Digesting life

One Greek ceramic or French cookie at a time.

I wrap my cold hands around the warm cup and breathe in the intoxicating scent of freshly brewed coffee. As steam emanates from the cup, my face softens into a smile; enjoying those first few sips of morning coffee is a daily highlight for many of us. Not only does this experience bring me directly into the remarkable beauty of the present moment on this winter morning, it also takes me back to a treasured memory from Greece two months ago.

The cup I’m cradling was purchased from a sweet store called Milokipos on the Greek island of Milos. Handmade olive oil, honey and ceramics filled the shelves of this quintessentially Grecian stark white shop. As my husband and I meandered through the store, taking delight in the artisanal goods dotted throughout, I experienced something quite visceral. The joy of the experience felt like something I was breathing – as if it was in my bloodstream or deep within my bones.

Was I just fully present in the experience? Perhaps. But despite the seemingly “ordinary” concept of paying attention, the beauty of doing so is that our experiences in life transform into extraordinary moments that stay with us – becoming part of the fabric of our being.

“Attention is the most basic form of love.”

― Zen teacher John Tarrant

Attention shapes our lives

The process of eating is just one part of our body’s experience with food – digesting is another. Our lives can be contemplated in a similar way – we must consume and digest our experiences. In the weeks, months, since we’ve been home from our European honeymoon, I’ve been assimilating many of the experiences. Not only did my body digest the quite literal food of the experience, I have also been processing the remarkable adventure itself.

If we have any interest in a mindful life, the integration of our experiences is something we must create space for. The spirit of our most treasured memories are kept alive through what we carry with us from those experiences. This can be both physical and mental/emotional – objects and memories.

Whenever I drizzle the olive oil we purchased from an olive grove in Tuscany over a homemade meal, I’m taken back to eating a truffle pasta on this farm that was one of the most exquisite meals of my life. While baking macadamia, white chocolate and thyme cookies, I remember a sweet café called Cascara in Aix-en-Provence where we enjoyed the most sublime thyme madeleines (a local delicacy).

Feeling out of breath walking up the stairs at the Bluff feels akin to the breathlessness and burning legs from hiking in Cinque Terre. Cooking with the wooden spoon we picked up from a market in the south of France reminds me of that charming village of Provence. Seeing a rose in bloom at work reminds me of the breathtakingly beautiful roses perched in the most unassuming pockets of the Tuscan countryside.

Our attention shapes our lives in multi-faceted ways – from what we’ve paid attention to in the past, to what we’re noticing right now. This presents us with an opportunity to carry with us the most treasured experiences of our precious lives so that we can be reminded of them in the present moment.

White chocolate, macadamia & thyme cookies

In the spirit of digesting both the tangible and intangible, I’m sharing a cookie recipe that was inspired by the aforementioned madeleines. Coincidentally, the foundation of this cookie recipe was influenced by my beautiful mother-in-law, who makes the most delicious cookies and whose name is Madeleine!

Ingredients

• 2 cups oats

• 1 cup flour of choice – rye or spelt are my favourites

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds

• ¼ cup white chocolate chips

• ½ cup macadamias, chopped

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• ½ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• ¼ cup milk of choice – I love oat milk with this recipe

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 °C fan-forced.

• Place all ingredients together in a bowl, mix to combine.

• Use the ¼ cup measuring cup to make roughly 12 cookies spaced evenly on a baking tray (the recipe can also make 8 large cookies).

• Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden on top.

• Enjoy while warm!