The first year I lived in this house, I hosted Thanksgiving. Nothing like being a brand new adult and taking on one of the biggest hosting holidays of the year! I did it because this house was Grandma and Grandpa's, and it had been too long since we had gathered in these walls as a family. I made the macaroni and cheese, using Grandma's recipe and the dish she always put it in, since I inherited it...and Mom did the rest of it. The thought of making more than one dish petrified me.
The following year, I hosted again. Not quite as many people came that time, and another year of adulthood made me calmer. Mom still did most of the cooking, but I've never forgotten the moment when my Uncle Jerry paused beside me and said, "You seem a little more relaxed this year. Are you enjoying this more?"
It was true! And I was so glad he noticed...and even more glad he said something. It boosted my confidence that maybe, just maybe, I had it in me to be a hostess after all.
I wouldn't have guessed back then, that one day in my future, I'd host a meal for thirteen people just a couple of hours after speaking in public. {Truth be told, back then I'd have passed out hearing about the public speaking part. Our little Bekah IS growing up!!} But this last Sunday, I did just that.
I know some of you who read this blog are new to adulthood and/or hosting and might not know you have this in you either! So I thought I'd show you some of the things I did to make the actual hosting day as stress free as possible. Then you can take and tweak to your heart's desire!
* Don't be afraid to ask for help. This would be the tip I have not actually learned yet. LOL!! Because this was Mother's Day, and our desire was to gift this day to the moms in our lives, we told everyone to just bring an appetite. We did all the cooking for this meal. But it is true that one of the best things you can do to relieve stress when hosting a group is to allow your guests to bring a dish. It will save you time and money, and it really is fun to build a little community of pitching in around the table!
* Choose dishes you can prepare as much as possible the day before. Our menu for this day was created largely around what would be easy to prepare in advance. {Some of these recipes are yet to come to the old blogaroo - so watch for them!!} Enchilada dip appetizer, grilled chicken and pork chops, cheesy potato casserole, grilled pineapple, broccoli salad, dinner rolls, strawberry trifle, and chocolate cake mix cookies.
The day before we hosted, I combined all the recipes for the enchilada dip appetizer in my tiny crock pot and refrigerated the crock until the next morning, when I plugged it in and let it slowly cook.
* No shame in paper plates!! Because we only have enough dishes for eight people, and because the original party plan was to have this event outside, we decided to get disposable tableware. We also purchased tablecloths at the dollar store. When the meal was over, the only things we had to wash were the serving dishes and coffee cups. It made cleanup go SO MUCH FASTER, which was so wonderful. I told Ryan that I thought this was the way to go for all future hosting endeavors!!
* Don't stress over mistakes. Of course, not everything goes smoothly, and for us, the rolls were the hiccup. I followed the instructions PRECISELY, and yet they turned out doughy and dense and...well...I didn't even eat one. I decided if that was the worst thing that happened to the food that day, it wasn't so bad of a day after all.
So there are my tips for hosting well and having fun in the process. We had a great time with our family, and I was so glad that I could spend the morning focusing on the speaking engagement and not on worrying about food.
9 comments:
You're clearly a great host!
Lists are how I roll when I have people over for anything!
You are my list inspiration, Tamar! My organization inspiration!! :)
You probably already know this, but in case you don't, this might help with the bacon if you don't/can't grill outside:
Put the bacon on a broiling pan (or on an oven-safe rack to elevate it off of a shallow baking dish) and bake in the oven for around 20 min. or until it's the desired crispness. It won't leave a greasy splattered mess and you only have the baking sheet/pan to clean afterwards. You can fit a lot of bacon on a broiling pan!
Also, for the cheesy potatoes, if you don't want to crush chips, you can use Rice Crispies in their place. No crushing required!
I'm all for convenience!
awesome, organized, lady!!!! Perfect day!
and i actually bake my bacon on a cookie sheet in the oven! Can do the whole pound at once, drain off the grease, put them on a paper towel to drain a bit, and wallah! all done at once and no smoking, or fire hazards. :)
i cannot wait for that strawberry dessert recipe! eeee!!! :) XO
I cook my bacon on a baking sheet in the oven, too! No broiling pan or rack needed. I cover the pan with foil (even less clean-up) and bake at 350 or 400, depending on what else I might have in there. The strips closest to the sides of the oven cook up a little faster than the rest, so I pull those off when they look done. 20-30 minutes, depending on thickness and desired level of crispiness. No splatter, no babysitting them, and you can usually fit a whole pound of thick-cut strips on one pan.
Yes, baking bacon in the oven is the way to go! A little thing I tried once during Pancakes with the Pastor, and I've never looked back! We had eggs and hashbrowns on the stove and no room for bacon, too. I use a cookie sheet with sides, and foil. All the pre-preparation is so helpful! I set up the whole counter the night before, all the paper goods, trays, serving utensils, etc. I don't think clearly enough in the morning to get all that ready. :)
Have you ever tried Sister Schubert frozen rolls?? They come 10 to a bag, I think, and are SOOO good. You might want to make all 10 for just you and Ryan. ;)
I also use the oven for bacon if I need strips, but for bacon bits, it is also great to use your kitchen shears and cut it up and render it down in the skillet. When you get the desired crispness, scoop it out onto paper towels with a slotted spoon or a spatula, pour the grease into an empty can or something that can hold up to the heat and then when it solidifies, you can put it in the trash. I do a pound of bacon at a time and what you don't use can be put in a container with a lid and stored in the frig to be used in another recipe later or put on salads or baked potatoes.
Christina, I've not thought of using rice krispies! That's a great idea, and even healthier than chips!!
Christina, Polly, Whitney, Jenna, and Karen - I learned about the oven route only after I was married, and since Ryan offered to do the grilling, I let him! But I'm glad you reminded me about the oven, because alas, I'd forgotten!!
Jenna - this was the first time I'd made rolls PERIOD. So next time I'll look for yours!!
My main advice about hosting is that you try to be as prepared as possible in advance and then once everyone arrives, just enjoy. If you've set up an easy way to access food ("burgers on the grills, fixin's on the table, drinks in the fridge), everyone will get their food eventually!
But I also love hosting people. I think I'm more of a big gathering host rather than an intimate dinner host :)
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