It’s a question that haunts even the most-experienced cooks who’ve hosted many Holiday Turkey Feasts over the years. And it’s usually a needless fret. Even if you did forget a family-favourite side… Don’t despair! I’m here to help…
Even something as simple as a lowly baked squash that’s a little too ‘brown’
around the edges can ruin your big day… But only if you let it!
There are many emotional straws that threaten to break even the most-experienced holiday feast cook’s already-aching back as the dinner hour draws nigh. The secret I’ve discovered over the years is: Just make sure the essential elements of the meal are as close to perfect as you can render them. And simply ‘let go’ of lesser, less-imediate concerns
‘Mindful living’ is all the rage these days. It’s a sort of conscious meditation technique that focuses on maintaining your calm and making decisions based on the situation as it is. Not as it was or as it could be in the future. Even a few minutes either way. And to go forward confidently, without any misgivings or regrets.
Works on problems large or small…
1. You’re a Mob hit man, and your first target of the day needed a coup de grâce because your shot was a little off-centre. Just pop him again…
And ‘fuggedaboudit’.
2. You’re a Mob hit man, and you’ve just popped a target as he was leaving a bakery on his way home with a box of fresh pastries for his family’s dinner tonight. Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.
And ‘fuggeddaboudit’.
3. You’re a Mob hit man, spending the night in a holding cell, after the cops arrested you for the past-ry shop job. But they have no clear surveillance camera footage, because you pulled your oversized hoodie all the way forward and looked down the whole time. You wore gloves, so there are no fing-erprints.
You and your family ate the whole box of cannoli for your dessert. So there’s no proof you were ever anywhere near the scene of the crime.
And the cops can only hold you for a relatively short period time before they have to release you for lack of evidence…
So, ‘fuggeddaboudit’.
A stress-free day from start to finish, thanks to mindful living!
Closer to home…
For example… Your Baked Butternut Squash comes out of the oven a little burned around the edges. What are your options? The mindful cook will not stop to think too much. Clearly you can risk dis-appointing Aunt Karen by tossing the dish altogether. Or, you can risk disappointing everybody by serving squash that still tastes burned, even if you did your best to scrape off the black bits.
Conclusion? Scrape the black bits off one piece of squash and taste. If the sooty flavour hasn’t per-vaded the whole slice, go ahead and fix the rest, and serve the squash as if nothing had happened. Otherwise, just toss the whole dish and move on. Only Aunt Karen will really be disappointed. And you’ve never really liked her that much, anyway.
Some ‘mindful’ tips…
When you feel yourself tipping over the edge into panic, shame, regret or even just insecurity…
Stop for a moment. Close your eyes. Take a slow, deep breath through your nose. Hold it for five seconds. Then let it out slowly through your mouth. All you have to do is relax. Don’t force it – you’ll be defeating the purpose.
NOW assess your options and make your decision. Action it, and move on.
Learn to ‘let go’…
So many factors you could have weighed and measured and considered… But none of which really af-fected the decision you ultimately had to make. Never let the ‘what-ifs’ deter you from making a decision.
It’s the ‘what ifs’ that burden and distract you when you’re trying to move through your day dealing with new situations and decisions every succeeding moment. It’s all those ‘what-ifs’ piling up on you that, by the end of the day, make life unbearable.
See how much better it is to live mindfully?
My take
Even if you’re not a Mob hit man, mindful living can make your life a lot more enjoyable – and simple. Even on the most tortuous of days, like when you’re hosting yet another Christmas Dinner for your whole extended family…
~ Maggie J.