Prepping for Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving my sister and her two kids are coming!! We are so happy to host them in our new home and are so thankful for the extra room so they can stay with us. Therefore, I've been cooking up a storm! And I love that kind of weather. :)

First of all, I did all my non-perishable and frozen shopping last week and this week I picked up the fresh produce and my regular items. It made the shopping a lot less overwhelming. 

And I've learned that it is ultra-helpful to have a plan when you have guests coming. So, here's the plan (and some of the recipes) for Thanksgiving:

breakfast
banana bread (bake on Wednesday)
cinnamon rolls (refrigerated from the can)
fruit

11am - appetizers
BLT dip with Wheat Thins (prep on Wednesday and mix together on Thursday)
veggies and dip
fruit

1p - Thanksgiving
turkey (Thursday)
mashed potatoes (Thursday)
sweet potatoes (cook on Wednesday, bake on Thursday)
green bean casserole (prep on Wednesday, bake on Thursday)
stuffing (prep on Wednesday, bake on Thursday)
dilled corn (Thursday)
brown and serve rolls (Thursday)
cranberry sauce (Wednesday)
7-layer rainbow jell-o (Wednesday)
layered lettuce salad (Wednesday)

3p - dessert
pumpkin pie (Wednesday)
scotcheroos (Tuesday)
chex mix (Tuesday)

dinner
LEFTOVERS :)

It's been fun using all the pots and pans in my kitchen. Finding my casserole dishes still packed in boxes and using my Pampered Chef chiller veggie platter. My boys have also been handy in the kitchen and we've had lots of fun learning together. They're learning how to pour and stir without spilling, how to clean up as you go, how it's important to taste everything (they really like that part), and how to have fun. I've been learning how much they love being in the kitchen and that they're more likely to eat the food that they helped make. I've also been learning to let them have fun, and that includes being messy. I am teaching them to be careful, but I'm not the neatest cook in town so I shouldn't expect them to be either. And it's been fun singing to Christmas music while we cook.

How do your kids participate in the holidays? Do you dare ask them to help in the kitchen? :)

Happy Thanksgiving to "all" my readers!!

A Recent Blog Find

I stumbled upon The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking the other day and really enjoyed its content. It's a fairly new blog but have already picked out several favorite posts including this:

The Five Stages of Housework (from Feb 2011)

1. Denial: My house isn't dirty, it's lived in.
2. Anger: You peed on your sheets on purpose, Didn't you?  Didn't you?
3. Bargaining: Maybe if i put this laundry basket in the hallway, the clothes will actually make it to the laundry basket...
4. Depression: Make the bed?  Why?  I'm just going to mess it up again later....
5. Acceptance: Well, nobody else is going to do it...

I can totally relate to this. :) Here are a few more of my favorites:

32 Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs (from Feb 2011)
This is a great list with some really easy and creative ways to keep entertained this winter.

10Ways to NOT Make Your Home a Haven (from Nov 2010)
I can see how perfection is a stumbling block for me. My home will never be perfect so I need to stop waiting for perfection before I invite people over. This was a really refreshing post for me.

Homemade Wool Dryer Balls (from Apr 2011)
A really handy tutorial that I'd like to try this winter.

Demystifying the Seasoning of Cast Iron (from May 2011)
I have a cast iron frying skillet and do not use it as often as I should. I don't know what to cook in it and I'm not sure how to take care of it. This is a great post to help me with the latter, but does anyone have any suggestions for what to make in my cast iron skillet?


Make sure you head over to The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking for more homemaking tips from the real world.

Brownie Bites and a Baby Shower

In February our Growth Group (couples small group Bible study) threw a baby shower for a dear friend in our group. She's the college pastor's wife so we put an announcement in the bulletin to invite the women of the church. We also sent out some invitations to special people that our guest of honor wanted to make sure were invited.

We had a lot of fun making these invitations. It's funny because at times we so focused on our task that there was silence...absolutely no talking. That's amazing considering there were three women sitting at the table together for about four hours. ;)


The shower was a lot of fun. I think the guest of honor was blessed by the 25 women that attended. Not only with their gifts, but with their friendships and their encouragement. We played a few games and ate desserts. I made Short Stop's Triple Chocolate Sour Cream Brownie Bites. They got rave reviews and they are so simple to make!! Enjoy the recipe!



Triple Chocolate Sour Cream Brownie Bites
recipe from Short Stop

One (9x13") box brownie mix, and ingredients listed on box
1 cup sour cream
1 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons flour
1 can chocolate frosting (I whipped my frosting first so it was a little bit lighter)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini muffin tins or line with mini-muffin liners.

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions. Stir in sour cream.

Pour chocolate chips and flour into a small bowl. Toss chocolate chips and flour. (This will keep the chocolate chips from falling to the bottom.) Add chocolate chips to brownie batter.

Fill mini-muffin tins 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely.

Fill frosting bag or sandwich baggie with frosting. Pipe frosting in swirls onto brownies.


These are the best brownie bites and the chocolate chip tip is priceless!!

Oscar Party Review

Our Oscar party was a lot of fun! We had a lot of fun razzing each other about who were were picking to win. All the ballots were placed in a sealed envelope and then we had a Master Ballot that we used to keep track of the wins. There were 24 categories and our winner got only 12 correct (50%). This just goes to show that none of us get out much. ;) The winner received the DVD My Cousin Vinny Gold Academy Awards Edition in which Marissa Tomei won best supporting actress at a previous Academy Awards.

We had a LOT of food and some great creative names:

**Benjamin Bellybutton Roll-ups (tortilla roll-ups) - our pick for most creative name
Pineapple Express Pizza (fruit pizza)
Alien Eyes (pickle wraps)
Nacho Libre Dip (layered Mexican dip)
Wall-E Brownies (Cosmic brownies)

I also bought ingredients to make sparkling apple juice - apple juice and ginger ale. It tasted great and looked really pretty. And I bought some "special" drinks for our guests. We usually don't have soda in the house, but we get it when we know people are coming over. I knew what my guests' favorites were so that's what I bought.

Mountain Dew - 2 of my husbands co-workers
Cherry 7-Up - a nursing mom
Diet Coke - our dear friend (who usually brings a can along because we don't usually have soda)
Carolyn's Irish cream - a co-workers wife

Kind of fun to get special "treats" for guests. Especially when they don't suspect it! ;)

81st Academy Awards!

I'm hosting and Oscar Party! Yep, we're celebrating the 81st Academy Awards on Sunday Night. I have ballots printed out for all the guests. They're at 7pm during the red-carpet interviews so they can fill in their picks. I asked everyone to bring an appetizer or a dessert. I thought it would be fun to get together, even though I don't know a lot of the movies that are up for awards. It should be fun anyway. Oh, and I'm giving away a little prize to the winner.

I will be serving:

Red Carpet Cookies - sugar cookies with red sugar
Chex and the City Mix
Three Amigo's Dip - layerd Mexican bean dip
Punch - ginger ale and apple juice or Cherry 7-Up

(I got the Red Carpet Cookies idea from the latest Food Network Magazine. I also got the Chex and the City Mix recipe from the Food Network Magazine. It's not a good recipe. Kind of bland...I just don't like it. If I could do it over again, I'd use my original Chex Mix recipe and add the wasabi peas and chow mein noodles.)

At the Heart of Hospitality: A Plan

Organization and planning ahead:
Know Thy Recipe!
Have a plan!
Make lists!
Experience the power of delegation!
~ Sandy Coughlin

First of all: I love a plan and I love organization. It's so fun for me to check off an item on a list of to-do's. Done and done. See how much fun that is!

Sandy mentions four main things when it comes to planning ahead when playing hostess: know your recipe, have a plan, make a list, and delegate.

Know Thy Recipe!
I have to admit that I'm not great with this one. It depends who is coming over for dinner, but I tend to "try things out" on my guests. It's not a great idea, but I've done well with it so far. I don't try out new main dishes on my guests very often, but I've tried out various appetizers, side dishes, and desserts on my guests. But if I know my guests well and know that they're adventurous, I'll plan on something new...and if it fails, we can always order pizza.

Here are some dishes I've served to guests many times and they always turn out delicious:

• Easy Pasta Casserole
• Spinach and Artichoke Dip
• Grilled Chicken
• Grilled Vegetable Skewers
• Quick and Easy Chicken and Rice
• Salad Pizza

Some of the dishes that I've tried on people that were really yummy:

• Fish Tacos
• Sliced Grilled Steak on Blue Cheese Biscuits
• Pear Cranberry Side Salad
• Hummus

Knowing my recipe is something I need to work on, but it's fun to try out a new recipe on friends and family, just not on the newbies.

Have a Plan!
Planning the menu is something that comes easy for me because I already have a weekly menu plan. I try to plan it out about 4-6 weeks in advance. Sometimes I move things around if there's a particular sale going on, but usually we stick to the plan. This helps when having guests over as well. It's nice to know you have all the ingredients in the pantry, and even ingredients for a back-up plan if necessary. Like I said, I love planning a menu so this is fun for me. Here's how I plan my weekly menu for each day:

Sunday:
main dish:
veggie:
side:

I do this for each day of the week and at the bottom of the sheet (for easy tear-off) I put the grocery list. I usually get most of my items in one stop then stop in weekly for fruits and veggies. That way I don't have an excuse for not making dinner and just ordering out. It has really helped us stay in our budget.

Make Lists!
Yet another thing I love to do. It's nice to have a list made out in advance of preparations when having guests over. I like to ask myself if there's anything I can do ahead of time (like a day or two before) so I don't have to do it on the day of. For example, I'm hosting our small group this month. I'm planning on making Cincinnati Chili and Triple Chocolate Sour Cream Brownie Bites for dessert. They're coming over on Tuesday, so on Monday I will make the brownie bites and brown the hamburger for Tuesday. Since it's mainly a crock pot dish, I will chop my veggies tonight so tomorrow morning I can toss them in the pan with the meat, canned goods, close the lid and let it simmer. Being organized and crossing things off of my list is something that I enjoy.

Experience the Power of Delegation!
This is a hard concept for me because I want to be the hostess that can do it all. But I can't. I can, but I'm not always at peace with it. (This is an area in which I struggle in other aspects of my life as well.) So, if someone asks if they can bring something, I say yes, look at my menu and tell them something that they can bring. I usually try to make it fairly simple like bread, a beverage, or a side salad. Nothing that they have to spend a lot of time making.

"It's easy to spend days in elaborate preparations that just rob us of our time." Again we must look at our attitude when serving our guests:

1. Am I feeling stressed or burdened by the need to impress?
2. Am I putting my guests first (i.e. not the dirty dishes in the sink after the meal)?
3. Am I expecting something in return?

Sandy tries to have all of her cooking done 3o minutes before guests arrive so she can sit and relax with her husband before the guests knock on the door. I'm not good at that and I don't feel comfortable with that yet. I'm still working on my timing and I admit that I'd feel nervous if I had time to sit and relax...like I forgot something. This is something that I will work towards as I grow in my hostessing skills.

All quotes are from Sandy Coughlin from 4 Reluctant Entertainers. This is the second of her "Ten Commandments" to hospitality. Please read what she has to say regarding being organized and having a plan. Thanks!

At the Heart of Hospitality: A Gift

Hospitality is not only a gift I have but a gift I give. Be passionate about it!
~ Sandy Coughlin




Hospitality is something I do have a passion for.

"Essential to hospitality is opening our hearts and our homes. We each have a home – be it a small home, mid-sized home, or a mansion! And no matter what the size of our table or what food is served, bonding around that table and enjoying a meal makes people feel loved." ~ Sandy Coughlin.

I have a home. I have a table. I have food. I have a family who enjoys other people. So, why am I not opening that home to others more often? Is it because I'm lazy? Is it because I'm selfish? Is it because I'm a procrastinating perfectionist? It's all of these.

Sandy talks about entertaining versus being hospitable on her blog 4 Reluctant Entertainers. Her first commandment is "Hospitality is a Gift." I can make my home a gift to others by inviting people in. It's that easy. I don't need to impress them, I need to love and serve them.

Here's a way I can check my attitude as I host people in my home:

1. Am I feeling stressed or burdened by the need to impress?
2. Am I putting my guests first (i.e. not the dirty dishes in the sink after the meal)?
3. Am I expecting something in return?

Sandy says it best:

Entertaining too often says, “I want to impress you with my creative new recipes and the latest decorating fad and my perfectly decked-out house.” It can show that, “this is mine and this is a reflection of who I am and what I am. Admire me!” Hospitality, in turn, says, “This home is truly a gift and it may not be perfect, but come on in while I serve you and our family loves on you.” It says, “What is ours is yours. What is said around the table stays around the table.”

Lord Jesus ~
I ask you to enable us to offer our home as a gift. Please help others to know that they are welcome in our homes and at our tables. I ask, dear Jesus, that you stop the excuses that plague us and open our hearts and minds to serving and loving others in our homes. Help us to share openly and without excuse the blessings that You have given our families. I pray that lives will be changed as we visit around the table or over a cup of coffee. Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift that hospitality can be when we allow You to guide us in loving others.
~ Amen.

I'm going to challenge myself to invite people over for a meal once a week for 6 weeks. Can you challenge yourself to do the same?


Week 1
guests: hubby's family
food: turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, pie (guests bringing side dishes and bread)

Week 2
guests: hubby's brother
food: pizza delivery, fresh veggies and dip - no one said it had to be homemade, just opening up your home ;)

Week 3
guests: growth group
food: Cincinnati chili, relish tray, Triple Chocolate Sour Cream Brownie Bites

Week 4
guests: brought ingredients to a friend's house in Arkansas
food: baked pasta and garlic bread

Week 5
guests: growth group
food: hobo dinners, homemade bread, homemade applesauce, store-bought pie

Week 6 - 81st Academy Awards Party
guests: friends
food: layered taco dip, Chex and the City Mix,

At the Heart of Hospitality

I've been meaning to talk about hospitality but I haven't gotten around to it. Just like I haven't gotten around to inviting the neighbors, the new couple from church, the family that had us over for dinner, an old friend from high school and his new family, or even our closest friends over for dinner. Yikes!

I think a lot of it has to do with my perceived view of hospitality, no matter how wrong it is. To me, everything has to be perfect: the toys are put away neatly, the papers in the kitchen are all filed, the dishes are not piled in the sink (clean ones are NOT still in the dishwasher), the new paint job in the living room and kitchen are perfectly touched-up, I have an extravagant meal planned, the dining area is perfectly decorated, there's no dust, no spills, blah, blah, blah. How realistic is that...really??

I'm coming to learn that it's just nice to be asked over to someone's home. When our family gets invited somewhere, I'm not looking for dust. I'm not looking for a beautiful meal prepared by Martha Stewart or for a home decorated by her either. I'm looking for conversation, connection, love, a sense of belonging, friends, laughter... So I would hope that those are the things people feel when they are invited into my home.

Today, I came across Sandy Coughlin's blog entitled 4 Reluctant Entertainers. It has been a great reminder of what hospitality is all about. She even posted her ten commandments and they have been a great inspiration for me.

I decided that I'm going to do a little series called At the Heart of Hospitality and reference Sandy's Ten Commandments (found in the right-hand column of her blog) while writing some thoughts of my own.

At the Heart of Hospitality: A Review

At the Heart of Hospitality is my series based on 4 Reluctant Entertainers 10 Commandments. I will be taking her commandments and adding my thoughts and how I can apply what I learned.

At the Heart of Hospitality:
A Gift
Organization and Planning
Setting the Mood
Imperfection
Conversation
Transformation of Your Home
Grace for Your Perceived Mistakes
Being Yourself
Learning and Improvement
Life-changing Impact
I hope you will enjoy this series as much as I enjoyed writing about it.

First Birthdays

On Sunday we celebrated my youngest son's first birthday. It was a modest party with friends and family from our church. We served cupcakes, ice cream and pretzel rods.


My cupcake idea came from a book entitled Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. They have some really creative ideas for decorating cupcakes. And they have a great recipe in the back for vamping up your cupcakes from a box mix. They also have "from scratch" cupcake recipes and frosting recipes too. Just can't get enough of it!!