Roma Tomato Watercolor Painting BLT Wrap Recipe

Sometimes I'm stumped for something to draw or paint.  The kitchen is full of colorful inspiration.  You can create with the entire prepared food or just an ingredient like I chose to do here.  Today I'm bringing art and a recipe together I've painted these Roma tomatoes and included one of my favorite summer recipes.  When the weather starts heating up I like to prepare the bacon ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator.  What other short cuts do you take to make hot weather cooking easier?

Some other art and recipe combinations:

Cranberry Orange Bread
Perfect Trail Mix
Cinnamon Rolls

Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Tortilla Wraps
"Combining everything and then putting it into the wrap yields a more uniform taste."

1/2 lb bacon
1 C lettuce shredded
3 Roma tomatoes chopped
6 oz shredded cheddar cheese
10 flour tortillas
1/2 C mayonnaise

Fry bacon and crumble place in medium bowl, add lettuce, tomato, cheese and mayonnaise; toss to coat. Place one large spoonful into the center of each tortilla. Wrap using the instructions from the tortilla package. Tastes best if served immediately.

Shared with Paint Party Friday  A Favorite Thing

Drawing a Pink Cupcake Perched on a Photo Bottle

What is it about pink cupcakes that make them look so yummy?  Anything else in that shade of pink would make us think twice about tasting it.  Not so with this delicious creation.  Drawn on the page with colored pencil this is also the spread that hosted the lizard and daisy.  Coming together in such a fun random way.  In my head this scene makes total sense!

Shared with Sunday Sketches A Favorite Thing

Happy Easter

May all your baskets be filled with joy, abundance and chocolate bunnies lots of chocolate bunnies.  I hear if you leave two alone together they reproduce pretty quickly.

Shared with Sunday Sketches

Extra Snack Cakes? No Way!

I've spent a bunch of time gearing up for tomorrow's first homeschooling holiday.  Most of the activities planned are either crafts or games and they each get heart bags with treats and small toys.  We spend a bunch of time each day working hard so I figured they'd enjoy something a lot more fun.  I'm looking forward to it!  

This afternoon after getting back from the library and food shopping I squeezed in time to draw.  These were the excess snack cakes from the cabinet.  My family of four usually go through about three boxes a month I was quite surprised to see so many left when I came to restock it.

Shared with A Favorite Thing

Perfect Trail Mix Recipe and Drawing

To me trail mix should include three things:
1. Something sweet for instant energy
2. Some salty protein for long term energy
3. Dried fruit of some sort

The Perfect Mix includes chocolate, butterscotch and white chocolate morsels which are not only sweet they're rich and creamy too.  Some salty peanuts and almonds that also give it a crunch.  Finally golden raisins and dried cranberries with a nice chewy texture.  Each handful is a promise of variety.  I have these stored in a little lidded bowl on the microwave for a quick grab when we just need to take the hungry edge off without going snack food crazy.  Should have called these the Big Time Craving Fixers.

Shared with A Favorite Thing Sweet Saturday

My Special Food Treat

Do you have that one special food treat that makes your day extra nice?  I used to get these cookies years ago around the holidays.  Once I started baking my own homemade I forgot about them.  While at the store looking for snack for the girls I saw them and remembered my fond memories.  A cup of tea, hot cocoa, milk or coffee went a long way with these by their side back in their day.  After experiencing them again I learned one valuable lesson, "They don't beat a great batch of home made."

Shared with Sweet Saturdays

Cranberry Orange Bread Recipe and Drawing

I really enjoy baking loaves on cold days as they tend to take longer and the oven gives me a modern day version of an old fashioned hearth feeling.  A recipe for Cranberry Orange bread is below the drawing if you decide you'd like to try it too.

3 cups fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) cranberries
1 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons grated orange or lemon peel
4 eggs
3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1.Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.

2.Stir together cranberries, sugar, oil, milk, vanilla, orange peel and eggs in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into pans.

3.Bake 8-inch loaves 50 to 60 minutes, 9-inch loaf 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Makes 2 loaves (24 slices each)

Fresh Baked Cinnamon Roll Recipe and Drawing

All this talk of food in the last post makes me hungry I woke up with a desire to not only eat but to enjoy the warmth of the oven and the smell of cinnamon rolls.  You understand, the complete experience.  A perfect way to start a cold day.  I sketched the last one as it sat helplessly waiting to be eaten.

1 (1 pound) loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon water, or as needed
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 dash vanilla extract

1. Lightly grease 2 round cake pans with butter.

2. Roll bread dough out to an 6x18-inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter. Combine brown sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon in a small bowl; sprinkle over butter. Roll dough into a log, starting at the long edge. Moisten edge with water and seal. Cut log into 20 slices; arrange rolls, cut sides down, in prepared cake pans. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 90 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Pour heavy cream over dough.

4. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

5. Mix confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl; drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls to serve

Shared with Sweet Saturdays  A Favorite Thing

Pasta Artsizolla Recipe and Drawing

I felt inspired to draw recipe ingredients, this is what we ate for dinner.  Since it is a meal I created myself it didn't have a proper name so I called it Pasta Artsizolla since I drew it.  This dinner was super quick, easy and cleaned up in a snap.

1/2 lb Angel Hair Pasta
1/2 C Sour Cream
2 C Grilled Chicken
1 small can mushrooms
1/4 t Garlic Powder
3 T Lemon Juice
4 T Butter

Cook pasta and grilled chicken as per package directions chop chicken set aside.  Place butter and mushrooms in a 2 quart bowl microwave 2 minutes add sour cream, garlic powder, lemon juice and grilled chicken mix well.  Add pasta microwave an additional 2 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Shared with Cooking Thursday

Draw Something Cold - 500th Post!

05-24-2012 Post 500!  I knew when I started the posts for Every Day in May that I would be reaching 500 soon.  It's a pleasure to accomplish such a lofty feat.  Thanks to all the super sweet followers for all your great comments and support.  Some days just knowing that you're there watching is exactly what it takes to keep me drawing.  Maybe we should celebrate with some of this...

EDM 77

Draw Some Bread

Glorious food we spend so much time with it and yet give it so little attention beyond the stomach filling satisfaction.  Today before you eat take some time to really look at your food the lines and details.  The colors that make up the overall composition of your food.  Are you a foodie?  Do you enjoy cooking?  Imagine the ingredients you need to make your favorite meal.  Take some quiet time today for yourself and the pleasure that the beauty of food brings to your life.

EDM 84

Doodle Your Favorite Meal

This is my entry for the Chow & Good  "Doodle Your Favorite Meal" contest. My favorite meal includes great food, loads of fun and a perfect environment for celebrating.  It was the first time I had ventured to a sit down resturant with my girls on my own since the baby was born.  I had the best Buffalo Chicken Fajitas and shared an amazing Chocolate Lava Cake.  Everything was wonderful and it felt like the first step on the journey of a lifetime with my baby.  Update 08-05-2011 I was chosen as one of the final twelve to be voted on by the public but didn't win.  The entire experience was a rush, I really enjoyed the chance to compete.

With My Girls

Best Friend Foods Series

10-08-2010 Where would peanut butter be without jelly?  It's a friendship made to last.  Here are a few ATC's made with that theme in mind.

Cookies & Milk

Peanut Butter & Jelly

Chips & Dip

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Bacon & Eggs



These five cards were sent to Amanda in my ATC Club for the Best Friends swap.

My Favorite Foods

10-03-2010 Healthy or not these are my favorite foods. I love spicy things so those hot wings you better believe are firehouse hot. The burgers, one fast food and one resturant quality are both equally good in the proper surroundings. Fast food burger has to be under a tree at a park somewhere. Of course what list of favorite foods wouldn't be complete without a chocolate candy bar?

Candy Bar

Jalepeno Burger

Hot Wings

A Burger

These four cards were sent to Ginnie in my ATC Club for the Favorite Foods swap.