Fresh Fruit Cobbler

Find the recipe and related illustrations on my free newsletter at https://www.easeltotable.substack.com. Cut and paste the link, apologies for not being able to get the link to work. Tried five times!

Radishes on Toast

We have an organic farm in our area that sells produce on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays that is picked on the very morning that it is sold. Their vegetables are as pretty to look at as they are fresh and delicious. I was told by the farm manager that these are French Radishes that are thinly sliced and eaten on buttered toast in France. They have a much milder flavor than I am accustomed to and the leaves add some kick when added to a salad. I couldn't resist painting them.

Tea Cup Painting

I've always been drawn to painting the things that I own. I think it started back in college when I would pick items up at flea markets, bring them back to the dorm, and either draw or photograph them. Objects that have a family history are especially meaningful for me. This tea cup is part of a set of china that I inherited from my grandmother. I generally only use them at holidays as they are delicate and the dinner plates are quite small. It seems that people ate smaller portions than they do today. Another drawback is that I was warned as a child that they should not be placed in the dishwasher. I am not really convinced that it would damage them, but I'm not going to give it a try. A neice on my husband's side was married last month and when we drove out to the wedding we delivered to her a set of china handed down from her aunt, but originally from her grandmother. I hope that she enjoys them!

Backyard

This is a small 5x7" landscape done on the easel right in my backyard. It's always nice to work close to home! The scene has special meaning as the Adirondack chairs were more for us by my father-in-law. I think my husband has the pattern for them down in the basement. The scene conjures pleasant memories of sitting on the patio in the summertime enjoying a gin and tonic. It is always easier to start in on a piece that holds personal meaning.

Rag Dolls

During the early days of this horrible pandemic I started to find comfort in hand sewing. I was inititially inspired by the embroidery craft of Kantha that originated in areas of the Indian subcontinent. Old saris are stacked and hand sewn to form cushions. The stitching which is not "perfect"is part of the decoration and appeal. It reminds be of hand sewn early American quilts. A mass produced or machine sewn quilt is not imbued with the same peronal touch as one that is hand sewn, in my opinion. So, I started small by making an eyeglass case and a change purse from scraps of fabric. Unfortuneately, I didn't have any saris. My results were satisfactory, but I realized that I would probably never use either item. Somehow though, this experiment led to me making rag dolls. I blog about the process on my website. All experimentation is useful and adds to our knowledge.

Save Energy

There's a hashtag trending on social media promoting the limitation of single use plastic. I am totally on board with that concept, although the goal has been a bit harder to achieve during the pandemic. Plastic bottles of hand sanitizer and tubs of wipes to disinfect surfaces are everywhere and I understand their importance. One tiny change that I have made is to switch from plastic bottles of laundry detergent back to the boxes of powdered detergent that I remember from childhood. In the good weather I also try and hang my clothers outside instead of wasting energy using the dryer. I must admit that the clothes, towels in particular, can be a bit stiff, but it is worth it for the smell of fresh air especially when your sheets have been dried outdoors. Heavenly.

Lily of the Valley Essential Oil

We are both blessed and cursed with having an abundance of lily of the valley in two different gardens in our yard. We are blessed to have a plant that grows so easily with so little care, makes a beautiful bouquet, and smells delightful. The flowers in the front yard garden bloom first, the ones in the back about two weeks later which is perfect for extending the length of time that our house can be imbued with their fragrance. On the negative side, it is very difficul to contain their weed-like spread. They have partially pushed out the irises in both front and back yards that were transplanted from my grandmother's house, and I can barely find my chive plant any longer.

 

In the spirit of DIY projects this spring I decided to try turning the flowers into an essential oil. Every day for twelve days running I picked the blossoms and placed them in a jar that contained almond oil. Each day I strained the oil and added new blossoms leaving the jar out of direct sunlight. Naturally, some of the oil was lost each time I strained the mixture. Instead of the oil becoming infused with the delightful scent of lily of the valley, I was left with a rather rancid smelling oil. Oh well! I enjoyed painting them.