Ingredients for Living a Delicious Life

Sunday morning came this week with my husband out of town and my children out of the house. My cupboards appeared to be bare. We were out of the staples—Greek yogurt, Adam’s crunchy peanut butter, 2% organic milk, bananas and granola. While I’m typically not one to complain about a light breakfast, even I didn’t want to resort to plain oatmeal or toast.

Instead of focusing on what I didn’t have, I peeked in the fridge to see what I did have. In this case, eggs, fresh broccoli, a few tiny tomatoes living on the fringe, various cheeses, a red onion, and unsweetened coconut milk. Hmmm… Frittata Time!

While I don’t often cook entire meals for myself, the idea of something fresh, nutritious and delicious warmed me up on this gray Seattle morning. I got busy by turning Pandora to the Adele station, opened the kitchen window, and began to chop, sauté, and stir. Everything I needed was right at my fingertips. (Something I try to remind myself every day.)

Waiting for the frittata to set, I noticed an Instagram friend’s picture of yummy scones and realized that would be the perfect accompaniment to my in-process brunch. Once again I opened the ‘empty’ cupboards to see if by chance I had the necessary ingredients.

Fruit? I’d already chopped the lone peach from the fridge and combined it with a few remaining raspberries. What else did I need? Flour? Check. Butter? Yes; exactly one stick. Sugar? Almost… a mix of emptying the sugar bowl and a bit of Turbinado did the trick. I planned to use more coconut milk, but then spied a hidden container of farm fresh cream. Yum! I felt like Cinderella preparing for the ball with everything I needed showing up while birds sang outside the kitchen window.

I was following my heart and having fun. These are the essential ingredients of life… practicing good care, inspiring music, fresh aromas both inside and out, believing in abundance instead of scarcity. Brilliant! The morning (and my breakfast) looked nothing like I’d originally planned. It was better!!

Bottom line: life doesn’t always look like we plan, but the ingredients for a satisfying recipe are always at hand. My potentially lonely morning (and meager meal) had turned into a veritable feast for the senses.

By keeping nutritious and flexible ingredients on hand, I was able to concoct a banquet out of ‘nothing.’ That’s how life is. By starting with the basics—a focus on health, well-being, and a positive attitude—delight is inevitable. Embody joy. The rest will follow.

“If you want (those you love) to be happy, spend more time teaching them joy by embodying it.” Martha Beck

Teach yourself, your lover, friends, children, strangers on the street, everyone to embody joy by practicing it now. It’s a key ingredient for living a delicious life and pretty hard to resist… kind of like a lovingly made meal.

Are you settling for a bland oatmeal life when a luscious feast awaits you? Open up your cupboards, get creative, and start concocting something new today. Follow your heart and have some fun!