<![CDATA[PICKLE CREEK RANCH

<![CDATA[PICKLE CREEK RANCH - Blog]]>Wed, 27 Nov 2024 08:59:18 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[A Christmas Gift Idea]]>Wed, 27 Nov 2024 15:53:47 GMThttp://picklecreekranch.com/blog/a-christmas-gift-idea

The 2025 Room Portrait Calendar

original art by Cheryl L. McClure

Ever since I can remember, I've used a calendar with squares in it, to pencil in important dates. There's birthdays, doctor's appointments and community events to attend! I like to see them at a glance, all in one place. Granted, I still use my calendar with alerts on my phone, but there's something about seeing it all at once that I have always relied on.

If you're interested in this type of calendar, here you go. Using images from across the globe, room portraits are a great way to travel and see design with decor that's rich in color and texture. Each month is a different print of my original paintings and the 8 x 10 paintings are sized as 8 x 10 on the calendar so if you see one you really like, it can be framed in a standard 8 x 10 frame.

Cheers!
Cheryl L. McClure

See more information about my art on Cheryl In Texas Art and see more on Instagram or Facebook!

ORDER HERE

]]><![CDATA[INSIDE OUT and ALL ABOUT]]>Wed, 21 Aug 2024 15:29:49 GMThttp://picklecreekranch.com/blog/inside-out-and-all-about

Welcome to my exhibit, Inside Out and All About, hosted by Sweetwater Coffee in McKinney, TX in September! The "Meet the Artist" event is on Sunday, Sept. 15 from 3:00-4:30. It is located at 4701 S. Custer Rd., Suite 500, McKinney, TX. We’d love for you to stop by, shop, meet new friends and enjoy a cup of Joe with us. You’re sure to find something that speaks to your heart.

We will have a drawing for a free painting / gift bag at 4:30 pm. Must be present to win!

Click on any of the featured art pieces located above if you’d like to purchase a print that will be featured at the show. It’s a one stop shop. Click, select size, purchase and the print shop will carefully package and ship directly to you.

Smaller original works on paper as well as printed greeting and Christmas cards will be available at the show for purchase. It’s wonderful to receive a unique and beautiful card in the mail!

Please visit my site "Cheryl In Texas Art" and explore all of my collections of beautiful art and photographs. Choose from art produced on paper, aluminum, totes, pillows, calendars and so much more. It’s never too early to start on your Christmas list for family and friends and an incredibly affordable way to enjoy my art.

I appreciate your support of my love of art! ~ Cheryl

PS - I customized the Donkey painting on a coffee cup so you can see the image on both sides of it! It's so cute! Click the words coffee cup to see! Cheers!

]]><![CDATA[Hello There!]]>Wed, 01 May 2024 18:32:10 GMThttp://picklecreekranch.com/blog/hello-thereArt for the Day

To see the painting process, go here:

The Process

Hi there,

It has been rain, rain, rain here in Northeast Texas but knock on wood, we have been spared from hail and such. I hope whatever is going on in your life, that you are well and enjoying the springtime. Lord knows some folks have been affected by Mother Nature’s wrath and my heart and prayers go out to them!

I can’t believe it has been so long since I have done a blog post. Normally I try to share recipes and I have taken pictures and notes that are in my phone somewhere but life keeps happening and I keep working on art instead!! LOL

I just wanted to hop on here and share my most recent painting. I usually post pretty often on Instagram at @cherylintexas_art or on Facebook and don’t get back over to the website.

When I built this website, I mainly wanted it to be sort of a cheat sheet for me to access information, recipes and links about essential oils, art and photography and I could pass that on to you without you being bombarded with popups and ads. I don’t get paid anything for this website and it is costly. As time went on I got off track and now I’m wondering if it’s even a benefit to anyone else since I don’t find that it reaches out very far. It has been helpful to me though.

Painting room portraits seems to have lit a fire in my art soul! The photos that I have access to are interesting and colorful, taking me miles away from home. I don’t travel much but this way, I can! So with that, while I decide what to do about blogging or not, I’ll just share this painting in hopes it brings a smile. I have new work ready to photograph and make prints available on my website if you are interested!

See https://picklecreekranch.com/cheryl-in-texas-art.html

Cheers! 💕
Cheryl

]]><![CDATA[Color Me Rabbit]]>Thu, 06 Apr 2023 22:13:26 GMThttp://picklecreekranch.com/blog/color-me-rabbit

Want a FREE bunny drawing for your kiddo to color?

I have yearned to do some rabbit sketches or paintings this year and since we were nearing Easter, I decided to do some rabbit drawings for our grandkids and then I had a thought! I’ll send each of them their own card as a black and white sketch that THEY could color!

The rabbit or hare in European traditions, had many religious roles through the years and in the Chinese culture, 2023 is noted as the Year of the Rabbit. It is said that the sign of the Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace and prosperity.

Whatever the case may be, the rabbit or Easter Bunny has a long cultural symbol reminding us of the cycles and stages of life, mainly new life!

See the BUNNY PDF button below that you can download. Just size it to your preference and print it out on a regular printer. You could use card stock which is thicker to withstand markers or watercolor.

BUNNY PDF

I like using Derwent Intense colored pencils on heavy paper stock or watercolor paper since I can add water to make it look more like water color.

Since my original bunnies turned out so cute I decided to add a couple of them to my print shop gallery, so if someone wants to purchase cards they could do that too. One, I simply called "A Little Bunny". You can find this and many other works of art in my galleries, and most all are suitable to be printed many ways, including a 5" x 7" card.

Enjoy!

Cheryl @ Pickle Creek Ranch

]]><![CDATA[Pumpkin Pound Cake]]>Wed, 21 Dec 2022 04:50:36 GMThttp://picklecreekranch.com/blog/pumpkin-pound-cake

Check out the best pumpkin pound cake you'll ever eat!

It's so easy to make. Ever since I grew my own pumpkins, I won't go back to canned pumpkin.

I grow what I call a Fairy Tale pumpkin. They are flatter and not so round, orange, but a dull orange and they're so sweet! I plant them in the spring time and have pumpkins in the fall. They even stay firm through winter, in the house. So not only do we have these great flavored foods, they fit in with fall decor!

To make my puree, I cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, quarter them, toss all on the metal grate in the instant pot (with a cup of water). Set on manual pressure for 8-10 minutes and they're done. Allow to cool. Scrape the pumpkin out and then use an immersion blender to pureé it.

Pumpkin Pound Cake

2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin or 2 cups pure pumpkin

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Spray a bundt pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

Whisk together your sugar, oil, eggs, and pumpkin. Fold in the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Pour into your pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Pumpkin Frosting

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup pumpkin (canned or cooked and pureéd)
4 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Beat the cream cheese, butter, and pumpkin in a large bowl until thoroughly combined and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once to make sure all ingredients are incorporated. Frost cupcakes.

If you use too much pumpkin and your frosting doesn't stand up, use it as a glaze!

Enjoy!
Cheryl @ Pickle Creek Ranch

]]><![CDATA[Veggie Tian from the Garden]]>Fri, 15 Jul 2022 18:11:13 GMThttp://picklecreekranch.com/blog/veggie-tian-from-the-garden

Veggie Tian from the Garden. Have you tried it?

We have a large garden producing lots of squash and a friend told me about "tian" and sent me a recipe! Oh my gosh, it is sooo good. I have to share my version of it with you! It looks complicated but it's really simple.

Preheat your oven to 400°. Lightly coat a pie pan with cooking spray or oil.

I use my Instant Pot for all kinds of cooking and food prep like this. Select the Sauté setting and cook up a small onion or more if you want extra! Crush a couple cloves of garlic and throw that in there. Cook till it's golden, then spread out over the bottom of your pie pan.

I brought in fresh tomatoes, yellow squash and zucchini from our garden!

Next, slice them up! Ok, I never said I was Pioneer Woman. LOL

Arrange them one after another around the plate. I even added some sliced Hungarian Sweet Peppers and some leaves of basil. Some people slice potatoes and put in there too. I drizzled some olive oil across the top and then spread some of my homemade basil pesto sauce all over it, then sprinkled some pepper and seasoning. There's a seasoning you can get that's no salt and it tastes good!

Doesn't it look pretty? Not done yet! Cover it with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes!

Last step. Take out of the oven, remove the foil and add cheese, then bake for another 15 minutes. I added Parmesan cheese, about a fourth cup sprinkled around and in between spaces. We like cheese! It is normally topped with Mozzarella but I didn't have any. I had Monterey Jack. Use what'cha got, my friend at Texas Homesteader says! She has great ideas and recipes galore!

Cooked it till it was golden and soooo good!!! It's even good cold. We had this one night with a big salad and it hit the spot!

INGREDIENTS

Oil or cooking spray
Tablespoon olive oil or more for drizzling (optional Pesto sauce)
1 mediium to large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 - 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 Hungarian sweet peppers, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
Fresh Basil leaves (optional)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded Mozarella cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°, lightly coat a deep dish pie pan with oil or use a nonstick coating.
Using an Instant Pot, (or a medium pan) set to sauté and cook chopped onion and garlic till soft and transluscent. 5-7 minutes. Spread cooked onion and garlic on the bottom of the pan.
Alternate sliced veggies, standing them on edge, all the way around the pan, filling in the middle, adding any extra veggies if desired.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt, pepper. If you have pesto sauce, spread it around too, If not, use Italian seasoning. Stuff fresh basil leaves in between a few of the sllices (optional). Cover with foil and bake covered for 30 minutes.
Remove aluminum foil and sprinkle Parmesan cheese and then Mozarella on top. If you don't have Mozarella, use what you already have! Put back in oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes or till cheese is golden brown.

I hope you try this recipe and let me know how you liked it! I can't wait to make another pan of it after we are done eating the first one!

Happy eating!
Cheryl @picklecreekranch

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