I Can Make A Rainbow!

'Tis the Season... Summer has returned and with it... the Salad Season. We all know it's true. All through Winter, during those pleasant months when we've been hidden under sweaters and large coats, we've feasted on stews, guzzled gallons of hot chocolate and eaten packets of biscuits. If you haven't, then you've got a level of super human self control that really doesn't make you popular with the average woman. In order to preserve my friendship with the Tipsy Tarts, I have refused to discuss this with them, after the Other One admitted to actually losing weight over Winter! Hmph. I'm going to try to get her hooked on those chocolate cream martini's... that ought to solve that weightloss problem :-) *insert evil chuckle here*

Anyway - back to Salad Season. As I was saying, we eat loads of things that we really probably shouldn't, then 1 month before the official start of Summer, all the fashion magazines (read "devices to torture ordinary women into hating themselves") publish issues with loud headlines proclaiming new ways to be "beach ready" in just 3 weeks... Now let's be honest ladies... there are 2 kinds of women in the world. Those that ARE and those that ARE NOT beach ready a month before Summer. Those are further split into women who DO and DO NOT care about their bodies and if they are comfortable in their own skins, then they generally have no issue with being in a swimsuit anyway and no 3 week starvation diet makes any difference to them. Rendering the magazine gloriously redundant! There is another thing that starts to happen about a month before the official start of Summer and that is that every site, magazine and newspaper starts to run articles on best salad recipes, best ingredients, best dressings etc. I cannot disagree though, because after a season of heavy Winter foods, there is nothing yummier than a crisp, fresh salad. Yes, with a drink :-) I swear, these two share a one track mind! Ok, a jug of sangria, some cold meats and salad and an evening in the garden is hard to beat. Especially as Phin has taken such good care of my garden and it's looking awesome. But I hear you asking what this has got to do with colours and using them... ?

Well, let me elaborate... think about things like fish & chips... chicken nuggets... burgers.... steak.... stews. Well, quite often during Winter (and indeed all year round) our plates will present themselves in very boring shades of beige and brown. Especially for people who rely too much on fast food and supermarket take-aways. That boring state of plate leads to almost complete culinary complacency (which I wouldn't suggest you try to say too fast if you've had a few)! We often slip into a state of disinterest with our meals... they become almost a chore... largely due to the fact that they bore us. Bore our eyes, our palates and our imagination. Pardon? No... I didn't miss-spell "plates". Our palates are our tastebuds. Shall we continue?

Ok, so back to the new colour that Salad Season brings into our lives. It's hard to have a boring plate when you have green lettuce, red tomatoes, dark green cucumber, black olives, white feta cheese, peppers, avo, etc, etc... whatever you want in a salad really! Just looking at the plate will make you feel better. Yes, I promise. No - this isn't colour therapy 101... it's just a reality of life. The flavours are clean, natural, fresh and totally delicious and your tastebuds are going to wake up and do the can-can with delight as you munch your way through the meal. No, they're not going to flash their knickers at people... as far as I'm aware, my tastebuds don't wear knickers. NO! They're not perverted or nudists... they're tastebuds! Oh dear. I can see you're in that state of mind this evening. I'm going to walk away until you're done giggling....

Ok, so a salad as a meal may not be everyone's cup of tea. I can see José in particular shaking his head outside the window and mumbling something about goats... or rabbits... But I promise you ----> Real Men Eat Salad! Stop laughing, I'm being serious! Ok, they're not likely to order themselves a salad for lunch or dinner, but a salad with a meal is likely to go down a treat (especially as more and more men are trying to get "beach ready in just 3 weeks"). It's here that you can make a salad to tempt your man... You can add things like smoked chicken, tuna, biltong (beef jerky), boiled eggs, 3 kinds of cheese, spicy peppers... whatever floats your (and his) boat!

However, I think you'll find that once the colour revolution hits you, it's hard to keep it contained to just one meal or part of your menu... You'll find yourself adding more veggies to your meals and looking for the ones that are the nicest to look at. You'll also mix and match your colours, so corn, broccoli and carrots with those chops instead of just chips. You see you eat with your eyes first and when a meal is really fun to look at, your brain automatically assumes that it's going to be just as much fun to eat! You'll be in a good mood before you've even had any of the health benefits of eating better. And really - I have to tell you - a healthy state of mind is a large part of a healthy state of living. Probably a big reason why those two can lead reasonably productive...? No, that's not it. Active? Nope. Vertical? Yeah, vertical will do. That's probably why those two can lead reasonably vertical lives considering how much booze they have each day... it's a healthy state of mind. Hee hee. Some foods (like Miss Twinset's favourite - beetroot) are fun all the way through your system, but I'm not going into more detail. You either know or you don't :-)

I'm nothing if not fair though... a new outlook on colour in your diet needn't be limited to your main meals. After all, there is more to life than just lunch or dinner... there is also tea and dessert :-) It's just as important to have something appealing to look at for these treats as it is to have something yummy for your meal. You should savour the experience of eating them - especially as you shouldn't eat them too often if you'd like to have that "perfect beach bod". I like to have food that looks good, making my meals an occasion, all year round. It's something that I've been trying to inspire in Miss Twinset and the Other One, but since one cooks very little and one has a professional chef, it's hard to tell how I'm doing on that front. I'm sure that Ruby appreciates my efforts though and I know Phin loves the fresh goods I'm growing in the garden :-)

So, here is the challenge to all of you. Be it your lunchtime sandwich or your spag bol dinner... find a way to bring colour into your meals. You'll feel better mentally and also physically as we benefit from all the good that a varied and healthy diet brings us.

So... I can make a rainbow... and so can YOU!

Until next time!