VeganMoFo Day 25-Black Bean Cutlet Taco Salad and DIY lightbox!

I was pretty excited about dinner tonight! In layer order: there is sauteed swiss chard (sauteed with lemon juice, olive oil, pepper), crumbled blue corn chips, Vcon cutlets made with black beans (I used cumin and hungarian paprika for spices in it), Nacho sauce from Yellow Rose Recipes (this is my go-to nacho sauce; so yummy. I replace the jalapenos with half of a red onion, and decrease the cumin to let the nooch shine through. Also, i was out of lime juice, so I used lemon), homemade GUAC (with half of a red onion and two cloves of garlic, and a dash of lemon juice), and some more crumbled chips.

I'm even more excited for the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Now, more about that homemade lightbox. It was super-easy, free, and not time-consuming at all, but now that I've used it a bit, I know what to do better next time. First off, selecting the right sized box is important. I like to be able to take a picture from all sides and from above, and the smaller sized box that I chose pretty much only accommodates straight-on shots. So! Next time, I will choose a taller box, that will accommodate overhead shots (or maybe some sort of flap that opens on top for the camera...hmm...) and wider, so that I'm not having to cut down colored paper to fit or so that I'm able to go in for a more angled, side-shot. Not to mention, my dinner plates don't fit into this box (so my above dinner was NOT taken in the lightbox)!

Otherwise, SUPER-easy. Just cut out each side (even the bottom, so you can just lay it over something that you arranged), and duct-tape either tracing paper (what I had), tissue paper, or even really thin cheap-o copy paper over each cut-out square (except the bottom and one side that you will stand at with your camera. That's it! I just taped pretty colored paper on the back panel or laid it under my subject.




p.s. Is anyone else having trouble with Blogger uploading your pictures in the REVERSE order than you selected? Argh!! *copy/paste/copy/paste/copy/paste*

New Shop Item!

Cupcake planters!! I'm really excited about these and have plans for other types of food-themed planters for spring. BROCCOLI is next! Cupcakes are up in my shop!



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Some food from the past week or so!

Brunch this morning was pancakes with a strawberry-orange sauce and walnuts. Sweets for breakfast is the best.


I finally got Yellow Rose Recipes, and made the Sloppy Joannas the other night. I added Corn to mine, 'cause that's how I roll. Also, there is a dispute on how to eat these! I think they are called "sloppy" for a reason and are meant to be smothered and eaten with a fork, while other seem to be silly and think it is an ACTUAL sandwich. crazies!


I also made the Baked Samosas with Mint-cilantro chutney from YRR. I don't like mint all that much, so i modified the chutney a bit with spinach in place of fresh mint and just added a smidge of dried mint. These were yum and well-worth my fight with the phyllo dough. Oh, I also didn't add spinach to the filling like the recipe called for, but broccoli and corn instead.