Food and Features

I feel so honored...today I was featured on Poor Taste Magazine. You can read the whole article here.

Oh, and here is my December Newsletter too!

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World's Finest Coffee...Painting Process

I thought it might be fun to show you my process of painting on playing cards...

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all have a great day of eating!

I'll be preparing for my cupcake month in December. If you'd like to submit one of your recipes/images read more here.

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{recipe cards too!}

Now time to celebrate!

I have bad news and GREAT news.

The bad news...I didn't make it to the next round in Project Food Blog.

The GREAT news is twofold...now I can get back on track with The Lunch Box Project themes (I have two fun months coming up), plus I can relax and enjoy the holidays. Ah!

PFB was a great adventure and I learned so much. Thanks to everyone supporting me and the best of wishes to the final 24 food bloggers. So much talent...I can't wait to see how the competition progresses.

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Bird and Lemon

It's not a partridge in a pear tree, but instead standing proudly on top a lemon. Does that work?

You can visit the original post here.

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Voting Day Again

After a long break it's time to vote again for Foodbuzz's Project Food Blog.

We are now immersed in Challenge #7: Video 411. If you'd like to take a peak at my video entry just click here.

Again, I encourage you to look at all the fabulous entries and vote for more than one! There are only 48 left...

My video was inspired by a recipe I posted in January 2010. Back then I used to include only half a banana, now I pop in a whole one. Yum-my.

What Defines a Food Blogger ? {Because I Can't Cook}

I received this very good question today on my video post. Thanks to "Anonymous" for starting an engaging discussion. Someone has finally asked the question I've been waiting for...

"While the video is cute, I'm wondering if you ever actually COOK anything? How can you justifiably be in a food blog competition when it does not appear that you COOK?"



As most of you know, I've always been up front about not being a very good cook (my profile). What I love is the combination of food and art. I communicate this love by telling my quirky food stories, sharing my simple (yes, very simple) recipes, creating monthly food themes to offer a fresh perspective, and sharing fabulous recipes from fellow food bloggers...all through my illustrations.

This brings me to the next question stated above (which I think is a very good one)...is it relevant for me to be in a food blog competition if I can't cook? Hmmm, I guess the real question is what defines a "food blog"? Recipes shared by a great chef? An author that writes about other great chefs? Someone that strictly critiques local restaurants? Someone that isn't a great chef, but shares their struggles with cooking? Someone that draws food of other great chefs? Can a food blog just be about food (in whatever form it takes)? What do you think?



The Foodbuzz competition has been a challenge for me (in a very good way)...to stay true to my blog focus, while also staying true to each challenge. It has helped me step outside my comfort zone. As you can see from my challenges...I'm actually "cooking" something (yes, way outside my comfort zone). Okay, they are simple in many ways, but that's me. You will note that most food bloggers in this competition have also stayed true to their focus. These bloggers are unique because they spin each challenge towards who they are...and that is what engages us. For instance...how can pizza on a stick not be fun? Because it's the view of a cookie decorator - love that spin...and there are many more.

One thing I commend the Foodbuzz competition organizers for is a variety of challenges to highlight the different talents of food bloggers - photography, videography, baking, recipe tweaking, education, communication, critiquing, and on and on. It really demonstrates the vastness of how we all approach food.

So in the end, I can't cook. But I can write about food, share my struggles and highlights with food, celebrate fellow food bloggers, illustrate food, and communicate the idea of food from a different perspective. Whether or not that makes me a "food blogger" is up for grabs, but I do appreciate being able to participate in this competition and deeply appreciate all these fabulous new challenges thrown in front of me.



Thanks again to everyone supporting my quirky view of food, but also thanks to everyone supporting this competition and allowing so many food bloggers to shine. I've learned so much from my peers and I continue to learn from honest questions like the ones above. Food and conversation go together well. Cheers!

Peppermint Abound

When the leaves drop and the snow falls, we might as well be living in a candy cane forest.

Peppermint :: visit original post here

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Don't Forget the Punch

What's a holiday party without the fabulous punch?

Sugar Plum Punch :: visit original post here

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Drawing Your Cupcakes (in December)

Just a quick note to let you know I'll be trying something new in December...drawing your cupcakes, then transforming the final images into a poster at the end.

If you'd like to enter one of your cupcake posts and learn more about the {easy} submission guidelines, just click here!

I look forward to hearing from you!

Basil Green Tea Cupcakes :: visit original post here

Thanks to Fields of Cake for letting me draw her cupcake back in March!

Pies!

Cakes are fabulous, but don't forget the pie (and some tarts)!

Lemon Meringue Pie :: visit original post here

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Peach Pie :: visit original post here

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Pear Tart : visit original post here

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Strawberry Mascarpone Pie :: visit original post here

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Fruit Cake

A staple for the holidays. You either love it or hate it. Luckily we have neighbors that make excellent fruit cake and are always willing to share.

Fruit Cake :: click here for original post

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Baking Season is Upon Us

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is less than three weeks away and the baking season is upon us. This is one of my favorite past cake illustrations. Maybe someday I can cross the illustration barrier and taste a bit of my blue frosting.

Cake Under Glass :: click on original post here

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PFB Challenge #7: Video 411

How to Make a Fruitie Smoothie

I am so excited to have made it this far in Foodbuzz's Project Food Blog.
Big thanks to all of you that voted once again!

I remember several weeks ago wondering if I'd make it to the video challenge and speculating about what I could create. After many weeks of deep, food, artsy thinking...this is what evolved. Enjoy! Oh, and you can VOTE here!

The Day After...again

This month I plan to share my favorite holiday food illustrations from past posts. Enjoy...as we enter the eating season. Let's start with the aftermath of halloween.

One year ago, the day after halloween I posted this same image. The overwhelming bowl of candy left over (or collected) from beggar's night.


The Day After :: click here for original post

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