Hospitality is Never a Waste and Corn Spinach Salad

This post is about being courageous with our hospitality, plus a delicious Corn Spinach Salad, easy to make for company!

Sometimes I wish I was just a food writer, because my job would be much easier. But I know, and have known for years, that my calling is to write about the art of hospitality, here in my little RE space. When I think about all the dinner parties we host in our home, and then the dishes, and then the leftover food, I hate waste. We’re really good about eating up the leftovers, or I’ll send food home with a guest who wants lunch the next day.

Courage leads to connection.

I also think about what happens after we host others in our home. Courage leads to connection. For us, it means that we have the courage to invite a group together (sometimes new people we’ve never met, or often bringing people together who have never met each other), planning the menu, asking others to contribute, getting our space ready for company, and then there’s the conversation.

We don’t like to waste the precious hours with our friends talking about meaningless stuff. Oh, don’t get me wrong, we have a lot of laughter around the table, and some pretty funny stories are often shared. But it goes deeper than that. My husband and I are diving in, investing, digging deeper, getting to know these people around our table. It makes us come alive! It can be heavy–you hear something that tugs at your heart, or you sense a disconnection between a couple, you see the pain in the eyes of the parents whose kid is struggling, or the weariness in the voices of friends who are caring for elderly parents. The daily grind can wear a person down, and this is why connection is so vital. It takes courage to open up and to be vulnerable with others.

It’s never a waste of time.

So, a dinner party doesn’t just stop, right there, when it’s time to go home, and everyone says their goodbyes. A connection has been made, an impact felt, that will affect the days to come.

This is what makes me come alive from the inside out.

I recently met with a friend, and it’s difficult to summarize our conversation. But if we had not had these folks over, I never would have sensed what was going on in their lives.

Selfish with our time.

It’s way too easy to get caught up in our own busyness, and in a way, we get selfish with our time. We don’t have time for others–for guidance, to share wisdom and encouragement, to help others fight for their marriages, or to not give up on their kids, or to get involved in the world we live in (not just our little community around us), in things that are bigger than ourselves.

We get caught up in the mundane, with the same friends, people who make us feel safe, even though those friendships may never challenge us, and could even hinder our growth.

I heard from a friend who got back with me after a dinner party earlier this summer, who I had spent some time helping navigate through some difficult problems, and there’s been a shift in their marriage. Things are better. I sighed a BIG relief, as I heard the miracle of what God had done with these 2 beautiful people.

It’s never a waste of time.

You know that hospitality is important. I know that hospitality is important. It’s never a waste of time. And, it is never about us.

Whatever your style, make it your art, and get involved in the lives of others.

Corn Spinach Salad.

Now, for the food-writig part of this blog. We’re still enjoying fresh corn in the Rogue Valley, so recently I made this simple Corn Spinach Salad for a dinner party. I’m very much into serving a delicious, grilled meat, and then a variety of salads for this fall season ahead. With the abundance of our garden tomatoes, I’m tossing them into every recipe I can.

Don’t forget the jalapeño peppers that add a pop of pizzazz. (Remember to wear gloves when you’re dicing these little guys.

Prepare the salad one hour before serving, and then toss in the dressing right before it’s time to eat!

Do you become more alive when you host others in your home? Or, have you thought about how you can inspire others with your hospitality?

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Get the Recipe:

Corn Spinach Salad

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Yield: 6 -8

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Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 5-6 Tbsp. fresh cilantro
• 1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeds and veins removed, very finely diced
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• 6 ears fresh corn, cooked
• 2 cups spinach
• 3/4 cup cucumber, chopped
• 3/4 cup tomato, chopped

Instructions

 

• For dressing, in a glass bowl whisk together lime juice, honey, fresh herbs, jalapeño, salt, and white pepper until mixed together. Let dressing stand while preparing salad.
• Boil the corn for 5-6 minutes.
• Allow the corn to cool for about 5 minutes; cut off the kernels from the cob. Pour the dressing over the corn. Stir in the spinach, cucumber, and tomato. Serve!

Author: Sandy / Reluctant Entertainer

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