I recently read a book about hospitality called Face to Face: Meditations on Friendship and Hospitality. It was an excellent read and one I would recommend to anyone. It really kicked me in the tail. While I have a heart for hospitality in general, sometimes I find myself lacking in that area – even though it is referred to several times in the New Testament. Why do I struggle? Well, let’s be honest – whole foods aren’t cheap. I buy the good stuff now….so sometimes I want to hoard it for myself and my family. Sometimes it’s hard to use my coconut oil on someone who might not care. But here’s the thing…..it doesn’t matter if they care. What matters is that I’m showing love to them and filling their tummy. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35 Hospitality is showing love to your Christian brothers and sisters by filling their tummy and making them a part of your home.
Most people struggle with the same thing I do – the money part. If you’re strapped for cash when feeding your own family, how can you feed other people? The answer is simple – hospitality doesn’t have to break the bank. The thought that hospitality is expensive is a LIE. Hospitality is sharing what you have with someone else – giving of yourself and your abundance. As Barry has said before, if you hold your money in a closed fist, it surely won’t leave……but nothing can get in either. Sharing what you have will fill you up with joy and fulfillment. And here’s how to do it without spending a fortune.
1. Just have someone over for coffee and dessert. If you want to have several people over and you don’t want to feed them an entire meal (or can’t), just ask them to come over for coffee and dessert. I’ve had a good many visits over coffee and chocolate cake. And really, you could talk about dirt and dryer lint over chocolate cake and have a blast. A pot of coffee is pretty cheap and you can cater your dessert to your audience. If you need to feed a big crowd, check out Pioneer Woman’s Best Chocolate Sheet Cake EVER. Also, Punch Bowl Cakes aren’t too expensive and can feed a large crowd.
2. Serve beans. When Dave Ramsey talks about cutting your budget he says you might be eating “beans and rice. Rice and beans.” Beans/rice makes a VERY cheap meal. And really, if Cracker Barrel can serve beans and cornbread, why can’t you? It’s really easy to make a pot of beans in your crock pot. Serve it with some skillet cornbread and you’re all set. Make sure to end the night early before the beans kick in….if you catch my drift.
3. Cook a whole chicken. Have you checked the price of whole chickens? Not too shabby. If you go with the organic version, they’re a little more pricey. However, if you need to feed a larger crowd, I’m totally cool with going with a conventional bird. Cook a whole chicken in your crock pot, slap on a few sides and you’re all set. Do you know people go to the store just to buy rotisserie chickens? The people coming over will think you’re serving a gourmet meal. And in case I’ve never told you, naked whole chickens give me the heebie jeebies.
4. Take your hospitality “to go.” For the most part, I see hospitality as bringing someone into your home….however, who says you can’t take your home’s hospitality to someone else? The next time you’re making bread, make an extra loaf and deliver it to a neighbor. When you make a batch of cookies, double it and take it to a new couple at your church. When you’re making tea, deliver a cold glass to the workers out front in your yard. If you make a batch of something and it totally flops, you probably shouldn’t deliver that. In fact, get rid of the evidence before your husband gets home so you don’t have to explain anything. *Cough*
5. Make Tortilla Pizzas. Have you ever met anyone who didn’t like a pizza party? No really…..pizza is where it’s AT. My recipe for Skillet Pizzas is really easy and it can be customized to each person. Serve some fruit, maybe some chips and salsa and you’re all ready to go. And if you’re really pressed for time and cash, you could always pick up a couple $5 pizzas from Little Caesar’s. I won’t tell. After all, we live by the 80/20 principle. 😉
Open your home to others and see how much fun you can have. It’s a blessing to both the hostess and those attending.
NOTE: Pick up the blocks before company comes – otherwise they might step on them and lose their religion – not really what we’re going for here.
What is your favorite “go-to” frugal meal for guests?
What a wonderful post — some great ideas here!
I seem to run back to crockpot stuff like beef stew, jambalaya and stroganoff. Serve them on rice — bring the rice to a rolling boil (must be rolling!), turn the heat off and cover it. Rice will be cooked in a few hours this way, and can just wait in the pan until you get back.
Often our company comes back after church, which means I’ve been gone for at least 2 or 3 hours, and guests are coming in right on my heels. (Husband and I usually sing on Worship Team, which means an hour practice before the service — we ‘do’ Saturday nights. Singing on Sunday means you’re gone from 7:30 a.m. through 1 p.m. because of this.)
Make a terrific main dish, and you can get away with simple things for side dishes. Desserts: make double, if possible, and stash one in the freezer for the future. (Freeze your cookie dough as scoops or dollops on a cookie sheet, then put them in a bag. Take as many as needed from the bag, then put in a hot oven. The cookies won’t spread as much — essential, since I live at a higher altitude — and guests will rave about the smell as much as the finished product!)
Also, set the table last of all, if you have to leave the house for a while. (Always candles, nice napkins – and a flower or two, if possible.) It will be ready, and will say to your company, “Welcome – we’ve been waiting for you!”
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Sounds like you’ve got some experience under your belt. 🙂 Thanks for chiming in!
Great post. You might be interested in joining me on Tuesdays for the Frugal Tuesday Tip. http://juliecache.com/2012/01/10/frugal-tuesday-tip-51/.html
The baked potato bar is a great choice….for meat eaters and veggie eaters. you can do the baked potatoes in the crockpot to save time and not heat up the oven (this is especially nice during the warmer months.) Scrub potatoes good, dry them and poke with knife and wrap in foil. time depends on how many and size of crockpot. I usually do three medium size potatoes in my 1 1/2 qt. crockpot on hi for 4 hrs. I’m sure you can look online for times for larger amounts.
Anything cooked in the crock pot is a winner with me!
Great post, Stacy! This is so timely for me. We’ve had over 16 mouths to feed in the last week! Before the week began, I was worried to death how we were going to be able to afford it all. However, the Lord gently reminded me of His ability to feed 5,000. He can feed 16 mouths, even if the majority of those mouths are men who eat like horses (but I digress). The point is that we are called to extend hospitality. We’re not called to figure it all out. We’re not called to impress with our super amazing cooking skills. I fed my guests stews, soups, and a lot of homemade bread. I think your point that if Cracker Barrel can charge for beans and rice, it should be ok for me to feed my guests that as well. In a season where finances are low, and our love for people swells, I have found that I must set aside my pride and allow the Lord to make something from nothing in my unimpressive meals. 🙂 Maybe some day I can feed all my guests steak dinners! But for now, I will stick to meatless meals and bread. Side note: we came under budget in groceries this month. Under-budget! I haven’t been under-budget in months! God amazes me. He really does.
I always love hearing how our God provides. 🙂 I”m so glad you were able to feed us…and it was DELICIOUS!!!!
Fantastic tips! Part of my plan is to plan ahead to save money this year and this is definitely one of those categories! I want to be prepared for company instead of running around trying to figure out what to serve 🙂
That’s my motto! Be prepared! 🙂
Great post! When the weather is chilly, it’s good to serve chili and it’s cheap, too, especially if you use little meat and lots of beans! To stretch the chili even farther, we like to bake potatoes and then serve chili and cheese and the potato topping. YUMMY!
Yum! You’re making me drool. 🙂
WE are having a BBQ for Australia Day today, and have invited as many people as we can think of. One problem is you never know who might turn up… So we supply salads and nibbles, and ask our guests to bring meat and drinks – so everyone gets to eat what they want, and suit their own budget. Frankly, the salads are pretty cheap, and so are the nibbles if you keep it simple. My DIL is currently making pavlova and chocolate ripple cake for dessert, plus we will have fruit salad. We are also serving a large garden salad and potato salad, corn chips with salsa and hummus, and tiny kangaroo meatballs for starters. Should be a great day!!!!
Forgive me, but I have to know…..are they really made from kangaroo meat?
Hi Stacy – yep, Kangaroo Mince. A high protein, high iron, low fat meat.
http://brisbanenaturalhealth.com.au/main/page_brisbane_links_recipes_lunch_and_dinner_recipes_kangaroo_meatball_recipe.html
I am making teeny tiny balls as an appertiser.
We use kangaroo quite regularly for the past 2 years since it became readily available at the supermarket. at $7.50 a kilo it is way more handy than lamb which can be up to $37/kg. and beef is not much better. WE like chicken and pork, but also like a change.
Wow! I would totally try that – and I like that it’s cheaper. 😉
Loved this. I just had a friend over for tea and homemade yogurt last week. The first time we’ve done that in a while!
Sounds delicious to me!
Thanks Stacy for the words of encouragement. I love to have people over but often get caught up in it all and forgt that I should be inviting others over as a way to minister to them and fellowship with them. Also, one of my favorites to serve is a vegetable soup made from nine cans of stuff and a pound of ground beef or turkey. Not terribly expensive and alway yummy!
Joy to you!
Soup is a GREAT meal and very easy to stretch! 🙂
I love love love love Lindsey’s (from passionate homemaking) chicken curry. It is SOOO tasty and quite frugal. To make it cheaper I usually make it with homemade coconut milk and and putting in a pound of diced carrots instead of the chicken. I think I might even prefer it that way because there is already such great flavor with homemade chicken stock in it, that the carrots add more flavor to it then chicken.
I also like making a big ole pot of soup. It’s amazing how many frugal things you can put in soup and make something truly special.
We got to the point where we decided all kitchen guidelines (even budget sometimes, but I need to be better about that) are subjected to being able to host.
Sometimes if we are doing a game night, we just ask who wants to pitch in for pizza.But, that is not our usual hosting.
I’m not exactly sure how I feel about curry. I like it sometimes…..sometimes I don’t. It’s scary to me. LOL Is that dumb or what?
Omelets in a bag are fun too!
Yes they are!
I want to add that true biblical hospitality means not just having friends and relatives who will reciprocate, but people who need an outstretched hand for one reason or another.
Excellent point! However, the Bible does stress that our first priority is our brothers and sisters in Christ. 🙂 But, I really do enjoy giving to those that I know will never give back.
Thanks for the encouragement about hospitality, Stacy! I’ve struggled with this very issue and have been working on it. One of my favorite go-to company meals is chili and fixins (cheese, sour cream, scallions). I also like to make homemade pizza, since it’s a fun way to draw people in as they arrive – letting people make their own, custom pizzas. I haven’t tried the tortilla version, but will try it for sure. Another thing I’ve discovered is taking a food gift to people with a new baby, or who have had surgery. My favorite is homemade fast food (a wonderful cheesy pasta that you assemble layered in a jar and send with a jar of tomato sauce and instructions) from Angela Coffman of thegroceryshrink.com. It’s one of our family’s all-time favorites and I keep it on hand all the time for busy nights. But it is also really well-received as a gift. Thanks again for the great post and have a wonderful day! PS Can’t wait to try Pioneer Woman’s chocolate cake!
🙂 I love Angela….she’s a sweetheart. I post over there sometimes. Good list!
Thanks for the reminder! I haven’t had anyone over in a long time; I need to get back into the habit! One of my favorite things to do is have a baked potato bar. Tons of baked potatoes and lots of different toppings for people to use as they choose (or not!) Cheap, filling and yummy:) And fun!
Yum, Anne! That sounds awesome! I might have to use that idea….
Great post Stacy – many blessings today!
Blessings back to you! 🙂