Written by As we head into a Memorial Day weekend here, and skip towards summer, our art challenge prompt of “leaves,” made me think of salad. I actually love salads of all kinds, but they also become a mainstay around this time of year, since I wait until absolutely the last possible moment to shed the pounds I acquired during cooler weather. This is the time of year when the salad isn’t an opening to the meal, but indeed the meal itself. I do miss the hot soups and hearty stews of the colder months, but salad is a welcome and fresh change. And I hope all of you who are enjoying a long weekend have a perfectly wonderful one filled with family and friends. Actually food at Memorial Day gatherings when I was growing up rarely ever included salad. The only thing green was often the relish on the hot dogs, which I never cared for, so my plate was simply all brown and beige with a bit of yellow mustard highlights. And it was delicious!
The larger family gatherings of my youth no longer happen these days. Family is spread out and not often living in the same state, or now, in the case of my extended family, even in the same country. But each time this time of year comes around, I often think back to those times fondly. Events filled with indulgent picnic food that, as a kid, was an incredibly exciting thing indeed. Something as simple as baked beans can become rather extraordinary when you only have them once a year. Deviled eggs were always one of my favorites that showed up around Easter time as well. Ugh, now I’ve gone and made myself hungry, so it’s good to know that dinner will be here shortly. Tonight, will definitely include salad, but may just have a slice of pizza thrown into the mix thanks to Uber Eats. Philippe is cooking for all of our friends on Sunday so I decided it was my night to “make dinner.”
I admit that ordering carry out is not the same as actually cooking, but it’s the only way I know to produce a dinner. And dinner arrived just before I could finish this post, so we did indeed just enjoy a little slice of pizza heaven and a lemony arugula salad. So, this is one of those rambles that is truly rambling and I’ve no idea what point I’m actually trying to make. I think, in the end, I’m just thrilled with enjoying a bit of time this long weekend to have some fun with friends. And in this very moment, I’m typing this last little bit while sitting outside on the terrace and enjoying a glass of wine. Our dog Phineas is sprawled out directly next to me enjoying the last rays of the setting sun. The slow kind of sun that only happens this time of year, making the day seem luxuriously longer than it ever did before. Though I don’t have much of any real substance to report, everything still seems so perfectly wonderful. There’s definitely magic to be found in that time of year when I find myself eating leaves again.
About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Yellow Ochre, Quinacridone Red, Benzimida Orange, Leaf Green, and Cobalt Blue. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Send me a note with a link to this post, and I’ll add it to my shop! |
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Need to hit the salads myself and stop baking cookies. 😱🤗
hehe!! Awww… cookies are the best though!! 😃💕I didn’t know you baked… uhm… send some my way! I hear they go really well with salads! 😉
Lol I wish. Yeah I do. Come on by and get some. I take them to Saturday drawing and get share them so I can have a few. Otherwise I would gobble them all.
Nice looking salad there. Had to be wonderful with the pizza. Enjoy the weekend.
Thanks, June! 😃💕 Yeah, a salad is made much better with a little slice of pizza! lol Totally defeats the purpose, but it’s oh so good! 😉
Lovely loose line work and painting. The red against the green is great. I am with you. I eat like I am a bear prepping for months of hibernation in the cold months and then eat like a very healthy sparrow in the hot months. Hopefully the one mitigates the other. I make all sorts of amazing salads during the summer but sometimes it turns out to be the simplest ones, the ones that simply involve assembling the raw ingredients, that turn out to be the tastiest. I know we share a love of Caprese salad, for instance.
Thanks, Laura! 😃💕 I’m thrilled you liked it… I’m trying to be a bit looser lately and experimenting a bit. And yay to being a bear in the winter months… it’s fun! But yes, must eat like a sparrow now to make up for it! LOL And yesssss! Caprese salad is the best! Yum!
Yes! Hots dogs and hamburgers, potato chips as the vegetable, and s’mores for dessert. Those were the days!
hehe!! SO true! Not a bit of green in sight, but oh so delicious! 😃💕
Why is it, in our salad days, we can eat with abandon, but as we grow older we must eat only salad? Does that seem right? Love your painting and ramble, as always!
hehe, thanks, Sandra! 😃💕 Well stated!! Why on earth is that the case?? Actually salad days are way more forgiving then the ones that involve well… just salad. 😉
You know, my husband couldn’t cook either. I started to teach him, and he’s learning. Just saying!😂😂😂 I told my book group yesterday that we are having a giant salad for our June lunch. Maybe I’ll have to illustrate lunch. Lol!
You should totally illustrate it, Lisa! 😃💕 And yes, Philippe attempted to teach me things when we were long distance dating and he was still in Paris. Then, when he arrived and saw how unskilled I was, he ordered me out of his kitchen. 😊😊LOL
Ahh salad is precious specially in summer.
Here hit the heat. Your salad i liked it very much. thanks
Thanks so much, Snehlata! 😃💕 It was soooo hot here today. Way too warm for this time of year. Salad was the only thing to eat!
Love how you rendered the leaves–it’s hard to capture their delicacy. I’m a chopped salad fanatic after discovering Middle Eastern cuisine. I never thought of drawing my Fattoush, but this was very inspiring!
Thanks, Bekki! 😃💕 Salads are tough to sketch… glad you liked it! And you should totally draw your Fattoush!! That would be awesome!
the salad looks crisp and delicious, so good!
and btw, after an unusually late night last night, I slept in
and might still be lounging around had the door bell not rung
at 8 a.m. no less. I thought it was my neighbor so I answered
the door in my robe…Alas it was the postman, with a doodlewash!!!
I felt it only fair since I was awakened my friend should be awakened too.
I called her, and we met halfway between our two towns and I gave her
the little Maltese. She laughed and cried and cried some more and said
to tell you she absolutely loves it. I knew she would! So did I !!! (there was
no way I could keep it until her birthday)
Oh my goodness… you just made me cry! 😊💕 That’s such a fantastic thing to hear! I’m absolutely thrilled she loved it! I don’t even have words to express how wonderful that makes me feel to know I was part of such a beautiful experience. Thank you so much!
Times like this I really love the Internet!
Salad, so good for you, and you painted it as I like it – with very little dressing. Just a tad bit of vinaigrette, thank you, fresh ground pepper, maybe some feta cheese. Yum!
Oh my gosh! You made me hungry with your description!! That is the PERFECT salad! YUM! 😃💕