Salty or sweet, what is your pick? I lean towards the sweet side of snacks... maybe I need a little sweetening up? Chocolate would be my go-to if I had to choose but ice cream is my second choice. In the summer, I enjoy taking a break with an ice cream treat. I come by that honestly, being raised by an ice-cream loving dad.
Although Lil Sweet Pea and I would reach for a sweet, Hubby and Big Sweet Pea salivate over the savory and salty treats. However, when it comes to eating a main course, I am all about the nutritious, delicious use of fresh ingredients presented in a palate-pleasing plate of food.
The definition of savoury is: pleasant or agreeable in taste or smell. Something savoury is often paired with something sweet in a food dish, such as ham and pineapple pizza or herbs combined with mango for a mango salsa. When it comes to enjoying a sweet treat or a savoury snack, it is best enjoyed when eaten slowly to savor every bite. I must admit, I have been guilty of gobbling my food up in a hurry and I have been training myself to slow down and appreciate what I am putting in my mouth.
Melissa Michaels suggests in her book, “Dwelling,” that we need to learn the art of savouring in our lives. It is the act of slowing down and soaking up joy in the moment. If I was to mention that most people feel frazzled and disconnected, I’m confident I would get a resounding “yes.” In the years of raising children and balancing work and play, we find ourselves pulling our hair out and all the while, life is passing us by. We find we aren’t doing what is important or priority; we are doing what is in our face and screaming our name.
In this chaotic environment we may find ourselves in, I want to encourage you that there is a way out. It may not be an immediate release but if you are willing to make small changes, you will begin to stop and smell the roses and be present in the here and now.
There are many ways we can incorporate “savouring” in our lives. We can use our senses to savour life such as creating an area in our home that is visually appealing, using essential oils or candles to stimulate the sense of smell, providing touchable materials in your home that invoke rest and relaxation, gather round a table to eat a delicious homemade meal, or turn on a favorite album or savour the sound of a bubbling water fountain. Start by developing a mindset that does not say “yes” to everything that passes by... and begin to give yourself permission to prioritize what is important to you in order to nurture your soul and spirit.
Melissa mentions that “as we open ourselves to fully savor what is meaningful to us, we experience a new level of wonder and awe for living. It’s time to open up that wonder and imagination that we once enjoyed as children. Begin to make choices in our everyday experiences to savor the moments.
Live your life well today. Savour the moments. Enhance your well-being by choosing to make each moment special. Ralph Waldo Emerson suggests that “Today is the best day. ...Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” It is our choice to savor the good and choose to make it a great day.
Blessings!
