By Jeanette M. Pintar - with inspiration from Misty

We never gave Misty scraps of table food, however, she did get to lick the left-over sauce! Misty was not at all disappointed by receiving "just the sauce." In fact, she looked forward to it with excitement! The sauce wasn't enough that it would make her sick from over-indulgence but it was just enough for her to feel like she was getting a special treat. Surprisingly, Misty didn't mind that none of my sauces were meat-based as I only cook vegetarian dishes. Learning to cook vegetarian was a bit of a challenge at first (having grown up in Wisconsin where the average person lives on meat and cheese) but I finally discovered the secret to making it taste good was all in the seasoning, all in the sauce. That little bit of extra flavor from the herbs and spices transformed what my Dad called "rabbit food" into a gourmet dish.

Beyond the obvious difference good sauce makes in food, there are a lot of things in life where coating things over with just a little sauce or extra seasoning can go a long way. One example is being courteous to others. Having grown up in the Great Lakes region, then moving to the South, I've noticed a big difference in how people respond to the way things are said and whether we use words like "please" or "thank you." Being courteous and using proper manners might not seem like that big of a deal, but a few simple words can really give an extra positive flavor to our experience with others. They can transform what might seem to be a bitter exchange into something much sweeter. Common courtesy can make the difference between something being hard to swallow and a making a transaction that goes down smoothly.

In addition to manners, simply taking a little bit of extra time or effort to pay attention to details and put those extra finishing touches on can truly make someone feel special. My husband brought me a cappuccino the other day. He ordered the froth made with half-n-half, and sprinkled cinnamon and cocoa on top… Just the way I like it! Making the small effort to present my favorite treat to me, exactly how I would have made it myself, let me know that he not only cared, but that he noticed what mattered to me. And that made it really special.

--- © Jeanette M. Pintar, Inspired by Misty