Gracefull MUSINGS

You know you're Baptist if you believe you have to take a Covered Dish to Heaven. I'm attending an Episcopalian Church, where every lady brings cookies. In the south, it's almost a religious requirement that every woman knows how to make a pie. It could be Rhubarb pie, Tomato pie, Pecan pie, whatever. My specialty is an icebox Peanut Butter Pie. No bake. Nothing that goes bad. Just mix, layer, drizzle chocolate (if I'm feeling fancy) and refrigerate. Whatever your easy-as-pie dessert speciality is, keep those ingredients on hand. If you don't have a special dessert, learn one so well that you can confidently prepare it without referring to the recipe.

 

Here's my list of ingredients:

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Crunchy Peanut Butter Jar  |  Graham Cracker Crust  |  Dark Chocolate Chips  |  Cool Whip  | Powdered Sugar

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Ladies Bible Study, My House, Tomorrow​

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For this one, you need a finger-food that you can make quickly. My "go-to" is mini quiches. They're tasty, impressive, ridiculously easy, make-ahead-and-freezable, and kids like them too. Plus, you can put whatever you have in your fridge in them. Mushrooms, spinach, onions, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, cheese, broccoli - even leftovers! And, of course, eggs, which most of us keep on hand anyway. Lastly, you can go gluten-free (just make it less creamy and use cupcake liners).

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Here's my list of ingredients:

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Frozen or Refrigerated Pastry  |  Bacon or Sausage  |  Frozen Spinach  |  Whatever Fresh Veggies I have  |  Eggs  | Milk/Cream

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Man Might Live On Bread Alone​

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Nothing is more satisfying than bread, especially homemade bread. I use a sourdough recipe from Nourished Kitchen so often I can do it without thinking. I highly recommend getting and keeping a sourdough starter. It's useful for pancakes, rolls, bread, cinnamon rolls, etc. They're less finicky than you've probably been told (I forget to feed mine all the time) if you keep it in the fridge.

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Here's my list of ingredients:

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Sourdough Starter  |  Flour  |  Sea Salt

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Set Two (Or Four) More Places​

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My mom is a master of this one. As a Pastor's wife, she had visitors "drop in" right around dinner time at least once or twice a week. She always gracefully welcomed them to the home and dinner table. How do you stretch an already prepared dinner? Here's her tips:

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• Keep broth on hand (or bullion cubes) - good for stretching soups (which are good for stretching Pastor's salaries).

• Keep frozen veggies on hand - good for stretching soups and casseroles, or just serving on the side (takes minutes to warm up).

• Keep frozen sourdough rolls or loaves on hand - they don't take long to cook in the oven and who does like fresh(er) bread?

• Keep Pillsbury Crescent rolls on hand - sure, you don't want to use them every day, but they are perfect in a pinch!

• Bonus: Keep Naan on hand in freezer, toast, then melt cheese in microwave - voila! - cheese pizza for kids!

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Here's my list of ingredients:

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Broth or Bouillon  |  Frozen Veggies  |  Frozen or Refrigerated Bread  |  Naan

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Tea For Two (Coffee For Everyone)​

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For us tea drinkers, please please please do not keep Celestial Seasonings Variety Pack on hand. It's terrible stuff in terrible paper bags. Toss it. (It's probably ten years old anyway.) That's the sweepings from the floor of tea processing plants. Seriously. (End of rant.) Please keep some Constant Comment (decaf and caffeinated) for the less discerning, Earl Grey (preferably big leaf in a silk tea bag) for most tea drinkers, and maybe another flavorful tea like Jasmine (also big leaf in a silk tea bag) to be impressive. Honey or sugar optional. For my coffee-drinking friends (which is most of them), I keep a Nespresso machine and Coffee-mate creamer tiny containers (I'm told it makes a HUGE difference to have creamer). If I need to "up my game" feel free to let me know.

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Can I Drop Off A Dinner?

 

At some point in our lives we've all benefitted (or would have benefitted) from someone dropping off dinner. After childbirth, surgery, loss of loved one - these are all times that having someone think about dinner for us makes a huge difference. Since I have experienced this, I want to be prepared for it. If I know I can whip something together from things I have on hand, I will be more apt to listen and look for those opportunities. My mother keeps Shepherd's pie ingredients on hand. I have a girlfriend who keeps spaghetti ingredients on hand. I keep Chicken Supreme ingredients on hand. Whatever that dinner is that you can make without thinking, quickly, and can keep ingredients on hand, that's the one for you.

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My list of ingredients:

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Chicken |  Stove Top Stuffing  |  Cream of Mushroom Soup  |  Sour Cream  |  Frozen Veggies

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