It’s that time of year … time to spring into summer entertaining! I really love summer entertaining because, even though I love to plan a party and still use my “good” dishes in the outdoors (it’s just elegant and an excuse to get semi-fancy), I love casual entertaining just as much.

We recently had friends and family over for a Mexican meal. I love a Mexican theme because realistically, you don’t have to do much planning. As a kid, if I knew we were having Mexican food it usually meant tortillas, meat, beans, rice, cheese, tomatoes … the basics.

This time I pulled out the paper products, because I wanted quick and easy. No dishes, easy clean up, and really good food!

I decided to make 2 new dip recipes from Ro*Tel, to freshen up the toppings for the tacos.

Have you ever cooked with Ro*Tel?

If you haven’t or you want to know more about it, it’s diced tomatoes and green chilies combined together. You can purchase it in “original” or “mild” and it adds a “punch” to your dip or Mexican recipes. (I was able to send coupons home with my guests!)

Usually I don’t make brand new recipes for guests, I like to try them out on my family first, but dips are easy. So easy, that I’m sharing the 2 recipes with you today!

I didn’t even have to go to the store, as I had all ingredients on hand (except fresh cilantro, which I thought I had, but didn’t). I don’t know about you, but I do not like running to the store for last minute supplies, so I’ll try to do without or come up with a substitution.

Oh, and by the way, I never even mentioned to my guests that an ingredient was missing.

And no one knew! I’ve definitely learned to not bring those subjects up when entertaining. It only brings awareness to something that would not have even mattered. My guests thought the food was fantastic! Yeah!

My guests oohed and aaahed over the freshness of these dips. I asked them if they had used Ro*Tel before and only a few had.

Do you ever buy Ro*Tel and if so, what’s your favorite way to cook with it? If not, what’s your go-to Mexican dip recipe?

Next week come back for a very cool, summery giveaway from Ro*Tel. Two lucky people will WIN!

This post is sponsored by Ro*Tel but all opinions are my own.

You can find more recipes and ways to use RO*TEL on their website, Facebook page, Pinterest board or by following them on Twitter.

You may have seen my post, here, our first outdoor entertaining for the year–chilly as it was–we pulled out the outdoor heater and enjoyed a special evening with our friends.

Summer entertaining is really easy. You don’t have to clean your house, you can usher your guests into the backyard, turn on the music, cut some fresh flowers from the garden, and you are set!

That part is easy. But what about the food?

I’ve recently re-discovered chicken thighs. According to what I recently read on Good Housekeeping site, they are just as good for you as chicken breasts! (I went back and couldn’t find the link – if anyone finds it, please send to me.)

Chicken thighs:
They are higher in fat and calories than breasts, but as long as you remove the skin and any excess fat, economical thighs fit into a good-for-you diet. They also provide 25 percent more iron and more than twice as much zinc as the same amount of breast meat.

When our friends came, I had thighs marinated in the fridge, and we whipped up a big summer salad and put whole-wheat bread in the oven.

Oh, and then we had this butterscotch dessert.

If you didn’t see the recipe a few weeks ago, this is one for sure you’ll want to file away (or put on Pinterest?) A crowd-lover’s dessert and SO easy.

Back to chicken. Here’s my easy recipe for marinade. (Yes, the chives are from our garden.)

By the way, I’m growing my own sweet bay tree now so I no longer have to buy bay leaves from the store. It’s doing so well (inside).

Have you entertained yet this summer, and what will you most likely be grilling?

When the daylight starts to linger, we love entertaining on our back patio for a time of unhurried togetherness.

The sun warms all things to full bloom, and they often make it to the center of our table.

It’s just a perfect time to get together with family and friends.

Our son was home from college for Mother’s Day and brought some friends to dinner. We love having extra kids around our table. It always makes for a good time of story-telling, lots of laughter, and even a sense of relief you can feel from our kids. Relief from college life, college food, the pressures of school work and schedules.

They talk and relax.

It’s good to be real.

It’s good to be unhurried.

And it’s good to indulge a bit, at the end of the evening, with a sweet treat.

I just told my running partner about this fun summer entertaining idea, because it’s simple and something you can have ready at all times. You can make up your own brownies and freeze, or buy these bite sized ones from Costco.

Don’t you love it when you have a dessert in the freezer ready to go for company?

I pulled out a container of Brownie Ice Cream Stacks and here’s how you make them.

And if you want, just skip the “frosting” part.

So simple!

What desserts do you keep in your freezer for last-minute summer entertaining?

Spring is for sure in the air, as our family worked in the yard all weekend stringing lights, blowing, mowing, cleaning, planting … you name it. It takes work to get ready for spring and summertime entertaining, but once the hard work is done, it’s so worth it.

I cleaned off the back patio, making room for guests–any time of the day.

This time snipping fresh tulips from the front yard.

Pulling out a summery entertaining tray.

And fresh yellow napkins.

Sometimes I’m not too good with final garnishing and presentation details, because I know my guests are waiting and I want to serve the food while it’s hot. But I have learned to think ahead to the serving dishes that I may be using and to set them out in advance.

This time, it took me about 15 minutes to pull breakfast together and serve it to my guests on our back patio.

Easy Greek Scrambled Egg Pockets, served in this long white serving dish.

So easy to make.

Simple presentation.

Bright and cheery.

Fresh and summery.

Realistically we didn’t even use the plates.

You hear “the secret is in the sauce?” Well, how about, “the secret is in the serving dish?”

Don’t you find that the “right” serving dish can make or break the presentation of the food you are serving?

It was after we got our kids off to their school prom that we came back, with another couple, for a late dinner.

I’d say it was last-minute, since we called them just a couple of hours before to make the invite.

It was such a lovely springy evening, the sun going down after a warm day, the party lights hung, freshly mowed grass and newly planted springtime flowers in the pots.

I realized late into the afternoon that I hadn’t even thought of a dessert. Not that we have to have dessert with each meal — we don’t. But being a weekend night, and since we hadn’t seen our friends in a while, I pulled out an old “salty-sweet” recipe called Butterscotch Brownies. You might think this recipe includes butterscotch chips–it does not. You actually make your own butterscotch. Do you know how to make butterscotch?

It’s the warm oozing combination of butter and brown sugar–dark brown sugar, that is.

On top of the gooey goodness, if you dust with sea salt (you can see it in this picture) it stimulates a whole bunch of new taste buds in your mouth.

I feel the best desserts have a little zip to them, other than sweetness, and that includes salt.

Which, by the way, you can get so many flavors of gourmet sea salts these days.

In specialty shops you can find just the right one that satisfies your taste for the perfect salty-sweet foods.

We were recently at The Meadow in Portland, Oregon.

My husband and I got lost in this unique store.

Back to desserts.

Salty sweet desserts don’t have to be over-complicated. In fact, with this recipe today, you won’t believe how easy it is, and perfect for entertaining! You make it up ahead of time, and right before serving, microwave each dish for about 30 seconds. Serve with a premium vanilla ice cream and your guests will be singing your praises.

Just give the “salt’ the credit.

Do you have a quick go-to dessert you make for last-minute company?

The winner of the pink KitchenAid blender for Mother’s Day is Michele Laramay (no blog). Congrats Michele!

Are you entertaining a crowd for Cinco de Mayo this weekend? Or have you been invited out?

For us, the latter. We’re happy to be biting into our friends delicious cooking, but we’re also contributing to the meal. I’ll be taking one of our family-favorite recipes that can used as a salad, or as a dip!

You hear, The Secret is in the Sauce, which is true for this recipe. It involves some prepping, and a tiny bit of cooking, but overall the time involved is well worth it.

Margaritas, bowls of guacamole and chips, tacos and the gathering of good friends are all signs of a successful Cinco de Mayo fiesta.

What’s your favorite Mexican dish to take to a party?

This recipe is included in my book, The Reluctant Entertainer, a great gift idea for Mother’s Day which is right around the corner! If you want a signed copy, go here. If you want to buy on Amazon, go here. The winner to the KitchenAid Stand Mixer giveaway is: Richella.

I cannot tell you how excited I am for our garden this year. Especially for basil that will be filling up our herb trough, bright in color, so heavily scented that I could bath in it. LOL.

Don’t you love the smell of fresh basil?

More exciting than the scent, though, is the recipe I’m sharing today. It’s so easy! And we can all use new, refreshing, easy appetizer recipes – perfect for last-minute get togethers or when you’re invited to someone’s house.

Bring an appetizer and wine! I love those words, especially when I have something so simple in mind.

Last weekend I made this simple appetizer for a party that we attended. For me, simple, light appetizers always taste better than heavy ones, so I made Goat Cheese Pesto Tartines.

Tartine: A French word that means open-face sandwich.

Basil season can’t come soon enough, but in the meantime, I used store-bought pesto.

It’s convenient and perfect for “last-minute” and honestly, not everyone has time to whip up fresh basil.

Do you make your own pesto or do you sometimes splurge and buy store-bought?

I love Fridays. And easy posts that have simple entertaining ideas!

If you read my post earlier this week on how to make delicious granola, today I’m sharing a simple breakfast (or snack) entertaining idea.

It’s really fun for kids, especially with smaller portions.

Ingredients:
Greek yogurt
Honey
Granola
Strawberry (or fruit) for garnish

Take small (1/2 pint) canning jars (no lids).

Fill with Greek yogurt.

Drizzle with honey.

Sprinkle with 1-2 inches of granola. (Homemade is best!)

Garnish with a beautiful piece of fruit.

And serve on a tray with other fruit!

Happy weekend, friends.

What will you be doing this weekend?

I’ll be doing something really fun which I plan to share about later.

Also, come back on Monday for an exciting KitchenAid Stand Mixer giveaway with a couple other cool items!

Hospitality in our home is usually centered on food. With a very busy life, the best situation for connecting with people is around a meal.

But even if it’s just a glass of iced tea, or an evening with dessert – with our without a full meal – we’ve found that cherished time with friends is just about being together.

About a month ago we entertained, but this time instead of a formal meal, we made Rachael Ray’s Classic Bolognese and served it buffet style. It was perfect for adults, and perfect for kids, one tip being that you can hide the chopped carrots as you mix them into the spaghetti sauce.

And who would ever know there are chicken livers in this recipe? I’m telling you, even though they are optional, they MADE the flavor come alive!

We stacked the plates on the counter, put the food in one place, we gathered around and everyone filled their own dishes with pasta, sauce, salad, and homemade bread.

Our friends who came for dinner brought a level of excitement to our family. They are fun, full of life, ask lots of questions, and they really engage with our kids.

We turn up the volume of music, there seems to be a lot of laughter, but also serious talk of meaningful things, and in a sense, I’d say our evening “dripped with soul.”

Have you ever thought about this? That your family unit revolves around who you are as individuals and not around what you have?

It’s the people, the relationships, not the “stuff,” that makes for a great time.

Which, by the way, I was fortunate to have this exact conversation with Rachael Ray this past month in NYC at an event hosted by Rachael Ray and Ziploc Brand to promote the FreshOver program. I had to pinch myself over the fact that I was really talking to Rachael, but it was true! Many of my friends have asked me if she’s the “real deal,” and my answer is, “yes, yes, yes!”

We had similar views of entertaining, bringing friends together, the importance of putting our imperfections aside and focusing on the people. We actually talked about our gardens, too!

Here’s what Rachael shared with the group:

-Rachael Ray wanted to get involved in the Ziploc Brand FreshOver program because she’s concerned about the obesity epidemic in our country.

-She LOVES what Ziploc Brand is doing for families and that they care and have a heart.

-She’s an AVID Ziploc Brand user, including the new Perfect Portions bags.

-She encourages moms to go food shopping with their kids and suggests they teach their children to “pick a color” when shopping for vegetables.

Me with Rachael Ray, Audrey from Mom Generations and my Party BluPrint friends, Elizabeth and Dawn. (Photo Courtesy of Gary He)

Because of Ziploc Brand and Rachael’s approach to fresh eating, I thought you’d be interested in this recent survey:

The Ziploc Fresh Eating survey ranked the top-50 cities across the US on whether their residents tend to eat fresh and captured their attitudes towards eating fresh. Additionally, the results include other stats such as how often people eat fresh foods, what time in the day they are likely to eat junk food, whether or not they grow fruits and vegetables etc.

I thought it was a very informative and interesting study!

Also, don’t forget you can participate in the Rachael Ray Sweepstakes taking place until May 5th:

Ziploc is hosting The Great American FreshOver Sweepstakes from February 29, 2012 through May 5, 2012. Fans can enter on the Ziploc Brand Facebook page by “liking” the page, entering The Great American FreshOver app on the page and offering a FreshOver food idea, in the form of a recipe or tip in text. During the sweepstakes, fans will be rewarded with access to exclusive Rachael Ray videos and tips, weekly prize drawings, coupons and one lucky grand prize winner will win a trip for two to experience the ultimate culinary experience in America’s food capital – New York City. Grand prize winners will stay in New York City for three nights and four days, can eat at the most sought after “fresh” restaurants and swap recipes with Rachael Ray. No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to participate.

Now, back to entertaining, this yummy Classic Bolognese recipe, inviting others in and showing hospitality … it’s something to really ponder.

Would you say your home life? drips with soul? And what kind of meal would you serve if wanting to accomplish a night like I shared above? Or how would you serve it?

A few months back I received a text from my friend, a mom of 3 little tikes who lives in Portland, with this picture, saying:

Fresh granola on my kitchen counter makes me happy.

We often send text messages to each other with pictures of food we are eating, cooking, sharing with others. It’s a way we stay in touch. I loved her granola pic, too, because deep in our hearts, we both love to make as much homemade foods as possible for our kids (3 under the age of 6; 3 over the age of 15).

Steph also inspired me to start making my own granola, and once I got into the routine, it not only provided a great snack (and breakfast) for the family, but it saved us a bunch of money!

Store-bought granola is way overpriced.

And often too sweet, according to my tastes. So you’re going to love this recipe today. Which, by the way, you can play around with the recipe and add in your favorite nuts or fruits, double up on the liquid if you need to.

My recipe is a generic recipe, but one thing that I learned was to not use Quick Oats, but to instead use the Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats. I hand-chopped my almonds and walnuts, because we like the larger chunks, and the first time I used cranberries and golden raisins. I basically mixed it all together in a big bowl, decided I needed more liquid, and doubled that.

I ended up cooking the granola at 250 for over an hour. You can cook it (stirring every 20 minutes) to whatever texture you like for your own household.

Another thought about granola: If you’re going through all the work of making it, make enough to keep your family satisfied! A small recipe only begs the question of:

Mom, when are you making more granola?

And guess who loves it the most in our family? Yup! Mom bags it up in Ziploc gallon bags for our college student.

It’s a simple little care package full of homemade love!

What’s homemade on your kitchen counter that makes your family happy?

The last time we dined with our friends, we ate at their house and they cooked us a beautiful meal. Since it’s hard for them to get away (they have an autistic child), this time when we made plans to get together and I said, I’ll bring dinner!

Whatever the situation, I think it’s really fun when someone wants to come to your house and bring dinner, and then eat with you, too.

I call it “taking your hospitality with you.” It really doesn’t matter where we eat, or what we eat, it’s who we eat with that makes a difference.

I brought salmon to broil in the oven, fresh baked bread, and a baby kale salad – in a basket.

We sat out by their outside fire for about an hour (yummy appetizers) before heading in for dinner. Just before eating, I told my friend, Karen, that I needed to toss the salad.

The secret that I’ve found in serving baby kale is that it’s delicious if you allow the dressing to soak into the leaves for at least 30 minutes before serving. Most salads you’d never do that (the leaves would get soggy), but with kale, it’s slightly different.

Baby kale is unique; the flavor, texture, even the smell. I love it!

Here are the salad ingredients (below), which, by the way, always taste the salad dressing before tossing a salad. It might need more sugar, salt, etc.

Tell me about the last time you took a meal to a friend … did you stay and eat with them? What was the meal and what was the circumstance?

We are a “wrap” family for sure.

When it seems the fridge is pretty low on food, there’s always ingredients to make a healthy wrap.

I usually buy whole wheat tortillas, but sometimes I like to splurge on tomato or basil ones.

I’ve taught my kids to scope out the veggie drawer and just make it happen.

Be creative, make it bright and colorful (which makes it nice and healthy), and then drizzle your favorite dressing on top.

Heat, wrap, roll, and ENJOY!

Wrap ingredients:
Favorite meat, bacon, or salami
Favorite cheese (be creative, reach for a unique one you’d normally not add)
Avocado
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Red Cabbage
Fresh herbs

What are your family’s favorite wrap ingredients?

Today I’m sharing some of my friend’s favorite sandwich wrap recipes. I hope you are inspired with some new ideas with yummy ingredients!

Roasted Mushroom and Pepper Wrap from Aggie’s Kitchen

Buffalo Chicken Wrap from Bev Cooks

Grilled Apricot Chicken Wrap from Miss in the Kitchen

Hummus, Egg and Vegetable Breakfast Wrap from Savor the Thyme

Curry Quinoa Wrap from Healthy Happy Life

Raw Vegan Collard Wrap by Avocado Pesto

Healthy Shrimp Sandwich Wrap with Curry Yogurt Spinach from Cookin’ Canuck

Egg Wrap-and-Runs with Mushroom and Provolone from Three Many Cooks

Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps from She Wears Many Hats

Crunchy Spicy Hummus Wrap from Small Kitchen College

Cumin Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Wrap with a Chilli Lime Yogurt Dressing from Maple Spice

Zesty Tofu Wrap from Dana Treat

I’m reposting this scrumptious little appetizer recipe, because when you need something quick and fresh-tasting (and healthy), these simple ingredients are easy to keep on hand.

Your guests will love it – they’ll actually love you!

What ingredients do you keep on hand for easy go-to appetizers?

I’m participating in the Hellman Chicken Change Up Dinner Party challenge, so with that in mind, I hosted a small dinner party and made a delicious Spinach and Almond-Topped Chicken, putting a new twist on a simple recipe.

Hellmann’s®, or better known on the West Coast as Best Foods® Mayonnaise, transforms your chicken into a juicier, crispier, more delicious meal that your family or dinner guests will love.

Hosting a dinner party is fairly easy for me because I just don’t stress myself out like I used to.

Part of taking the fear out of entertaining is knowing ahead of time what you plan to cook. Anyone can make this recipe that I’m sharing today, and it’s for sure “company-worthy.”

My guests loved it. We talked about the simple, fresh ingredients, I made sweet potatoes for the side, but rice or quinoa would be fantastic, too. We also had a light salad and bread.

Sometimes I think we cook way too much food, or too many courses, and then the thought of “hosting” stops us dead in our tracks because it becomes overwhelming.

I say start with simple.

Chicken is usually a big hit with company. And when you add a twist to the recipe, like I did with Hellman’s, it tastes like gourmet!

Taking the stress out of entertaining is so important (and do-able). It’s like using a muscle–once you do it over and over, it becomes easier and easier.

What’s your stress level like when planning a dinner party?

From now until April 30, 2012, parents across the country can participate in the Hellmann’s® Chicken Change-up by trying one of the featured Hellmann’s® chicken recipes, sharing their recipe reviews and providing their own advice for managing dinnertime obstacles. After participating, consumers can enter into a sweepstakes for the chance to win a $5000 grocery store gift card and other daily prizes.

Visit Facebook.com/Hellmanns to participate in the Chicken Change-Up, where you can find ideas on managing dinner dilemmas and enter for a chance to win daily prizes.

Hellmann’s sponsored my post today, but all opinions stated are my own.

One of the things I love, when my kids are either home from college or they’re inviting their friends over, is to reach into my pantry and have all the ingredients that I need for a yummy meal.

A few weekends when we headed out for spring break to NYC, I made a double recipe casserole for my son and his friends. I knew the leftovers would be consumed in no time.

I do keep my pantry stocked with go-to staples for when I’m in a pinch with a dinner recipe, always with varieties of Bush’s Beans, rice and quinoa.

This time I knew I had everything I needed in my pantry: chicken stock, rice, quinoa, beans, salsa, and corn chile.

In my fridge I had a big tub of sour cream, cheese (I always keep cheese frozen in Ziploc bags so I never run out), milk, and a rotisserie chicken that I had purchased a few nights before.

I was set.

Double the recipe.

Feed it to the fam.

By the way, I often combine my rice and quinoa in the rice cooker.

Easy as can be!

My formula for my rice cooker is to every cup of rice or quinoa, I add 1.5 cups of water (or broth).

Which items do you keep stocked in your pantry for last-minute meals?

(I have a working relationship with Bush’s Beans and they sponsored this post today.)

I stand at my kitchen sink (I love my kitchen) and look out into the front yard flowers in full bloom. I’m so thankful for what we have. Our house is not over-the-top, it’s practical, and it’s messy most of the time, because we’re a really busy family, but it’s a home that we love. The kids are in and out of the house, the dining table is the “dump-all” and often the same with the kitchen center island. Our kitchen allows more than cooking; it allows connection through conversation.

We have a really open floor plan that always brings the family together, whether upstairs in the loft, or downstairs in the kitchen, often around the kitchen counter perched on barstools.

I’d say we have a pretty casual feel to our home.

The bar area is often the place where food is either left out or set out.

It’s really about hanging together, being able to sit and talk, and eat – whether a full meal or just a snack.

This last week I made an easy snack that I prepared and left on the counter–Sweet and Sour Meatballs and a little stack of napkins.

Can’t wait to share this casual idea with you today!

Do you have an easy meatball appetizer that your family loves?

Thank for joining my RE Friday Round-Up! Just in time for Easter and last-minute entertaining, I’m sharing my simple technique to boiling the perfect egg.

And then, of course, I’m linking to some fantastic recipes that you may want to try for Easter that involve eggs (deviled eggs) or leftover eggs (egg salad varieties) – Yum

I’ve tried all sorts of methods to boiling an egg, but I always come back to this one.

How to boil the perfect egg:

-Bring your water to a boil, then, by using a spoon, slowly and carefully drop the eggs down into the water. Set your timer for 10 minutes. (NOTE: Eggs that come straight from the fridge, usually very cold, are more likely to crack. Set them out on the counter first for 10-15 minutes.)

-After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the water for 5 minutes. Then pour off the hot water and add COLD WATER to cover the eggs.

-After a few minutes, pour off this water and add more cold water. In about 8 minutes your eggs will be cool enough to handle, and they’ll peel perfectly every time.

Good luck with your eggs. I plan on making one of the recipes below plus one more appetizer for our Easter Celebration. Which, by the way, Aggie’s Kitchen has a round-up for last-minute appetizers for Easter Sunday on her blog today

Basic Deviled Egg Recipe from Pinch my Salt

Deviled Eggs with Prosciutto from Pixelated Crumb

Deviled Eggs Supreme from Miss in the Kitchen

Sautéed Mediterranean Deviled Eggs from A Farmgirl’s Dabbles

Bacon Balsamic Deviled Eggs from Recipe Girl

Avocado Egg Salad from The Pioneer Woman

Bush’s Black Bean Tex-Mex Deviled Eggs – my blog, last Easter

Creamy Egg Salad with Capers from Aggie’s Kitchen

Egg Salad with Bacon from Add a Pinch

Classic Egg Salad from Brown Eyed Baker

Avocado Spinach Egg Salad from We are not Martha

Edamame Egg Salad from Spabettie

Do you have Deviled Eggs on your Easter menu this year? What’s your favorite recipe?

When’s the first time you heard the “Snap, Crackle, Pop?” commercial? I grew up with Rice Krispie Treats, so when my family brought these for Easter last year, our family devoured them by the end of the night. It’s hard to keep Rice Krispie Treats in our house. They are so good.

I love how Ginny kept it simple with her easy Easter decorating.

-Follow the standard recipe, HERE, but instead use a 15 x 10 x 1-inch pan coated with cooking spray.

-Use egg-shaped cookie cutters.

-Don’t forget the 24 lollipop sticks or wooden ice cream sticks.

-Insert lollipop stick into each before refrigerating.

-Follow the rest of the steps.

-Frost lightly with soft Easter colors.

-Sprinkle with your favorite sprinkles on top.

So festive and fun for Easter!

Now this will bring back memories. Enjoy the first ever Snap, Crackle, Pop commercial … way back when …

What is your traditional Easter treat that you make each year?

I’m over at {In}Courage today. Do you struggle with your imperfections, especially during the holidays? … ==> more, HERE.

Today, please welcome my guest, Sheila, from Eat 2 Gather: The Pursuit of Food, Family, and Fun.

I met Sheila a couple years ago at BlogHer Food. She came to BlogHer Food knowing only The Pioneer Woman! I’m serious. She had visited PW’s ranch, but came to BHF to branch and and meet new bloggers. That’s where all of us girls came in … Sheila with Wendy, me, Robyn, Kristin and Amy, and we became fast friends.

Sheila is sister-material. She’s the real deal, we both share a love for cooking and hospitality. I loved getting to know her, and especially appreciated her 31 Days series back in October, on how to provide meals for others.

Each week she writes about how we can love on others through the gift of food.

She encourages us all to serve and give to others, and she provides a place on her blog to link up your favorite food post each week, one that is easy to take in a meal form to a needy family.

Just beautiful!

(Okay, this P & J Bar recipe (pic below) sounds fantastic!)

Take the opportunity to check out Eat 2 Gather, but for now, here’s Sheila’s guest post:

Hello! I am so excited to have the opportunity to write a guest post here today. Thank you Sandy for inviting me to RE, I love it here! A friend of mine introduced me to Sandy’s blog Reluctant Entertainer. Then Sandy reached out to me and we became fast friends! Quickly realizing we share a love for opening our homes to others and for meal ministry. When I finally met Sandy at Blogher Food in 2010, I felt like I had known Sandy my whole life. So thankful God put this lady in my life!

Let me tell you just a smidge about myself. I love to feed people. I have a passion for wanting to inspire others to enjoy family time around their dinner table. As my four children race into the teen years I see the importance of this more everyday, and am thankful that my husband, of 17 years, and I have made family meal time a priority.

Today I want to talk about leftovers. Who said “waste not want not”? I went looking for this phrase in my Bible, it wasn’t there. So then I headed where all people go when they need to know something….no not the library silly, Google! I googled it. “Origins of waste not want not” It’s sort of sketchy. One source said that Ben Franklin penned it in 1700′s. Other sources say it’s from an English proverb book that dates back even further. Who knows?! What I do know is it makes perfect sense. For all we know Adam probably said it to Eve. “Pick those dropped apples up off the ground and make some apple sauce women!” “Do you really need a new fig leaf everyday? Seriously, Eve, waste not want not.”

Confession: I waste food.

I love to cook, and bake, and there are always leftovers. What do I do with those leftovers? Well, until recently, I would package them up, place them in the refrigerator, where they would sit for a few days, even a week, until I decide to clean out my fridge and throw them all away. Waste! If my dad, who’s a bachelor, eats dinner with us I always package up the leftovers and send them home with him. Which he loves.

My Dad with my boys

Why don’t we have a leftover night? We do sometimes, but my kids hate it, my husband doesn’t really care for it either, and to be honest I am lazy about forcing it on them. (That was confession #2)

What do you do with leftovers?

Recently, after having lasagna for dinner, which is a favorite of a single friend of ours, I said to my husband, “Will would love these leftovers, but when are we going to see him again?”. Right then and there I had an idea! I decided to take the leftovers from that night and package them up to freeze right away. I labeled and dated them, so we would remember the what and when of what was in the dinner packages. Then when my dad or our friend came over I could send them home with perfectly portioned frozen meals. They would love it. I started freezing everything. Cookies, brownies, any entree’ that I made. The key is to freeze it right away, and then date it. It should be eaten within three months of the date it was made.

I am sure this is not a new idea to many of you, but for me it has been revolutionary. I have been able to let go of my guilt regarding how much food I waste. No matter how cliche it sounds, there truly are people starving, not just in China, but literally in my own city. And when I throw food away I always think to myself, and sometimes out loud to my family, “that would have been a good meal for somebody, but we are to persnickety and spoiled to eat it!”.

Even though my dad and our friend are by no means starving, I at least feel I am helping them out by sharing, and they are grateful for it.

Who do you know someone that could benefit from your leftovers?

A sibling who is single, a parent, a good friend, there has to be someone in your life that would be grateful for frozen meals.

Recently instead of giving these two ol’ men our leftovers I have portioned some out for them first. Spaghetti sauce, soup, pulled pork, cookies…..I bag it up, freeze it and then we get the “leftovers”! Kind of a sneaky way to get my kiddos to eat leftovers wouldn’t you say?

I’ve shared the recipe for my Spaghetti Sauce before, but I’m feeling the need to share again. It comes together quickly and it freezes easily. It’s a great recipe for your family or to share with others. I hope you enjoy it!

Do you have a leftover night, or does your family complain like mine?

I’m a double-up kind of girl … are you? Especially when it comes to entertaining and cooking for my family.

Since I’m already putting work and time into my cooking, I like to double the recipe and get as many meals as I can from my efforts. And my family thanks me and it helps for entertaining on the fly when guests unexpectedly stop by!

I told my family, “Get ready for something really good for dinner tonight. We’re trying another Rachael Ray recipe!” My journey with the FreshOver project has been fantastic as I’ve tried many recipes on family and friends. I’ve had fun and they’ve benefited. My family’s favorite recipe was Rachael Ray’s Braised Pork Tacos, because we got so many meals from it “and we’re a “taco family.”

The table was set.

I cooked the meal in no time.

And I tucked one little pan’s worth of food away in a Ziploc VersaGlass Container, which is glass, has a sealable lid, and makes “fresh-overing” your meal easy, because all you do is refrigerate or freeze. When you’re ready to eat this meal again, just thaw, cook and serve all in the same container—saving time and cleanup! (Ziploc VersaGlass Containers are oven safe up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit without a lid, when used in accordance with the instructions).

I’ve also discovered that these new glass dishes are excellent for taking a meal to a loved one or a neighbor in need. It’s little work to cook extra and freeze, and then pull the container out the day of delivering the meal.

Today, I’m not only sharing a yummy FreshOver recipe, but I’m hosting a giveaway, thanks to Ziploc Brand and Rachael Ray. I also want to tell you about the sweepstakes hosted by Ziploc, which YOU CAN ENTER at Ziploc’s Facebook Page:

Ziploc Brand is hosting The Great American FreshOver Sweepstakes from March 5, 2012 through May 5, 2012. Fans can enter on the Ziploc Brand Facebook page by “liking” the page and offering a FreshOver food idea, in the form of a recipe or tip in text. During the sweepstakes, fans will be rewarded with access to exclusive Rachael Ray videos and tips, weekly prize drawings, coupons and one lucky grand prize winner will win a trip for two to experience the ultimate culinary experience in America’s food capital – New York City. Grand prize winners will stay in New York City for three nights and four days, can eat at the most sought after “fresh” restaurants and swap recipes with Rachael Ray. No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to participate.

GIVEAWAY INFO::
The giveaway will comprise of 12 various Ziploc® Brand Products, Rachael Ray’s Look+Cook cookbook and cooking utensils. Approximate Retail Value of prize is $120.00 USD and will be given to one (1) selected winner.

ANSWER TO WIN:
You can enter the giveaway by sharing one comment about the best meal you’ve enjoyed in NYC when you’ve been there?

Did it contain fresh ingredients? Why you think NYC is a great place to visit?

OFFICAL RULES:
No purchase or payment post of any kind is necessary to enter or win. A purchase or, payment will not increase your chances of winning. Read all of the rules, HERE.

*I have partnered with Ziploc® and am being compensated for my posts. However, my opinions of the product are my own.