Happy About Feeling Blue

Blu, azul, bleu…no matter how lovely it looks and sounds, few ever boast about feeling blue. Except me. Not in the usual down-in-the-dumps traditional interpretation, mind you. I supposed on this particularly gray day today, I’m longing for all the beautiful blue accoutrements that give this coolest of colors a warm association for me.

It’s strange when you think about it that the expression feeling blue carries the connotation it does. After all, blue skies don’t make you feel dreary. In fact, psychologically speaking, blue is supposed to have such a calming effect that it makes the time pass by more swiftly. Perhaps that explains why, when I’m laying on a Caribbean beach staring into its crystal blue waters, time flies right by without a care in the world. (Or, could it be the pina coladas…hmmmm…)


I’d never experienced “blue” before or since the strikingly serene Greek Islands. I suspect it’s the distinct contrast between the white-white buildings and the blue-blue water, but this magical combination evokes the feeling that one is floating on a cloud in the sky.

When someone spots you wearing blue, it’s supposed to subliminally spark confidence. (Ever heard that you should wear blue on a job interview? That’s why.) Forget about policeman uniforms, and the navy “power suit”. Think whimsical, bright blue, like this turquoise 3-strand necklace I made, with all the blue stones and crystals I could find.

Cobalt blue glass is thought to have been around since the middle ages, but it was an 18th Century chemist who labored to capture its rich color and establish an easier method of production. Here I’ve strung deep, translucent cobalt blue disks together, separated by the most perfect baby pearls.

The reason brides wear “something blue” on their wedding day isn’t strictly just to give them more to fuss over…it’s because blue was once thought to ward off evil spirits. I have a whole collection of bridal jewelry called my Something Blue collection. Some of it really is blue, like this quartz and gold necklace, the stones have the lightest, clearest tint of aqua…

Look at how brilliantly the light flashes through these Swarovski crystal earrings!

Included in the collection is this crystal and rose quartz necklace. (“Where’s the blue here, Liza?!” you ask?) Well, just as blue carries such deep meaning, rose quartz is thought to be the stone of true love. And in my opinion, anyone and everyone getting married could use a little extra luck on this important day!

Regardless of all its benefits, there are some things in the world that should not be blue…like food. I’d hemmed and hawed over including pictures I’d found from a “blue food festival” and then realized that viewing them would indeed bring arouse a sorrowful connotation.

There is one food, however, which is perfect in its bluest form, every which way: blueberries. Though blueberries are a North American original, they’re perfectly integrated into many fantastic recipes from around the world.

There is absolutely nothing to make your gray skies bluer than the perfect Italian torta. Don’t forget to drizzle the honey on top… (I don’t think I need to justify why – do I?)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter softened
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 eggs
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups blueberries
1 teaspoon honey
Powdered sugar to garnish
1 mint sprig to garnish

Combine flour, sugar, butter, lemon peel, lemon juice and eggs. Mix until ingredients gather into a dough. Working on a lightly floured surface, knead until dough holds together and is pliable, about 3 minutes. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate about 20 minutes or until firm.

Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease and flour an 11-inch round tart pan with removable bottom.
Roll out dough and place evenly in pan. Remove a small piece of dough from edge, roll into a ball, and use to gently push dough into fluted edges. Bake in preheated 350 F oven, about 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack, about 30 minutes.

Heat apricot and raspberry preserves in small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Stir in vanilla. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then spread over crust. Pour in blueberries, spreading evenly in shell. Drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Place mint sprig in center of cake to garnish.

:-)

I can’t think of a true blue better excuse to buy buckets of organic mirtilli…can you? A whiff of this delectable, mouth-watering treat would ward off the most severe case of the blues…guaranteed. Buono mangiare!