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!}
I can’t get the linky to work but here is my link. I will try again tomorrow. Thanks.
http://homewhereyourstorystarts.blogspot.com/2012/03/shaping-of-hostess.html
I’ve made the below recipe (thanks pinterest) :) serveral times for friends and family alike! It’s super easy, delish & always a hit! It goes well w/ steamed, brown rice & a salad! Enjoy! *side note* if you double the recipe, don’t double the honey – use 2/3 to 3/4 cup instead.
Honey Sauced Chicken
3/4 to 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup chopped onion (or 1/16 cup onion flakes)
1/8 cup ketchup
1 Tbs. canola oil
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Season both sides of chicken, lightly, with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve over rice or noodles.
My salsa recipe is always a hit, especially when served with warm tortilla chips. I adapted this recipe from a salsa I had a Pampered Chef party in 1999.
Put in blender in the following order:
14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
10.5 oz can original Rotel, drained
2-3 Tab white onion, diced
2-3 Tab fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon each: salt and chili powder
½ teaspoon each: garlic powder and ground cumin
A couple shakes of black pepper
Juice of ½ lime
10.5 oz can mild Rotel, with the juice
Pulse in blender 3-4 times, then blend on low until it reaches desired consistency. You can adjust all the spices, onion, cilantro and lime juice to your taste. You can always omit the cilantro if you don’t like it.
Tortilla Soup
In a large stockpot combine:
2 cans cream of mushroom soup, 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 2 cans cream of celery soup and 2 cans cheddar cheese soup. Whisk together until smooth.
Add 2 cans of chicken broth, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 cup medium salsa, 1 can (4.5 oz) green chiles, 1 chopped medium onion, 4 minced fresh garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon (more or less to taste) red chile powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a full boil, reduce heat and simmer for one hour.
Add 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro and 4 cooked chicken breasts (cut into small chunks) and simmer for another hour.
While soup is simmering, take a package of flour tortillas and cut them into small thin strips and deep fry in hot oil until lightly browned.
Serve soup with shredded colby cheese and fried tortilla strips on top.
Always a big hit and really pretty easy! I’m not a “cook” and I can do it. =)
Angie
I recently made Ham and Green Beans for two families.
cubed ham
cubed potatoes
green beans
In your crockpot, put cubed ham, cubed potatoes and green beans with a just an inch or two of water. Cook on low for most of the day. Yummy!
Chicken Casserole
Ingredients:
2 skinless, cooked chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces (leftover turkey would work too)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use Campbell’s Healthy Request)
1 can chicken with rice soup
1 small (5 oz.) can of evaporated milk
1 large can (or about 2 cups) chow mein noodles
Paprika
Directions:
Simmer chicken breasts in a pan of water until fully cooked (or you could bake them or cook them in a crockpot. I usually let them cool in the refrigerator before cutting into pieces).
In a casserole baking dish, mix cream of mushroom soup and evaporated milk until well blended.
Add chicken with rice soup, and stir until well blended.
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and add chicken pieces to the mixture and stir.
Add chow mein noodles to the mixture and stir. (If desired, you can save a few chow mein noodles to sprinkle on top of the casserole before putting in the oven.)
Sprinkle the top of the casserole with paprika, if desired.
Bake 350-degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until the casserole bubbles on top.
(This is not a fancy dish, but a simple and delicious one. It was originally called Can-Can Casserole because all of the ingredients were from a can. I changed it because I like to use fresh cooked or baked chicken. My former dear neighbor in Park Forest, Ill. gave this to me more than 40 years ago. I have since lost track of her because we have both moved several times and were so busy raising our children.)
My mom didn’t cook from scratch often. And neither set of parents entertained. My husband and I decided to be different when we got married, and for 28 years we have had lots of people over in various size groups. Our daughters picked up on it and love to plan get togethers, including physics and a.p. study parties :) If you have kids in high school, consider opening your home. So many parents won’t, and the kids are truly a joy.
One recipe mom made was this one. Adjust amounts to how many you plan to feed.
Baked Chicken
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 stick butter
1 t crushed garlic
2 cups crushed saltines
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Saute garlic in butter in saucepan.
Put saltines into gallon baggie. Hit with rolling pin to crush. Add cheese.
Dip chicken into butter, then shake in bag with cracker and cheese.
Place in baking dish. Sprinkle extra cheese mix over chicken.
Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.
This travels well, and kids seem to love it.
I love making cupcakes with Caramel Icing. Choose any cake mix you want. Here is the Caramel Icing recipe I use:
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Ready in: 25 minutes
Servings: 12
“A sweet, simple frosting with a caramel flavor, this has only four ingredients and is finished in just a few minutes.”
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
1. Place the butter and brown sugar in a heavy saucepan over low-medium heat; cook and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture boils. Stir in the cream, return to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cool.
2. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth.
Note – I like to add a little vanilla flavoring to mine.
Italian Meatballs
2 lbs. ground beef
1 envelope of spaghetti sauce mix
1/4 cup of Itali.an bread crumbs
1 egg
2 Tbs. milk
Mix all ingredients together, shape into 2″ meatballs and brown in olive oil until cooked through. Serve with your favorite pasta sauce. Yum
Every time I make these, I’m asked for the recipe.
Yum! Everything sounds so good…and it’s dinner time…so I’m extra hungry now! Thanks for all the great recipes. My go-to dish when we have company is a Pampered Chef recipe. It’s got a little kick to it, which we love, but sometimes I tone it down with a milder sausage. It never fails to please!
Pronto Pasta & Sausage Skillet
1 medium onion
1 medium green bell pepper
3 links hot Italian sausage (12 oz.)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
3 1/2 cups water
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti or marinara sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 cup), divided
1. Dice onion and bell pepper. Remove casings from sausage. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-in. nuggets. Place sausage into a large (12 oz) skillet. Cook over medium heat until golden brown.
2. Add onion and bell pepper to skillet; cook until vegetables are tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add pressed garlic and pepper flakes; cook 10 – 20 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in pasta, water, sauce, salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer; cover and cook 14 – 16 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in cream cheese until incorporated. Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Cover and let stand until cheeses are melted.
Yields 6 servings.
I have always struggled with entertaining and having the perfect meal. However we recently had friends over one Friday night and I made meatball sandwiches, salad, and chips. It was family friendly and took a lot of pressure off me.
Shredded Beef Burritos for Dummies
Put a med-large sized shoulder roast in the crock pot
Add one half jar of your favorite salsa
Cook on high for 4 hours and then low for 2
When meat shreds easily, it is ready.
Shred meat and serve with flour tortillas.
Add to your burrito: lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, retried beans
French Toast Casserole
1 loaf french bread, cut into medium slices
6 large eggs
1/8tsp. nutmeg
1/8tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. half and half
1tsp. vanilla
Topping:
1/2 c. softened butter
1c. light brown sugar
2Tbsp. dark corn syrup
1c. chopped pecans
Grease 9×13 in. baking dish. Layer bread on bottom. Mix eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, milk, half and half, and vanilla. Pour over bread. Cover and refridgerate overnight or let dish sit 15 minutes or until bread soaks up the liquid.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix topping ingredients and spread over bread. Bake 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm. No syrup or butter necessary.
Great for overnight guests, morning Bible studies,and potluck brunches!
This is a real crowd pleaser and go to meal. I usually serve mashed potatoes or rice as a side. A salad, green beans, or asparagus is a good side veggie.
Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (4-pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (giblets, neck and backbone reserved for another use)
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
Whisk the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend. Combine the vinaigrette and chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag; seal the bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from the bag and arrange the chicken pieces on a large greased baking dish. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 hour. If your chicken browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Place the baking dish on a burner over medium-low heat. Whisk the chicken broth into the pan drippings, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the baking sheet with a wooden spoon and mixing them into the broth and pan drippings. Drizzle the pan drippings over the chicken. Sprinkle the lemon zest and parsley over the chicken, and serve.
Karen’s Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya
This can be made ahead to the point of adding the rice and shrimp. Hearty and delicious! My sister’s recipe.
3T Veg. oil 2 Bay leaves
8 oz Italian Sausage cut in small chunks
4 skinned, boned chicken thighs cut in bite size pieces 1- 16 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 # shrimp, peeled & deveined 1/4 tsp each: thyme, ground cumin
1 Red bell pepper, chopped allspice, cayenne & black pepper
2 C. onion, chopped 1 C. bismati rice
8 Scallions, chopped
4T minced flat leaf parsley
1T minced garlic 2 C. chicken broth
In a Dutch Oven heat oil and saute sausages for 5 minutes & remove, then add chicken for 10 minutes & remove then add the onion, bell pepper, 3/4 of the scallions, parsley, garlic and bay leaves. Cook the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Add tomatoes and their juice along with the remaining seasonings. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Return sausage and chicken to pot. Stir in rice and broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat & simmerwithout stirring until rice is tender and moist but not soupy. Remove from heat, stir in shrimp, cover and let stand 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Ladle into deep bowls and sprinkle the remaining scallions on top.
Corn Casserole
Mix together and bake one hour at 350 degrees in greased 11×7″baking dish or in a greased bowl
1 (15oz) can kernal corn, do not drain
1 (14.75oz) can cream style corn, use whole can
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 cup Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine
One of our family’s favorite vegetable dishes.
Sorry I meant quick to make. :)
Here is one of my husbands favorite recipes, and my as well.
Meat Pies
1lb ground beef cooked
1 med onion
1 peper
1/2cup salsa (or to taste)
1 box already made pie crust
2 egg whites
Heat oven to 350 degrees
cook beef, onions, and peppers, and then add in salsa.
While waiting for the beef mixture to cook and the stove to heat up, cut disks out of the pie crust. Fill the disks on one side with the beef mixture and fold in half. Use the fork all around the folded meat pie to seal off the edges. Place on a greased cookie sheet, bast the top with the egg whites, and then place in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
They are so very yummy and quick to eat.
Serving suggestion- you can garnish them with sour cream
http://pausleylandadventures.blogspot.com/2012/03/friend-in-need-needs-good-taste-indeed.html
I’ve tried a few times to link up and it won’t work…
Is anyone else having this issue? Oh well – trying this way again.
This crock pot chicken entree is a tried and true recipe. It is a winner. I have made it for my family of 4, served it to guests at our home, and have even cooked it for 24 women at a women’s retreat with my church. I’ve adapted it over the years, all in my head, until people started asking for the recipe, so I had to write it down. The proportions can be adjusted up to serve a bigger crowd.
Lemon Garlic Chicken
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 ½ teaspoons seasoned salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons butter
¾ cup water
¾ cup lemon juice
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
3 teaspoons dried parsley
Rinse chicken and pat dry. In a small bowl, mix oregano, seasoned salt and pepper. Rub into chicken using all of the mixture. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chicken and brown on both sides. Transfer chicken to a slow cooker. Place water, lemon juice, garlic, and bouillon granules in the skillet. Stirring over medium heat, bring to a boil, loosening browned bits from bottom of skillet. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high for 2 ½ to 3 hours or low for 5 to 5 ½ hours. Add parsley during last ½ hour of cooking.
Serve with white or brown rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes.
No-Bake Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Cookies
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups Rice Krispies
Line 9×13 pan with wax paper or baking parchment. Place the corn syrup, and sugars in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and mix well to combine. Quickly stir in vanilla and Rice Krispies. Spread into line baking pan. Cool and slice into squares
Italian Beef: I have had great “reviews” from my guests with this recipe.
I typically start it the night before in the crock pot.
Sirloin Tip Roast, in a crock pot. Beef Broth. Lipton Herb Soup. 2 tsp Basil 2 Tsp Garlic powder, water to cover. 1 tsp crushed red pepper. Peppercinni peppers. I add the juice of the peppers while cooking…my children don’t care for the spiciness, so I serve the peppers seperately. Kaiser rolls.
I start it the night before. on low..and leave it until serve time. ( I do add bits of water to keep roast covered.) ..I pull the beef apart with 2 forks…..ps when I do this it smells so yummy, my husband want to have it for breakfast.
Garlic Chicken (from AllRecipes.com):
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Warm the garlic and olive oil to blend the flavors. In a separate dish, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip the chicken breasts in the olive oil and garlic mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear.
NOTES:
-I bake the chicken on a cookie sheet so it stays crisp; the baking dish makes the crust mushy
-I’ve also done this with pork chops, and it is delicious.
Just as an FYI for those newer to cooking or seeking new places to find good recipes, here are my go-to resources:
http://www.americastestkitchen.com (professionally tested recipes; some are more labor intensive but all are really good; you can order their magazine or do a 14 day trial membership and purchase an online membership if you like the site; they also make Cook’s Country magazine and website which is good too);
http://www.tasteofhome.com (free site; magazine subscription available too);
http://www.thepioneerwoman.com (Ree Drummond’s site – shows LOTS of photos of recipes; pretty easy to find ingredients and techniques; our favorites so far: Pico de Gallo; Drip Beef (AMAZING); Chicken Parmesan;
other sites like Epicurious.com are good too. Many sites also have apps for smartphones (like Taste of Home, Epicurious).
Happy cooking! :)
I often make this when someone needs a meal and they almost always ask for the recipe.
Stuffed Peppers
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion
3/4 cup minute rice
1 (16oz) can diced tomatoes
2 Tblsp worcestershire sauce
2 cups cheese, grated, plus more for the top (usually cheddar)
4 large green peppers
Cut the peppers in half and clean out the seeds. Boil them in water for about 5 minutes.
Brown the ground beef with the onion in a large pan. Drain the grease, then add the rice, worcestershire sauce, and tomatoes. Cook until gently simmering, then allow it to do so for 5 more minutes. Meanwhile, transfer peppers to a baking dish.
Add the 2 cups of cheese to the rice/beef mixture. Fill each pepper half with the mixture, then top with more cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.