When I invited my friend Priscilla to share a quick and easy appetizer recipe for this blog she sent to me one of her favorites: Bacon Wrapped Apricots With Sage.

She wrote, “People literally close their eyes and drool when they bite into these.”  I had two thoughts about her statement: (1) bacon is so good that of course this recipe makes people drool, and (2) Priscilla is the kind of person who is able to settle people, making them feel welcomed and at home in her home. They are so much at ease that they are willing to drool in front of her!! This is like Jesus.

Jesus and drool? Yes. Jesus and drool.

Priscilla is the presence of Jesus to many people. Hospitality can be simple. It can include soda crackers and a cup of tea. It can include a cup of water. Or it can include a bacon wrapped apricot that invites one to drool. But at its very basic level, hospitality includes YOU. Simply showing up is the name of the game when it comes to hospitality. Jesus did this. He simply showed up. And Priscilla does that. She shows up and she goes even further. When she shows up she brings the love. And in her case, it is the love of Christ. And also in her case, it may include bacon wrapped apricots which will lead to drool. Thus, Jesus and drool. Mmmmm. Yummy. (Jesus and bacon? I’m not sure. But hey. I’m certain he did eat some great food and probably drooled.)

I asked Priscilla to share her thoughts about gardening and her thoughts about this recipe.  Here is what she had to say.  I adore what she had to say.

About gardening:

My dad has been a gardener as long as I remember, and still loves to putter around his (mostly pots) garden at age 86. As a kid I loved helping him with the garden — I loved the dirt, the sweat, the sore back and hands, and the satisfaction of eating corn, tomatoes, beans and cucumbers for dinner on a summer evening!

Thirty plus years after I last helped my dad in the family garden in North Carolina, we created a little space for my Colorado garden, a place to putter, to get my hands dirty, to enjoy the beauty of growing things, the joy of eating our herbs and crops, and the opportunity to share!

I love sharing the bounty with neighbors and friends almost as much as eating it. I took fresh zucchini and squash to Dallas on the plane to share with my little grandson (he loved it) and was delighted that my first zucchini this summer came in when my 8 month old granddaughter was here. She ate the whole thing!

I love to garden because it connects me to people I love.

About Bacon Wrapped Apricots With Sage:

This is a wonderful and easy appetizer to make for a few or for a crowd. It takes only four ingredients: dried apricots, bacon, sage leaves (from my garden) and maple syrup. This delicious appetizer came to me from my daughter-in-love, Catherine, originating at realsimple.com.  Before frost hits your garden this fall, be sure to collect a bunch of your fresh garden sage leaves.  You can freeze them following Laura’s directions here and then use them in this recipe, serving them to guests in the coming Christmas season.