Fall Squash Harvest

I absolutely love the colors of Fall. The colors, the smells, the produce, the chill in the air, hot cider, pumpkin anything... and, more recently... experimenting with squash.

I adore spaghetti squash and it's similarity to noodles.  And zucchini for it's versatility - it's amazing what can be done with zucchini... makes very tender juicy meatballs when used in place of breadcrumbs, to muffins, breads, grilled pizza bites, the list doesn't end.

As seen in Simply Gluten Free Magazine, Sept Oct 2015

After doing my research for this Simply Gluten Free magazine piece I found a variety of squashes to explore, cook and bake with.
Let the GF Fall cooking, roasting, baking begin!


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Monday Inspiration - Fall Harvest, Tomatoes

Ah - tomatoes!  I look forward to the late summer, early autumn just for them.   And, I could eat them at every meal so I took this photo as soon as I could - before they were gone.  They are sneak preview of leaf colors that we will see as we move deeper into the Fall.


The colors are simply gorgeous - vivid, inspiring and bottomless.


So as with all my visual obsessions... I have to paint them.  I painted this basket of tomatoes a few years back.  And my biggest challenge was the depth and vibrancy of the color - that color goes beyond red!  I used layers and layers of glazed color, many of which were lemon yellow, to achieve the luminosity.

"Fruit of the Gods" watercolor on paper, 8x10, copyright Erin Rogers Pickering

The original painting hangs in my kitchen bringing me a vivid reminder of those stunning colors year round. 

Inspiration in a Pumpkin Patch

I love visiting farms in the fall and in the last 2 weeks we've been to a few (and have had some amazing weather).... bright orange pumpkins piled high in the sun, crisp red apples, vibrant mums... russet, gold, burgundy, violet - all the colors exploding against the backdrop of soft, golden straw and an electric blue sky.

In settings like this my painting brain goes crazy, and a million ideas come rushing at me.  I don't know whether to run screaming for safety - or for my paintbrush.  Luckily, I was equipped with a camera and shot tons of photos for reference.

Not much sketching on site with a 4 year old along for the adventure.

But, yesterday afternoon I made use of craft time with her... and her great, big bag of crayons (which always give me a thrill) and sketched a pile of pumpkins with a handful of fall palette crayons.  She loved it.  And it was very satisfying to release some of the creative energy that had been building up.

Looking forward to working on some pumpkins with my watercolors.... coming soon.

The Cost of Eating Gluten-Free

3 GF Apples, watercolor & ink, 5x7, copyright Erin Rogers Pickering


I keep reading about the high cost of eating gluten-free. What doesn’t get a mention in any of these articles is the high cost of NOT staying gluten-free.

Does it really cost that much more? All fresh fruit & vegetables, fresh meat & fish are naturally gluten-free. Include in that list milk, eggs, rice, and potatoes - all of these you would or could eat either way.

Where the cost is added is grains, and prepared foods. I agree they do run higher since they are more specialized, as somewhere along the line it was decided wheat should be in everything and be everywhere.

But what about the cost of continuing gluten consumption with celiac disease? Or all the years prior to diagnosis?... The Doctor appointments, the antibiotics, lost time of work, tests, procedures, x-rays, MRIs, prescription meds, co-pays, physical therapy, crutches, acupuncture, pain killers. Painkillers! I can’t even imagine how much I have spent just on Advil in my lifetime.

I have spent a fortune over the years while celiac wreaked it’s havoc, but remained unknown. I shudder to see the actual dollar amount of all that combined.

Treating the problems, related illnesses, chronic pain…. The cost is impossible to calculate. Compared to that the food is a bargain.