This week's theme for Michael's "Scibble Picnic" (follow the link for more wonderful art!), is Black and White. I'm fascinated with fairy tales - not the "happily ever after Disney" kind though - the real cautionary tales for children that were written in the 1600's and didn't usually end well! This is my Red Riding Hood. I did a big acrylic on canvas years ago with this theme but I wanted to recreate it with watercolour. I did use watercolour paint, but no water lol...so it's more of an acrylic style! It's hard to see, but I did add a wee bit of red to Red's hood and cape! This was really fun to do!
I got some curd cheese made this week so that we could have a poutine night. Still not squeaky though (more details on Rainy Day Cheese Making)...I have another recipe to try next time!
I made this poutine with breaded chicken bites and we made a homemade red wine gravy. It was really good! But we still have to perfect our poutine gravy! More tests will be needed, oh too bad huh? :) My cheese making has slowed down a bit as I wait for my new bacteria order. I'm waiting a little impatiently! It may only arrive in another week. One of the cultures I ordered is Penicillium Candidum. I find all of this bacteria stuff really interesting, that one is for the Camembert so that it'll form it's white coat!
By the way, I'm a Turophile. That is, by definition, a "fancier of cheese". Oh yes, I fancy the stuff alright! Are you a turophile too? :)
We are in a mini heat wave this week, so nice! The highs are in the 30's (high 80's) but the nights are cool enough to sleep well. The leaves are starting to turn too, it's a wonderful time of year! This is the river near our house. I pass this every day when I walk the dogs.
I mentioned that a lot of my tomatoes have been falling off the vine before ripening. I read a trick that you just put them in a window and they'll eventually turn red, well, they did! I picked some lettuce too so tonight will be some kind of salad. We also have a nice yellow lemon! I LOVE my garden! I'm just so sad it's nearly done for the season!
I made this poutine with breaded chicken bites and we made a homemade red wine gravy. It was really good! But we still have to perfect our poutine gravy! More tests will be needed, oh too bad huh? :) My cheese making has slowed down a bit as I wait for my new bacteria order. I'm waiting a little impatiently! It may only arrive in another week. One of the cultures I ordered is Penicillium Candidum. I find all of this bacteria stuff really interesting, that one is for the Camembert so that it'll form it's white coat!
By the way, I'm a Turophile. That is, by definition, a "fancier of cheese". Oh yes, I fancy the stuff alright! Are you a turophile too? :)
We are in a mini heat wave this week, so nice! The highs are in the 30's (high 80's) but the nights are cool enough to sleep well. The leaves are starting to turn too, it's a wonderful time of year! This is the river near our house. I pass this every day when I walk the dogs.
I mentioned that a lot of my tomatoes have been falling off the vine before ripening. I read a trick that you just put them in a window and they'll eventually turn red, well, they did! I picked some lettuce too so tonight will be some kind of salad. We also have a nice yellow lemon! I LOVE my garden! I'm just so sad it's nearly done for the season!
Doesn't it seem that we wait FOREVER to get tomatoes on the vine and then - bam! The season is over! I am still hoping to plant something in my cold frame before winter sets in. Such a pretty place you live in. I am definitely a member of the Turophile Club!
ReplyDeleteYour Black and White picture is fantastic!! Really great!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful place to walk by everyday. Serenity now! lol
I am so over summer. Yesterday with the humidity we reached 35 degrees. I hated it. I am not a fan of summer so the sooner it is over the better. Roll on autumn weather! :)
ReplyDeleteI would be in that river every day if I lived that close! Me and the dogs :)
I do that with my tomatoes that fall off too early, just put them in the sun. Same for bananas that are not ripening fast enough. Into the sun for everyone! :) Except me.
Love your picture - so sinister! I LIKE IT!!!! :)
I am most definitely a turophile!
I am going out to pick some tomatoes and peppers and make a pot of chili, if I had some of your nice cheese I would put it on top when I serve it.
ReplyDeleteSo lovely to have a river near by. Running water is a delight.
ReplyDeleteYour fairy tale scene feels autumny and also Halloweeny, I like looking at it.
So did you use the fresh tube paint strait on the brush? So interesting. I have done that a few times when it is with mixed media, that is the only way it will stick to other things.
yum yum to more home made cheese you fancier lady you ;-)
Hi Susan :)) Bam is right...but with all the cold frosts we had the last few weeks, my little tomatoes looks so sad...all the Romas were splitting, even though I covered them. At this point, even with the week-long heat wave, I think they're lost. But at least I have the cherries and regular tomatoes to hope for! Oh I'm glad you're doing a cold frame too! We can compare notes because I think we have very similar climates! Ha, you turophile you! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jenn :) Oh thank you!! I'm sure poor Red Riding Hood is NOT finding SERENITY NOW! lol...
ReplyDeleteHi Dianna :)) Every time I brag about my heat waves, I think of you melting in the humidity lol...soon my friend...it'll all be over!! :) That river is so gorgeous, and we used to bring the dogs in there, except now the rassa-frassin' town hall has put a little deck on the only spot where we can safely let them go in and it's full of tourists all the time bah. There is no sanctuary in this village anymore. Just two short years ago, it felt like we had the place to ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you saw the sinister in my adaptation! :) I have that Tim-Burtonish creepy side to me :) Red is in deep trouble, let me tell you lol!
Another fellow turophile...we may need to start a support group lol!
Hi Gill :) Oh...the idea of chili with all that homemade cheese is really making me hungry! I have some slow cooker chili on the menu plan, but I'm waiting until the heat wave is over!!
ReplyDeleteHi Tammie Lee :) Oh thank you! I'm so glad you like the painting. I started by squeezing out the paint from the tubes on the little plastic palette, but when I started to paint the trees...I realized this painting really needed to be harsher than a watercolour, so no water added. It did take a lot of paint though, I'll be smarter next time and use acrylics! I'm a fancy lady lol...
ReplyDeleteyour black and white art piece is wonderful! great trick with the tomatoes, saved the day! your cheese curds look tasty.
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine! :) I'm a new gardener and honestly if I hadn't read that trick, they would have been tossed into the woods for the critters! I'm glad you like my painting :)
ReplyDeleteLittle Red Riding Hood in black and white is so scary.....and that wolf....Oh dear I can here him saying....Come closer dear...let me see your pretty little face...yum, yum.
ReplyDeleteThe use of watercolor without water is so interesting. great effect.
Lol Wanda, your comment made me smile! That wolf is very cunning...and poor Red is so naive! So glad you liked it!! :)
ReplyDeleteYour take on the Scribble Picnic definitely has an eerie, sinister feel...nice work!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely spot to pass by daily while walking your dogs.
I've heard that you can pick tomatoes when they start to change colour and then just sit them on a kitchen bench as they will continue to ripen. I've also heard that they should not be stored in the fridge as it can take away a lot of the flavour...they are best kept at room temperature apparently.
Enjoy the rest of your week. :)
Hi Serena :) Thank you! I was going for an eerie kind of creepy scene! :)
ReplyDeleteI've also heard about not storing tomatoes in the fridge, but I am guilty of it! I think it's because we go out shopping only once a month, and I want to keep them fresh as long as possible...but I'm sure the flavour suffers. I was hoping to have fresh tomatoes all of August and September but the weather wasn't cooperating much!
Good job on the painting!
ReplyDeleteGlad you were able to enjoy the tomatoes. Yes, sometimes we have to pick them before fully ripe so the bugs don't beat us to them. We usually have tomatoes finishing ripening on the counter all season long. Can't beat a fresh BLT!
Hi Joeks! :) Thank you! :) Oh my ...we haven't had BLT's in ages...that's such a wonderful idea with our tomatoes and lettuce...I make my own bread, so all I'm missing is the home grown bacon...but I don't think that's in the cards! :)
ReplyDeleteI got really interested in the Michaels scribble picnic and was thinking of doing the b&w but being that I have been house sitting since Sat. I totally forgotten. I will have to check out the next one coming up. Loving what you did. Great job.
ReplyDeleteOh I LOVE that image of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf! And that poutine looks delicious. I mean really yummy. I haven't had one in ages.
ReplyDeleteHow perfect for the black and white theme today. I always did love the story of Little Red Riding Hood.
ReplyDeleteHi Rain! your scribble ink this week is gorgeous and i want it! i'd be willing to pay for it - whatever you would charge! your curds would sure add a nice touch to my poutine - they look lovely! i left you a comment on our blog about potatoes...if you have any other questions just yell through email. your river walk is lovely - we went for a river ride today and i took pics of all 200 islands we have - where we guerrilla garden - teehee. and yes - you can even ripen green tomatoes on a windowsill!
ReplyDeletekeep on keepin' on, gurl! sending love to you all! your friend,
kymber
You are such an artist! You should make them into cards and sell them. I love your Halloween one and the one of red is really good too! I have to make that poutine....you;re making me so hungry. What great places to walk...my girls can't handle it anymore....we used to walk every day but their joints just can't take it anymore and I don't want to walk without them. Look at your 'maters'! I've also heard you can wrap them in newspaper...just in case you run out of window sill.
ReplyDeleteA most interesting piece. The background is striking with its dark and lights. Excellent.
ReplyDeleteBlessings
Janis
I have about a dozen green tomatoes on my plant. Maybe it's the shorter days or cooler nights that prevents them from ripening. I'l have try putting them on a windowsill if they fall off the plant.
ReplyDeleteGreat and wonderful looking photo of the stream, I hope you are well. Warm greetings to you.
ReplyDeletehard to see the details but I like the overall background and the shapes of the trees/red riding hood/the wolf - it's a good night scenery, perfectly reflects the dark theme of the fairytale.
ReplyDeletehave a lovely day.
My father was an artist and used to let me dabble with his supplies. One day I think I'll take some lessons and dabble myself. In the meantime I'll just enjoy work of others like yours! Well done.
ReplyDeleteWow, you did that painting? I love it! Very haunting and ethereal....
ReplyDeleteAnd I've never had poutine but that's only because I have no idea where they'd have it here nor how to go about making it since cheese curds would be a difficult here in Texas, ha.
That black and white image is spectacular! So fitting with Halloween coming up. I'm not sure I've ever heard the term turophile before. You learn something new all the time with blogging friends. I am loving this warm and sunny weather. The days are beautiful. And since the nights are quite cool, it's comfortable for sleeping. Perfect weather, if you ask me!
ReplyDeleteYour black and white piece is both beautiful and spooky. I really like that. I've never heard of poutine but it looks delicious. Would I be a turophile - possibly.
ReplyDeleteStriking indeed. I love it, Rain! It's haunting and captivating, definitely pulls you in. I love that the watercolour does indeed look like acrylic. Nice job! I love that slight touch of red too as you note. It's a really brilliant piece. Thank you so much for adding it to the theme this week.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I also enjoyed seeing the photo of you on the sidebar nd learning a little more there too about your housing/homesteading stuff.
Oh scary, scary ... do you remember reading this as a child? This is a wonderful rendition. Really gets to the point of "don't walk in the woods alone!" :) I do love cheese, but I love eating it. I have never even thought of trying to make it ... you are a brave soul. My house is in walking distance from Wisconsin so I have easy access to squeaky curds ... and like you, I loooove them :)
ReplyDeleteAndrea @ From The Sol
Your great art piece today is putting me in Halloween/Autumn mode Rain - so spooky!
ReplyDeleteYes I'm definitely a turophile - a new word for me! Sounds better than cheese-aholic which I usually say!
Just bought a lovely piece of creamy Gorgonzola Dolce (ridiculous price of course) to make a favorite easy dish we always enjoy -
Penne Gorgonzola - or tonight's supper. I stand in awe always at a great cheese counter. This was Whole Foods because they really do have the best selection in the US, but of course to me the best in the world has to be Harrod's in London. My husband has to literally drag me away from there when we visit!
You are so clever to make your own cheeses Rain.
Happy day - Mary
Great creepy atmosphere in this painting, probably would have given me nightmares as a kid. But I'd have still looked at it, couldn't resist a good scare. And I LOVE poutine. Whenever I'm in Canada, I order it constantly.
ReplyDeleteHello Rain, I must be a turophile too. I loved the black and white picture. It is really quite stunning and is far more than I could ever do.
ReplyDeleteHi Pam :) Thank you! I hope you join next week's scribble, I find it a lot of fun! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Guillaume :) Thanks!! I think you need to somehow start making your own curd cheese...a Quebecer without a poutine isn't a happy Quebecer...even if he's not in Quebec anymore! ;) I'm glad you like the painting! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Latane :) Thank you! I'm so glad you like it! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Kymber :)) I read your comment on your blog THANK YOU. And YOUR poutine looks amazing lol...Is that Vladimir? ;) I really wish that my curds squeaked though. I'll perfect it, it took me six tries to get the right Mozzarella method going, I'm not giving up! :) I'm looking forward to seeing your river photos!!! xx
ReplyDeleteHi Sam :)) My good friend, so happy to see your comments again! :)) I love those fairy tales...but they have to be a wee bit sinister for my imaginative mind lol...the poutine...it's such an addictive treat. You can make it with just Mozza if you can't find curd cheese. Just make sure you have a good gravy that you like a lot. There are poutine restaurants in Montreal with 50+ version of it...some have crazy ingredients! We're traditional...fries, cheese, gravy...sometimes olives, sometimes chicken bites! But it's so fattening! :) I know you have to watch your cholesterol (don't tell the doctor lol)!!
ReplyDeleteI like that tip about the newspaper. I do only have that one window that's sunny...I have no clue how I'm going to start all the seedlings I want to start next spring...I adopted 2 pugs in 1995. By the time they were around 14 years old, they couldn't do big walks anymore either. The huskies will walk until they drop, but Jack slows down a bit, he's 11 now. They're just so wonderful, I want to give them all the fun I can while they can really enjoy it!
Hi Janis :) I think I spelled your name wrong the last time, sorry!! :-o Thanks for your comment, I'm glad you like the painting! :)
ReplyDeleteHi John :) The window sill trick really works. I think that my tomatoes haven't turned red because there hasn't been enough sun and warmth. The cold nights certainly don't help. But I have higher hopes for next year!
ReplyDeleteHi Blogoratti :) Thank you! All is very well here in the mountains! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Lissa :) I wasn't really going for detail but I was going for a dark theme, so I'm glad you liked that part!
ReplyDeleteHi Donna :)) I hope you read this reply! I have been having a heck of a time commenting on your blog! I leave comments, but they don't get published, so I think I might be part of your spam maybe? Anyway, I wanted you to know I DO read and comment on all of your posts!!!
ReplyDeleteI didn't take any lessons, except that I watched and followed along with Bob Ross on his PBS show "The Joy of Painting"...Alex found all of the episodes for me and we downloaded them. It taught me a lot of fun techniques! I hope you do dabble!!! :)
Hi 1st Man :)) YES! I did it! :)) I surprise myself at times lol...I'm so happy to read your comment. I love the word ethereal and the meaning behind it so thank you for that. :) Well, I mentioned to Sam above, you can make a poutine without the curd cheese, just with a nice melty Mozza and you'll get a version of it. It's just your favourite fried, with cheese on top, then piping hot gravy to melt the cheese. Make sure you use a gravy that you really like and I'm quite sure I can guarantee a new addiction lol!
ReplyDeleteHi Martha :)) I think you're right...this is PERFECT weather. It's supposed to stick around until after the weekend, then back to the highs of 18 for fall, which is just fine! :) Are the leaves turning where you live now? I drove to the pet store today and the reds and oranges are really coming out! Love fall in this country! And thank you! I'm really into the spooky kind of art work...I guess it's because of my imagination and my tendency to have nightmares. I like to express them in art, though some are a bit too creepy to publish lol...I get chased by a blind priest with really long fingers, scratching at my back as I run from him, it's at night on a deserted road...he chases me about 10-20 times a year in my dreams...I've had that dream since I was 8 years old. I know what it's supposed to mean, but damned if that blind priest will leave me sleep in peace.
ReplyDeleteHi Lorraine :) Thank you! I'm so glad you like the spooky part! I think if you say you are possible a turophile, then you probably are lol. ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Michael :)) Thanks so much for your comment! Eveyrone is so supportive, I do appreciate that! :) A lot of my art work revolves around scary stuff...I've mentioned before that Tim Burton and German Expressionism is a big influence in what I create. Sometimes I go into the watery types of work, like sea dragons, fish etc...but my passion is creepy and weird lol...
ReplyDeleteThanks again! I like that part of finding new bloggers, you initially find them because of the subject (in our case the scribble!) but then you discover other things about them. I like reading about people's lifestyles and what they enjoy doing, how they live and all that. As for me, I've been working so hard towards my dream home/property. It should (fingers crossed) become reality in a few years. I'm so done with renting, but it's okay...the path I'm taking will have a great ending...not like poor Red Riding Hood lol! ;)
Hi Andrea :) Ha! Thank you for your comment, I love it! :)) Yes...when I heard Little Red Riding Hood as a kid, it was my Grandfather who read from the Grimm fairy tale book...nothing Disney about it! It scared the bleep out of me! Really, the woods can be scary if you don't respect what's in them! :) Oh, lucky you to be near Wisconsin...cheese capital of the world? That's what I've heard! I have to keep trying to perfect those cheese curds!!! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Mary, fellow turophile :)) Thank you! I'm glad you felt the spookiness of the painting! :)) Oh my...Gorgonzola and I have a love/hate relationship. I love it, but it doesn't love my stomach lol...I used to make a Gorgonzola and Strawberry Risotto...luscious stuff...but my stomach would revolt...even Blue cheese I have to have in smaller doses! I make up for it with other cheese though lol...your pasta sounds delicious! I have never been to Harrod's in London...I have been to London, but when I was really young (backpacking trip across - at the time - Western Europe!)...I wasn't quite the turophile back then as I am now! :) I think everyone should have a go at cheese making, it's so much fun and you can eat the mistakes too lol!
ReplyDeleteHi Paula :) Thank you! I'm glad you got the creep factor! :) We have to be careful about the poutine...we have a great diner nearby that has one of the best gravies we've ever tasted on poutine...we could easily eat there TOO often! But one of my goals is to perfect the gravy. The cheese too, I have the flavour down, but the squeak...it's challenging me! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Terry :)) Thank you! I'm glad you like my version of "Red"...her fate is set I'm afraid lol! :) I'm so glad you are a fellow turophile...we are a wonderful bunch of people! :) I have to look back and see which cheese you mentioned on one of your first comments...now that I'm more experienced in all this, maybe I can try it.
ReplyDeleteLove your red riding hood ... getting in the mood for spooky season huh ;)
ReplyDeleteThe river looks so inviting. We had it hot here too last weekend and we it in the lake. Probably the last time for this season tho. Its vold and rainy today.
My tomatoe bushes are FULL of tomatoes but I only had two red ones so far. I can see green tomatoe pickles in my future...lol
I am in the mood for poutine now...but chili is on the stove ;)
Rain - my favourite cheese is Double Gloucester.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great black/white piece. I LOVE the darkness and mystery within it. One can sit for quite awhile and just view/wander throughout it. Hey, maybe you can bring some of your yummy cheese to the picnic?! :)
ReplyDeleteHope the rest of your week goes well.
Hi Nik :) I can't make a chili until it's colder outside! But I'm looking forward to the stew season coming up, I'm going to put my slow cooker to a lot of use this fall. Oh yes, the spooky season is coming up, and I can't wait! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Terry! I'm having a hard time finding a recipe for it, but I am finding recipes for Cotswold cheese, which is defined as the same thing, but since I don't know either, I can only guess. Is it the same type of cheese do you know?
ReplyDeleteHi Alexandra :) Thank you!!! I'm so glad I'm getting a good response for my painting. I do a lot of spooky, dark stuff that I really enjoy, but sometimes others might think it's a bit too creepy lol...Ha! That cheese has my name written all over it! Actually I was wishing at some point I could actually ship some cheese out to people to try, just for fun, but I don't think it would handle the mail delivery too well!
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, that poutine looks so yummy! The river looks like a great way to relax with a good book or perhaps get some fishing in. Hope your Friday is amazing! Hugs...RO
ReplyDeleteThanks RO :) Hope your weekend is a good one too, we're expecting the heat wave to continue through to Tuesday so I think it'll be a good one for me! :) That river is very pretty but kind of overrun by weekenders and tourists, so it makes it a bit unpleasant. Nice at 6am though! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Rain, We are having some warmer weather here again also. You manage to get so much done with walking your dogs, your garden, your cheese making and now your paintings! Enjoy your week-end. Nancy
ReplyDeleteThanks Nancy! :) I spent too many years doing everything for others, so I make sure I take time for all the things I love now. Housecleaning can wait lol! Have a great weekend yourself! :)
ReplyDeleteNeat addition with the red to her cloak to add to the black and white.
ReplyDeleteThanks Trina :)
ReplyDelete