For many families, the focal point of Thanksgiving Day is a table laden with delicious food. As nice as it is to dive into these foods, getting them to the table often requires a lot of work and can be stressful. Last year, for example, we spent the entire day before Thanksgiving preparing various dishes. Then I was up and cooking again … [Read more...] about Simple Ways to Streamline Thanksgiving Dinner Preparation
hospitality
Hospitality in an Imperfect Home
About two weeks ago, we got a phone call from my husband’s cousin and his wife. They were letting us know that they were on their way to our house (they live in Louisiana and were evacuating because of Hurricane Ida). Once my kids went to bed, I jumped into action: I quickly wiped down the bathroom, I made sure clean towels were available, I … [Read more...] about Hospitality in an Imperfect Home
Build-Your-Own Sliders: A Great Meal for a Crowd
One of the challenges of having guests over is preparing meals that everyone will enjoy. One thing I like to do is to prepare options where each individual gets to customize his or her meal. I’ve done this in the past with French bread pizzas and with omelets. Recently, when my parents visited us, I did it with sliders. As most of you … [Read more...] about Build-Your-Own Sliders: A Great Meal for a Crowd
30 Questions to Ask Around the Christmas Dinner Table
Our everyday lives are so busy that I find it increasingly important that we use the time we have with our families strategically. Holidays are times that we can really slow down and enjoy being with each other. However, on Christmas, it’s not unusual for things like presents and baking to commandeer our focus away from family and … [Read more...] about 30 Questions to Ask Around the Christmas Dinner Table
Why to Eat Pie the Night Before Thanksgiving
Pie is the traditional dessert to eat after Thanksgiving dinner, but the best time to eat pie may actually be the night before Thanksgiving. I don’t know what it’s like in your house, but we tend to be pretty full after Thanksgiving dinner. It’s common for us to not even be hungry for dessert after eating turkey, sweet potatoes, … [Read more...] about Why to Eat Pie the Night Before Thanksgiving
Personalized Omelets: A Great Meal for a Crowd
When you’re feeding a large group of people, it’s sometimes difficult to accommodate each individual’s taste preferences. A great way to do this is to make customizable dishes, such as French bread pizzas or burrito bowls. Thankfully, there are numerous customizable dishes available, including omelets. We chose to make these when we had … [Read more...] about Personalized Omelets: A Great Meal for a Crowd
How Introverts Can Successfully Practice Hospitality
Introversion and Extroversion are likely the oldest and most widely discussed constructs in personality theories. Introverts tend to be reserved, quiet, and more comfortable alone. They are more sensitive to external stimuli and need time away from this in order to function well. Extroverts, on the other hand, tend to be expressive, outgoing, … [Read more...] about How Introverts Can Successfully Practice Hospitality
5 Reasons I No Longer Apologize for My Messy House
A couple of weeks ago one of my neighbors stopped by and asked if she could come in and visit for a few minutes. Though I have no desire to pretend like I have it all together, I do have a bit of pride and I was incredibly embarrassed regarding the state of my house. If I let her in, my neighbor would walk through a dining room that I … [Read more...] about 5 Reasons I No Longer Apologize for My Messy House
