Chocolate and Strawberry Granola and The Art of Pottering
Sometimes all I want to do is potter around the house and not do anything much in particular. For me, this means not having any solid plans for the day and simply doing what I feel when the fancy takes hold. It’s a relaxing day where there is no need to hurry and you get tasks done without the stress of deadlines. I think more people should potter more of the time. Myself included! Daily life is filled with so much multitasking and running around trying to get things done, that I sometimes forget to relax and take a breath, even when I actually have the time to do so. But on rare days, like today, I do remember. And it’s wonderful!
I don’t usually cook much when a pottering day comes around, but still, some effortless domesticity in the kitchen is always enjoyable. And one of the things I like to make most when I don’t really feel like doing that much, is making a batch of granola. I love it because you just throw everything in a bowl, give it a mix and put it in the oven. There’s hardly anything to do, but the result is a delicious, chocolatey, crunchy mix you can eat for breakfast, sprinkle over ice cream or snack on as is.
I particularly love this because even though it’s chocolatey, it’s still healthy, and requires so little effort it doesn’t actually feel like I’m really doing anything, which is a blissful departure from the norm. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but life seems to move so fast, and what society values is not necessarily healthy for the individual. I’ve come to realise more and more that a day of pottering about every now and then is one of the most valuable things I can do for my own well being. I’m reminded of Aristotle's observation that the most valuable is the least useful, and the least valuable is the most useful. How true this is!
Still, I sometimes feel somewhat guilty when pottering about at home. I feel I should be doing more. Or that I should be keeping busy. Doing something… I feel being busy is the new black. Or should that be orange? Whatever. The point I’m trying to make is that everyone seems to put so much value on busyness and being “soooo busy.” I feel time is too much of a commodity. Everyone feels like they have to keep moving or they’ll miss out. I feel this myself from time to time. But lately I’ve realised there is much more value to be found in being still: in pottering, in enjoying a quiet moment and being in the moment. In drinking a cup of tea with a book in your lap that you’re not actually reading because you’re simply staring out of the window watching the day drift by. There is definitely something to be said of Aristotle’s sentiment, and it’s something I’m going to contemplate as I enjoy a bowl of granola: its sweetness and crunchy texture, while I create a mental list of all the things I have to get done today, which for once, is a big fat zero!
So, if you’ve had a busy week or three, take a day off and enjoy some blissful pottering. Be still and listen. Make no plans, but simply let your day unfold and see what it brings.
Happy eating (and some pottering too I hope). Love and light!
Susanna xo