Growing up as an American in the Midwest, vegetables were not a main ingredient, but more of a reluctant afterthought. Sandwiches might have a bit of lettuce and an occasional tomato, and were usually paired with some version of fried potato. Botanically a vegetable, but more of a starch and once fried, nutritionally suspect. That said, the red peppers shown here are actually fruit, but considered a vegetable from a culinary standpoint, like green beans and cucumbers. Botanists and chefs apparently don’t hang out much. Most vegetables I ate as a kid came out of a can and were heated until they were pronounced dead, and therefore ready to eat. It was difficult to prefer vegetables back then as they simply didn’t taste very good. Moms up and down my block were constantly coaxing kids by saying “eat your vegetables,” which were often just slices of soggy carrots or puddles of corn. I’ve heard this phrase used today to mean doing the responsible thing even if it’s unfavorable. I’m sure those who use it in that fashion, had a similar experience with vegetables while growing up.
As an adult, I now mostly eat vegetables, which apparently puts me in an American minority as only 1 in 10 folks here eat the appropriate amount. But when it comes to other resposible things, I have to admit that I’m often caught trying to avoid actually doing them. Everything from preparing taxes to taking the recycling to the bin gets put on hold. I’ll eventually get to these tasks, of course, but not until I’ve systemically exhausted all the options I can think of to avoid doing them. I seem to always forget the rush of accomplishment that I feel when tasks like these are completed. I’m too fixated on the arduous feeling of actually doing them. Weirdly, I’m equally guilty of avoiding things I truly enoy in the same fashion. When it comes to starting that book I’d love to write, I’ll find other things that need doing instead and whine to myself that I don’t have the time. Which, of course, I don’t, but it was simply a self-inflicted choice I made.
Thankfully, my watercolor sketching and this little bit of writing for these posts have become a good habit. Something I always seem to make time for even on the busiest of days, like today. And doing so has proven to me that it’s entirely possible to make time for absolutely anything that you truly want to do. Time is never really the issue. For me, it’s often a combination of self-doubt and fear of failing at something. If I don’t try something, then it’s absolutely impossible to fail. This is perfectly silly thinking, of course, as the real truth is that in doing so, I’ve also made it impossible to succeed. When I feel that little bit of fear that slows me down, though, I can usually get through it if I listen to a different voice inside my head. This one is less critical and bitchy, but still a bit stern, and sounds vaguely like a concerned mother, passionately whispering, “eat your vegetables.”
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Looks delicious! (K)
Thanks so much, Kerfe! 😃💕
Charlie, this painting is really beautiful, all the colors so fresh and bright, the perfect group of veggies to start any dinner. I make this all the time, and then throw in some shrimp or chicken or fish. Delish but this painting is too pretty to secret away in your journal. You should frame it and hang it in the kitchen, a reminder of how wondrous is all the bounty of the world.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕 So happy you liked this one! I was pleased with how it turned out… and yeah… it’s just locked in a journal at the moment unless I make it into a print. hehe Also, this is still the only way I know how to “cook.” 😊Lol
By golly I will eat those vegetables 😉 great painting/sketch beauty!
Thanks so much, Margaret!! 😃💕 So happy you liked it!
And this doozie of a doodlewash is exactly why children need to see these somehow – you’d be more persuasive than any parent, I’m sure! Even I’m warming to them, and I’m the biggest kid of all! 😉
Hehe… thanks, Jacob! 😃💕 Wow… that’s impressive if I have you warming up to vegetables. I don’t think I was ever successful getting you to eat ice cream. 😉 lol Glad you liked this one!
I do like your philosophy Charlie, you think so clearly about all sorts of things. (I do enjoy veggies too, there seem to be so many more options and variety, not to mention fantastic recipes nowadays!)
Thanks so much, Anna! 😃💕 What a wonderful compliment! Yeah, the recipes make all the difference in the world. Cooked correctly, vegetables are delicious!! hehe
Beautiful painting :-). Those vegetables look crisp and full of vitamins! And I love the way you painted the knife.
Thanks so much, Myriam! 😃💕 Had to sneak in a manmade shiny object this month… I was missing painting that! hehe
Just gorgeous! Those are just some of my favorite veggies! 🙂
Thanks so much, Patsy! 😃💕 My too!! Snuck in a leek as they are probably one of my all-time faves.
Yeah, I noticed the leek. I have had those on occasion but for some reason we don’t use them much, mostly in a soup sometimes.
My favorite! Beautiful painting as always!!
Thanks so much! 😃💕
i like it…
Thanks! 😃
Awesome! Those veggies look fresh 😀
http://www.anartsyappetite.com
Thanks so much! Glad you liked them! 😃💕
A beautiful painting of “paprika’s” so we call the red pepers as you say Charlie.
In Holland vegetables were very important and less the meat, fish, chicken etc.
If you ask someone what he is eating that day for dinner they often say at first the kind of vegatables and not the kind of meat, fish, chicken. I think it’s typical Dutch manner!
Paprika’s are beautiful for painting and you did a good job!
Thanks, Margriet! So happy you liked this! 😃💕 And yes… it was the same for Philippe coming from France. In America they choose a meat first, but we’ve always started (and often just ended) with only vegetables.
Great painting Charlie, the bright vibrancy of fresh veg equals a bouquet of flowers 😀
Thanks so much, Rebecca!! 😃💕 What a lovely compliment. Appreciate that!
I believe in India they call the potato “the king of vegetables”, which makes me an honorary Indian!
Lol… excellent, Michael! 😃I agree… potatoes are amazing. (and yeah… I still like fries too!)
That knife is particularly triumphant – lovely! 🙂
Aww thanks so much, Rebecca! 😃💕 In my month of natural objects, I had to sneak back in some shiny objects at some point. hehe
and here in India, if there are no vegetables its not considered a meal. Your sketches are lovely.
Thanks so much! 😃💕 Yeah, I feel like it’s like that in most places in the world. America is a bit backwards on eating.
😊
What a wonderful little painting! Vegetables are not only delicious, they´re also such a pretty painting subject! And your post to it is highly illuminating to me. When I stayed in Kansas at my host family, I was shocked by their way of “cooking” (please forgive me for saying that!). Vegetables were often deep-frozen, heated in the microwave, served without any spices. Now I know, that this was not my host moms fault – it´s kind of a midwest thing. 😉
Thanks so much, Ann! 😃💕 Glad you liked this painting! And yep… not her fault… lack of training. hehe I really didn’t know how wonderful vegetables could taste until I went to college, or at least shortly after when I could afford to eat out.
I could just stuff one of these!
I am enjoying your recent pics.
JP
Thanks so much, JP! 😃💕 Trying to mix things up this month with full page paintings. Glad you’re liking these!
I came across your blog and did NOT realize you actually painted the vegetable picture. It’s amazing. This post made me glad I had vegetables for dinner 🙂
Thanks so much, Lindsey! 😃💕 Yep… unless it says “Guest Doodlewash” at the top all the images to illustrate my posts are painted by me. So happy you liked it!
Living in Asia, vegetables are way more common than in America where we are mostly meat. Good blog!
Thanks so much! 😃 Yeah… America is fixated on meat. But I still live the vegetable-first lifestyle. Far more variety and delicious things to eat that way! Glad you liked my blog!
This post reminded me to pay my vehicle tax – haha, what am I doing reading blogs and not paying my tax!! Whoops. Your painting is wonderful! And veggies are delicious – but so, unfortunately, are fries. This post was very interesting, you combined a lot of thoughts here. Especially your last paragraph – I think I am doing the same thing as you. A lot of people are afraid of failure, so they don’t even try. Still, your blogging and painting is amounting to something, certainly. It’s good to have stumbled here!
Thanks so much! 😃💕 hehe… yeah, my posts are all written in the moment in a stream of consciousness fashion with no editing so there’s usually a lot crammed in. Thanks so much for the lovely compliment! I really hope you’ll stumble back here again!
I have followed your blog with the intention of doing just that! I really like your style of writing and your art 🙂
Thanks so much! I really appreciate that… I just started painting (and blogging) about a year and half ago, so that means a lot!
Your writing is concise, and refreshing. I use a steamer to cook broccoli, and other vegetables. It takes twenty minutes, but it is worth the wait.
Thanks so much, Rubie! 😃💕 What a lovely compliment! Yeah, a steamer is a wonderful way. We also have an Instant Pot pressure cooker we use to steam… it’s super fast, and great when you’re starving, or like us, simply lack patience. 😊
Either way, the vegetables are being cooked. I don’t have a pressure cooker. I do love the steamer we have. My son received a new one for his birthday. He gets it out, and it works also. We have no excuse not to eat our vegetables. Usually they are unseasoned. We can season at the table. Salt is a seasoning I try to stay away from. Smile.
Yeah, we only salt in moderation… and at the table. 😉
Vegetables are so versatile and not hard to prepare. Yet, here in the states fresh veggies and fruits are often passed by. If you look at the ratio of fresh produce to all else in our markets it is quite appalling. When we have traveled outside the states we have noticed a major difference in the diets including aforementioned and fish as well. I am blessed in that I live in the country and frequent the farmers markets in the area. I can and freeze produce and dried beans. I can do much better but then I guess something is better than nothing. HUGZ
Yeah, it’s sooo true!! Here in the states, vegetables are so overlooked when they should be the main part of any diet! It’s crazy, but I do think it’s a sad effect of never learning what to do with them so they taste awesome. hehe
My newest way to cook them the last couple of years is in coconut oil – it really makes the flavors of the veggies pop –
Great drawing! I liked the shine on the knife. That must have been hard to create. We grew up in the Midwest too and almost every night we had some vegetable that came out of a can. It was pretty nasty.
Thanks so much! 😃💕 Yeah… I think canned vegetables were all the rage here back then. hehe… thankfully that’s changed a bit.