Recipes
I am not a food blogger, nor am I trying to be, but sometimes, having a few good recipes to start with is so helpful in overcoming our fears in welcoming people to our tables. Honestly, you don't even need to cook. Start with wine & cheese, donuts & coffee, or whatever you have in your fridge.
We spontaneously welcomed 25 people over after church one Sunday (dirty floors, breakfast dishes still in the sink, laundry on the couch) and I gave them string cheese, Gogurts, and clementines because that is all I had to offer. Someone snagged donuts and everyone left a couple hours later with full hearts and bellies. And no one remembers my breakfast dishes in the sink.
The place to start is with an invitation.
Pulled pork
When I need to feed 5,000 people quickly, pulled pork is a go-to staple in our house. It easily can be made paleo, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, to meet different dietary needs. We frequently feed 30+ people spontaneously after church with this meal. It requires a quick stop at Costco and 1.5 hours later, you too can feed five thousand. Just pick up a few premade salads, some chips and rolls, and your guests may think Jesus’ miracle skills have been rubbing off on you.
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
I am 99% for organic, real food, non-processed ingredients. However, as time has gone on, I no longer keep pre-roasted frozen beet cubes in my freezer or mill my own grains because... reality. I know that some of you may live in an alternative universe where you can have children, grow all your own veggies, darn your own socks, homeschool AND make everything from scratch and I love you. I used to aspire to be you. And I got really tired. This last week I threw a Pinterest-like unicorn birthday party and we happened to invite two couples over for dinner later that night. After the afternoon party, I sat down on the couch and closed my eyes for just a minute. Or two hours. And my children answered the door and let them into our house. Startled, I groggily wiped the drool from my couch-creased cheek and said, "Oh no, I meant to make dinner." This dinner is for impromptu nights and 20 minutes of time. Even when you're groggy. It's not for the naturalist or the strict organic. But it's for hungry people. Just take a deep breath and open the door. It's going to be ok.
MAC N CHEESE
Many of you dear friends and family have requested my macaroni and cheese recipe so I thought it would be selfish of me not to finally share. This is a tried-and-true, always a hit, recipe that I make for guests, families with new babies, and more importantly for my mother-in-law EVERY time she comes to visit. Cooking for one another while we sip cocktails is our love language, so I try to fill her up when she is in town.
Indonesian Beef with Thai Peanut Sauce
From her I learned that a good mentor shares her heart, her home and her recipes. I am forever grateful. This is truly delicious and even guests have been known to use their fingers to get every drop of the peanut sauce out of their ramekins. It is that good...
Roasted Potato Salad
Do you remember THE Macaroni & Cheese Recipe? (If not, it is a must try.) Per the request of many of you, below is THE Potato Salad recipe. I am not a fan of mushy, mayonnaisey, traditional potato salad and we have a dear friend who has an aversion to vinegar, so, 99% of potato salad recipes out there won't cut it in our house. However, individually, I love most of the ingredients that go into a potato salad. Recently, I played around a bit and came up with my own variation. Try it, you'll like it too.
Paleo Italian Meatballs
Part of having an open door is sometimes needing meals in a pinch. These meatballs never fail to impress and you can't match the depth of flavor in the sauce. Best of all...they heat from freezer to plate in 20 minutes max! Or you can throw them in your crockpot so the flavors meld all afternoon. They are one of my go-to freezer meals and are perfect for serving anyone who may be gluten or dairy-free. We love them on their own or served over zoodles, spaghetti squash, or pasta.
Hearty Morning Glory Muffins (df/gf option)
Morning, afternoon or evening, these powerhouse muffins are so scrumptious. This recipe makes a mountain of them and once frozen, they thaw on the counter perfectly. You can reheat them and add a pat of Kerrygold or enjoy them as is and they're delicious either way. I've been making muffins for our girls before they could talk and in fact, "muffin" was one of Adi's first words. I'm almost positive that she uttered "muh" even before "mama" and these muffins may be the reason why...