Cooking for a Crowd

As I walked in the church door Tuesday evening, I felt like I was back at my grandmother's house at suppertime. The smells coming from the kitchen made my mouth water & the smiles & hugs made me feel like I was coming home. Those who attended the HeartLife seminar 'Cooking for a Crowd' got a lot more than ideas for cooking for lots of people!

Lottie, Lou & Carla planned a simple evening showing by example how little effort it takes to show hospitality. They served fresh, hot, home made soups with tasty bread & crackers. Our dessert was sprinkled on the tables - every girl's favorite: chocolate! We served ourselves enjoying the great food & company.

As we finished eating we were very blessed to hear a beautiful trio, Angie, Becky & Carrie. I heard them twice in the evening - once as they practiced before the meeting & again during the program. I could have heard them sing many more songs, & I hope they'll sing together again soon.

Angie, Becky & Carrie going through their song once more before the program.
I am sorry for the quality of this photo but I had to include Carrie's sweet baby!

Our speakers each shared ideas on cooking for a crowd.

Lottie, Leah & Linda in the church kitchen of course!

Leah gave so many practical suggestions on serving lots of food in small spaces. She also talked about budgeting & how to feed guests on a small budget. I took notes & filed away a lot of new ideas to try. My favorite suggestions she had were ideas for serving tasty meats on a budget & making a vertical buffet instead of the traditional spread. She had some really gorgeous presentations.

Linda talked about the joys of cooking for others. We may decide to show hospitality in order to be a blessing but you can't share God's love without it reflecting back on you. Linda made me want to have a family of teenage boys over just to enjoy feeding them! I also took notes on Linda's potato salad - she says she doesn't really follow a recipe. I wrote down her list of ingredients & drilled her afterwards on how she puts it together. I'll be trying my best to copy it soon.

Lottie gave us such a clear picture of showing hospitality in spite of ourselves. I loved how she laughed at her cooking blunders & went on to enjoy her company. We laughed a long with her, & I realized people DO matter more than a perfect house or meals. Opening your heart & making people feel welcome really is the most important part of hospitality.

I left feeling so encouraged, with soup recipes & a “round tuit” - no more excuses, just do it!  I was also very happy to leave with a centerpiece! – a jarred soup mix complete with recipe, wooden spoon & autumn pot holder. I have a nice ham bone in my freezer, & I'm looking for the perfect opportunity to cook my soup.

Jenny