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!}
Hi to everyone! Thanks Jessica for the great ideas. Karen, I’m really enjoying this study.
We make this often when we have a family get together. My Sister-in-law, Kim, shared this recipe with us. We call it Kimie’s Chili.
2 lbs. ground beef (use turkey if you’d like)
2 cups onion
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons garlic – minced
30 oz. tomato sauce
16 oz. salsa
30 oz. kidney beans
shredded cheese
tortilla chips
Cook beef until no longer pink.
Add onions and cook over medium heat until translucent, stir often.
Stir in chili powder and garlic – cook for 1 minute.
Stir in tomato sauce and salsa – bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Stir in kidney beans and heat through.
Serve and enjoy.
Great served with cold broccoli, cheese, raisin, sunflower seed salad and brownies for dessert!
I can’t be up for very long at a time & right now main company is my sister & her family. My sister has a severe corn allergie & keeps telling me more & more things I can’t feed her. So this is what I came up with. If anyone has an idea for a name that would be great!
1 package frozen onion
1 package frozen carrots
1 package frozen green beans
1 package frozen broccoli cuts
about 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Place in crockpot with chicken on top & add seasoning as desired. I use onion & garlic powder, celery salt, italian seasoning, parsley & paprika, and then add anything else that looks interesting at the time.
Quick & easy to make & even the boys (6 & 9) like it. Can serve by self or with rice.
Just got a quick, easy, & yummy recipe from a friend this week.
Awesome Brownies
1/2 c butter, melted
1 c sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c flour
1/3 c cocoa powder
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c chopped nuts (optional)
Grease 8×8 or 9×9 pan.
Beat together melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs. Mix in flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until well blended. Stir in nuts.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
Having problems linking, so here is the link to 2 different recipes that are great for company or any other get together!!!
http://schickfunideas.blogspot.com/2012/03/fun-dessert.html
http://schickfunideas.blogspot.com/2012/03/make-ahead-blueberry-french-toast.html
Taffy Apple pizza and Blueberry French Toast – Yum!!!!
Company Chicken
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken (I boil chicken ahead of time and then shred it or cut it into bite sizes and freeze it in freezer bags)
1 package frozen vegetables of your choice
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint lite sour cream
1 package Stove Top Stuffing mix
1 stick margarine (melted)
Mix together soup and sour cream. Add thawed vegetables and chopped chicken. Place in sprayed 9×13 dish. Top with Stove Top Stuffing. Drizzle melted margarine on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until stuffing is slightly golden. Serve and enjoy!
I’ve only recently begun reading your blogs and appreciate them very much. I haven’t read the previous posts about hospitallity but will have to set aside a time to go back and read them if todays is any indication as to the quality!
I love to cook and grew up with a mother who had little financially but was always serving others through our tiny two bedroom apt. kitchen. I have peaks and valleys of being hospitable in our home but hope to continue the tradition of serving others through loving them through my ability to cook and make others welcome – actually I have a crockpot full of roast and veggies going to a church friend this evening who had a baby recently! Keep giving through your hearts and hands!
Below is a recipe for Chinese rolls that I got from a wonderful hostess about ten years ago! They are mighty tasty and I have made them with mostly whole wheat flour if any one likes to go whole grain! They look plain jane but they are yummy!
Chinese Rolls
2 cups Self Rising flour (or 2 cups All purpose plus 1 T. Baking powder & 1 t. salt)
1 c. mayonnaise (not fat-free)
1 c. milk
4 T. sugar
Mix Ingredients. Bake in greased muffin tin for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes 1 dozen rolls.
I love to make spaghetti with sautéed onions and peppers and sausage. The sausage is a great switch up ffrom the usual ground beef. I also make rachael rays buffalo chicken chili fairly often. It’s a crowd pleaser!
Mint Brownies.
Baked Brownies. (I use Betty Crocker’s Triple Chunk or you can make them from scratch)
Mix 4 Tbl of butter (softened) with 2 cups Powdered Sugar and 1 1/2 tsp of Mint extract.
Spread on top of Brownies. Refrigerate and let the icing set up.
Melt 2 Tbl of butter with 2 squares of Sweetened Bakers Chocolate.
Drizzle on top of Mint Icing. Tilt pan to the the Chocolate Glaze covers
Refrigerate.
Easy Monkey Bread
20 unbaked dinner rolls
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 c. instant vanilla pudding
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. butter, melted
Lightly grease 10 inch bundt pan. Place frozen rolls in pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar, vanilla pudding, and cinnamon. Drizzle melted butter over the top. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise overnight at room temp. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Turn onto serving plate.
I like to make this for our breakfast fellowships at church, so that when I am getting ready I can just pop this into the oven,
Taco Soup
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 lrg. onion(chopped)
1 bell pepper(chopped)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 can tomato soup
1 can yellow corn(do not drain)
1 can cream corn
1 can shoepeg corn(or 1 cup frozen)
1 small jar of salsa(or can of rotel tomatoes)
1 can pinto beans(black or ranch style beans work well too)
Brown meat with onion and bell pepper, drain fat, add taco seasoning. Add remaining ingredients, stir and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, grated cheddar, chopped green onion, avacado slices or any other taco style topping you prefer. Yum!
Oh today has touched me…I am working to make my heart and service matter more than the condition of my home. Thank you ladies for sharing! :)
In an effort to entertain without thinking my home had to be perfect the other night, my husband was determining what steaks to add to this incredible salad (that I will share) and I said, let’s invite our neighbors over. What a blessing it was…I didn’t let myself have a lot of time to think about it, just to do it and I didn’t fret over my home all day, just opened it up. What a fun and relaxing evening with our precious neighbors…and she commented on how she doesn’t do that because she feels her home has to be perfect. :) Oh how God is using a lot of people right now in my life!
When hosting, we LOVE to grill and we eat a lot of BEEF in our home! (It’s what’s for dinner, right?!) An awesome recipe I found in ‘The Healthy Beef Cookbook’ from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and American Dietetic Association is Tenderloin, Cranberry, and Pear Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing. I have some modifications and share them below.
Tenderloin, Cranberry, and Pear Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
4 beef tenderloin steaks, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 4 ounces each)
(my note: we have used flank steak to make it more cost effective for a large crowd and new york strip as well)
1/2 teaspoon course-grind black pepper
Honey Mustard Dressing
1/2 cup prepared honey mustard
2 to 3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 package (5 ounces) mixed baby salad greens
1 medium red or green pear, cored, cut into 16 wedges
(my note: we substitute apples sometimes)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted (toast in 350 degree oven 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally)
1/4 cup crumbed goat cheese (optional)
(my note: feta cheese is what we normally use, goat cheese is hard to find in our small grocery store)
1. Season beef steaks with pepper. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Place steaks in skillet; cook 7-9 minutes for medium-rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally.
(my note: we grill our steaks, personal preference)
2. Meanwhile, whisk Honey Mustard Dressing ingredients in small bowl until well blended. Set aside. Divide greens evenly among 4 plates. Top evenly with pear wedges and dried cranberries.
3. Carve steaks into thin slices (my note: slice across the grain); season with salt as desired. Divide steak slices evenly over each salad. Top each salad evenly with dressing, pecans, and goat cheese, if desired.
Enjoy! :)
hmmm…the linky is working :( Wondering if I could link up here?
http://pausleylandadventures.blogspot.com/2012/03/friend-in-need-needs-good-taste-indeed.html
Did that work?
“isn’t” working…sorry!
Homemade Granola Bars! I make these for small group and my kids often!
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ (I’ve subbed w/ flax)
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.
I make these all the time. We add all sorts of dried fruit beyond raisins and we have added chocolate chips, cinnamon chips etc. But great recipe!
Wow, I’m going to have to print out all these great recipes! Here’s a recipe for a very easy “cheesecake.” It’s usually a big hit, unless you know someone who doesn’t like Cool Whip, like my niece! (crazy, I know) I’ve tried other varieties of pies using Cool Whip, and my family and I agree this one is by far the best:
Easy Creamy Cheesecake:
1-8 oz pkg Cream Cheese (or low-fat, works just as well)
1-3 oz pkg Cream Cheese (again, low-fat is great, you can also go with 4 oz if you just want to chop a big one in half)
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz Extra Creamy Cool Whip or any other variety of frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 shortbread OR graham cracker OR cookie crumb pie crust
Pie filling for topping, if desired – blueberry, cherry, etc. Caramel or chocolate syrup also make yummy toppings.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add whipped topping and beat on low speed until well blended. Spoon into pie crust. Refrigerate until serving. Offer topping to guests when serving, if desired. This is so pretty and white, but I love to top it with a few decorative sprinkles to make it look more exciting. You can choose seasonal or holiday-themed sprinkles, as well!
This is a fruit dip a friend shared with me years ago:
1-8 oz tub of Cool Whip, thawed
1 small jar of caramel ice cream topping
Stir the two together, and you’re done! Serve dip with a nice variety of apples, graham crackers, grapes, strawberries, etc.
Breakfast Pizza
1 lb bulk pork sausage – browned
1 pkg crescent rolls
1 Cup frozen hash browns, thawed
1 Cup shredded cheese (any kind)
5 eggs
2 T grated parmesan cheese
1/4 Cup milk
salt/pepper to taste
Separate crescent roll dough into triangles. Spread in round 12″ pizza pan.m Layer sausage, potatoes, cheese. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over pizza. Sprinkle with paarmesan cheese.. Bak3 375 degrees for 25 minutes.
This is a square that is simple to make, no flour and nutritional. Enjoy.
Banana Oat Square
Butter or margarine 6 Tbsp. 100ml
Brown sugar, packed ½ cup 125 ml
Egg 1 1
Salt ¼ tsp. 1ml
Bananas (about 3) mashed ¾ cup 175 ml
Quick-cooking rolled oats 2 cups 450 ml
Chopped walnuts 1/3 cup 75 ml
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat well. Add salt and mashed bananas.
Beat. Add oats and nuts. Stir. Spread in greased 8 x 8 in (20 x 20cm) pan. Bake
In 350 F (180 C) oven for almost an hour until firm. Cool and cut into squares.
Makes 25.
This has been so awesome and only week one. When we are sitting round this has become one of my families munch in a hurry.
Chicken dip with scoops.
large can of chicken breast meat
8oz cream cheese
8oz sharp cheddar cheese
4oz colby cheese
hot sauce to taste
Put all of the ingredients in a pot on low heat, stir until melted. Place in oven and bake on 325 for about 15 minutes or place in small crock to keep warm serve with your favorite chips and enjoy. We like scoops..
Ladies
we have an amazing cookbook right here
all the recipes sound great. some I already know, some are great new ideas, some (the homemade egg noodles ) remind me of my grandmother. She was soooo good at hospitality. The oreo ones remind me this is their 100 birthday HAHA!. My new fav idea is from worst cooks in america show Potato pancakes with a variety of toppings.
Sour Cream Potato Pancakes: Recipe courtesy Robert Irvine
• 6 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch salt
• Olive oil or grapeseed oil, for cooking
In the bowl of a food processor, add the potatoes, eggs, sour cream, flour, and salt.
Pulse until the mixture is just blended and you don’t have chunks. It should look like cooked oatmeal. Do not over-mix or the potatoes will get gummy!
Heat a good swirl of oil in a nonstick pan or griddle over medium heat.
Drop a heaping tablespoon of batter into the pan to make bite-sized cakes. Cook the cakes until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side.
Drain on paper towels. Season with salt.
top with any thing.
chicken salad
goat cheese and sin dired tomatose
salsa
corned beef with dijon mustard
hamburger mix
whaver you have on hand.
the suggestions from the mashed potato bar in an earlier post would be great I think
potatoes are budjet stretching and a a great palete for almost anything
I also love quick desserts so I make trifle (my quicky version)
1. use and cake mix you have on hand or a purchased cake (brownies work too)
break up into small pieces
2.make a pudding that wil complement the cake
3. whipped cream
4. fresh fruit orcanned pie filling
layer cake fruit pudding and repeat
then top with whipped cream and garnish with fruit
chocolate chips or shavings also add a pretty touch
I finally remembered the place where I felt the most welcomed and loved. It was an old, barely decorated, small cramped house that smelled of old shag carpet. It was tiny. The living room was filled with chairs. The tiny kitchen was so filled with good smells and love that everyone crowded in – people would stand on the stairs or squeeze in around the tiny table just to be around Del. She is my Grandma’s sister. Del served us Asian Chicken Salad for lunch. I took the recipe and use still serve it to my guests a decade later.
Cabbage, one head, shredded, or 2 bags pre-shredded
Green onions, white and green parts, chopped
Dressing: 1 C salad oil (I use olive oil)
6 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp (or less) sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp Lawry’s or other seasoning
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
8 tbsp each slivered almonds and sunflower seeds, toasted
2 pkgs chicken ramen noodles, uncooked and crushed
Mix green onions, cabbage and chicken with dressing. Let stand overnight (it tastes better that way but isn’t necessary). Add the roasted nuts and crushed ramen noodles. Stir. Let stand at least one hour (it tastes better that way). Serve. Yummy!
My grandmas peach cobbler recipe is the easiest and most requested dessert by my family and friends.
1 Cup Self Rising Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Milk
1 1/2 sticks of margarine
1 large can of peaches (do not drain juice)
Melt butter in a 9 x 13 baking dish. In a small mixing bowl mix sugar, flour and milk together. Pour this mixture over the melted butter. Then add the peaches. Bake at 325 degrees 30-40 minutes or until crust is lightly brown. Serve warm, with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream!
Oh, my goodness! So many recipes! I had to stop reading them and just scroll down to add mine. If I didn’t stop I would never go put chicken in the crockpot and it’s after noon now!
So, I will just tell you what I am doing for todays easy chicken prep so I can get to it!
Get Out Crockpot!
toss in one bag of frozen chicken pieces whatever you usually get – with bone will add more flavor but then you have to pull the bones out, up to you)
chopped peppers
chopped onions
chopped jalapenos
garlic (I buy the jars of chopped and the dried – that way it’s always on hand, if I get cloves I tend to run out)
salt
in the winter I bake this in the oven but it has been crazy hot in Ohio this week, so I am putting it in the crockpot for the first time. I hope that I am happy with that as a warm weather alternative. I usually cook this up when I have something else in mind for dinner. Then when the chicken is all cooked I can just put the pan in the fridge and deal with getting it ready for the freezer the next day. Fantastic to have a bag or two of Chicken to pull out and add to Taco Soup or Tacos or Burritos on a busy day!
Enjoy!
Here is a recipe that my husband brought home from a guys weekend out.
Lemon Cake
1 lemon cake mix
1 12 oz can diet soda – we use diet sprite.
Mix together and bake at 350 degrees until toothpick comes out clean. Usually takes longer than what the box says.
Frosting
1 container Cool Whip – we use sugar free or lite
1 pkg lemon pudding.
Conbine cool whip and lemon pudding to taste. We usually use about 2/3 of the package. Frost the cool cake. Store the cake in the fridge.
Yummy! You can use any cake mix with any flavor soda. I prefer the lemon.
Our family guests request this cake at holidays and our kids request this cake for birthdays.
Store bought chocalate chip cookies
chocalate milk
Cool whip
Make the night before….dunk cookies in chocalate milk then layer in bottom of 9 X 13 pan. Next layer a thin layer of cool whip, then another of cookies soaked in choc. milk then finish off with cool ship and a crumbled cookie on top as garnish. Put in frig overnight. Great dessert and so easy!
Whenever I make this bread, someone ALWAYS asks me for the recipe. It was a big hit at Mommy’s meetings at MOPS and any church or school event. Makes a great hostess gift too. I usally bake two and give one away!
Grandma B’s banana bread
1 cup unsalted butter (I know, but I always bake with it)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup mashed very ripe bananas
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Spray pryex loaf pans with baking spray. Mix the wet ingredients together, then add the dry, be careful not to overmix. Fold in mashed banana right before pouring into two 9×5 pans. Bake at 325degrees for 55-60 minutes. (If using metal pans, bake at 350). Nuts are really good in this too.
In my grandmother’s house, she hardly ever threw bananas away – they almost always made them into this bread. It freezes really well also.
If you have made similar banana bread with margarine or other shortening, give the butter a try, I think it makes all the difference. :-)
I fix Lasagna, Blueberry Jello Salad and 4 layer delight: A family favorite for dinner:
Blueberry Jello Salad:
a large pkg. of blackcherry, blueberry or raspberry jello
2 C. boiling water
1 (15 oz) can blue berries
1 (8 1/4 oz) can crushed pineapple
Dissolve gelatin in water, add blueberries & pineapple including juice. Pour into 9″ x 13″ glass dish. (Grease dish lightly with mayonnaise or oil. ) Chill until firm.
Topping:
Combine 1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese with 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 pint sour cream and 1 tsp. vanilla. Spread on top of congealed salad. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans.
Perfect with the lasagna…..I have that recipe also…it is delicious.
ORIENTAL COLE SLAW
1 pkg. cole slaw mix
3/4 c. chopped green onions
1 pkg. oriental flavored Ramen noodles, not cooked
1/2 c. slivered almonds
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. dried cranberries
3 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. oil
Dissolve 2 tablespoons sugar with 3 tablespoons vinegar. Add 1/2 cup oil and flavor packet from Ramen noodles. Set aside. Toast almonds and sunflower seeds (sometimes I skip this step) at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.
Mix almond mixture with cole slaw, cranberries and onions. Break up package of chicken flavored Ramen noodles. Add to salad. Before serving, add dressing and toss. Don’t add dressing until ready to serve. I like my salad crunchy and adding the dressing too soon will make it soggy.
Enjoy!!