Comments on: Warm Connections {Day 31}: Taking the Time to Eat With Others https://reluctantentertainer.com/warm-connections-day-31-taking-the-time-to-eat-with-others/ Recipes, Entertaining, Charcuterie, Boards, Travel and Lifestyle! Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:37:27 +0000 hourly 1 By: Ann https://reluctantentertainer.com/warm-connections-day-31-taking-the-time-to-eat-with-others/comment-page-1/#comment-39683 Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:37:27 +0000 https://reluctantentertainer.com/?p=14788#comment-39683 These days were terrific! Thank you for sharing such a warm connection with your readers! I enjoyed each post! I love taking time to eat with others!

Since we don’t have a bunch of children in our neighborhood, we have a traditional evening out with friends. I just returned from a FIVE HOUR dinner with some friends. Good food and GREAT conversation!

]]> By: Lauren@SimplyLKJ https://reluctantentertainer.com/warm-connections-day-31-taking-the-time-to-eat-with-others/comment-page-1/#comment-39680 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:47:59 +0000 https://reluctantentertainer.com/?p=14788#comment-39680 I am going to miss this series as well! I have so enjoyed your posts this past month Sandy. I was just thinking this morning that I really needed to put a plan into action to keep calm over the next few months, so that I can truly enjoy the time with family and friends. We are adding a college graduation into the mix of Thanksgiving and Christmas!

]]> By: Nicol https://reluctantentertainer.com/warm-connections-day-31-taking-the-time-to-eat-with-others/comment-page-1/#comment-39676 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:50:59 +0000 https://reluctantentertainer.com/?p=14788#comment-39676 I have really enjoyed your 31 day series. I found your site through the linky for the series. Thank you for the encouragement and for the great ideas.

]]> By: Sheila @Eat2gather https://reluctantentertainer.com/warm-connections-day-31-taking-the-time-to-eat-with-others/comment-page-1/#comment-39675 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:28:27 +0000 https://reluctantentertainer.com/?p=14788#comment-39675 I’m with you I’m a little melancholy today also about this 31days coming to an end. It has been wonderful to share with you back and forth through out this series our hearts cross paths in so many ways. Thank you for your encouragement. I love your words here., ” Food is a way to connect human beings with one another. It unifies, we share our heritages, and even if we don’t always agree, the main ingredient comes down to love.” perfectly put!

]]> By: Andrea https://reluctantentertainer.com/warm-connections-day-31-taking-the-time-to-eat-with-others/comment-page-1/#comment-39674 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:54:44 +0000 https://reluctantentertainer.com/?p=14788#comment-39674 so true! i love what you’re saying here about food brining people together. it truly does, and my goal for the next year is to do more of that.

]]> By: Cookin' Canuck https://reluctantentertainer.com/warm-connections-day-31-taking-the-time-to-eat-with-others/comment-page-1/#comment-39673 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:50:30 +0000 https://reluctantentertainer.com/?p=14788#comment-39673 This has been such a wonderful series, Sandy. Sharing good meals with good people is one of the reasons I like to cook so much. There’s something really special about setting the stage for a wonderful evening of conversation, relaxation and connections.

]]> By: kelley https://reluctantentertainer.com/warm-connections-day-31-taking-the-time-to-eat-with-others/comment-page-1/#comment-39672 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:17:11 +0000 https://reluctantentertainer.com/?p=14788#comment-39672 Well said, girlfriend. Cooking for loved ones and sharing a meal with family and friends is the ultimate form of connecting. Sharing old stories and creating new memories over a home cooked meal is what it’s all about. Have a great day, friend!

]]> By: Mary https://reluctantentertainer.com/warm-connections-day-31-taking-the-time-to-eat-with-others/comment-page-1/#comment-39671 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:06:21 +0000 https://reluctantentertainer.com/?p=14788#comment-39671 Hi Sandy,

I have to echo the first commenter and say that I too thoroughly enjoyed your 31 Days of Warm Connections. And yes – choosing hospitality over entertaining makes all the difference in the world! Your advice has been absolutely invaluable – and not just for these past 31 days. Whenever I have folks over to my home I hear your words in my head (and I paraphrase here) that hospitality is about making the other person feel welcome and comfortable. When I focus on that, I never worry about whether things in my home, or in my kitchen – specifically – are perfect or not.

And I love the Alton Brown quote that you picked… “No one will cook as well for you as someone who loves and cares for you.” How true! Something that always touches my heart is when my husband says that my meals are delicious because they are made with love. Trust me – my food isn’t always perfect but he always makes me feel like it is. :-)

As to your question…something that has really helped me keep my sanity and stay sane during the holidays… (and I hope this doesn’t sound corny) is to focus on what is really important. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are about so much more than food, gifts, etc. And on the practical side?…I use the same menu each year. This way what I serve for each of the holidays are all things that I know how to cook well and am comfortable preparing. No surprises! LOL!!! And since they are foods that I usually only make at that time of year, my family doesn’t grow tired of them. They look forward to them.

Also, overall, I find that when my family and I focus on activities through our church, and participating in projects to help others, things just seem to go smoother. We don’t get so wrapped up in all the commercial trappings of the holidays.

Thanks again for this wonderful series of posts and for all your regular great advice to help me become a better hostess!

Have a great week.

Love,

Mary

]]> By: Frances https://reluctantentertainer.com/warm-connections-day-31-taking-the-time-to-eat-with-others/comment-page-1/#comment-39670 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:49:42 +0000 https://reluctantentertainer.com/?p=14788#comment-39670 Yes, thank you for this series! I have really enjoyed it.
This year I plan to cook less for Thanksgiving. I always try to “outdo” myself and last year, i really did.. and then spent the rest of the weekend in bed sick! I missed out on precious time with my family. So, lesson learned. Also I want to involve my brothers in the kitchen a little more, they are pretty creative cooks at times so that could be fun. :)

]]> By: Cheryl https://reluctantentertainer.com/warm-connections-day-31-taking-the-time-to-eat-with-others/comment-page-1/#comment-39669 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:19:05 +0000 https://reluctantentertainer.com/?p=14788#comment-39669 Sandy, I must tell you how very much I have enjoyed this series, 31 Days of Warm Connections! As always, you inspire me to reach out, abandon my expectations of perfection, and connect with people. It is so freeing to choose “hospitality” over “entertaining”!
I also want to let you know that I linked to you in two posts of my own 31-day series (day 8 and day 30). (Is it good cyber manners to let someone know that you linked to them? Not sure. ;-))
Thanks for the inspiration!

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