How to be a Mindful Host
This is a guide in honour of a well-deserved feature on Pineapple, a revolutionary community for women in food that finally successfully weaves the good food movement with the foodie world to create a better food system. It solidifies the ground beneath growers, creators, and everyone in between so they may feed others and empower those who do so. If you're moved by their mission, please vote for their and consequently women in food's expansion here.
Pineapple takes its name on it being a symbol of a good host, hence the spotlight and dedication. Here are a few ways to be a mindful host, beyond simply showing your guests the essentials . . .
Accomodate
In the age where most everyone either has a dietary restriction or a specific diet, inquire about and accommodate your guests' dietary needs. As someone with Celiac's and autoimmune restrictions, I highly value this etiquette. Before my guests arrive, I ask of their preferences or allergies and their ideal breakfast spread. Having a familiar and comforting meal in the morning is a thoughtful way to make your guests feel more at home.
Petit presents
Something I came to call petit presents is what I have realised is an essential to being a good host. I have learned from my mother-in-love that mastering the smallest of details make the guests feel more at home. Staying at their house immediately felt comfortable yet luxurious from her impeccably-made bed—taught sheets, fluffed pillows to take you to cloud nine—to stashing treats she knows we enjoy in preparation of our arrival. Take cues from this tutorial or this one for a luxurious bed and keep an eye or ear out for your guests' favourite treats to surprise them at the table . . .
Chic Tunes
The first thing guests notice is the tunes that drift through your home, so let them be ones that put a happy pep in their step. Here's a recent little playlist I play when welcoming guests in.
Set the Scent
One of the first things a recent guest of ours noted upon his arrival was the scent wafting through our home. We have a signature scent that we light in our living room, giving a Proustian sensory meets an Anthropologie store experience for every time they step into our home.
Take a Seat
According to your guests' above-mentioned dietary needs, create a meal that not only accommodates everyone but is heightened in flavour. Make their trip to yours also a point of taking a trip to acquire the freshest of ingredients with which to prepare your meals. Buy local at the farmer's market, from the greens to the fruits, or stroll through a delicatessen for a spread of unusual finds . . .
Create A Signature Ritual
I cap an evening with guests with a unique offering of calming tea latté to converse over into night. This not only creates conversation but is a unique signature that they remember from their stay that they look forward to in the next. I rotate my offerings, but below is my current treat. Find your own distinct ritual or offering that becomes a signature your guests eventually feel at home with . . .
Directions
To make, simply blend in a high-speed blender hot but not boiling 1 cup of brewed chamomile tea with two tablespoons of coconut cream powder, a tablespoon of tocotrienols, one teaspoon of coconut butter, half a teaspoon of ashitaba, ¼ teaspoon of pine pollen, and stevia to taste!
