Basket of Cheer

Here is another little painting/illustration that I did. What can I say -- I'm loving working on a small scale:)
I did this piece for a 'Get Well' card for my friend. :)
Can you spot an unexpected visitor?

Info:
Paper: Strathmore Bristol smooth
Size: 6 x 6 inches
Watercolours + Rapidograph ink + gouache 

For sale in various formats on my RedBubble page: http://www.redbubble.com/mybubble/art/7282214-basket-of-cheer/edit

Hedgehog + Cactus

A girl hedgehog this time, and more anthropomorphized this time:)
She's just chilling, or more accurately sun bathing somewhere in a dessert:)

 

thumbnail sketch

Info:
Paper: Strathmore Bristol smooth
Size: 6 x 6 inches
Paint: GOLDEN Open Acrylics (set of 6)
+ rapidograph line work

Happy Friday!

Notebook Daydreams

More still life type photos. These ones were shot on Monday:) There's a lot of them and they're quite similar, but felt like posting a bunch anyhow=)

Bluebell Dreams

On my way home on Friday I picked some bluebells by the road, and thought I'd have a little fun with them and my camera:)

Sharing Recipes - Spinach Biscuits

Tried this recipe out that I came up with today. Turned out well, so I decided to share:)

Whole Wheat Spinach Parmesan Biscuits

 

 

 

Prep Time:
20 Min

Cook Time:
10 Min

Ready In:
30 Min

For around 20-24 (2’’ diameter) thin biscuits, or about 12 thicker ones

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted margarine or vegetable oil
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup of freshly chopped spinach
• ¼ cup of parmesan cheese (feta cheese and other cheeses will taste good too!)

Directions

1. Wash and dry some fresh spinach. Then either throw it in a blender or food processer so that it’s shredded into small bits. Or you can just cut into small pieces by hand.
2. Next, in a large/medium bowl, combine flours, baking powder, sugar, and salt and mix well.
3. If using margarine, add it to the dry mixture and mix until it resembles crumbs. Add the cheese and spinach. However, if you’re using vegetable oil, whisk it with milk and then add the liquid until the dough is just moistened enough to start to stick together. You don’t want it too wet though.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times to form a ball. Roll to 3/4-inch thickness for thicker biscuits or you can roll it thinner to get more skinny ones. Cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter (or you can just use a water glass or a mug)  and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 to 11 minutes or until golden at the bottom.

*Notes:

*I use almond milk for most of my cooking, because I like the taste, and it has more nutrients and less calories compared to regular milk, but feel free to substitute any milk you like. Buttermilk would be second choice:)

* Thinner biscuits are great because you can use them as bread for little sandwiches! (bake them longer if you want them to be crispier)

* And lastly, I found that for me, the biscuits don’t lose much of their deliciousness when less margarine or oil is used.

Happy Baking!