entertain more

I just remodeled my kitchen and I’m dying to have people over. It is such an improvement!! Now it’s fun to cook in—so I also have the goal to cook more. I’d like to get on a schedule and have people over on a regular basis!

I just can’t afford to entertain at the moment. With the way my finances are, I don’t even know why I added this goal to my list! But one day, when finances are better, I will give it another go.

I’ve been entertaining quite a bit lately – I have been hosting my church’s bible study group at my house. I thought I’d take the opportunity to really make an effort to ‘entertain’, rather than just be the house where the group meets. So when the group arrived they were welcomed with generous table space and seating in a clean and tidy house, and a tray set up with tea, coffee, milk, sugar, teaspoons, pot for used teabags and spoons, cups, and glasses and cold water in a nice glass bottle. An attractive plate of biscuits on the table, and I’ve set a standard which I wonder if the others will reach when it’s their turn to be host!

about when I could consider this goal complete – I mean it could go on forever! So I have decided my criteria for considering this goal complete will be to:
- Host 3 dinner parties: 1 for family, 1 for friends, 1 for church.
- Host a holiday event: easter or christmas.
- Host a party / fundraiser for the cancer council.
Ideally I see these as an annual thing i.e. each year host 3 dinner parties, 1 holiday event and 1 fundraiser, so that this remains ongoing.

I always stress out over having people over for meals – I can cook for myself but have the most awful anxiety about cooking for others. But I really want to entertain more,so I took the opportunity recently to have a couple over for tea, which was great except one of them is a chef! What do you serve up to a chef when you’re hopeless in the kitchen? After panicking for a while I decided on my foolproof standby of pasta alla panna – not the most exciting or adventurous dish but I can cook it in my sleep, and I let my friend bring dessert. It was a sucess i.e. the plates were clean! Having done it once, I want to do this again and bee more adventurous, so I will start experimenting with recipes and menus.

dinner last night. It was so much fun. My salads were a hit. Everyone thought I should actually open a barbecue cafe. Good Texas (southern) cooking in the wilderness is rare.

They were still calling this morning to emphasis that I have missed my calling. I told them my calling is actually to teach kiddos how to cook like others have taught me. ;)

We’re not quite in the swing of it yet. The day before the party I always say, “I really wish we didn’t have that thing scheduled tomorrow!”

But then somehow we pull it off and we have a good time, every time. I think we still have a few things to learn about how to entertain with ease.

Notes to self: plan menus at least a few days in advance, and be prepared to tell guests what they can bring, since they often ask and we never know what to tell them.

I’d like people to know that they’re welcome to stop by and hang out at any time. I’m always scared people will get bored and say ‘What a lame party’, which happened to me when I was younger and obviously had long term effects. But I’m starting to realize that all it takes to have a good party is good people, some food and laughter.

...on 24 hours notice. Its a long story, but the kids have no school, so we invited the whole gang over.

I’m actually sitting here ready waiting for the onslaught of kids & parents. But I’m ready. The old me would have been scurrying around like a crazy woman. But instead I’m drinking coffee & checking my email. LOVE the new me!!

Edited later: the party went great and was lots of fun. Glad I did it!!

Pasta with all the fixings for 25. It was easy and fun and the boys (well, actually they are all starting to look like men now….) were very polite and appreciative. I’m glad I did it.