Creating Memories with a Friend: A Salad for the Last Warm Days
How could I have known 18 years ago when I met Terri Moon, that we would be working these many years later on special recordings together to celebrate great musicians and to tell their stories together. (Terri is my musical, violinist friend who is the host on our new musical series in the Cultivating Life with Sally Course. So glad you all are liking it!)
After recording two sessions together in my home, I treated Terri to a fun summer salad on my front porch. We live there in the warm season. Because I live at 7250 feet elevation, I cherish the days when I can sit on my front porch or my covered deck and share a meal with a friend. I take every opportunity that I can to be outside before it gets too cold to comfortably be outdoors.
I try to invite at least one friend a week over for an afternoon cup of tea or a quick salad lunch. Anyone can invite someone over, even if for a simple cup of tea. This one act can be the beginning of a sweet and intimate friendship.
I remember many years ago, I was hosting a lot of people in my home and Terri, as a new friend then, presented me with a big basket swathed with a lovely floral cloth. The basket was full of fresh scones, clotted cream, fresh strawberry jam and a big box of my favorite English tea. Of course I wanted to be her friend after that! Who wouldn't? :)
But these years later, now that we are working together on a project together, our conversaton is based on years of our children growing close as friends and knowing each other through many season of life.
Here is the easy but beautiful salad that I made recently for us.
Fresh Spinach, blueberries, cherry tomatoes, sprouted walnuts, strawberries, green onions, feta cheese and chunks of chicken. (I keep baggies of boiled chicken in my freezer that I can thaw for quick meals.) I drizzled olive oil over the top with a tiny bit of raspberry dressing.
Putting little almond gluten free crackers around the edges of the salad completed my quick festive offering. Sitting on the porch gave us a sweet summer memory.
A memory does not have to become an elaborate ideal. I just used what I had in my fridge and now we have one more sweet memory. Your porch or deck or grass with a cloth can become the lifegiving table is food is enjoyed and the life of a friendship is kindled.
I hope you will be inspired by my new book, The LIfegiving Table. Please share my video with your friends who might enjoy be inspired with great food and sweet friendships over the life given and received at a table.
For those of you who want to participate in the AXIS conference to train parents how to mentor their junior high and senior high kids, I will be speaking today, Friday, about the importance of table life in passing on values. Sign up to be inspired by 40 speakers. Go HERE to sign up.