Handful of Bird's Eye Chillies #574

Daily painting #574 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel 

Ironically writing is the creative outlet I feel the least confident with. That being said, I share my thoughts (through writing) on almost a daily basis! But I have to say that if I didn't write a painting blog, I would probably be writing some kind of amateur foodie blog! Painting and cooking being 2 of my most creative outlets. If I am not in my studio, I am happiest in my kitchen. My kitchen is the hub of our household! If I am not spending my money on art books, I am spending it on cookery books. I read them from cover to cover like others would read a novel and yet I rarely use a recipe to cook unless of course I am baking. I love to experiment with flavors, textures and colours and of course being such a visual person, I like the food to look as good on the platter as it tastes!
So yesterday a couple of my art students were painting on my veranda leading off of my kitchen (I can't get down to my teaching studio yet) and the topic of conversation turned to food rather than painting! I am so frustrated at the moment with not being able to get around the kitchen to cook because of the cumbersome crutches! I love to share tried and tested things from the kitchen that make my life easier ....and food more yummy! So painting was temporarily forgotten while I shared some of my favorites like pickled onions, marinated olives (with an amazing dressing for your salads) and a Portuguese Peri-peri marinade/sauce which uses little Bird's eye chillies which many of us have in our garden. This is the chili plant's common name. The little seeds are so tiny that they are about the size of a little birds eye. They are also bright green and red and therefor easily catch the attention of the birds. The birds love to eat them and they drop the seeds all over the garden so the chances are that if you have one Bird's eye chilli plant you will probably have them sprouting up all over your garden. We would pull them out thinking they were weeds until we realized that a little chili plant was growing! There are not many chillies left as it is nearing winter but I managed to find a handful. So today I painted a little handful of Bird's eye chillies from my garden....soon to be Peri-peri sauce....when I can get back into my kitchen!!

Last weekend for the FREE POSTAGE IN MAY OFFER!!!

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