Pear Bread

This is a delightful bread made with sweet little sugar pears (they are rather cute).  Check out OUR Kitchen for all the details.  Amazingly, this recipe had to be translated to English from French...kudos to Elizabeth for pulling it off!

A side note...today is my daughter's ninth birthday.  One of my gifts to her is dedicating September to "Beatle Food".  Check in tomorrow for that!

Poor Man's Asparagus: Daylilies

This is an intriguing treat.  Aubree Cherie of Living Free learned this unique recipe from her grandmother (along with sassafras tea!).  It's very simple and a great way to use all those daylily buds.

Thanks to Lesley for the nomination!

Smoothies

I have found someone that loves smoothies as much as I do.  Marissa from Where I Need to Be has a creative, wholesome flair to these sweet treats.  Make sure to keep checking in as she makes fabulous smoothies from whatever she has at hand.

Borscht

This is a very easy and colorful soup with an eastern European heritage. I cannot wait to harvest my beets now!   

Take a look at this delicious recipe on the Prairie Story website.

Summer Vegetable Bake

And for our last zucchini recipe...a nice mix of several vegetables all pulled into one dish. Enjoy this delicious recipe from The Joy of Caking.

And as always you can purchase originals or prints of all these illustrations here.

Corn and Zucchini Salad

Another fabulous zucchini recipe paired with the oh, so lovely sweet corn. Get the details at EZ Recipes.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cake

I just want to run over to the kitchen right now and make this.

Ah, the addition of chocolate chips makes anything ten times better. Check out this tasty zucchini recipe from Prairie Story.

Zesty Zucchini Ribbons

Sometimes the best recipes happen when we're forced to only use what we have in our refrigerator. This is a great example of that.

Ribbons are such a great way to add a fresh twist to zucchini too. Check out this fun recipe from My Tasty Handbook.

Sara Savoury

This is a family and friend favorite from Sara's Kitchen Creations. It's a pastry puff filled with lots of fabulous vegetables....including zucchini.

Which brings me to another topic - my garden is popping with zucchini so the next few posts will highlight them.

Watermelon Martini

This is such a perfect summer drink. Camelia from The Little Chef even suggested I enjoy one while drawing this image. Sadly I didn't, but I really tried to imagine that cool, sweet taste.

Mascarpone Cheesecake

Cheesecake is on my brain since dining at The Cheesecake Factory today. My daughter and I endulged in a peanutbutter and chocolate cheesecake. Wow!

All those fancy flavors can never replace a traditional cheesecake...with subtle twists. Try this tasty one from That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!! (Geez, love that blog title!)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

How about something traditional, but always fabulous? Does anyone not like a chocolate chip cookie? Here is a tasty recipe from Chef Herman's Food Adventures (aka Stephanie).

{print available}

Banana Split Cupcake

I love when someone pulls two common foods together into something spanking new. This cupcake is not only cute, but also has a nice story behind it. Read more at Sweets.

Bacon Popcorn

Bacon seems to be really popular these days. There was even a Bacon Festival in Des Moines this year.

You can add it to just about anything for a little bit of kick...even popcorn. Try this fun recipe from Stacy's Sun in My Belly.

Oriental Bell Pepper and Walnut Spread

A very excited Julia from German Abendbrot sent me this unique spread that can be pair with fresh bread or grilled beef. She sent it all the way from Germany and was kind enough to include the recipe in English below:

Ingredients:

Three red bell peppers

A handful of minced walnuts

A slice of old bread

Two hot chilies

Garlic & a bit of fresh parsley

Cut the bell peppers in half and put them into a pre-heated, very hot oven. Wait until the skin gets dark, put them into a plastic bag until they are cool enough to touch. Then peel down the skin. While the bell peppers are in the oven, roast the bread and walnuts in a pan. Throw all ingredients into a food processor and until it's thin enough to spread. Finally add some salt, lime juice, and tabasco (if you like it hot) and it's ready.

Glazed Lemon Pound Cake

There is something really special about any food infused with lemons...candy, bars, cookies, drinks, and cake. Try this tasty pound cake by Worth the Whisk to get another burst of lemon flavor.

I have to say...that is a darn cute name for a food blog too.

{print available}

Blueberry Buckle

I've had an infatuation with blueberries lately, so had to share this recipe with you. Check it out at Eat, Knit, Grow. Just scroll down a little in the post when you get there - this recipe is towards the bottom.

Creamy Lemon Coconut Cupcakes

If you want to watch what you eat check out Simply Starving. Every post nicely includes calorie count, fat grams, etc.

You won't starve with these treats...just check out this cupcake recipe.

Orange and Walnut Tart

This sounds like a great combination...a walnut pastry with a delicious orange filling.

Find out more about this sweet treat from Bistro Gerard and their parrot chef, Jerry (yep, that's correct).

Johnny Jump Up Spring Salad

This salad is a nice combination of mixed greens and johnny jump up flowers (viola). Take a look at Foy Update for more wonderful garden to table dishes.

I had the honor to enjoy a lovely lunch made by Foy several months ago...then she moved two states over. Ugh, no more delicacies. Now I can only draw them.

{print available}

Vegan and Gluten Free Donuts

These donuts are almost healthy enough to be picked from the garden.

Amazingly, they are baked, 60% less fat, plus filled with protein and fiber. Is it too good to be true? Check them out at the Sugar Beets Bakery shop or visit their beautiful website.

I want to give a big thanks to Kristen Steffey for nominating this lovely bakery.

Croque Madame

This is a fun recipe with a fun story. The French way of whipping up a ham and cheese sandwich via a lovely narrative from a childhood experience.

Please visit The Little Things by Val and Mani to find out more.

Grilled Asparagus

This month I have the honor of drawing recipes from a variety of talented food bloggers. To get back to my roots, I'm also painting them on playing cards once again.

We're starting with a delicious recipe for grilled asparagus from a lovely blog called Prairie Story by Alison Zulyniak. I encourage you to check out Alison's full post, plus all the other fabulous recipes she has on her site!

If you'd like to submit a recipe for me to draw please read my submission guidelines here.

{print available}