| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| corporatefarmgirl |
Posted - Oct 16 2007 : 7:23:18 PM
Ok I need help! This coming Saturday my Mom 2 sisters and 2 nieces are coming to visit our new farm for the first time. In addition to them I will have my 5 kids and 3 grandkids here visiting. I work outside the home so I need some help thinking of some simple but great dishes that I can prepare ahead of time to serve on Saturday afternoon. Any suggestions?
there is a seed to plant in every heart |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| corporatefarmgirl |
Posted - Oct 17 2007 : 09:22:25 AM
THANK YOU LADIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My brain is fried from my corporate job and the fact I am pulling together everything for our new farm business to be set up at the Harvest Festival at the end of Oct.....
I had absolutly no creative juices left, then you great ladies stepped up ... Now that I am not stressed about food I will completly enjoy the day. I do think I will make some southern sweet tea and lemonade to serve in mason jars to go along with some of the great food ideas you'all have given me!!
there is a seed to plant in every heart |
| Annika |
Posted - Oct 17 2007 : 08:29:12 AM
Just don't wear yourself to a wisp 
Wishing you joy in small things and peace in your heart
Annika
http://dredweezul-madramblings.blogspot.com/
http://panzymoon.wordpress.com/ |
| Hideaway Farmgirl |
Posted - Oct 17 2007 : 07:25:01 AM
Yum, yum, yum! BBQ is a great idea...I like the way Jonni thinks! Now I am hungry, and it's only 10:24 A.M. in my time zone...
Jo
"Wish I had time to work with herbs all day!" |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - Oct 17 2007 : 05:56:57 AM
I agree with Hideaway Farm about the crockpots--what about some pork barbecue simmering all day, set out the buns, coleslaw and potato salad, some chips and whammo, dinner! Especially with kids--they're not going to eat something super dedicated with all the excitement of a new place and things to do.
Also, chili (crockpot again); and the sandwiches are a great idea. You could even make this southwestern pumpkin soup (cuz of the season), that I made a couple of days ago--it literally took me 15 minutes, and can be doubled, tripled, etc, and chilled to be reheated. Simple sandwiches would be great with that.
No frills, just fun!
"She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian. |
| Hideaway Farmgirl |
Posted - Oct 17 2007 : 05:36:43 AM
I favor the ideas posted by DaisyFarm and Aunt Jenny...if it;s the first visit you will want to spend more time showing off the farm than re-heating/cooking in the kitchen.
Use crockpots to keep some things warm; borrow crockpots or electric griddles from friends and neighbors if you can. A pot of chili or soup bubbling away will offset a platter of sandwiches (and I like the everybody-make-your-own idea, although you could set up bread cheese and meats and just let people add condiments and lettuce/tomato, onions).
Paper products might be an exception this time too, more expensive than using your own dishes, but again, a quick cleanup means more time to spend visiting. It also helps decorate the tables if you get fall designs or colors.
You can dazzle them with your special homecooked meals the NEXT time they come to visit, right?
Jo
"Wish I had time to work with herbs all day!" |
| Tina Michelle |
Posted - Oct 16 2007 : 11:45:26 PM
sheesh..me..I'd go the super easy route and buy a couple of rotisserie chickens from a local deli..you can buy them the night before... and the day of..reheat in your oven..they'll think ya slaved all day..but shoot we won't tell. Then buy salad fixings and make a big salad and some rolls.Then just easy sandwiches later.
The way I look at it...I'd much rather enjoy my company than be wore out from slaving over the stove all day..even the day before they arrived.
Another option is why not get some pizza crusts, and some pizza sauce, and various topping ingredients. Then let everyone help create pizzas together?
It gets everyone together and having fun and being a part of the dinner prep.That way it doesn't feel like it rests all on you.Then let the kiddos help with the cleanup.
For breakfast you can make an easy sausage and egg casserole by taking and buttering a very large baking dish..then lay about 6-8 slices of whole wheat bread in the bottom of it..whisk up about 6-7 eggs with a little milk, salt and pepper, then layer with 2 packages of frozen sausage links, and sprinkle with 1/2 package of shredded cheese.Cover with aluminum foil.Refrigerate overnight.. Day of breakfast remove from fridge leave covered with foil... and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until knife inserted in center is clean and egg is firm...
Slice and serve.(you can add chopped bell pepper or black olives if you wish, also onion if you like) Easy.
Best of wishes.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
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and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Oct 16 2007 : 11:20:26 PM
A big platter of yummy but simple sandwiches would be nice to have on hand in the fridge. I agree with Diane about cooking up some roasted chickens, or ham or beef ..
I always keep a few casseroles in the freezer for "soccer nights" and like that..but feeding that many extras it would be easier to do lasagna and a big salad, or enchiladas and salad. My family sort of expects me to make enchiladas when we have a crowd..really easy to have ready the day before or even to freeze and have ready to pop in the oven when you need them.
Have fun!!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| DaisyFarm |
Posted - Oct 16 2007 : 10:29:09 PM
With that many little kiddos, I would say any kind of sit-down dinner would be really tough. I think if it were me, I would probably cook a couple of big roasting chickens or a ham (or both) and serve it on a large platter all sliced with a selection of white, whole wheat & multi-grain buns and the condiments and fixin's to make bunwiches. Then you could have a big pasta/broccoli salad which is cheap and goes far and a big green salad.
Dessert would be along the lines of icecream and frozen strawberries or a couple of different fruit crisps with ice cream.
Keep it simple Tamara, you certainly have your hands full and you work on top of it all!
Di |
| Annika |
Posted - Oct 16 2007 : 9:32:20 PM
so...are there boys with any of the girls, husbands, boyfriends? I'm trying to get a rough number of how many you are feeding..so far, I've got 14
If you want to cook the entire thing yourself, you are going to need to make things over a couple of days to re-heat on Saturday....hmmmmm, I'm thinkin'
Make ahead goodies that come to mind are ~
A hot potato salad or scalloped potatoes. You can freeze these and re-heat when the time comes.
You can make up a couple hundred meatballs pretty quick, make a huge pot of pasta and a couple of different sauces, say a good garden marinara and a creamy white cheese sauce...both of which could be made ahead and frozen. Or as Alee says a couple of pans of lasagna go down well, and can be gussied up at the last minute with herb sprigs and fresh grated cheese of your choice.You can make one of them meatless if you have enough people watching their weight.
You can get a big bag of chicken drum sticks, dip them in bbq sauce or corn batter and fry or oven cook pretty quick for starters with a big salad
Corn bread and a huge home made meaty pot of chili or stew.
If the weather is nice and you have a grill, just about anything grilled in the Autumn air is wonderful. Grilled vegie kabobs are a nice side to go with that.
Baked apples with vanilla ice cream, or a simple fruit cobbler is a good country way to finish the meal.
Give me some kind of idea what kinds of food your clan likes to eat mostly and I'll try to drop you some recipes. I love to cook and have zillions of recipes and am thinking of writing my own cook book anyway, so helping another farmgirl out is good practice for me finding recipes in my pile of them quickly
Anyhoo, I hope that you all have a great time. Showing off the new farm will be fun no matter what.
Wishing you joy in small things and peace in your heart
Annika
http://dredweezul-madramblings.blogspot.com/
http://panzymoon.wordpress.com/ |
| Alee |
Posted - Oct 16 2007 : 7:30:04 PM
You could make up a lasagna before hand and put it in the fridge to "soften" over night then just pop it in the oven to cook on Saturday.
You could also make a Strata. They have to sit in the fridge overnight to set before cooking as well.
Chilli and Spaghetti sauce can be made before hand and just gently reheated.
Or you could chop carrots, celary, onions, potatoes and combine with good chuck roast and put that all in a crock pot to cook all day Saturday.
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
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