keep it simple hosting

A while back a friend emailed me, asking for me to share things I've done or have learned from others about hosting. She wanted ideas, easy tips or ways to host guests and friends while on a budget and without having a gigantic home! I think it's so true, we can often feel that if you can't host a gourmet dinner party or don't live in Beverly Hills, then we just won't do anything! But, this thinking is silly!  People love to be together, details and fancy is great but it's not a requirement to have an enjoyable and purposeful time! These are just a few things we've done that have been really fun. I'm so thankful for all the gals that have shared these ideas with me and their example of using their home to serve their families, friends and the Lord! Here are 10 simple ideas for having people over!

1. Make a cheap but yummy, big pot dish. Pasta, Chili, Soup... Those things that you make and eat the leftovers for days! Invite 6-10 people to share it with you! Serve with a big salad and you can probably feed 10 people for  $10.00 :)

2. Just do dessert! Dinner can be expensive if you're feeding a large group. Invite guests over at 7:00 or later for a dessert night. Make a yummy cake or dessert that you don't often make, something that's treat! Or pick one up from a fun local bakery, Or go way simple and do a Menchie's fro-yo bar or Sundae bar . You supply a few toppings and  have your guests bring their favorite toppings to add to the selection. Serve good coffee and light lots of tea lights and you'll feel like you're a fun cafe :)

3. You can still "host" something and not have it in your home. Host/plan a girls lunch at a cool local park or historic landmark. They are beautiful public places and feel like you rented out a cool venue, but cost nothing to go to! Make a big Chinese chicken salad, fresh fruit and cupcakes. Serve with iced tea and sparkling water! You could bring a pretty table cloth and fun centerpiece, that you set up on a picnic table. I love "just because" get togethers! Do it just for fun, just to enjoy the blessing of sweet friends!

4. A little competition is always fun :) Have a tasting night or competition! Chili, Salsa, BBQ, Pizza, Pie, Cookies, Etc... these are all fun things most people know how to make and have favorite recipes for. This also allows guests to help lighten the food load, and most people love to contribute anyway! Also it's a fun way to taste new recipes.

5. Saturday morning breakfast party! Who doesn't like a big warm breakfast! Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon, with glass of OJ or hot cup of coffee. Or go a little more gourmet and make quiches or frittatas, yum and still cheap! Pancakes and eggs cost about nothing and serve lots of people! Set the table in the yard and the adults can enjoy a fun morning together while the kids play outside.

6. Host a play date! Invite one mom or ten! We make lunch for ours kids and ourselves every day, why not treat a girlfriend to a day they don't have to make lunch! This doesn't have to be fancy at all, kids don't care and neither do moms! Make sandwiches and stack them on a cake plate, serve with sliced veggies and apples. Prep the night before so the day of you can just enjoy the play time!

7. Baked Potato Night! Random, I know. But so yummy! You provide the potatoes, butter and salt and pepper. Have your guests bring their favorite toppings. ( cheese, broccoli, chili, etc.) This is great if you're feeding a big group, and it's another cheap yet tasty meal :) You could do a "taco night" or "burger night" the same way, supplying the basics and having guests bring they're favorite topping!

8. Have people over for a game night! Cook up a big pot of chili or do it after dinner and serve root beer floats. We like to play several different games and do them in time intervals. Each game is played for 20-30 minutes and when the timer is up, the person or team with the most points wins that round! It's a fun way to mix it up and play several different games in one night.

9. Invite someone wise over for an evening :) Invite a gal or couple you'd like to be like and ask them to come speak to you and a group of friends about a specific topic you would like to learn more about. Or to do a Q&A allowing you and your friends to ask questions about areas they need help in. This is a fun way to see Titus 2 on its feet! 

10. I'd love to hear your thoughts! What are fun, simple and affordable ways YOU host guests? or a favorite easy recipe for a large group? 

(p.s. the chili and potato pics are from the web :)

the farm box rox :)

 I love it! The Farm Fresh To You box was a success! The box arrived early this morning. I was SO excited to open it, it was like Christmas in March. The box I ordered was the "mostly fruit", because the gal who told me about it ordered this one. She liked it because all of the contents didn't have to be cooked. The veggies it does come with are edible raw, like carrots and lettuce. But I'm thinking of changing my order, not because I don't like this one :), but because I want MORE of the veggies.We have already have 3 citrus trees in our backyard. My other friend ordered the "small mixed" box which comes with more veggies and she got asparagus, cabbage, chard, broccoli, cauliflower, and potatoes! Plus she still got fruit: oranges, apples, tangelos, and strawberries! 

Also, I think I am going to order on a weekly basis. I'm going to challenge myself to try to cook more, learn to be creative with new veggies and EAT more FRESH and raw food! We'll see how it goes, I'm up for the challenge. The box contents are posted every Friday for you to see the next weeks delivery. So, I will get to plan over the weekend to find new recipes and I can grocery shop for all the extra ingredients I might need.

The box also come with a weekly letter filling you in with announcements and the latest news on the farm. The backside has several simple recipes helping you to figure out how to use something you may not be familiar with. This week the Spinach and Asparagus Frittata sounded yum! I will have to make it if I get asparagus next week :) There's also a recipe index on the website, which has TONS of ideas for you to steal. 

Also if you're interested in ordering Farm Fresh To You mention Carly Brannon( in the "other"box) and the coupon code #6164 and you will receive $5.00 off your delivery!

Enjoy!

ghetto fabulous :)

Love these! I'm posting because the industrial size box of these very, fine, fine :) hand towels... is almost completely through. My mom found these at Smart and Final and thought I should use these in our bathrooms, displayed in a cool container or basket. Since we love to  have people over and love to entertain, this was an affordable way have individual hand towels and not make 50 people share the same cloth hand towel...yuck :). I love these in the kitchen too! They are great for a napkin with lunch or a quick clean up tool.

We split a box because 1,440 towels is quite a large amount to go through. They are C fold hand towels... These are very similar tho the one I grabbed at S&F (GP Paper Hand Towel ...not too shabby, 1,440 hand towels for $28.00

... thats just under two cents a towel!! 

When I first saw them by themselves I thought..hmm, this is going to look ghetto. But, after they were in the cool container they looked great! They aren't hand towels form the Ritz, but they look fine, get the job done and cost about nothing! Split a box with a friend, or two or three, you can't beat the price :)

Enjoy! cj

the ever so useful jar....

 Slightly ghetto and slightly fabulous :) the Kerr jars are my favorite glasses in my cupboard.  I remember as a little girl drinking out of jelly jars at my grandmas house. And still to this day I love these jars as drinking glasses. They are super durable and have outlasted all of my other cups! (they outlasted all my pottery barn and crate/barrel glasses) I not only use them for cups, but stock up on these ever so affordable jars to use as great vases and candle holders too! For around $8 for a dozen, you can't beat

  .66 cents a glass! I always get mine at Smart and Final. They have a great selection and tons of sizes( 8oz., 12oz...) I also found them online at The Fresh Preserving Store 

Give them a try, they're perfect for a glass of fresh lemonade, a pack of tea lights, or a bunch of fresh spring flowers! 

Enjoy! cj