Live in color.  Want the fun of harvesting colors and textures right out of the ground and off of the trees to make fragrant, amazing dishes for your family and friends?  Do you need to set the mood for dining occasions rather than just filling up plates from pots on the stove and passing them to whomever is standing there?  If you truly want to get so much more out of gathering with loved ones or colleagues for a meal chock full of memories, splash on a tablecloth and set the stage for a feast. Build a theme based on your mood and the food to be served.  Add edible and complementary accents that sparkle or contrast with the room decor in a pleasant way. Play with ways to multipurpose the spaces and materials in your house.


Keeping fine china and crystal locked away in a cabinet is a waste - who is coming to dinner that is more important than you and your family.  Live life to the fullest.  At the very least, use your fine dining collection items once or twice weekly.  The same thing applies to everything beautiful in your home. Bring a beautiful teapot or coffee carafe or champagne bucket into the master and/or guest bedroom suite for refreshment and convenience. Set up soothing sound effects or mellow music in the bathroom.

I passionately advocate that everyone should have some type of garden, even if it is container gardening.  Flowers, herbs, vegetables, succulents, grasses, or any combination thereof will make a huge difference in the energy surrounding your life.  Play music in your house; place containers of fruits and nuts around to nibble on instead of unhealthy manufactured food.  Use the rinds from fruit to simmer along with spices as natural air fresheners.  Recycling at it's best!  Plant banana skins in the rose garden and coffee grounds in the vegetable garden. Use discarded panty hose to support heavy tomatoes ripening on the vine or other staked vegetables.  The hose won't bruise or cut into the stem because of the soft elasticity, and yet the hose is strong enough to support or train the sturdiest plantings. Recycling again!  Use worn vinyl or linen placemats underneath pots and pans in cabinets or inside drawers to keep the bottoms nice and new looking. 


Finally, pull out the standby stock pot or crock pot or dutch oven of your choice and make soup every day.  Soup belongs in your daily diet for the nutrients and balance of vegetables it provides.  Because it is a comfort food it calms, wakes the  palate, and doubles as either an appetizer or an entre.  Contrary to popular opinion, soup doesn't need to simmer all day.  The range of recipes are endless.  


Love always,
Carmen