PrairieAir Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Last month dh called me while I was out running errands and said that a friend from California would be flying through our area and wanted to stop for a visit--in a few hours. I told dh I wasn't sure how well I could pull things together in that amount of time, but he was welcome to come. It didn't end up happening because something changed with the weather--the guy has his own small plane and felt it wasn't safe to fly due to the changes. We've had this happen several other times with different people we rarely see. Someone will be driving or flying through and have a lay over and want to stop for a visit. Dh's parents and sister are over often on the weekends and stay most of the day and sometimes overnight. We have Bible fellowships in our home on Sunday mornings and sometimes people linger most of the day. We have teenagers stopping by constantly, and one of 17yods' friends lived with us for a few weeks while he was looking for a house to rent. Occasionally someone will stop by out of the blue and I'd like to be able to invite them in for a cup of coffee and a bite to eat. I really want to make our home open to visitors. I want it to be a place where people feel comfortable and are well cared for. I could invite people into my home the way things are now--it is usually fairly clean. We do need to work on not laying things on the first flat surface when we walk in the house. With that and a little more vigilance in basics, the house would be presentable all the time. (I have stricter requirements for what is "presentable" in my own home than I do regarding other people's houses.:)) The major issue is really having food and drink on hand and having meals that I can whip up quickly to feed a crowd. I try to stay pretty well stocked, but by the end of the week my refrigerator and cupboards are looking pretty bare, or even if there is plenty in there, I have a hard time figuring out what I could make from it. The closest full-size grocery stores are 25-30 minutes away. The tiny Jack and Jill two miles from my house is not a reliable source for anything other than slightly stale Little Debbies snack cakes. I try to do my main grocery shopping every Saturday when I take dd into town for gymnastics and stop for little things when she goes to evening practice during the week. I guess the main thing is that I need to be organized and I need a list of tried and true standards that are good for company, good for feeding a crowd, and can be pulled together at a moment's notice. I'd appreciate any suggestions you have about how to accomplish this, but especially in regard to the food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readwithem Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 We have pancakes often with company - we usually have all the staples on hand. :) Really I wouldn't think the expectation would be for something extraordinary - I would think they would be grateful for your opening your home on such short notice :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieAir Posted April 7, 2008 Author Share Posted April 7, 2008 We have pancakes often with company - we usually have all the staples on hand. :) Really I wouldn't think the expectation would be for something extraordinary - I would think they would be grateful for your opening your home on such short notice :) Oh, pancakes I can do. I am known as the Pancake Mom to all dc's friends and I whip up several varieties for breakfast when we have guests over. It's lunch and supper that are more often a problem. For lunch we usually just have sandwiches, but sometimes I'm short on fixin's. Supper is a real quandary for me on an average weeknight with just my family. I know people don't expect anything spectacular, but so many times I just stare blankly into the open refrigerator. That's why I want to have a list of meals, maybe somethings waiting in the freezer that I can just pop in the oven (lasagna is good for that) or things that can be thrown together quickly or put in a crockpot to cook while I visit. I don't want to be running around like a chicken with my head cut off when people are here. I want to enjoy the visit, too. Other than the lasagna and casseroles that could be prepared and frozen ahead, I thought there might be some dishes that I could do part of the prep on and throw together at the last minute. The fettuccine alla papalina that I made tonight is one dish that would work well done this way. I could have the ham and onion diced and bagged in the freezer and the fettuccine and canned mushrooms kept stocked in the pantry. The white sauce is quick and easy to make while the pasta is boiling and the ham, onions, and mushrooms are cooking. I just really need more ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readwithem Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Sorry - I meant that we have pancakes for supper - at least once a week :) easy and anybody can help with it - add some cut up fruit and you're good to go. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieAir Posted April 7, 2008 Author Share Posted April 7, 2008 Huh. It never occurred to me that other people might enjoy this as we do, LOL. Breakfast for dinner is a treat for us sometimes, I imagine it might be for others too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 My favourite meal to whip up for "last minute" company is frittata. We always have plenty of eggs on hand. Use whatever vegetables you have and a bit of chopped up ham, bacon, leftover sausage, ground beef --- whatever! Top it with a bit of cheese before sticking it under the broiler to set the top and melt the cheese. Cut into wedges to serve. Serve that with a tossed green salad, again using what you normally have available. Fresh or frozen fruit salad for dessert is also good. For adult company, serve with a nice chardonnay and it feels like a very special meal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdie Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 For last minute group dinners we usually have spaghetti, chili or taco bar. I buy ground turkey in bulk at Costco and try to keep several 1lb packages in the freezer. For a last minute meal, just thaw and brown and make into one of the above dishes. I also love the frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast (I get the bulk size bag at Costco too). You can thaw in the microwave in about 10 mintues and them stuff them, kabob them or marinade and BBQ. If you are looking for crockpot recipes then check out allrecipes.com. They have some great, crowd pleasing recipes like Chicken Chili and BBQ Sandwiches. Just look for the recipes with 4 or more stars and read the reviews first. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieAir Posted April 7, 2008 Author Share Posted April 7, 2008 Thank you, ladies! I'm writing all these suggestions down. Anyone have more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DIY-DY Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 The major issue is really having food and drink on hand and having meals that I can whip up quickly to feed a crowd. I try to stay pretty well stocked, but by the end of the week my refrigerator and cupboards are looking pretty bare, or even if there is plenty in there, I have a hard time figuring out what I could make from it. The closest full-size grocery stores are 25-30 minutes away. The tiny Jack and Jill two miles from my house is not a reliable source for anything other than slightly stale Little Debbies snack cakes. I try to do my main grocery shopping every Saturday when I take dd into town for gymnastics and stop for little things when she goes to evening practice during the week. I guess the main thing is that I need to be organized and I need a list of tried and true standards that are good for company, good for feeding a crowd, and can be pulled together at a moment's notice. I'd appreciate any suggestions you have about how to accomplish this, but especially in regard to the food. Part of the reason we built the breakfast bar was so that we could visit while we cook. LOL! I know, we're dorks. Here's one of our favorite drop-in meals. We made it most recently for KathyJo's DH when he came by while traveling for work. (He said he liked it!*grin*) Corn tortillas - keep a pack handy, and you can make chips for your guests to snack on while you're whipping up a meal. Just cut a stack of them like you'd cut a pizza (into triangles) and fry them up in hot-hot grease. Put them in a paper bag to drain the excess grease off. You can sprinkle them w/ season all and chile powder (our preference), plain old salt, cinnamon & sugar, whatever you want. Quick 'n easy. Then, while everybody's snacking and drinking, we make enchilada casserole. You can use anything you have on hand: chicken, beef, turkey, just cheese, whatever you want. I try to keep half of some kind of critter cooked and in the freezer for just this purpose. The only other things you have to have on hand, specifically, are corn tortillas, cheese, and cans of enchilada sauce. Mix half the enchilada sauce with the meat of your choice and heat in a skillet. (I like to chop onions and soften them a bit in the skillet before adding the meat and sauce, but that's optional.) Dredge the tortillas in the hot grease (from the chips, just keep the flame on) just to soften them (this adds body to the casserole - don't skip it), then dredge through the sauce/meat mixture and layer in a pan. Add the meat, some cheese, a little sauce (just like w/ a lasagna) and repeat until your pan is full. Top w/ the remaining sauce and a little extra cheese to make it purdy and bake at 350' for about 45 min. Ta-da! Delicious, filling meal done in no time. And the mess is nominal. Another bonus. We also put on a pot of beans if company is coming over. Always. But then, we always have a pot of beans on, anyway. We're strange like that. The wonderful thing about drop-in company, though, is that if all you have to serve is slightly stale little debbies and coffee, they don't mind. They know they've dropped in. They know that you didn't have time to do the big stock-up and Company Clean. But they don't care b/c they're there to see you. So anything above and beyond is icing on the cake (or, um, the cupcake, or zebra cake). HTH, Dy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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