and the whole thing fits very nicely into a corner of the room and can be moved if necessary (the tables are not included):
The real test, of course, is how it handles food photograph and I’m happy to report that it’s a winner!
Here is a comparison shot of my dinner last night with and without the light box:
The following items are included with the PS5:
1 – 24″ x 60″ flexible white background
1 – adjustable height light stand made of high impact ABS plastic
1 – “Daylight” 5000K color-balanced fluorescent lamp and bulb combo with integrated On/Off switch
2 – reflector support brackets and clips for the white background
Complete setup instructions with photos
2-page detailed “Camera Tips & Settings” to help you get the most out of your PS5
Also, this product is made in the United States.
If you are a food blogger, I highly recommend investing in a PS5. Sean has even created a discount code for $15 off just for us (expires March 31, 2013). To use the discount code, follow these steps:
1) visit this link: http://www.procyc.com/products/mystudio-ps5-portastudio
2) Add the product to your cart
3) enter the coupon code CARRIE (must be in all CAPS) and click ‘Apply’
4) complete the checkout on the website
Sean has also noted that he will also be including a free set of the white bounce card reflectors with that code (normally $13.95).
Photo Food Journal:
Since today is Wednesday , I’m doing another photo food journal of everything I ate yesterday. Actually, I dropped the ball and forgot to take a picture of my breakfast, but it was pretty much identical to last week’s green smoothie . I also had a mug of herbal tea to take the chill off.
Lunch was more exciting as I put a bunch of vegetables including carrots, golden beets, cabbage and onion in the food processor and made this pretty combination with some avocado and tomato:
I topped the whole thing with some baby greens, crumbled tempeh, and a new salad dressing made from cilantro, hemp seeds, almond milk, and coconut vinegar:
Here’s the recipe:
Print This!
Herbed Hemp Dressing
6 servings
Ingredients:
1 medium bunch of fresh herbs (I used cilantro)
1 tablespoon onion flakes
1/3 cup hulled hemp seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup coconut vinegar
Directions:
Wash and dry fresh herbs and remove leaves from stems. Combine ingredients in a high-speed blender and process until smooth.
So, my lunch salad looked like this before I dug in:
I had some leftover smoothie for dessert:
You already saw what my dinner looked like, but it was a kale salad with a simple dressing of almond butter, red pepper flakes, prunes, raisins, soy milk and lime juice topped with radishes and beans (the dressing was very similar to Chef AJ’s Hail to the Kale recipe ):
I also had a roasted yam with the salad (sorry, unpictured). It was a delicious day of healthy eats and I was satisfied and very happy that I consumed so many vegetables.
Dr. Greger DVD Giveaway:
Before I go, don’t forget to enter the giveaway for two fantastic, informative and entertaining DVDs from Dr. Greger, you can do that here :
I will randomly select a winner this Friday when I will also be back with the most popular recipes from Healthy Vegan Fridays ! Have a great rest of your week.
Good morning and happy Wednesday to you!
Healthy Vegan Challenge Update:
Today is day 10 of our , how is it going for you? After a few adjustments to my eating habits, I’ve fallen easily into a new, healthier routine and I’m feeling better because of it. In some ways, I am surprised by how easy it has been to make small changes that have big consequences. We have a very supportive group going on over on Facebook, feel free to join at any time and set some healthy goals for yourself for the next 6 1/2 weeks. The Spring Challenge will end on April 22nd which means 46 more days (not that I’m counting…).
Light Box Review:
I am very happy today to include a review of an awesome product I recently discovered and has made a huge difference in the quality of my photos, the MyStudio PS5 PortaStudio made by a company called ProCyc .
You may recall that just about a year ago, my husband made me a photo studio at home using materials from the hardware store . The homemade light box was so much better than any other type of lighting, but the box itself was pretty big and cumbersome:
And, to be honest, we spent over $100 for all of the components, not to mention the time and gas spent driving to the hardware store multiple times and putting the thing together.
With all of the food photos I take for my blog and my recipe app, Vegan Delish , I figured it was time to get a real light box for my food photography. After much research on the internet, I finally came across a product that looked like it might be perfect for my needs, the MyStudio PS5 PortaStudio made by a company called ProCyc . I contacted the owner, Sean, who was kind enough to send me one to test out and review.
The PS5 arrived in a compact package:
The instructions to put it together were very straightforward and the whole thing fits very nicely into a corner of the room and can be moved if necessary (the tables are not included):
The real test, of course, is how it handles food photograph and I’m happy to report that it’s a winner!
Here is a comparison shot of my dinner last night with and without the light box:
The following items are included with the PS5:
1 – 24″ x 60″ flexible white background
1 – adjustable height light stand made of high impact ABS plastic
1 – “Daylight” 5000K color-balanced fluorescent lamp and bulb combo with integrated On/Off switch
2 – reflector support brackets and clips for the white background
Complete setup instructions with photos
2-page detailed “Camera Tips & Settings” to help you get the most out of your PS5
Also, this product is made in the United States.
If you are a food blogger, I highly recommend investing in a PS5. Sean has even created a discount code for $15 off just for us (expires March 31, 2013). To use the discount code, follow these steps:
1) visit this link: http://www.procyc.com/products/mystudio-ps5-portastudio
2) Add the product to your cart
3) enter the coupon code CARRIE (must be in all CAPS) and click ‘Apply’
4) complete the checkout on the website
Sean has also noted that he will also be including a free set of the white bounce card reflectors with that code (normally $13.95).
Photo Food Journal:
Since today is Wednesday , I’m doing another photo food journal of everything I ate yesterday. Actually, I dropped the ball and forgot to take a picture of my breakfast, but it was pretty much identical to last week’s green smoothie . I also had a mug of herbal tea to take the chill off.
Lunch was more exciting as I put a bunch of vegetables including carrots, golden beets, cabbage and onion in the food processor and made this pretty combination with some avocado and tomato:
I topped the whole thing with some baby greens, crumbled tempeh, and a new salad dressing made from cilantro, hemp seeds, almond milk, and coconut vinegar:
Here’s the recipe:
Herbed Hemp Dressing
6 servings
Ingredients:
1 medium bunch of fresh herbs (I used cilantro)
1 tablespoon onion flakes
1/3 cup hulled hemp seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup coconut vinegar
Directions:
Wash and dry fresh herbs and remove leaves from stems. Combine ingredients in a high-speed blender and process until smooth.
So, my lunch salad looked like this before I dug in:
I had some leftover smoothie for dessert:
You already saw what my dinner looked like, but it was a kale salad with a simple dressing of almond butter, red pepper flakes, prunes, raisins, soy milk and lime juice topped with radishes and beans (the dressing was very similar to Chef AJ’s Hail to the Kale recipe ):
I also had a roasted yam with the salad (sorry, unpictured). It was a delicious day of healthy eats and I was satisfied and very happy that I consumed so many vegetables.
Dr. Greger DVD Giveaway:
Before I go, don’t forget to enter the giveaway for two fantastic, informative and entertaining DVDs from Dr. Greger, you can do that here :
I will randomly select a winner this Friday when I will also be back with the most popular recipes from Healthy Vegan Fridays ! Have a great rest of your week.