The Light Box

Jerry built me a light box!

Materials: box, poster board, a sheet, and a lamp.

He cut out the sides and top of the box, leaving a frame.

He sprayed adhesive on the box and glued on the white sheet.

He finished by putting the poster board on the inside of the box. He even built me a stand so that my light would hang directly over the box.

Right now I have this set up in our sun room, which is perfect, since it is right off the kitchen.
Unfortunately our sun room is not heated, so I have a feeling that in the winter, I may be relegated to food photography in the basement.

Last night for dinner, I was in the mood for vegetables. After a weekend that included ice cream (as a meal), chicken wings (twice), a Reuben sandwich, and meatballs, Jerry and I decided on something light and healthy.

I made roasted stuffed pears and served them over a bed of arugula. I also had baby lettuce and heirloom tomatoes that I picked up at the farmer's market on Saturday.
Prefect for Meatless Monday.

Jerry bought a bag of local Bosc pears at the orchard last week, and I didn't want them to go to waste. These pears were still slightly under ripe, so they were perfect for baking.

Roasted Stuffed Pears 

• 2 under ripe pears
• 2 Tbls walnuts
• 2 Tbls dried cranberries
• 1 Tbls brown sugar
• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• pinch of salt and pepper
• goat cheese, about 1-2 oz (this would also be excellent with blue cheese)

Peel the pears and then cut them in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, leaving a little well for the filling.
Toss the next six ingredients in a bowl, so that the brown sugar coats everything.
Place a dollop of goat cheese into the pear, and then cover with topping.
Finish off with a little more goat cheese on top.
Bake in a baking dish at 375 for 30 minutes, or until pears are tender.

I sprinkled a little more brown sugar on Jerry's pear, and added some extra cheese and walnuts to the salad. I added a simple vinaigrette of olive oil, champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, and S&P to my salad.
I loved the sweet and savory flavors of this dinner.
There were two standouts in this salad. The tomatoes, and the walnuts coated in brown sugar.
I sure will miss local summer tomatoes :(

Compared to my salad from a few weeks ago, I would say the photos taken in the light box are much better.

Spicy Caesar, Sept 28, 2011

There are no shadows in the bottom photo, some thing drove me crazy when taking pictures in my kitchen.

Thanks for your votes on the meatball photos!
I am currently debating between #2 and #3.