Hospitality is a lot more relaxed around here than it used to be, I guess because I’m a lot more relaxed. Or maybe I’m just more tired…. Either way, I’ve found that even on a “tired” day, I can still share my table as long as I don’t get into the “gotta’ be perfect” trap.
So, here’s what hospitality’s been looking like at my house this week:
Tuesday: we were supposed to host our weekly home group, but had to cancel due to my husband’s work load. I invited a friend to stop by to visit me and share some leftover homemade potato soup. She arrived bearing beer, a bottle of wine, bread and flowers. Flowers went in a vase, beer got poured and we used the bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches. We talked until 10pm.
Wednesday: my husband had clients stop by the house to sign some contracts. They were happy to sample an assortment of goodies from my current cookbook project. Meanwhile, I was in the kitchen baking away. I ran out of the house at 4:30 to do some quick errands, leaving behind a sink full of dirty dishes, and a chicken waiting to be made into something for dinner. The errands took longer than I thought and by the time I finally walked through the door at 6:00, I was exhausted, dreading the clean-up I’d have to do before I could even begin to think about dinner. Instead I was greeted with the aroma of this bronze beauty!
AND the dishes were done and the counters cleaned up. I wasn’t expecting to be on the receiving end of hospitality yesterday, but I’m married to a man who knows his way around the kitchen and the way to my heart.
Today: friend came by for coffee at 7:30am, we chatted, and she sampled a few goodies. Coffee and chocolate at 7:30? YES. Around 2:30 my daughter Johanna dropped by to get in on the treat sharing – I loaded her up and got this text message 1/2 hour later:
“Mom” (grandson Tyler speaking): “How did Grandma get to be so good at baking?”
Johanna: “She puts love in the batter.”
Tyler: “Oh, cool.”
THE LAST COURSE: This hospitality thing isn’t really all that complicated. You just have to put love in the batter, even if it’s Duncan Hines.
