A St. Patrick's Day Celebration, Illustrated

Playing with your food is a favorite childhood pastime, but the recipe site They Draw and Cook has taken finger-painting faces in tomato sauce to a whole new level: Artists playfully create illustrations of their favorite recipes, cleverly incorporating ingredients and instructions into the scenery. These innovative and colorful pictures can be wacky, themed, or just plain adorable.

The site reads like a picture book of recipes and is one that inspires creativity and joy — exactly what food is supposed to do. Skimming through the recipes is incredibly fun and almost makes you want to wallpaper your entire kitchen/office with these happy images (OK, maybe that's just me...). 

Perhaps more than anyone else, Nate Padavick and Salli Swindell, the brother and sister team behind They Draw and Cook, understand that food can (and should) be silly and enjoyable. That's why they decided to create this unique user-generated site where both professional and amateur artists from around the world can contribute illustrations of heartfelt recipes.

As a special feature for St. Patrick's Day, the creative duo has come up with some of their favorite green-inspired recipes to help you enjoy the holiday from start to finish. 

Click here to see A St. Patrick's Day Celebration with Illustrated Recipes Slideshow.