Hello everyone,

I hope everyone had a really great weekend!  It was here a cloudy here on Saturday, but other than that it was a great weekend.  On Friday’s post, I mentioned that my husband, Christopher, and I were going to run a 10k. At first, I had my doubts that we’d finish it, but we did!  My time was 1 hour 15 minutes and Christopher’s time was 59:17.   I’m pretty proud of us!  I have to admit, it wasn’t as grueling as I thought it would be for first timers. We were talking with another runner afterwards, who finished the 10k in 35 minutes with a cramp in his side and slightly hung over!  His running time was 38 min!  He was kind enough to say that the goal was to finish the run and we should be glad that we did it.   We are now talking about doing another 10k soon.  Very ambitious, aren’t we?

Food as a design inspiration

After that run, all we wanted to do was eat. The breakfast buffet provided afterwards to the runners included pizza, hamburgers and fried chicken!  Very healthy, not.  I had the fried chicken and, at that moment it was so tasty!

It got me thinking about food as an inspiration.  We eat with our eyes first, so food has to be presented in a very colorful way with different textures and flavors.  There was a time when I wanted to study to become a chef.  I love to cook!  I am a huge fan of cooking shows, magazines and websites.  Then I realized that my palate is not adventurous!  Some foods are not for me, as all my good friends will tell you.  It hasn’t stopped me, however, from cooking a dish I wouldn’t eat for my guests when entertaining or for Christopher, and then something totally different for myself.  Added work, I know.  In the end, it’s worth it to see the surprises on their faces when I do that.  To me, the sound of my knives on the cutting board is so soothing.  Strange, I know, but it’s true.  It makes me think of how to re-create recipes using different spices or ingredients.  I love the smell that lingers in the air during and after the cooking process.

When I think of menu items, immediately I think of using fresh ingredients and organic or sustainable items.  I try not to use processed food very much.  When cooking, I believe in getting products to make life easier.  My newest kitchen product is a steamer.  Now I can have dinner ready in 10 minutes.  How fast is that?!  After an early evening workout, the last thing I want to do is spend a lot of time preparing a meal.

How food colors and room interiors mirror each other

I found out recently that purple is Christopher’s favorite color, something I never knew before.  So in his honor and for all the work he put into training for the 10k, I decided to let this entry be all about purple and its many different shades.  Also, you may have noticed that it is my color scheme for my blog.  How coincidental is that?

One of my favorite go-to vegetables is purple asparagus.  I try to use it as often as possible.  It brightens up any table because it is’t commonly found.  I use it as a side dish so many times when I entertain!  It’s a great contrast.   Purple asparagus can be cooked in so many different ways.  I love the texture and color of it.

The colors in this seating area are a perfect complement to the asparagus.  Almost looks as if the designer was thinking of this when putting this room together.  The geometric pattern on the shade is a nice designer touch.  Can’t you imagine sitting here with a good book?  Of course, you must have tea and scones!

Have you ever eaten a purple potato?  No?  Try it–it’s similar in texture to the more common varieties.  OK, you know you should never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach?  I shouldn’t be writing about food on an empty stomach.  This salad with the burst of purple is visually stimulating my taste buds.   I am picturing a grilled chicken breast alongside this.  Want a great recipe that uses purple potatoes? Yummy!

Here’s a softer shade of purple — lilac!   Perfect to accessorize with blues and whites.  Fabulous room with all that natural light.  Gives it a nice glow.  The clear coffee table lightens it up more.  Fabulous!

Saving the best for last!  Eggplant!  The color is so rich and vibrant.  Maybe that’s why it’s associated with royalty.

As an accent rug.  Look how it picks up all the colors of the eggplant including the cream interior!  Notice how there is no coffee table to take away from pattern of the rug.  Let the rug speak for itself.  The perfect jewel in the crown!

Purple is also considered a jewel tone, here are some wonderful examples of that…