Italian Herbs

A couple of weeks ago I received a wonderful package of herbs from Gourmet Garden. I had the great opportunity to meet them at Camp Blogaway.  What makes their herbs special...is that they are available year-round, yet still maintain their freshness.  Each herb is gently tucked into a squeezable tube then stored under refrigeration.

The Gourmet Garden website also has an amazing recipe index.  I tried the couscous salad with chili pepper and ginger chicken (using their ginger and chili pepper samples) and it was superb (and extra healthy). At camp we simply added our own mix of spices to yogurt for a nice vegetable dip.

I want to thank Mary Humann and Gourmet Garden for the wonderful collection of herbs they sent including:

Basil
Chili pepper
Cilantro
Chunky Garlic
Dill
Garlic
Ginger
Italian Herbs (mix)
Lemon Grass
Oregano
Parsley

Kale!

Being a gardener I've always used kale as a beautiful fall annual in the landscape. What a nice surprise to find out it's also a super healthy food...perfect for cooking and salads.

Dorothy from Cut 'n Clean Greens generously sent me some kale so I could try it myself.  I'm used to the thin leaves of lettuce, so was nicely surprised by the hardiness of kale.  Paired with the fabulous Cut 'n Clean dressings, kale makes a great side salad.  I have to admit, I like that it was already chopped up in a nice storage container.  I could take out a little each day as needed.  I tried several kales, plus had the bonus of a spinach and beet greens kit (yum-my).

Here are the kits I had the privilege of trying:
Organic Rainbow Kale Salad Kit
Rainbow Kale Salad Kit with Zesty Orange Vinaigrette (my favorite!)
Organic Rainbow Kale Salad Kit with Toasted Sesame Vinaigrette
Rainbow Kale Salad Kit with Avocado Tomatillo Dressing (a tasty kick!)
Spinach and Beet Greens Salad Kit with Bacon Spinach Dressing

Big thanks to Dorothy (from Shockingly Delicious) and Cut 'n Clean Greens for expanding my greens palate!

Oh, and I do have a print available also...visit my shop here.

Free Jarlsberg Notecards...woo hoo!

I have so much to share today.

First, below you'll see my new illustration for Jarlsberg Lite. If you're looking for great taste but lower calories and fat, this cheese is a tasty choice.  I enjoyed it this past weekend while spending a few sunny days in Florida for my brother's wedding...and looooved it (the cheese and the wedding).

The second goodie...Jarlsberg USA is celebrating Jarlsberg Lite this month with a special offer:

For every order of notecards placed in my Etsy shop (sets valued at $14.50 or higher), Jarlsberg will also send you a set of my newest Jarlsberg notecards which includes this new Jarlsberg Lite illustration (one free set of cards per customer). Each card also includes a recipe or cooking tip, straight from Jarlsberg. Simply use the term "JUSA" in the comments section when you order. Quantities are limited to the first 25 orders placed!

Jarlsberg USA has one more special offer...A free Toastabag for every comment on their Facebook page as they challenge you to come up with "101 Ways to Lighten Up with Jarlsberg Lite."

Please read more on the Jarlsberg USA blog. A big thanks to Jarlsberg USA for this fabulous offer!

Strawberries!

We planted a new strawberry patch this spring and are amazed at what it produces each day.  We never imagined getting anything this year, but the red fruit is just popping everywhere! What a nice surprise everyday.

Two Onions

Just in the mood to draw some onions.

Jarlsberg Cheese...yum!

Many of you know that I've been fortunate enough to work with Jarlsberg Cheese on several projects.  Their kindness stretched into supporting me attend Camp Blogaway a few weeks ago, so I just wanted to share one of the images I created for them again.

Espresso Yourself....one more time

I loved this illustration so much that I made it into a print.  I did take the liberty to change up the colors a little too...a more calm palette.  You can purchase the print in My Shop.  I also made some coffee cards with the other illustrations...you can find those here.

Kitchen Knives

Another sponsor at Camp Blogaway was CUTCO Cutlery.  They were kind enough to give all registrants a chef's knife and cutting board, plus a wonderful cutting demonstration. I hate to admit, we have a very old and dull set of knives, so I was thrilled to get something shiny and new.  Because I have so much to learn, I created an illustration showing the top knives suggested for home chefs.  I want to thank Kathleen, from CUTCO, who kindly helped me with this task. Oh, and yes, I did make a print...check it out here.

Mangos!

As I've mentioned several times, I attended Camp Blogaway a couple of weeks ago. You would be amazed at all the great sponsors and goodies they shared with us.

One of those sponsors was the National Mango Board (NMB). Not only did we eat a lot of mangos that weekend, but they sent us more in the mail several days later. Melanie and McKinzey, from the NMB,  taught us how to use mangos at different stages of ripeness, how to cut them and shared the many available varieties.

Big thanks to the National Mango Board for sharing all the goodness! Oh, and I also made a print...just click here for a peak (I couldn't help myself).

Thanks a latte

I've finally reached my last coffee illustration (at least for now) and thought it would be the perfect time to give a special thank you.

As most of you know, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Camp Blogaway two weekends ago because of the generous support of Jarlsberg Cheese and YumGallery.  I want to thank both of them again.  I'll be creating a new image for Jarlsberg soon and will share when completed.

One more thing...I also made some coffee mug notecards.  If you're interested just click here.