Photo Credit: Jorge Garcia
I love the current trend of “easy hosting”: the concept of welcoming people into your home at a moment’s notice and being prepared to love them simply and well.
But this is challenging. How do you keep your home in a perpetual state of readiness?
I’ve come to learn that as long as the restroom is mostly clean, people don’t care if there are dishes in the sink, if the throw pillows are on the floor, or if they have to step around the pile of shoes that you keep kicking off in the walkway as soon as you get home.
People feel loved when you welcome them in.
But once they are in your home, what do you do? There’s a tried and true southern answer to that question: you feed them. I love the casualness of standing in the kitchen and having a good conversation while food is prepared. There’s something therapeutic about using your hands and working beside someone while fleshing out a thought; and there is community to be had in the bustle of a meal being put together by many hands. There are even occasions when all food preparation stops and I end up sitting on the floor of the kitchen or on the counter to have a heart to heart with a friend.
Other times, you invite friends into your home at a moment’s notice because a conversation is imminent, work needs accomplishing, or simply because you want to watch a favorite show together. These times need food that is already prepared and ready for sharing. I opt for things that are shelf-stable but still yummy!
Here’s what I try to keep in my pantry for moments when I open my door:
- The ingredients to bake my favorite cookies
- A bag of chips and a jar of nice-ish salsa
- The ingredients for guacamole
- Some refrigerated La Croix or a pitcher of good cold tea
- All the fixings for hot tea and coffee
- One box of my favorite store-bought cookies
- The three ingredients for this hot dip
Are you in the habit of welcoming others into your home at the drop of a hat? What’s your favorite quick - hostessing food? I’d love to know!