Happy (early) Civic day to those of us celebrating! Next up, a delicious guest post from the Culinary Queen, writer, recipe developer, and very-soon-mom-to-be, Emily, from Daily Garnish! Please enjoy her 5 favourite vegan recipes below. I’ll be back later in the day with a fun PIZZA how-to post. See you soon! Ange

Good morning, Oh She Glows readers!  I’m Emily from Daily Garnish, and I’m thrilled to be guest posting on one of my favorite blogs this morning.

My husband and I have both been vegetarians for about three years now, and more recently we’ve been eating a mostly vegan diet.  In just a few years of meatless eating, we have both found ourselves to look better, feel better, and simply live better each day.  In 2009 I quit my job in fundraising to go to culinary school and follow a dream, and now I do recipe development and writing as a full time job.  It’s pretty exciting!

Our latest creation is a baby boy, due this coming October!  I’ve found that pregnancy has only intensified my passion for healthy, meatless eating, and I’m looking forward to spoiling our little guy with delicious vegan treats.

Today I’m happy to share with you a few of my personal favorite vegan recipes – everything from appetizers to soups to baked goods.  A little something for everyone.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Jelly Surprise Muffins

These are my favorites of all the muffins I’ve made, and what’s great is that you can customize them with whatever fillings you want – different jellies, nut butters, and more!

Spaghetti Squash with Vegan Mushroom Cream Sauce

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes, and one that we make over and over again at my house.  Non-vegans will never know that this isn’t a real mushroom cream sauce!

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes & Vegan Gravy

You really can’t go wrong with mashed potatoes and gravy.  Am I right?  The caramelized onions take this to a whole new level – a Thanksgiving favorite at our house!

Quinoa and Bean Corn Chowder

Soup is my favorite thing in the world, and there is something just so comfortable about a creamy chowder.  This lightened vegan version of corn chowder has quinoa and beans for a protein punch.  Tastes rich but is actually ridiculously healthy – my favorite kind of food!

Healthy Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

This is a great thing to make if you’re headed to a party and you’re worried that there might not be any vegan options available for you.  Vegans and non-vegans have both raved about this healthified version of a classic appetizer.

Many thanks to Angela for the opportunity to talk with you guys today.  You can find plenty more recipes, and occasional baby talk over at Daily Garnish.  Stop over and say hi!

Good morning! Please give a warm welcome to Ashley today on Oh She Glows! She’s a great friend of mine and an all around amazing gal. Enjoy her favourite vegan recipes below, but try not to drool too much on your keyboard.

Hey guys!  I’m Ashley from The Edible Perspective.  I couldn’t be more excited to be guest posting on Angela’s blog today.  Ange + I have known each other for almost 2 years now, and I’m pretty sure we’re long lost sisters.

Let me break down a few getting to know you facts about myself:

• I live in Ft. Collins, Colorado with my husband + two doggles [boxer + great dane/lab] and we love, love, love it here!
• I started my blog just over 1.5yrs ago + at the same time I curiously stole borrowed my husband’s dSLR camera and fell in love with photography + photographing food.
• My current exercise routine includes the following: cycling, swimming, HIIT workouts, 3x/week weight lifting, bouldering, walking the dogs, biking around town
• Two of my biggest passions are cooking + photography, which I’m trying to create my own career from, although I actually have a master’s degree in Architecture.
• A few months ago, I discovered I have an intolerance to gluten.  My digestive tract is so much happier without it!
• My current diet looks something like this: always gluten free, always vegetarian, frequently vegan

Now let’s get started with those vegan recipes!

If you know me at all, you most definitely know that I am a nut butter fanatic.  You will also know that I love creating my own nut butter recipes.  When thinking of which one to share, I was immediately drawn to my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Almond Butter.  Why?  Because I know Angela is a huge fan of cookie dough and this literally tastes like raw dough.  The crunchy pieces of chocolate chips will have you double dipping in the jar for more.  Enjoy this as an oat topping, ice cream topping, sandwich topping, you just can’t go wrong!

My next recipe, is literally hot of the press and in perfect timing for your next veggie burger craving.  This Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger has blend of Mexican spices, black beans, sweet taters, quinoa, corn and more.  Not only is this burger super flavorful, but it holds together and has awesome chew.  And guess what?  No food processor involved!  I promise the man in your life will love it too!

Something else your man will love?  And even your kids?  BEER fries.  These are the best oven baked fries I’ve ever had.  They take a little longer to cook, from soaking in beer, but result in a perfectly crispy french fry.  I kept the seasonings simple with garlic, salt + pepper.  And if you’re looking more sweet tater in your life, check out my sweet potato beer fries.  They actually retain some of the delicious beer flavor!

You might want to make this next recipe on a cool summer night.  If you have those where you live!  Or just stow it away for fall.  No matter what the temperature, this is my best curry recipe to date!  It’s a 2-part recipe with curried chickpeas as the main attraction and creamy coconut quinoa on the side.

My husband and I recently bought our first home, which was a major fixer upper.  With the help of my uncle, we’ve done all of the work on our own.  The kitchen was the first thing to go.  It was completely gutted!  With 75% of the kitchen complete + the oven in place, this was the very first recipe to come out of it!  Curried Chickpeas + Coconut Quinoa

I can’t leave without ending on a sweet note.  You will leave your family guessing the ingredient list for this next recipe!  The secret is avocado.

In CAKE!

Chocolate Avocado Cake

Favorite chocolate cake ever?  I’m pretty sure it is.  I haven’t created a gluten free version yet, but when I do, a chocolate coma will ensue.  The avocado keeps this cake extremely moist and it’s packed full of delicious cocoa.  The brown rice syrup + sucanat combination, add a nice light sweetness.  Kid friendly.  Family friendly.  You’ll need to hide this under your bed, because it’s not gonna’ last long!  This cake was originally paired with a Green Monster frosting [whipped cream + spinach + sugar].  For a vegan version, just swap the whipped cream for full fat coconut milk.  Or, pair it with a simple vegan peanut butter frosting.  Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Thanks again to Angela, for inviting me over to her blog today!  A constant inspiration in life, a kitchen wizard + a fabulous friend…she’s pretty amazing, “eh?”  [<--- I taught her that]

If you’re interested to learn more about my life, my photos + my eats, stop by The Edible Perspective and say hello.  I would love to hear from you!

<3 Ashley

Please welcome Allyson from the delicious Manifest Vegan blog! I’ve been drooling over Allyson’s vegan and GF creations for over a year now and she’s here today to talk about her 5 favourite summer-friendly vegan recipes. Enjoy!

[Mocha Ice Cream Sandwiches]

My name is Allyson Kramer and I’m the founder, recipe developer, and photographer behind the vegan and gluten-free recipe blog Manifest Vegan, as well as the author of the upcoming cookbook ‘Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats’ (Fair Winds Press, Spring 2012). My passion is creating recipes that demonstrate how vegan and gluten-free food can be easy, tasty, and fun! When I’m not in the kitchen I love getting outside to enjoy nature or settling down with a good food-related read.

Here are 5 vegan and gluten-free recipes that you can enjoy all summer long!

This decadent tart is easy to make and highlights some sensational summer flavors: raspberry and sage!

Perfect for early or late summer when green tomatoes are abundant, these turnovers are gluten-free and packed with flavor.

This refreshing salsa will surely delight with its fruity, yet sophisticated, flavor combination.

Purslane is the star of this vermicelli salad, packing a hefty nutritional boost to this colorful concoction.

This falafel plays off of a traditional hummus flavor, garlic and roasted red pepper. Delicious baked or fried.

Happy Cooking!

I have a special treat for you today- a guest post from one of my favourite blogging duos- Ashley and Stephen from (never home)maker! I fell in love with their drool-worthy recipes, beautiful photography, and enthusiasm for running just over a year ago and I’ve been hooked on their blog ever since. I hope you enjoy the post!

P.S.- I’m making these stat!!

Angela

Hey, everyone! We’re Ashley and Stephen from (never home)maker. Though we initially started our site as a food blog, it’s evolved and shifted over the years to share focus with fitness (specifically running), photography, everyday life, and now our expanding family (Ashley’s due with our baby girl, who we affectionately call Pequeña, in late November). Still, we don’t just eat to live. Good, healthy food is one of our biggest passions . . .

We’re thrilled to share with you five of our favorite vegan recipes from our blog. And though we have in recent years become vegetarian (Stephen now enjoys seafood on occasion), we always have the most fun in the kitchen crafting healthy vegan meals and desserts.

CURRIED AVOCADO SOUP

We made this Curried Avocado Soup a couple weeks ago. Though we’re both not usually keen on chilled soups — they don’t fill us up — this one is as creamy as it is tasty. It’s a perfect summer meal on its own… or as a starter to a picnic dinner.

BLACK BEAN-SPINACH BURGERS

Non-meat eaters may miss out on traditional summer grilling, but that doesn’t need to keep us from getting our fill. These Black Bean-Spinach Burgers are full of protein and greens — just waiting to be slathered with ketchup and mustard.

PEANUT NOODLE BOWL

We’re rarely dissatisfied when we add coconut milk and peanut butter to a simple veggie dish. This Peanut Noodle Bowl is no exception, of course. Best of all, it’s great served hot or cold!

SUMMER ROLLS

We owe the success of this refreshing Summer Roll recipe to my dear friend Meg. She recreated a restaurant favorite (pictured unrolled here so you can see all the goodness inside) back when we were in college. We still make it often — over 6 years later.

VEGAN PECAN CHOCOLATE CHIPPERS

And no favorites list would be complete with our all-time favorite vegan cookie recipe. These Pecan Chocolate Chippers, at least in Ashley’s humble opinion, have a perfect crisp-but-soft-and-gooey texture. We make them at least once every couple weeks — even more often now that Ashley craves them all the time.

We’d like to thank Angela for the opportunity to share these recipes with you all. Oh She Glows has been a great source of inspiration for us over the years — most notably teaching us the pure wonder that is a green monster. We’re hooked and never looking back.

If you’d like to read more from us, feel free to stop by (never home)maker for more vegan recipes, tips on running, and other fun stuff. And our new-ish family site, (never home)maker, baby!, is the place to go for pregnancy updates as we anxiously await our little girl’s arrival.

<3 Ashley and Stephen M.

Please welcome a friend of mine, Marla from Family Fresh Cooking, where she blogs about delicious, whole food recipes to inspire healthy lives. We are cross-posting today, so be sure to pay a visit to her wonderful blog!

Take it away Marla!

Hi everyone! My name is Marla and I am beyond thrilled to guest here at Oh She Glows. Angela and I met online recently and we hit it off as soon as we connected. I discovered her blog while gawking over her recipes at Tastespotting and Foodgawker. We are two gals who love sharing recipes that encourage creativity with whole food ingredients. Huge flavor and energy rich healthy foods are the focus on our blogs. People say that we eat with our eyes first. Both Angela and I love making healthy food beautiful to gaze upon and munch on.

Although I am not vegan I embrace all kinds of culinary choices. The vegan world fascinates me. I have been having a blast experimenting with animal free ingredients, especially in my baking. I am happy that I have become enlightened to the endless possibilities of the vegan lifestyle.

With two little kids and a super busy life I choose foods that keep our physical energy and emotions running at peak performance. The recipes I share here with you are from my blog Family Fresh Cooking. The ones I profile are vegan, they range from sweet to savory and everything in between. If occasionally you see dairy products in my posts feel free to adapt with vegan alternatives. Angela has been great at teaching me the in’s and out’s of the vegan world. You can also ask her or me which adaptations would work for my recipes that are not 100% vegan.

Vegan Baking

I have to admit that this category thrills me the most. I avoided baking for so long because traditional sweets, heavy flours and refined ingredients don’t agree with me anymore. Thankfully my world has now opened up, I have found amazingly healthy ingredients that can be baked up and enjoyed any time of day.

I love the bonus of no yucky energy crashes after eating these treats. There are so many great replacements to dairy out there. Tastes and textures remain heavenly and addictive even without eggs, butter and such. I partner a lot of my vegan baking with gluten free flours too. Some of my favorites include:

• Almond Chickpea Cookies
• Avocado Scones
• Telluride Trail Bars

Veggie Soups

Simple to prepare and filled with flavor, soup is a wonderful way to eat your veggies. I make big batches of soups for grab and go meals. For more protein I add tofu or tempeh. Soy sour cream and fresh herbs are always a great garnish.

• Broccoli Cauliflower Avocado Soup (shown above)
• Sweet Potato Chickpea Soup
• Zucchini Carrot Soup

Tofu or Tempeh Stir Frys

I keep large amounts of cleaned and prepped fresh veggies in the fridge at all times. Simple stir frys are a cinch to cook up and awesome to tuck in the fridge for quick meals and lunch boxes. Seen here is my Sesame Tofu with Spring Vegetables and Quinoa.

Applesauce

We love apple sauce in our house. More a method than an actual recipe, I enjoy using all kinds of fruits and spices for variety. Not only is applesauce a delicious snack, it adds great texture and helps to reduce fats used in baked goods. You can layer it in soy yogurt parfaits. It is also wonderful stirred into a steamy bowl of oatmeal.

• Chai Tea Applesauce
• Cherry Earl Grey Applesauce
• Cinnamon Stick Applesauce (shown above)
• Pumpkin Vanilla Applesauce

Angela, thanks so much for inviting me over to Oh She Glows. Come visit with Angela over at my place too!

Feel free to contact me at any time. I can also be found on Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon and at the local coffee shop. Find more of my recipes and healthy lifestyle tips on my blog Family Fresh Cooking.

Our favorite place on Earth: Telluride, Colorado. Crisp cool air, a great place for all kids of outdoor exercise and amazing food!

~~~~

How adorable are they!? Thank you Marla for guest posting today! Be sure to check out Family Fresh Cooking as I have a feeling you will enjoy it as much as I do!

Hi everyone!

When Beth and Aaron proposed the guest post idea of going vegan for a day, I thought it was such a fun idea. Below, you will read about their day as they tried to eat completely vegan. I found it fun to read and can completely relate to their struggles with finding hidden animal ingredients in products.

I hope you enjoy their post as much as I did. Also, check out their awesome website Cross Border Cravings!

While I leave for Leah’s wedding early afternoon today I will still be posting as regular over the next couple days (our hotel has wireless internet). So be sure to check back for all the fun!!

~Angela

~~~~~~~~

Cross-Border Challenge: Vegan for a Day

Hi Oh She Glows readers! I’m really excited to be here today as I am a huge fan of Angela’s site! My name is Beth and I share a healthy living blog with my friend Aaron over at CrossBorderCravings.com. Aaron and I met in Canada while both in University and have been great friends since. Now that I live in Washington DC and Aaron is up in Ontario, one way we stay in touch is through our blog. We both have a great interest in healthy food and activity and enjoy sharing our ideas on both with one another and anyone else who might feel the same.

Aaron and I both eat a diet consisting of all of the major food groups, including meat and dairy. However, we thought it might be fun to challenge ourselves to eat vegan for an entire day. Here’s everything we ate, and our thoughts on the whole experience. Enjoy!

Breakfast:

Aaron:

Before I begin, I want to give you an idea of what products I usually consume. Having dabbled in vegetarianism I have a few habits that I have kept, so I don’t really eat a lot of animal products. The products that I would normally buy are tuna, salmon, margarine, cheese, and yogurt. Chicken and eggs find their way into my fridge maybe once every few months. The products I never buy are cow’s milk and red meats.

I started the day off with toast and jam! Not just any jam, but homemade jam! The left is blackcurrant and the right is rhubarb marmalade… Mmm!! Around lunch time, I realized that bread is not actually vegan! I’m off to a bad start, apparently!

Beth:

This morning I realized what a challenge today was really going to be! After a hard work-out at the gym, I came home in need of something filling – fast! I considered an energy bar and found milk products in the ingredients. Then I considered organic cereal and found milk and egg products! It’s obvious when eating vegan to stay away from eggs, dairy and meat, but not so obvious that many foods contain traces of these things.

Finally I settled on a soy yogurt bowl. It contained:

· 1 peach soy yogurt

· 1 tbsp. ground flax

· 1 chopped apple

· 2 tbsp. nut and raisin mix

· 1 tsp. peanut butter

· cinnamon

Lunch:

Aaron:

I did better when it came to lunch – butternut squash soup! Definitely vegan J And a few cherries on the side.

Beth:

For lunch, I headed to JavaGreen, a mostly organic vegan/vegetarian café in downtown DC. JavaGreen also offers a lot of raw food and I decided if I was going to try it, I may as well go all the way! I ate vegan and raw for lunch with the raw pizza. It was my first time eating raw and I didn’t mind it at all! It was nothing like real pizza but the taste of the veggies was excellent. For dessert I had a vegan peanut butter cookie. I don’t usually eat sweets after lunch but they looked too good to resist!

Dinner:

Aaron:

For dinner I had some stir-fried veggies over rice. I think the sauce was vegan, but some of those ingredients I wasn’t sure about!

Beth:

For dinner I also had stir-fried veggies over rice! I checked on my sauces and found meat or dairy traces in all of them! I ended up seasoning my dish with soy sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. I also added a little hummus and salsa to top it off.

Snacks:

Beth:

This was my pre-workout snack – a rice cake with raspberry preserves.

In Conclusion:

Beth:

I had a lot of fun with today. It was really educational to see how many foods really do contain some form of animal products. I am a huge foodie and like to enjoy as much of a variety of tastes and foods as possible. As a result, I don’t think I will be turning vegan anytime soon! However, I do think that eating responsibly is important and I hope that this experience today has taught me how to implement some positive changes in my own habits.

Aaron:

The results? Vegan Tuesday was harder than I thought! Because I don’t eat a whole lot of animal products, I thought it would be a breeze… I was wrong! A couple meals were a bit of a struggle because I didn’t have a big variety of food to choose from (needed groceries!). I definitely think that if I had shopped with the intention of preparing only vegan meals then I would have had an easier go with it. I found I had to cut out some of the major staples in my meals. Yogurt and cheese I think are the hardest to part with. Luckily, there is a lot of soy yogurt out there. Cheese on the other hand, I just can’t stomach the vegan stuff!

Thanks so much to Angela for having us on Oh She Glows! We’d love to hear your feedback and see you over at www.CrossBorderCravings.com!

- Beth

Today’s question:

Have you ever tried eating vegan/vegetarian for a day? What was it like?

Would you try it?

Have you been wanting to get your hands on some Amazing Grass??

Don’t forget to enter my Amazing Grass giveaway! This is the first set of 3 amazing prizes that will be given away the month of July. You won’t believe what the grand prize is, either!

Also, check out the updated recipes over at Green Monster Movement!

For the SGBC today, we have a guest post by Kath from Kath Eats Real Food on the topic of Sports Nutrition! As you may know, Kath is currently training to become a Registered Dietitian to pursue her love of food and health as a career.

Take it away Kath

“Sprint To The Fridge”

By Kath

Eating is supposed to be simple. Exercise is supposed to be fun! But when training for a sporting event or simply wanting to maximize your workout energy, here is some basic information to keep in mind:  

Carbohydrates Are Fuel

Foods high in carbohydrate should provide the majority – 55 to 60% – of total calories for energy. Carbohydrate is the primary energy source for muscle function during exercise and helps prevent protein from being used as energy, i.e., it “spares” protein. Complex carbs in the form of whole grains are best before a workout, as they allow a slow release of energy compared to simple sugars like fruits, juices, sugar, syrups, and honey.  

Before a workout, aim to have about 15 grams (1 serving) of carbohydrate. But note this: you don’t have to eat a snack if you don’t need one and are exercising for less than 90 minutes. Pre-workout fuel is important for endurance athletes or those working out for long periods of time, but you don’t really need a snack before 45 minutes on the elliptical since your liver and muscles should have plenty of stored glycogen. But if you’re stomach is rumbling – have something to tide you over. 

Here are some balanced pre-workout snack ideas high in complex carbohydrates to have a few hours before a workout:  

• Whole wheat toast topped with a little peanut butter and half a mashed banana 

• A small bowl of cereal topped with berries and milk or yogurt 

• OATMEAL! (A smaller portion so you’re not stuffed)  

Enduring Endurance

For exercise lasting longer than 90 minutes (or 60 if it’s very intense), consuming 0.7 grams carbohydrate/kg body weight per hour (about 30-60 grams/hour) can extend endurance performance by preventing glycogen depletion. This is when sports drinks, gels with water and sports bars make their necessary appearance.  

Protein Picks Up The Pieces

Think of protein as the repair man that comes around after the workout is over. Protein is needed to repair exercise-induced muscle damage and support gains in lean tissue mass. A hotly debated topic in sports nutrition is whether or not athletes need more protein than those who do not exercise. Well, they DO need slightly more. However, they also need more calories to fuel their workouts so while their grams per kilogram of body weight do increase, the percentage of calories that come from protein shouldn’t need to change from around 15-20%. 

A post-workout snack is important to replenish the stores you burned through exercise and fuel the rest of your day. I like to plan exercise just before breakfast, lunch or dinner so I can eat a meal right after a workout. There are no strict rules, but you’ll want to include some protein, carbohydrate and fat. Calories are most important here to give you energy to keep going!  

Some ideas:  

• A turkey and cheese sandwich 

• A salad with beans, nuts and veggies 

• Tuna salad with whole grain crackers for dipping 

• A green smoothie with some protein from yogurt, milk or tofu 

• Yogurt with granola, nut butter and fruit  

Fuel Up On Fat

Fat provides energy, essential elements of cell membranes, and fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D and E. Athletes should consume 20-30% of total calories as fat… too high or too low can have negative effects on blood lipid profiles like cholesterol, triglycerides, etc. Fat mobilized from your body’s fat stores is an important source of fuel during certain stages of exercise, and regular training improves your body’s ability to use fat as a fuel source, which is one way to help keep that glycogen level up! 

Hydration

Fluids are perhaps the most important “fuel” to consider before a workout. During exercise, water is all you need for events lasting less than 1 hour, but beverages containing carbohydrate and sodium are recommended during exercise lasting longer than 1 hour.   

Here are some recommendations for hydration before, during and after:  

Despite the recommendations, the ultimate rule of sports nutrition is do what works for you (while staying hydrated!) The best way to find a pre- or post-workout snack that you like is to try different things and see how you feel. You’ll probably change preferences even depending on the time of day of your workout.   

Happy sweating!  

Kath

Kath Eats Real Food

~~~~~~~~

Thanks Kath!

I think the part about fueling up on the right kind of fat is a really great point and one that we don’t hear too often! I know personally for myself, when I started consuming more healthy fats from avocados, nuts, and seeds my energy and overall satiety increased ten-fold. I used to eat the typical ‘fat-free’ diet and wonder why I was always starving and weak during my workouts. I used to be part of the camp that thought that gummy bears were awesome because they were FAT FREE! Well, I still love my candy at times, but I recognize that fat free doesn’t equal healthy. Remember when packages used to emphasize when something was fat free and we’d look at it and think it was GOOD for us? I think times are a-changing…

Now, as long as I know that I am eating healthy fats, I don’t pay much attention to how many ‘grams’ of fat I eat.

I also hope the pendulum is shifting for society’s views on carbs too. I think it is important to realize that our bodies need carbs to function, especially when we are athletes. What? You don’t think you are an athlete? Just try calling yourself one for a few days and see if that improves how you fuel your workouts!

Do you think much about your fat intake and whether you are consuming bad fats or healthy fats? Did you ever used to be scared of eating things higher in fat but now you have a new outlook?

Ph"ood"ojournalism

Hi there, Oh She Glows readers!

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Jenn and I write the food blog called Eating Bender. I am so excited to have the chance to do a guest post for Angela!

Currently, I am finishing out my last week of college…ever. I attend school in Chicago and am graduating on June 19 with a broadcast journalism degree. Although I am actually planning on a career in public relations or marketing, I feel that the skills I’ve learned as a journalist will follow me in whatever career path I take, and I could not be happier about my major.

The reason I’m telling you this? Well, as luck would have it, I had the opportunity to take a class on photojournalism to end my senior year. At first, I thought it would be a great chance for me to take a lot of really cool food pictures with the nice camera we get to rent out for the quarter. I soon realized, however, that photojournalism is about so much more than that! It’s about documenting real moments with real people – not just really good sushi

Along the way, I have tried to take what I’ve learned from being a food blogger and apply it to my quest to become a photojournalist. I’ve come up with a list of what works best for me, and I hope that it will help some of you, whether you’re a fellow photo blogger or a secret photographer at heart!
(P.S. This is a sneak peak at my final photojournalism project, which I will post on my blog soon!)

The Rules of Ph"ood"ojournalism
Rule #1: In a photo series, it’s a good idea to provide context for the subject you are photographing.

Rule #2: Work those angles! Try to capture your subject from a unique point of view.

Rule #3: Not all subjects have to have faces Capture something that adds information to your story.

Rule #4: Try to capture a wide, medium and tight shot. This definitely applies to food pictures!
Wide:

Medium/Tight:

Rule #5: Capture emotion as much as possible when shooting people. It adds so much to the scene!

Wide:

Medium/Tight:

Rule #6: Lighting matters. If you can find a window or natural light source, your pictures will turn out 100% better. A flash can’t capture the beauty of food (I’m serious!) as much as the sun can.

[Angela’s note: Guys this is soooo crucial and is why I am always grumpy when I have to shoot a bakery goodie at night time- it never turns out nice! I think it is the number 1 tip I have learned!]

Yes, please!!

And finally, because 7 is my lucky number…
Rule #7: When the environment around you is cluttered, shoot vertically and get close to your focus.

Oh, and the unspoken rule is: There are no rules!! Really, these are just some of the small things I’ve learned along the way that have helped me become more confident in my photographing abilities. I still have a lot to learn about how to get the settings on my fancy camera just right, but I am glad that I was given the opportunity to learn more about "what it takes" to make it as a photojournalist. Let me tell you…it’s not easy!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to post on Oh She Glows, Angela!

I leave you with my self-portrait

Are you interested in photography? Do you think much about it when snapping a picture?

Hey everyone!

I’m WAY excited to be doing a guest post for the amazing Angela while she’s on vacay. If we haven’t ‘met’ before, my name is Gina and I have a blog called The Fitnessista. I started the bloggy last summer (it’s almost the blogiversary!) as a way to share nutritional advice, healthy recipes, workouts and weight loss tips as I’ve lost 40 lbs. and have kept it off for about 6 years. I work as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor and nutritional advisor.
Stop on by anytime

For today, I decided to post my 3 favorite health tips, weight loss tips and favorite foods.

Health tips:
1. Eat whole, unprocessed foods the way nature made them, not man.
2. Get moving! Do something (anything!) to make yourself break a sweat every day.
3. Surround yourself with supporters! If you hang out with friends or family that share the same fitness and health values (or even if they just support yours), you’ll be much more apt to stick with it. The blog world is a great place for this, too! It’s an abundance of great information from honest and real sources

Weight loss tips:
1. Keeping a journal is an excellent way to hold yourself accountable while trying to lose weight. Keep a tally for fruits and veggies consumed (aim for at least 5 per day), water intake (at least 8 glasses) and cardio (which can be done everyday- some days more difficult and intense than others).
2. Use your push muscles- if you’re NOT hungry, push the plate away
3. Fill up on fresh fruits and veggies and make sure to include a mix of smart carbs, lean proteins and healthy fats in every meal and snack. A list of choices for each group can be found on this page.

Favorite healthy foods:
1. The breakfast cookie!!! SO easy, versatile and delicious. The recipe is here.

2. Raw macaroons! My best friend Megan introduced me to these quite a while ago and I’ve been hooked ever since. 

3. Shrimp and goat cheese are tied for third. They are the two things that will keep me from ever becoming a vegan because I love them too much
 

What are your favorite foods? Are they foods you’ve discovered in the blog world or old faithfuls??

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

See you soon,
Gina

Stay tuned tomorrow for the final recaps of Angela’s trip out west! She will also be revealing a video of what’s inside OSGMOM’s cupboards!!! You don’t want to miss this

“ The Exercise Trifecta”

A solid fitness program must be built on three components: cardio, strength and flexibility. Over at Fit Bottomed Girls, we call this the "Exercise Trifecta." And for optimum in-shapeness, you need to have a nice balance of all three. Now most people don’t do the best job at hitting all three. I, for example, am a bit of a cardio junkie. If you ask me if I’d rather go for a power walk or hit the free weights, I’ll go for the power walk every day of the week. In fact, the only reason I lift weights is because I know I should, and I’ve found alternative ways to do it without feeling like one of the dudes in the weight room (or having to endure their constant grunting). Flexibility is by far my weak spot, but with weekly yoga sessions, it’s an area that I’m always working on. Below are Erin and I’s three favorite activities that fulfill the Exercise Trifecta. We not only enjoy them (this a big must!), but they also work at keeping our fit bottoms fit.

Jenn’s Exercise Trifecta

1. Running. Ever since I ran a half marathon, running has been my numero uno go-to cardio. It takes considerable training and effort to build up stamina and mileage, but once you do, the payoff is so worth it. There is nothing better than a good, long run to reduce stress and get the heart pumpin’. Not to mention that my legs have never looked better. Even the husband has noticed.

2. The TRX. I haven’t been shy about my love affair with the TRX system. As someone who isn’t into lifting weights, this method of strength training is perfect. Despite the fact that the straps look a bit like a method of torture, I actually find working out on the suspension-based system to be very natural, like

I was made to do it. It’s almost like a hybrid between calisthenics and Pilates, only better. The TRX lets me tone every part of my body and keep my muscles strong. (For as little as I like traditional strength training, I sure do like the results!) Plus with the home-training bundle, I can do it at home, away from the aforementioned grunting dudes. Score!

3. Yoga. Like I said earlier, flexibility and I don’t get along well. Despite this sad-but-true fact, yoga and I are BFFs. I usually only have time to do a session or two a week (sometimes a full hour, sometimes just 20 to 30 minutes), but I love it. My favorite form is hatha, which includes lots of stretching and gentle movements. For me, it keeps me bendy enough to avoid injury, and I get seriously mellowed out. There’s nothing like a few good sun salutations and deep breaths to melt away the stress.

Erin‘s Exercise Trifecta

1. Walking/Running. This is one area where Jenn and I differ. While she loves to run, I’ve had to really work on my relationship with this form of cardio. It’s taken a lot of therapy, but running and I have kept our relationship strong enough that we get together about once or twice a week. Walking, on the other hand, has been my lover for years. While I get an amazing workout running, complete with dripping sweat and total fatigue, I never feel beat up after going on a long walk. I love that you can walk almost anywhere, and you don’t have to worry as much about the sweat factor, meaning I can run errands and see people in public without freaking them out with my red face. I also love to take my dog on walks, even if she does like to take frequent potty and sniff breaks.

2. Classes. Although I don’t do it as much as I should, I love trying new classes at the gym. Whether it’s a cycling class for cardio or a sculpting class for strength, group exercise classes are a great way to spice up the routine and get out of a workout funk. Instructors change up moves to keep classes interesting, and the group environment is such a great motivator. I’m always guaranteed a fresh workout, and usually leave classes feeling sore, meaning I hit all the right spots. Plus, these pros always warm you up and stretch you out just right for a well-rounded total workout.

3. Workout DVDs. Although I love being outside for my fave walks and hikes, when I don’t feel like taking it outdoors, I pop in a workout DVD. While there are some dud DVDs roaming loose in the world, there are some awesome ones that will have you sweating up a storm in the comfort of your own home. Plus, I love that working out at home saves you the drive to the gym and back for a quicker all around workout. DVDs often let you mix and match cardio and flexibility, as well as customize how much time you want to spend working out. Plus, DVDs are great at including cool downs and stretching segments, ensuring that I take the time to stretch it out when I’m done (which I can’t always say when I hit the elliptical for 30 minutes).

As you can see, there are so many awesome options for staying fit. Don’t think you have to be a slave to the gym. Keep trying until you find something you love and then stick with it!

About the Fit Bottomed Girls

The Fit Bottomed Girls website, www.fitbottomedgirls.com, features weekday posts with fresh fitness content for real women and girls interested in improving their health through regular physical activity. The blog offers workout DVD reviews–including both new releases and retro reviews –fitness news, new product information, personal accounts of their exercise endeavors, easy and healthy recipes, workout music suggestions and playlists, and fitness humor. With the slogan of "Keeping a Lid on the Junk in the Trunk," the Fit Bottomed Girls have fun incorporating workouts into their daily lives and hope to inspire other women to do the same. After all, fit bottoms come in all shapes and sizes!