{To all you dear commenters on my last post, I will undoubtedly not be You Tubing anything, gosh, but I am certainly going to hit you with an Advent post.
I see that all over the internets people have already done their Advent posts, but I am never on time with Advent. I will be this year, because I have to get my stuff out for the talk on Sunday! It's God's secret plan to outwit me, not that He needs a plan for that. He wouldn't anyway, He's God, but especially when it comes to… oh, never mind.}
Dear Auntie Leila,
Long-time lurker, first-time poster ๐
Thanks for your beautiful and encouraging blog. It brightens my day and is so helpful. [Awww, thanks!]
Just wondering if you could give your thoughts some time on spur-of-the moment hospitality and cooking. I have two high school sons, and twin 5th grade daughters. Their friends are always ending up at our house–which I love! But I would like to be better prepared to offer them a good meal or snack. Or being prepared to invite someone to dinner at the last minute. Sometimes I have things on hand to make something, but some times not. I hate to always be running to the store. I'd love to hear your ideas?
Thanks so much,
Amy
Dear Amy,
Isn't it great to have the kids over? And you are right — it's good to be prepared. But how?
{It is better to be invited to herbs with love…}
So we'll keep it simple, relying on the warm family atmosphere that no doubt is what attracts kids to your house!
Now, first of all, you know your menu binder? Go ahead and put a section — a page! — in there for snacks and something called easy company menus. You know how you did your family menu bank? Do the same for this: ask your family what snacks they have had at others' houses, which ones they enjoy the most, which ones they've been wishing for.
Many basic cookbooks (Good Housekeeping, Better Homes and Gardens, Joy of Cooking, Fanny Farmer) that you probably have on your shelf right now have whole sections for snacks. Look through for the simplest, easiest ones and jot them down.
Ditto for company food. Remember, you aren't trying to make a list of astonishing elegant dishes. You are trying to make a list of things you could pull out quickly.
This is more useful to you than me telling you what we like (although I will do that too!). Every family is different, and you will hit on what yours likes best.
Here are my ideas for snacks.
These are the simplest possible snacks. They are nothing amazing, but somehow the kids love them, and once you have your little list, it's easy to keep the ingredients on hand — just make sure that you go through the “snack” checklist when you are shopping:
Popcorn. Somehow you don't think about it (at least, I don't), but who doesn't love popcorn? I get the store brand “natural” microwaveable kind. No “butter”, no flavors — i.e., no MSG and rotten fats. Surprisingly, everyone finds it satisfying and always tells me they are SURE it does have butter on it!
If you have a fireplace, you should try to find an old-fashioned popper. Let them burn a few batches until they have it right. ๐
Serve with hot cocoa or cider.
My recipe for hot cocoa: mix equal parts cocoa and sugar (I think — I made this last year and every time I have to experiment. I also like it very chocolaty). Add a pinch of salt. Teach the kids to stir up a few tablespoons (I keep a coffee measure in the jar) with a smidge of cold water until a paste forms; then add milk. This microwaves up just fine (no, the milk won't boil over — you don't boil the milk for hot cocoa) and is far healthier than the mixes with all the gums and odd ingredients.
Another snack to go with the above is graham crackers. You will see a whole new side of those teenaged boys when you serve them graham crackers and cocoa ๐
Nachos. Again, only buy plain chips — any flavor on a chip is mostly MSG! Keep bags of grated cheddar (the sharp kind! not the bland kind) in the fridge — they are the same price as the bricks per pound, and worth their weight in dollars for streamlining things in the meal-prep department. There are very few shortcuts I go for, but grated cheese for cooking is one of them!
Spread your corn chips out right on your microwave turntable (spotlessly clean, of course), sprinkle with cheese and a smidge of cumin or chili powder– a few flakes of pepper if the guys like that– and microwave for 30 seconds or until the cheese melts.
For a real teenaged boy blowout treat, make a layered dip (however many layers you have on hand): heat up a can of refried beans (make sure to choose a brand that does have lard and doesn't have MSG), top with salsa, top with guacamole, top with sour cream, top with grated cheese. Hand them a spreader and the chips. There are young men wandering this world right now who love us just for this dip.
Slices of homemade bread with butter and honey. It's worth it to start a batch of dough every morning just to be ready in the afternoon with this snack.
Gingerbread.
This recipe is from the Joy of Cooking. It has the virtue of mixing up in one bowl and making the house smell like the inside of a fairy tale.
{I'm on my second copy of this cookbook, by the way. It's tattered to bits and the page with this recipe has the doubled proportions written on it — and for some reason also 1 1/2 times proportions (maybe because I was using a smaller but not smallest pan — that enameled white one? could be) — and is wrinkled and brown-splotched, as by the detritus of many gingerbread makings.}
Preheat oven to 350* (325* convection).
Use a lasagna pan, greased. (I'm giving you the proportions for this size– double what the recipe calls for. I'm also compressing it because I just mix it up all at once without sifting the dry ingredients or any other nonsense. I'm assuming you have a Kitchenaid mixer for this. If not, I think you know where Santa lives.)
- Melt 1 cup butter
- Add and beat well: 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs
- Add 5 cups flour, 3 tsps. baking soda, 2 tsps. each cinnamon and ginger, 1 tsp. salt
Begin mixing and add (you could mix these all together beforehand, or not):
- 1 cup molasses, 1 cup honey, 2 cups water (although cold coffee here is really excellent if you can afford the caffeine and happen to have a pot sitting there), and the grated peel of one orange — omit by all means if this seems onerous.
Just beat this all together. Pour into your pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until you can't stand it any more. Just outrageously good.
Here are some ideas for a good suppers for last-minute guests of the kid variety.
Any soup is good. Chicken noodle is easy to mix up if you have stashed cooked chicken and broth in the freezer.
If you have a can of tomatoes, flour, butter, milk, and broth, you can have cream of tomato soup in a twinkling…
A little bit of leftover roast and mashed potatoes goes into little pies…
It really is dinner out of nothing!
If you have chili in the freezer, you can serve chili and just make it more soupy by adding another can of petite diced tomatoes or broth (you can always put in a can of tomato paste and add water). With crackers, corn chips, and guacamole, yummy. You can also make tamale pie (just plop the chili in a pan and dollop on your favorite cornbread recipe), tacos, and enchiladas with leftover chili.
If you make sure to have sausage in the freezer (I prefer the fancy chicken, sundried tomato, and feta style ones — do you know the kind I mean? One package holds four, which can feed 8 — I don't like them whole; they are better sliced. Or fresh brats or fresh kielbasa is good), you can always make a big pasta dish that features sliced sauteed sausage, some kind of veggie like green beans or asparagus lightly sauteed, onions, peppers, and a white wine bechamel sauce with plenty of Parmesan.
Any small amount of meat can be stretched by having enough sides.
Do I just go around taking pictures of supper? Why, yes! And you see how handy it is!
A leftover bit of pot roast makes a beautiful beef pot pie. Pie crust is just such a help in stretching that meat…do you know how to make a good one? Practice, butter, and lard!
You should inflict pot pies on your family until you can make one in your sleep with about a tablespoon of meat. As long as you have carrots, potatoes, and a package of peas in the freezer (small white onions optional), you are golden.
Confidential to Kari: Make sure you mix extra flour into your cold ingredients, as the vegetables exude liquid while cooking, thinning the gravy. Julia Child tells us that a flour slurry (flour mixed with cold liquid as opposed to a roux) will not break down but continue to thicken and look glossy even while held. See why you have to study your cookbooks? ๐
Don't forget the fruit crisp for dessert! If you tucked some topping away, you are all set. And if you live with us, you will always have ice cream in the freezer!
If you've read this far, I will tell you a story.
Once I really didn't have more than $25 for the week's groceries — and 6 kids to feed — nine of us all together! I was shopping at Elegant Market because they always have a marked down vegetable bin that contains produce not Elegant but just fine. I got milk, some veggies, some marked down frozen ground beef, maybe some cheese and pasta, and two quarts of ice cream. I asked the checker to give me a subtotal so I wouldn't go over my pittance.
Sure enough, the total was over. I looked at her, looked at the stuff on the belt, and asked her to take back the….
….milk!! You can always drink water, but you need your ice cream!
Please give us your snack and hospitality ideas in the comments!
Thanks to Ann Kroeker for the link!
The Kampers says
my mom always said you need to have a cake (without the frosting, she would freeze in right in her 9 x 13 pan) and a lasagna in the freezer to pull out in case someone shows up! Good advice. Oh, and you know you don't have to cook the lasagna noodles before you put the lasagna together, right?Things like chili and soups are good too because you can always add more beans:)
bearing says
Everybody needs at least two or three recipes that meet the following criteria:- could be a one-pot meal- can be made COMPLETELY from stuff that you always have in your pantry or freezer- don't take more than 45 minutes or so to make- are generally satisfying to most people likely to visit you.My a-number-one go-to recipe is a meat-and-beans chili which I call "Emergency Chili." I always have ground beef in the freezer, I always have cheese in the fridge, I always have onions, and I always have chili powder, cumin and garlic powder; and just because of this recipe, I make sure to always keep on hand cans of crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and my favorite brand of chili beans. (They're all in the same corner of the pantry and I never let them run out!) It takes 30 minutes.It's great for company and easy to stretch with rice, chips, pasta or cornbread. What's more, it's also my go-to "we just got home from a long car trip" dinner.Another good pantry dinner, if you tend to always have eggs around, is "enhanced scrambled eggs." Throw in whatever you like. We like to turn them into chilaquiles, with salsa and refried beans and crushed tortilla chips and cheese scrambled in, plus bits of whatever vegetables.You can also feed a crowd with little fuss on pancakes or waffles, especially if you have the foresight to keep some breakfast sausage in the freezer, or frozen blueberries.
Decadent Housewife says
I always have a pot of soup in the fridge for anyone who may drop by – it's a lifesaver. All leftovers of anything are re-bagged and frozen. If soup needs to stretch unexpectantly, I'll fish around for a bag of leftovers that "match" and add more water. The other night I made a bowl and half of soup feed two ravenous men by adding a diced cooked potato and some V-8 juice and a tin of pinto beans.A just out of the oven loaf of raisin bread thickly sliced and accompanied with jam and butter and a jug of milk set on the table is all hungry teen boys need.It also can sub as dessert.
Anonymous says
Excellent post. Useful information. This is definitely going in my menu book!Sherry
Kimberly says
We have a large family 9 children, my oldest son is married and lives next door, 2nd son engaged, 1 live in friend so we have a revolving door of hungry teen-agers and little ones…i have always found that anything served with love and cake after seems to go a long way…i have a favorite chocolate sheet cake that is quick easy and tastes great..I regularly feed 14-16 people for dinner, and soup with home-made bread, beans with cornbread…spaghetti or whatever else may be on the menu that night, we just eat until we run out of food, no one ever complains, and i don't think anyone has ever left the table hungry…God seems to multiply love and food, as my grocery budget is very tight..I really enjoy reading your blog..thank you for so many lovely posts.
Camille says
The other night I wanted a dessert with dinner (DH was cooking so I figured I could at least make dessert). I had bags of "Apple Pie Kits" (the innards of an apply pie) and your crumb topping in the freezer. Let the apple mix thaw (mostly), dumped in a cake pan, topped with your topping and VOILA! A gorgeous, delicious dessert with absolutely NO WORK on my part! :-)You can drizzle that popcorn with some chocolate… yum….
NLC says
One of our favorite popcorn snacks is kettle corn. It's not as good as the kind you get at the fair, but it's still pretty tasty. Just heat 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup sugar, and a scant 1/2 cup popcorn kernels over medium heat. Stir until it starts popping and then put the lid on the pan and keep it moving. My boys LOVE this. Once the popcorn is out, get the pan in hot water ASAP though or the oil/sugar residue dries like cement!!We also like to make homemade pizza. Sometimes we make personal size pizzas so guests and put on their own favorite toppings.
Ann Kroeker says
Ah, so inspiring! We just enjoyed some popcorn this very evening (just us; no drop-in teens). I need to work on a few more go-to recipes so I can have a bigger repertoire.Thanks for taking all those photos to share with us. I'm hungry now for *all* of it!!
Pippajo says
If we have unexpected company I like to make spaghetti and meatballs. I always have tomatoes and spaghetti on hand and it's usually easy to have someone run to the corner store for a pound-and-a-half of ground beef. In a real emergency, I'll make pancakes and scrambled eggs or omelets. You'd be surprised how many people think pancakes for dinner is a wonderful thing!We always do popcorn for the teenaged girls we tend to acquire at times, only we buy it in bulk at the Mennonite market and pop it on the stove. You wouldn't believe how many kids ask in awe, "What kind of popcorn is this? It's amazing," and simply because they've only ever had microwave popcorn. They think we're geniuses.Another favorite, and probably the only recipe I could make in my sleep, is homemade cream scones. Even Redheaded Snippet can make a mean batch of scones and just the smell of them can tear a herd of teenaged girls away from their texting and IMing and bring them thundering down the stairs. Fresh, hot, just sweet enough and perfect with a scalding, strong cup of tea, scones are good for whatever ails you!
Polly says
I'm a novice with only one young (2 year old!) son right now, but every time I read a post like this I long for half a dozen children and a house bursting with family and friends! All from reading about food?!
MetroOwl says
Ditto! Well, still trying in the baby department, but, as an only child, I’ve long yearned for a home bursting with people and a seemingly perpetual pot of sauce simmering on the stove. Just three of us now (and 2 pups that eat like grown men), so I’m using this calm time in my life to grow my kitchen repertoire and inch my way toward someday being the woman whose kitchen is the hear to of the home. ๐ <3
Barbara says
Thank you, thank you, thank you, and thanks for the reminder to work on my menu planning. With all the illnesses and sports this fall, I feel like my brain can't think. Of course if I took the little bit of time to plan, then my brain wouldn't have to think…I'm starting to experience the teenage boy phenomenon (sp?). I feel bad because I don't have stuff to offer, but now I have some ideas. Does it ever feel like all you ever think about is food? But, then we're called to nourish our families…
Leila says
Ha ha, Barbara…just you wait! Keep it simple and make LOTS!It's funny how when you are in the draggy doldrums, making a list and particularly knowing what is for dinner for even a few days re-invigorates you! Then, take a nap, and off you go! ๐
Anonymous says
"You should inflict pot pies on your family…"Wrong verb, my dear. You don't "inflict" your pot pies on our family. Maybe "lavish" would be the right word. Keep 'em coming.XOXOThe Chief
Anonymous says
I just discovered your blog and just love it. I grew up in a family of 10 and now with 3 young girls of my own, your writting "hits home" in so many ways. Thanks, Betsy
Melissa says
What a wonderful post, Leila! I found your blog months ago and just love it–your home and family and practical wisdom encourage me. Shame on me for lurking for so long. I appreciate the popcorn reminder. Why don't I ever think of it? I'm inspired.In reading through the comments, I see some of 'my' ideas already there. I've had lots of opportunities to pull something out of the hat for unexpected stayers-to-dinner. Whole grain pancakes and eggs have helped me in a pinch many times, and has been surprisingly well-received.Homemade raisin bread toast(already mentioned:)) is a favorite snack of our 17 year old son–esp. with hot chocolate.The most used throw-together supper is 'burrito goush'. I brown ground beef, season it with taco spices, add a can or two of refried beans to stretch it and hold it together into 'goush':) and maybe a can of green chilis. We smear this on tortillas and add whatever we have for toppings–cheese, tomato, sour cream–our favorite is shredded angel hair cole slaw cabbage (from a bag in a pinch). Fold them up and eat them. This one's easy for people to eat standing, or perched around a crowded room.It's delightful to read your ideas. I'm learning, reminded, and refreshed even though I've been walking a kindred road for many years. Thank you!Melissa
Jen@balancing beauty says
Oh friend – you know I love this post. Just got back from Ecuador relishing in simple hospitality that resonates world wide.Just voted for your at homeschool blog awards…best family. ๐
skoots1mom says
i host big teens…they love it when i make them 'pigs-n-blankets'…i use the flaky biscuits if in a hurry, pulling them in half…then wrap each half around a little smokey sausage…pinch it together and lay it on a cookie sheet, seam side down..then bake for 12-18 mins and serve with honey mustard along side…they go quickly once they hit the table :)I also do quick pre-cooked meatballs…a jar of grape jelly, a jar of Heinz chili sauce…mix jelly and chili sauce. Pour into crockpot…add meatballs and set on high for at least 30 mins before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon…and small dinner rolls, enough for each meatball…they love making mini sandwiches…and they do the labor:D
Hailey's Beats says
mouthwatering. gives me ideas, too! thanks
50s Housewife says
Wonderfully useful post as always! I love the peek into your kitchen. ๐
Hillary says
This post is so helpful, and that last story just solidifies my homemaker crush on you. : )
Kari says
Leila!Bless You! Thanks for sharing the thickening tips. One more question about the pot pie and then I "might" practice on my hubby enough to get it right….Do you use a bottom crust or just a top?Thanks again for responding! You are my daily "hochpunkt" (High point)Kari
Leila says
Kari — For pot pie I use only a top crust, but I put the pie in a shallow dish so there will be a lot of crust, proportionately. Alternatively, make in a deep dish but make extra crust in a pie plate, scoring before baking, to make up for it.I use the "pate brisee" from Gourmet: <a href="http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/1990s/1992/11/pate-briseehttp://www.gourmet.com/recipes/1990s/1992/11/pate… />Double the recipe, using 12 tbsps butter (don't bother with unsalted unless you happen to have it) and 4 tbsps lard or bacon grease. If you have a bit of leftover white wine, you can use that in place of some of the water, or all!
Alice says
Popcorn is my favorite thing in the world. I'm glad you shared the Ice Cream story; I was shocked last week (when you told me to go to bed) at a Lawler Family cure that didn't involve Ice Cream!Emergency "somebody needs to be had for dinner because being a grad student is lonely" dinners– i.e., emergency dinners for two to three people:Split Pea Soup, biscuits, saladFake chicken parmesan (pan-cooked chicken breasts with melted cheese, on pasta, with tomato sauce).Pork tenderloin cut into small sections (to decrease cooking time) and roasted with potatoes, carrots, and garlic cloves.Chicken, sliced apple, and leeks roasted in olive oil with rosemary (I haven't made this in a long time…hrm.)"Pasta a la Alice" or "Pasta a la Suki" (something we invented based on our favorite foods when she came to Chicago to visit in '06): mushrooms, peas, and bacon over pasta with parmesan cheese (my version has chili peppers and garlic instead of bacon)And our number-one emergency meal we-don't-know-what-we're-having-and-it's-finals-and-a-Friday is a can of tuna sauteed in olive oil with garlic and red pepper, served over pasta with bread and a salad.
Anonymous says
ah. . tell me what is a lasagna pan. . 9 by 13?? just found your blog. . and am enjoying it!!
Leila says
Yes, 9 x 13, 9 x 15…just larger than the 9 x 9 the original recipe calls for…
Anonymous says
Thank you all for adding your great ideas, and Aunt Leila again for answering my question with your wonderful post. I'm glad other readers are finding it helpful too. I'm inspired to try these out soon. Amy Wheaton IL
Leila says
Amy, it's a great question!Alice, it's UNDERSTOOD that ice cream is prescribed ๐
Alice says
Ice cream may be understood even as we speak, as I stare down Petrarch.On another note, the ex-bakery- worker, fanatic home bread baker I'm marrying has complimented your loaves in this post. (We have a strict division of labor: I get sweets, except gingersnaps, and he gets savories, except Anadama bread and biscuits.)
Natalie says
I love this post. Rosie shared your Crunchy Noodley Salad recipe with me a few years ago. That definitely deserves mention as a quick & easy dish for company. Perhaps, Leila, you could share the recipe with us all?? :)Also, my favorite quick, affordable, one-dish meal to serve guests is stir fry. I always have on hand soy sauce, eggs, garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds, canola oil and rice. Whether the "meat" is a single diced chicken breast, shaved beef, a can of drained tuna, or lentils, I can make a yummy stir fry with whatever veggies I have on hand. A friend of mine uses cooked Ramen noodles (drained and without the MSG-laden seasoning packet) instead of rice for a faster meal.
Jackie says
My go-to "emergency" snacks are:Pita chips & hummus (we always keep a can of chickpeas and tahini on hand)Crudites-because it takes carrots a LONG time to go bad in the fridge, and "homemade" ranch dip is SUPER!Bean dip…a can of black beans, rinsed & drained, whirled in the food processor with a can of Rotel. Served with chips/nachos, of course.Meals are pretty easy, too:Tuna casserole out of the Joy of Cooking is SO yummy, and of course, there's always macaroni and cheese (from scratch).I'm with you on stretching the meat. I've found that my family will eat pretty much anything in a crescent roll crust…along the lines of the pot pie.Our favorite is to take leftover roast and season it with taco seasoning (we use homemade) then put it in a crust and top it with bean dip and lots of cheese. Sides certainly help, too. You can serve a big green leafy salad with pretty much anything.Thanks for all the tips!
Gail says
I'm curious, why do the canned refried beans need to be made with lard? After being a vegetarian for 13 years I obviously stayed away from the lard. Now that I'm no longer a vegetarian, I still buy the vegetarian beans out of habit. Are the cans with lard really that much better? Or is there something unhealthy I should be aware of in the veg. beans? Strange question I know, but I was really surprised by your insistance on the lard.
Leila says
Hi Gail!It would be best to make the beans from scratch. However, since we're talking about having things in the pantry for a moment's notice, I do find it helpful to have a can of refried beans handy.You will notice that things that are "low fat" or "lite" have significantly more weird ingredients than things that aren't. That's because the lard adds flavor and mouth feel that have to be mimicked by all sorts of nasty things otherwise.So the refried beans without lard have MSG (sometimes by another name) and I really want to stay away from that. I think that if you don't want the lard a better idea would be to cook up a lot of beans after soaking them, and then freeze what you don't use. Voila! Easy refried beans! But they do need some sort of fat to taste good ๐
Jamie says
I tired the gingerbread cake and it didn't work out at all for some reason. I'm thinking it might be my ancient oven? Parts around the edge were almost burnt (I had to cook it much longer than 30 min.) and the center was still literally liquid (I used a 9X13)..might be time to replace the oven soon…? A few pieces were ok..and it does smell good and those few pieces are tasty. Maybe I'll try it again after I get a different oven.
Diana says
I’m late to the party on this one, but I just wanted to say thank you for this excellent post! I have printed it out to put in my recipe notebook.
I love your blog!! ๐
Diana
Melissa says
Have you shared a recipe for pot pie? My husband loves them. We tried once and ended up with flavorless soup topped with pie crust. Love the blog by the way. This is the year I figure out laundry!