Today’s a shorty post since I’m recovering from the stomach flu, meaning that the last three days all I’ve done is watch the first season of Veronica Mars (recommended by Anne @ Modern Mrs. Darcy) and stay within a 10 second trip to the bathroom (recommended by my stomach).
Hospitality is a bit tricky to practice these days. I don’t have my own kitchen table to invite new friends to, and accepting invitations to dinner means explaining a longish list of prohibited foods. Also it’s Lent. So there are Lenten vegetarians, and even the usually safe dark chocolate and cup of coffee aren’t available. But hospitality is practiced in the particular, if unusual circumstances, of the two particular people involved. Hospitality is making dinner for breakfast, so we can all eat scrambled eggs as we talk about schools and favorite books. We’ve already been on the receiving end of so much gracious hospitably here.
There are few ways right now for us to reciprocate, in a new place, in borrowed space. But we do what we can. So I’ve been baking a lot of loaves of Paleo pumpkin bread. It’s a small dessert to bring to dinner at new friends’ houses with the windows cracked to let Spring’s warm breezes in. It’s a sweet snack to bring to book club as we discuss the sisters June and Greta from Carol Rifta Brunt’s Tell the Wolves I’m Home. It’s a grain-free contribution to community group dinner of soup and grilled cheese and brownies. It’s a small way to honor the generosity and kindness of those who are hosting us. (Plus it’s really tasty.)
Paleo Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
1 cup coconut flour or unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup tapioca flour or starch
1 cup coconut oil (melted)
1 cup natural sugar (evaporated cane juice, palm, coconut, etc.)
8 eggs (beaten)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
Bake in a loaf pan @350 degrees for 45 – 50 minutes, or until a knife comes out of the center clean
We are all limited in what we can do, whether it’s because of the stomach flu, or being in a borrowed space, or just a full season of work. Hospitality is about being generous with what we have, but also being honest about where we are. Hospitality can be inviting someone into your space when it’s not fully clean, or explaining in detail what you can and cannot eat. It is personal, and a little inconvenient. But it’s filled with the small gestures that say, “I’m so glad to be here with you.”
How do you practice hospitality when you have limited space or time or resources?
Links
Hey! It was nice to meet you at book club the other day. I am so glad you posted the recipe for this bread, I will definitely be making it for my little Emmanuel soon. Also, just to let you know, they have cheap tapioca starch at Cermak in the Asian aisle! 🙂
Thanks Lucy! I had such a great time at book club! Also, I’ll be checking out Cermak for tapioca starch, that is so awesome. Hopefully I’ll see you next month for some John Green!
I think the pumpkin bread is a great hospitality gesture. I also think that at its most basic, hospitality is just the ability to convey to another person that they are very welcome and that they are especially invited into your space and schedule.
Did you enjoy Veronica Mars, by the way? The first season is some excellent television!
I totally agree Christy! On both your wise words about hospitality and welcome, and Veronica Mars. It was great. Now that I can’t justify devoting a large portion of my day to lounging around watching shows, I’m moving more slowly through the second season. We were just talking to someone last night about how you got us into Arrested Development. What a great legacy! Miss you friend!