Entertaining Meditation
When Patanjali suggests in sutra 1.40 that we can settle the mind by focusing on whatever we want so long as it’s elevating, I understand that to mean it’s cool to plan parties while I meditate. For me, entertaining is a joy when I’ve taken the time to think through the experience in advance—when I’ve considered the vibe I’m trying to create, anticipated both my needs and the needs of my guests, and prepared as much as I possibly can before the big day. Visualizing the big picture allows me to identify all of the little details that go into making the experience what it is.
Spring Quinoa Bowl
I’m a big fan of quinoa bowls because I can throw in whatever I have laying around my fridge. It’s my idea of fast food. There’s no cooking, just a pre-made batch of quinoa, a bit of chopping, and a drizzle of this and that et voilà. This is what I eat for lunch most days, and it hits the spot every single time.
Thanksgiving Tablescape
Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite holiday. I’m not hosting this year, but my mind is still dreaming about menus and decorations and tablescapes. When Patanjali suggests in sutra 1.40 that we can settle the mind by focusing on whatever we want so long as it’s elevating, I take that to mean that it’s cool to plan parties while I meditate. For better or for worse, I try to encourage my imagination because I spend way too much time being careful and deliberate, worrying about logical, rational stuff that makes me feel heavy and boring. I need more imagination in my life! And so, I decided to let myself go a little crazy with my faux Thanksgiving preparations, to the point of actually setting my own Thanksgiving table. It was glorious. I told myself it was for the blog, but that was just the convenient excuse I used to justify my creative shenanigans.
My Haven
I recently had the pleasure of hosting lunch at my home for the team at Haven Collective. It was such a great day! We did a photo shoot and interview for a feature on their website, I led them through a little meditation practice, and then we opened a bottle of rosé and sat down at my farm table to enjoy a meal.
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Avocado Smoothie
If you love avocados as much as I do, then you’re going to go gaga over this smoothie. My best friend Estelle came for a visit over Memorial Day weekend and made one for me. I listened to her talk about this avocado smoothie for weeks; she discovered it on her recent travels to Mexico and has not shut up about it since. Now that I’ve tried it, I get what all the fuss was about! It’s delicious!
Impromptu Entertaining
One of my biggest inspirations for entertaining comes from a scene in Breakfast at Tiffany’s where Holly slips a handwritten note under Paul’s door inviting him over for drinks. I love everything about it—the personal note, the impromptu invite, the throw-it-all-together-at-the-last-minute attitude. As a recovering perfectionist and a chronic over thinker, spontaneous entertaining is one of the sharpest tools in my h(om)e practice because it asks me to go with the flow.
Avocado Burrata Salad With Radishes
A beautiful meal doesn’t have to be a fancy meal. All you really need are fresh ingredients, creativity, and love. Making this little summer salad was all about passionate artistic expression. I had so much fun composing the ingredients on the plate—slicing the avocados and placing them just so, adding a dollop of burrata on top of a tiny bunch of frisée, sprinkling spicy radishes around the plate. I finished it with a drizzle of really good olive oil, some syrupy aged balsamic vinegar, French sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
