Seeing the Potential in Your Heart & Home with Guest Jessica Zigenis
Welcome to our first swap and share Friday for our hospitality study!
Before we get to the recipe sharing and today’s giveaway, meet our current guest, my new friend Jessica Zigenis.
From her heart:
Hello new friends! I’m Jessica, and you can usually find me over at Monster Cakes where I blog about life with my handsome husband and our giant puppy.
When I first got married at the ripe age of twenty, I constantly compared myself to my amazing mother and other seasoned hostesses, ultimately letting anxiety take over and closing my door to any and all hosting possibilities.
Slowly but surely, God worked on my heart, humbling me and reminding me that opening up my home is about having a heart to serve, to love, and to fellowship with others.
When I stopped focusing on our second-hand furniture, my inexperience in the kitchen, the giant hole in the couch courtesy of our unruly pups, my lack of funds for decorations and food, and our tiny living room with carpet stains throughout, I saw the potential in my heart and home.
I let go of my insecurities and let God take over, ultimately finding my bravery and opening my door.
I threw parties for friends.
I started hosting a book club.
I cooked for friends and family.
Once I became willing, God took my chaotic, little home and blessed me through hostessing beyond what I expected or deserved.
What I’ve learned along the way?
Some simple truths that may help you to open your heart and home to others too:
Like….
~ At the end of the night, the fellowship and conversation is what truly matters, not the difficulty level of the meal or the messy guest room.
~ Even if you’re on a tight budget, you can always focus on making one thing really special and memorable: a photo booth wall, fresh flowers, a unique or homemade dessert, etc.
~ Most people are craftier than they know and have the ability to make affordable, easy decorations if they can muster up some confidence and creativity.
~ Once you stop comparing yourself and your home to others, you will find that contentment often leads to a deeper desire to play hostess.
Let God use you. You bring a willing heart, and He’ll do the rest.
Jessica
Great advice!
Now, for today’s giveaway and recipe swap & share!
The giveaway includes:
~ A collapsible colander–great for rinsing pasta or draining berries for muffins.
~ A reusable drink cup in a fun paisley pattern. You can sip while you cook. :-)
~ Two boxes of instant iced coffee. One hazelnut. One French Vanilla.
~ A handwritten recipe of our family’s favorite company dishes— stuffed crust pizza!
Okay–to be entered in the giveaway, either link up below to a post on your blog with a recipe to share or leave one in the comments section.
Can’t wait to try some new ones out!
And don’t forget, we’ll have guests both days over the weekend so be sure to stop by!
Okay–let’s see those company-pleasing recipe favorites!
{Bloggers, will you kindly grab the code for my hospitality button and place it in your sidebar so other can find us?}
{Non-bloggers, simply leave us your recipe as a comment!}
An easy dish that hard to mess up:
Meatloaf!
ground beef
1 egg
half a cup of oatmeal
8th cup of ketchup
onions
pepper
squirt of mustard
any other spices you have
can of tomato soup
brown sugar
Bake at 350 for an hour. For the last 15 min, pour a mixture of the canned tomato soup and the brown sugar on top.
As you can see the measurements don’t have to be exact, I mix up spices etc and it always turns out so good!
We’re vegetarian, so it’s hard sometimes to find simple yet tasty substitute meat dishes. A friend shared this with me. Take one can of Grands biscuits. Spray eight of the sections of a muffin pay then press one of the biscuits into each of the sprayed sections pressing up the sides. Mix together 1 bag of Morning Star Crumbles or Boca Crumbles thawed (these can be found in the frozen food section of most grocery stores) and 1 bottle of BBQ sauce, we like the honey flavored. Spoon into the biscuits and bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes. I make a double or triple batch to take to church dinners and they go over really well, especially with the young people.
I make this recipe as a family favorite! You can either make as traditional pudding or it will make 2 pies. It is EXTREMELY rich, so a little goes a long way. It is my go to birthday treat for my sons.
Banana pudding
2 instant pudding mixes( banana if I can find it, French vanilla if not)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 extra large cool whip
1/2 tsp. banana extract ONLY IF USING FRENCH VANILLA PUDDING
Fresh bananas
Vanilla Wafers OR 2 graham cracker pie crusts
Aerosol whipped cream (for pie)
Blend all ingredients except bananas well. This is a stiff batter
Add bananas and fold in.
If making pudding line bowl with vanilla wafers.
If making pies divide filling into the two crumb crusts.
For pies, decorate edges with aerosol whipped cream,
Enjoy the decadence.
Another serving idea for luncheons or book club.
Line 1/2 pint canning jar with graham cracker crumbs. Spoon 1 serving into jar. Top with whipped cream. Place lid on jar, add a fabric square, screw ring on jar. Tie a plastic spoon to jar with pretty ribbon. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Crock-Pot Roast
1 rump roast or whatever type roast is on sale
1 can golden mushroom soup mixed with dry onion soup mix
I brown my roast after slicing in 2-3″ slices, place in crock pot and cover with soup mixture.
Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
Serve over rice with a salad.
Easy Chicken Casserole
Cook 1 whole chicken or 2-4 chicken breasts. Debone, and cut up. Mix with 1 pkg of Stove Top Stuffing, 1 egg, 1 can cream of chicken soup, add chicken broth so that the stuffing is well saturated. Pour into casserole dish, dot with butter and bake at 350 for 30-40 min. Yum. I usually serve with glazed carrots! It’s one of my Grandkid’s favorite meal.
I love to make “Cowboy Cavier” when we have company. It is simple to make and yummy!
1/2 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 (8 ounce) bottle zesty Italian dressing
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained
1 can mexi-corn drained
1 can chopped black olives
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro
Mix together and let it marinate for at least 2 hours (better overnight.) We serve this with the frito scoops.
Fiesta Dip: 1 package Hidden Valley Fiest Dip mix, 1 (2 C. container of sour cream, 1 small package of shredded cheddar cheese. Mix all together and serve with tortilla chips. Couldn’t be easier and it gets gobbled up quickly!
I just gained 10 pounds reading all these! I will have to go back through and write out some to try.
Lasagna roll-ups (by way of Betty Crocker)
Use about 12 cooked lasagna noodles; mix 15oz ricotta or cottage cheese; 1 cup mozzarella; 1/4 grated parmesan; s&p; minced garlic optional; 10oz frozen chopped spinach (thawed & drained) (I used bagged spinach and chopped in food processor) use as much as you see fit. Spred mix over each noodle, roll; cut in half; stand up cut side down in baking dish on a layer of sauce of your choice; cover, bake 350 about 30 min til hot; serve with additional sauce and paremesan cheese.
I made these with my daughter. A little messy, but worth it!
Thanks for all these ideas!
I love to entertain and believe the best way to be a good hostess is to make every guest feel welcome. If they know youare happy to have them they will be happy too! This is such an easy dish – good for breakfast or dessert!
Cherry Almond Danish
2 cans refrigerated cinnamon rolls w/icing
21 oz can cherry pie filling
¼ tsp almond extract
Handful sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Open cinnamon rolls and separate. Put icing aside. Spray a 13×9 inch pan. Line up cinnamon rolls in pan. In medium bowl, combine cherries and almond extract. Cover rolls with cherry mixture. Sprinkle top with almonds. Bake on oven 40-50 minutes until golden brown. Drizzle icing over top of Danish.
All these recipes sound so yummy. Can’t wait to go back through and try some of them. Here is mine:
SOUR CREAM CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
SAUCE:
1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. sour cream 8 oz. green chilies
½ soup can of milk
Heat all ingredients together. Add more milk if needed for consistency.
FLAVORFUL FILLING:
4-5 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or finely chopped
OR 1-2 large cans of white meat chicken from Sam’s
1 onion finely chopped (sauté if desired)
1 can Rotel tomatoes – drain and reserve juice
1 cup or more shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional, but good way to
stretch your filling)
Chili powder and Cumin to taste
Mix well. Add Rotel juices if mixture seems dry.
Spray 9X13 inch baking dish with Pam. Lightly cover the bottom of the disk with some of the sauce. Soften corn tortillas* and fill with chicken mixture. Roll up and place seam side down in dish. Pour sauce mixture over enchiladas. Bake in 350° oven covered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with grated Monterrey Jack cheese. Sprinkle with paprika. Put back in oven uncovered until cheese is melted.
*Quick way to soften tortillas is to wrap in damp paper towels & put in microwave for 20-30 seconds.
it seems i never have time to make a great breakfast for my family we’re always rushing to get out the door to go somewhere ;) so i created a breakfast on the go menu…
fruit smoothies, bagel and egg white sammies, granola bars~ kids
iced coffee in a to go mug, bevita cookies or a whole grain muffin~ grown ups
on the go kid smoothies
1 bannana
3 strawberries
4 blueberries
wheat germ
vanilla yougurt
lots of ice
and a splash of silk milk to get things blending, throw everything in the blender, blend on high for 3 mins., pour in to go cups or sippies cups and ready to drink! tip make the night before and then all you got to do is place on blender and push start. ;) of couser store the cup in the fridge;)
iced coffee
fresh brew cold
ice
choc. or vanilla syrup
splash of cream or milk
brew your fave java, let set out for 15 mins. or place in fridge over night, in a mug stir together the coffee and syrup and milk or cream, add ice, enjoy. can place back in fridge till ready to leave to keep chill.
bagel sammies
whole wheat bagel
fried egg whites
cheese if kiddies ask
while eggs fry in a skillet, toast the bagel, spread with butter, top with egg ( once it’s done) add cheese if kids request. enjoy!
whole grain muffin and bevita cookies and granola bars are store bought. it’s ok to cheat sometimes mom;)
so there ya have it a breakfast on the go menu for happy kids,happy dads and a healthy family!
This has been a big hit with adults and kids…..
SWEET PORK TACOS
*Pork loin roast
*large jar of salsa
*1-2 cups of brown sugar
*1/2 water
Season 1 pork loin roast with salt and pepper and put in the crock pot with 1/2 cup of water. Set to cook on low for 8 hours. After about 5-6 hours of cooking, shred the pork with a fork then add 1 large jar of salsa (homemade or store bought) and 1-2 cups of brown sugar. Cover and leave to finish cooking.
SAUCE FOR TACOS
*16 oz sour cream
*cilantro
*1 pkg ranch dressing mix
*1/4 cup deli sliced jalapenos
*1 lime squeezed
Blend all in the blender until smooth.
Serve tacos with pork, shredded lettuce, Monterey Jack shredded cheese, and any other condiment you wish! Enjoy!
This sounds delicious! I can’t wait to try it, especially the sauce! My kids love anything that goes in a tortilla so I know this will be a hit. Thanks!
Chicken Salad
1 bag of salad mix
1 jar of mild salsa
3 chicken breast cut into small pieces
Taco seasoning (as much as you like)
shredded cheese
1/2 bag of doritos crushed
Cook chicken in a little bit of oil till done. Sprinkle on the Taco seasoning. In a lg bowl mix all of the other ingredients then add chicken and serve.
Thanks for reminding me that it isn’t about what I do or don’t have in my home that is important. One of my favorite recipes is for a simple pizza.
1 Crescent Rolls
1 cup Diced tomatoes
1 cup Diced onions
1 cup Crumbled bacon
1 package shredded Mozeralla cheese
Oregano
Use crescent rolls for the crust–lay them on your pizza pan or baking stone–so that they are touching. Use your fingers to knead them together so that they form one crust. Top them with diced fresh tomatoes, onions, and crumbled bacon. Sprinkle on Oregano. Then top with Mozeralla cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes–until crust is crisp and cheese is melted. Serve hot–Enjoy!
Watergate Cake
Ingredients:
1 white cake mix
3 eggs
1 pkg(3 oz) instant pistachio pudding
1 cup oil
1 cup 7-up
½ cup pecans
½ cup flaked coconut
1. Mix in order given.
2. Place batter into prepared 9” x 13” pan that has been sprayed w/Pam.
3. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
2 envelopes Dream Whip
1 – 1 ½ cups milk
½ cup pecans, chopped
1 pkg (3oz) instant pistachio pudding
Whip Dream Whip until stiff. Add dry pudding and fold in nuts. Frost cake and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
*This is an old recipe that I’ve had for many years and was very popular in the 70’s! Plus it’s great for St. Patrick’s day or Easter, since it’s “spring” colored!
I’m so encouraged by this :). I love that we dont have to wait until our homes are perfect before we open them up to guests, although it is tempting to think we must perfect it before sharing. I came up with a great simple yet tasty dinner/lunch idea the other day, here it is:
Mediterranean Sandwich
Pita Bread
Black Beans
Diced Tomatoes
Hummus
Your Favorite Salad
Heat up the Pita bread, spread on the hummus, pile on the beans and tomatoes, sprinkle on the salad, fold, and voila’!
This is one of Ree Drummond’s (Pioneer Woman) ABSOLUTE BEST recipes! I use it often in my hospitality. I make these for overnight guests, friends who need a pick me up, and even made them to offer random acts of kindness to my neighborhood firefighters and military. They are a hit every time!
CINNAMON ROLLS be Ree Drummond
Ingredients
1 quart Whole Milk
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
Plenty Of Melted Butter
2 cups Sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
_____
MAPLE FROSTING:
1 bag Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
1/2 cup Milk
1/4 cup Melted Butter
1/4 cup Brewed Coffee
1/8 teaspoon Salt
Preparation Instructions
For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and cool to warm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.
Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
To assemble the rolls, remove half the dough from the pan/bowl. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.
To make the filling, pour 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Generously sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and 1 cup of the sugar over the butter. Don’t be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar! Gooey is the goal.
Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be divine. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. When you’re finished, you’ll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamony, sugary, gooey log.
Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and with a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices. One “log “will produce 20 to 25 rolls. Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into disposable foil cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.)
Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough and more pans. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown.
While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.
Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor. They only get better with time… not that they last for more than a few seconds. Make them for a friend today! It’ll seal the relationship for life. I promise.
I made these wonderful cinnamon rolls as gifts and everyone LOVED them. I could not keep my husband out of the kitchen.
Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese
1 16 oz. box of elbow macaroni
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
1 stick margarine or butter
1 quart milk
Salt and pepper
Cut cheese and butter into cubes
Boil macaroni until half cooked (drain)
Layer macaroni, cheese, and butter in crock pot
Sprinkle with salt and pepper
Pour milk over and turn on crock pot to high
Will be ready in about 3 hours-stir occasionally
Best Pot Roast Ever
2 C warm water
1 pkg ranch dressing
1 pkg italian dressing
1 pkg brown gravy mix
Mix dry ingredients in water. Place roast in pot. Pour mixture over the roast. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 3 hours.
this sounds so good, I will try it this week!!
I like to use this recipe not only for company, but also for when the office has potlucks and I need a quick recipe. I find it especially useful today as I am now married to a Catholic and we need great fish ideas for Fridays!
Seafood salad
The amounts used of the following ingredients depends on your tastes. I don’t normally measure.
Miracle Whip for moisture
Macaroni noodles
1 onion finely chopped
Can of peas
1 package (or more) of imitation crabmeat
1 package of tiny shrimp (be mindful of allergies)
1 bell pepper finely chopped
Olives with pimentos
Prepare macaroni (cook, strain, then put under cold water).
Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl of prepared macaroni. Stir. Add salt/pepper/other seasonings if you wish after tasting.
Serve with Ritz crackers. Voila!
Thanks for the awesome recipes! I also make a special non-alcoholic drink that everyone can try when they arrive. It’s a neat way to set the tone of the evening. I also use a lot of candles to decorate (cheap and pretty) and it allows for darker lighting to cover up all the stains and imperfections in the house. I love entertaining as soon as I get past the fear of people seeing my home!
I am also a huge fan of the crockpot!!! An easy one is
Salsa Chicken
4-6 Chicken Breast
Pour in a jar of salsa
Bake on low for 4-6 hrs, depending on your crockpot
You can add rice to the bottom if you want for every cup of rice add 1 1/2 cups of water.
Serve with refried beans, cheese, and sour cream
Lemon Velvet
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup milk
pinch of salt
1/2 pint whipping cream
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Mix sugar, milk, salt, and whipping cream; add lemon juice and lemon peel; mix with electric mixer; freese in a tightly covered container. Thaw slightly; whip with electric mixer; refreeze. Yield: 4 servings. Recipe may be double or tripled.
This is THE MOST WONDERFUL ice cream in the world!!! Enjoy!
Lucy
Our go-to for guests is Fetticuinne Alfredo. We use any type of pasta noodle, with my hubby’s sauce recipe. Unfortunately, I know the ingredients, but not the amounts of each, except the butter. He’s one of those who eyeballs things and works magic with it. He uses butter (1 stick), cream (1/2 & 1/2), a tiny bit of flour (to help thicken), and shredded hard cheese(s). Melt the butter, add the cream and flour, then add the cheese(s). We’ve been picking up bricks of cheeses at Sam’s Club and using a mix of 2 or 3 types that he shreds in the food processor. The shredding of the cheese takes longer than the making of the sauce, that’s how quick this is to put together. I can get quanties if anyone’s interested.
The homes I’ve felt the most welcomed in are the ones where the host/hostess seem to be the happiest to have us there. May my home be one of those …We normally grill when having friends or family for dinner, keeping it simple with baked beans and potato salad or cole slaw. I put my effort into dessert: Try this yummy Sopapilla Cheesecake:
Serves 12
Ingredients
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1c white sugar
1t vanilla extract
2 (8 oz) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2c melted butter
1/2c white sugar
1t ground cinnamon
1/4t grated nutmeg
Procedure
1.Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2.Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth; set aside.
3.Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each sheet into 9×13-inch rectangles. This may be a bit of a struggle – the dough is going to try really hard to snap back into its original shape.
4.Press one sheet into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
5.Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough, and brush with melted butter.
6.Stir together the other 1/2 cup of sugar with the cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl, and sprinkle evenly over the top of the cheesecake.
7.Bake oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes.
8.Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving, or serve chilled.