Putting your heart into your home
Running a home is a professional undertaking. The home is where people flourish. The art of making a little go a long way and creating a peaceful and attractive environment is worth the time of every wife and mother,
However, while homemaking is important, it doesn’t need to be arduous or boring. It can be creative and satisfying. Earlier this year, Hazelwood House in Scotland, welcomed friends and neighbours to a cookery demonstration with a difference. The day promised friendship, food, fun and faith. It delivered on all four counts to a mixed group of young mums, young professional women, teenage girls with their mums and some older ladies who enjoyed the relaxed and happy atmosphere.
Into the kitchen
Gathering in the kitchen at Hazelwood, Clara, an expert cookery demonstrator, revealed the secret of a quick and easy Spanish omelette you can make in two minutes; use crisps instead of potatoes. A delicious salmon and broccoli quiche was also on the menu along with lentils with a red pesto sauce.
Clara’s aim was to show that everyone can use their creativity to produce attractive dishes which are simple to prepare. Put a salad comprising lettuce, clementines and berries on the table and wait for the family to say ‘Wow’!
Fabulous food
Next up, Maribel gave a wonderful demonstration of how to make sweet bread rolls. She had prepared the dough at different stages and then showed the ladies how to make the rolls. This gave rise to much hilarity. Some people were adept at forming the rolls, while others struggled. When the rolls were baked the house was filled with the delicious smell of bread baking.
Everyone was amazed that such appetising food could be so easy to make. One young woman who had to go home for a while, returned after lunch saying she had made the quiche she had seen demonstrated and was looking forward to eating it for her dinner.
Other examples of ‘fabulous food’ made ‘in a flash’ were a sweet tart made with mascarpone cheese with a brulee finish and easy-to-make tapas.
Harmony and balance
Making food look attractive is more than just making it look nice. It’s about helping people around the table to appreciate the meal and each other. And a home should be a place people enjoy. The afternoon session was devoted to a presentation on bringing harmony and balance into a house.
Clara’s first point was that this all begins in the mind. What is our relationship with the objects around us? Do we see the items in our home as being of service to us or have we invested too much of our heart in what we possess? We have to sort out our minds, before we sort out our homes. It starts as an exercise of the mind and the understanding that material things will not fulfill us.
Enjoy your home
We need to manage the space in our home. When our living spaces are overwhelmed with bits and pieces we become overwhelmed. We don’t need to hang on to things. Our hearts are not created to be attached to objects. Clara’s message; declutter your house and enjoy your home.
‘Nourish and Flourish’ was the title of the event. And the takeaway was that nourishing our hearts as well as our bodies will help us to flourish.
