Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Might I give you a little salt with your tea?

Yesterday I had one of my first hostess experiences as a newly married woman. I had a friend of mine over for an afternoon of tea, chatting, and cookie baking. All was going well until my friend asked for some sugar to sweeten her tea. I pulled the container out of the cupboard and the dear unsuspecting soul deposited several heaping teaspoons into her cup. The first sip had her gasping for water and leaning over my kitchen sink, laughing hysterically. I had given her salt instead of sugar. My friend thought that the incident was very funny, but I had trouble finding a smile. I was so embarrassed. Who mixes up salt and sugar?
In my limited knowledge of baking, I have found that salt and sugar are unique ingredients in their own way. Without salt a meat dish would taste very bland. Without sugar a cake would taste bitter. While salt makes tea taste horrible, sugar can bring out the natural flavors in the tea and make it the perfect warm drink for a cold afternoon.
Isn’t it great how God thought about things such as seasonings? He doesn’t have to give us anything, but he has chosen to give us such a bountiful supply of different food groups. Different types of food explore a wealth of seasonings and herbs found in nature around us. What a God!
Although my first hostess endeavor didn’t come off as great as I would like, I am starting to laugh about it. And next time, I’ll test the container to make sure it really is sugar.