Bead Color Trios: Comfort Foods

The official definition of comfort food is any meal or snack that people consume to enhance their mood, which means that every person has their own idea of what makes the perfect comfort food. Many dishes that are traditionally considered comfort foods are nostalgic, soft in texture, high in starch or fat, and served warm.

During the fall and winter, comfort foods are more common, not only because of seasonal ingredients like harvest vegetables, but also because shorter days and cold weather increase our desire to eat warm and hearty foods. A bowl of buttery mashed potatoes can chase away the winter blues, while satisfying our hibernation instincts.

This month’s triple color palettes are inspired by some of the colorful foods that we enjoy when the wind is blowing outside. Acorn squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, corn and zucchini provide a wonderful mealtime palette that looks as good as it tastes. The palette of orange, yellow and green ties into foods in other ways as well. These colors can remind us of big kitchens full of laughter, which brings us around again to the comfort of nostalgia.

Our first palette is the most literal, inspired by the frozen Mixed Veggies that can add nutritious filler to just about any dinnertime recipe. Peas, carrots and corn are mimicked with transparent seed beads. I used emerald 15/o’s, and 11/o seed beads in rainbow lemon AB and medium orange. This gives a whole new meaning to bead soup!

The same colors take on a different look in opaque finishes. I call this palette Tupperware, because it is so reminiscent of the dishes and utensils you might find in a stylish 1970’s kitchen. Even fixtures, appliances and furniture came in these charmingly garish hues. This trio is made with canary yellow Delicas, and 11/o seed beads in lustered coral and avocado green.

Finally, I took things down a notch with some softer hues. Though this palette is much more subtle, it still has that delicious, hearty quality. Gorgeous Gourds is made up of 11/o seed beads in white lined peridot, opaque yellow AB, and lustered dark beige in place of orange.

Do fall colors make you feel nostalgic or hungry? Which ones are your favorite?

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