Gluten Free Recipe Doodling

We are in the process of selling our home and moving to a new house.  11 years is long enough to fill every nook, cranny, and closet, with all items imaginable.  

Now a million things must brought into the light of day and find a spot in a box.  

Which would be work enough, but add to that the waist deep paperwork that comes with the selling, buying and moving, and a highly sensitive child who is very attached to our home.

I am struggling not to drown in overwhelm - to stay organized, connected and creating. I stumbled upon a simple process today that made me happy - and in turn, anchored me.

While browsing recipes for dinner I found something new that sounds delicious on Simply Gluten Free 
it's simple enough, healthy and of course gluten free!  
Chili Lime Shrimp Pasta Salad a winning taste combo in my book!

I printed it so I could prepare it later this week. To focus my scattered thoughts on what was needed I started doodling each ingredient on the printed page. That simple process brought me joy. And a calm that has eluded me for the last few weeks (possibly months)!

Looking at the recipe now makes me smile, and makes collecting the ingredients a snap. (also makes me want to add color)

It should be easy enough to prepare while packing this weekend, without consuming too much precious time.  I look forward to tasting it, but know the kitchen time will be fun too as my sketches keep me company.

I will let you know how it all turns out.

Monday Motivation - Health is Wealth!

"He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything."

~ Arabian Proverb

Tired of Gluten Free being TV's go-to punch line

I am tired of gluten free being the butt of all jokes.
Is it 'soft' not to want to die young of stomach cancer? 
is it 'soft' to not want to live with crippling bone pain? 
is it 'soft' not to want to face down the debilitating pain of a migraine every week of my life? 

I really want to see this ad pulled. 
Enough is enough

Read the post at GlutenDude
http://glutendude.com/media/super-bowl-nascar-ad/

Monday Motivation... Avocado Cutter - My Favorite Kitchen Tool

I love avocados!  I could eat them everyday, and quite often I do. (I have even sketched more than my fair share of avocados)

And my love of guacamole borders on obsession. Guacamole is one of the most delicious, healthy and oh so satisfying naturally gluten free snacks around!

So when my husband bought me this OXO Avocado Cutter - it may have been the best present I have ever gotten. It is certainly my absolute favorite kitchen tool.  

The curved green top is a blade (1) that easily slices through the avocado, the pitting tool (2) grabs the pit so it can be taken out smoothly -  and beautifully with no loss of any precious fruit. I have had more than a few pits shoot across the kitchen as I attempted to scrape the last of the fruit off.

Then you can cleanly scoop and slice it out of the skin with the fan blades (3). And if you are careful enough you can achieve perfect slices for a salad presentation.

Most of the time I am making guacamole so I am not concerned with perfect slices, but it certainly makes scooping it out of the skin so much more efficient than a spoon or fork!

Bottom line it is infinitely easier to eat healthy when the prep is quick and painless, and this tool makes it so.

Click here for a FREE printable pdf of my Gluten Free Blessing 

Monday Inspiration - Eat Healthy!

"Eat Healthy, Feel Healthy, Be Healthy" watercolor & ink, copyright Erin Rogers Pickering

A rainbow of fresh nutrient dense vegetables - all naturally, deliciously Gluten Free. Take a little extra time in the produce department and try something new this week. Add an extra veggie to your meal. Snack on raw carrots or slices of crisp, juicy red pepper. Make a smoothie and throw in a little kale, or add avocado for creaminess. 
Experiment, explore, enjoy!
Eat healthy and you will feel healthy - and Be Healthy!


Sign up here to get a FREE printable pdf Gluten Free Blessing

A Gluten Free Blessing for the New Year

A New Year, a fresh start, lots of good intentions... let's get things off to a positive start!  Even with the New Year, resolutions and big plans it is easy to get derailed. Slip, slide and then your well-meaning resolutions become a distant memory.
But every day, every meal is an opportunity for change, and for making the best choices for your health and well being.

To help you stay positive and stay on track I am sharing my Gluten Free Blessing. It is my New Year's gift to you... download a FREE print... for you, for a friend, for a loved one! Whether you are just starting your GF journey, or a veteran of negotiating labels and hidden ingredients... this Blessing is for everyone.  
It is formatted to fit in an 8x10 frame or 8x10 mat opening.

Wishing everyone a Happy & HEALTHY New Year and a beautiful Gluten Free journey!

Finding your Path

Once there was a girl who loved to draw, and sketch and color. To her, nothing was better than that.  She doodled, drew, and designed clothes and shoes for untold hours.  Never happier than when she had pencil, or marker, and paper. At 11 years old she received a 48 pack of fine line markers! And practically swooned. (the true beginning of her love of art supplies!)

She studied Fashion Design in college because she was obsessed with drawing clothing and shoes by her teen years.   Ah, but she had a professor who tried, and coaxed, and never let go of the idea that the girl should have been an Illustration major.

One day in class she strolled the room checking progress and speaking to the entire group, then came to stand at the girl's elbow and said, "It is never too late to change what you are doing. Never to late to follow the path you are meant to be on."

The girl knew it was directed at her but held fast to her plan because she was stubborn, and she had fought hard to be in that  program and thought it was where she belonged.

Shoe Love 2015 Wall Calendar 7x11 by GFillustrator

The 19 yr old girl was absolutely convinced that Fashion Design was her calling. But, after graduation she became a textile stylist, and from there many twists and turns on a varied career path.  Some strayed far and wide, but all were tremendous learning experiences. The professor she could never quite forget, the words that hung in her memory for decades turned over and over, like a stone being polished. 

The idea that maybe, maybe that teacher was right all those years ago. Maybe it was time. When she truly realized she needed to change paths - to the right path, her true path... it was those words from college that held her steady on a long and tough road.

Decades later that girl, now a woman, knows she has found her calling, and is never happier than when she is doodling, sketching, illustrating... and bringing ideas to life on paper in ink and paint!  And, she feels profoundly lucky to illustrate for 2 print magazines, Matters and Simply Gluten Free, create commissions for both private clients and businesses, and to sell her illustrations to collectors worldwide.  She looks toward a future of increasing her illustration roster, and a lifetime of bringing ideas to life on paper!
And, whispers a thank you prayer to that college professor that could see her path long before she could.