What is your favorite color?

You can clearly see my favorite color is blue!! Ha, ha, a little blog humor. I do really love orange. It is so bright and cheery and makes me smile whenever I come upon it. I have sprinkles of orange all over my house. I love color in general, especially in my home. I sometimes wish I could be more neutral and cool but in my heart of hearts, I need color in my life around me. I remember going to a friend's house and it was so beautifully decorated. It was all in different shades of neutral. I absolutely loved it. But alas after re-thinking my entire decorating style (!!), I realized I would miss all the color in my own house.

When I cook, I really love to make my dishes colorful.  Presenting a meal can be a form of art. You can do so much with meals to make them beautiful. I have a wonderful and dear friend, a phenomenal chef by the way, whose home is filled with incredible photographs of food. I love visiting their home and seeing what they have on the walls (and in the pan!). Vegetables especially, can add depth to even the simplest meals. I love experimenting with color - rainbow carrots, heirloom tomatoes, yellow beets, sweet peppers and even asparagus. It spices things up and tastes good too.

Put on Pitbull's Fuego and shake those hips, I mean, get cooking!

Last night I made a new recipe that my sister in law, Kathleen, passed along to me. I absolutely love getting recipes from my family and friends. It makes me feel connected to them, they are already tried and true and trying new things is essential in life.

I served this dish along with a Caesar salad and it was a hit with everyone. Best of all, it was very fast so perfect for a weeknight.

Angel Hair with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Mushrooms
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts (I used a can of artichoke hearts in water)
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (I used ones in oil)
1/2 chopped fresh parsley (I also added basil and dried oregano)
1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper (I didn't measure but just added)
1 pkg angel hair pasta (or you can use 12 oz)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (I definitely used more)

Drain artichokes, reserving liquid (only if oil), chop.  In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and reserved artichoke liquid. Add garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes, cook 3 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add artichokes, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated. Cook pasta according to package directions. Toss hot pasta with cheese and sauce. Serves 6.

Kathleen's sister also served this dish on arugula which sounds really good. I might have to try that next time.

Enjoy and have a beautiful day!