Holiday Entertaining: Feeding your Overnight Guests

This is the time of year when overnight guests (welcome or otherwise) and weekend-er brunch visits so it pays to be prepared well ahead of time. One of the fun parts of having guests is getting to play host(ess) and plan out the visit. To an organization geek like me, making the million lists dissecting the visit to a nano second is an experience better than...ahem, chocolate.

Honey, I'm Home

Whether your guest is an unexpected cousin you see once a decade or your mother-in-law, you as host(ess) have a multitude of duties and responsibilities. Ranging from bare minimum etiquette to "Hey Martha, I want your job" perfectionism, these amenities and services that you provide your guests are vital. Starting to sound like you are running an Inn or B&B? Well, yeah. Why not? In both cases you are offering shelter and food to a guest in an overnight situation. In ancient times offering shelter to a guest was no light matter--you were in a sense offering your life as surety of your guests safety and the fulfillment of their physical needs such as a bath, meal and bed or pallet on the floor. The satisfaction and health, literally, of guests to your household was of reputation breaking or making proportions. Today, things aren't quite as serious but all the same, the duties of bath, food and a bed remain unflinchingly paramount.

It all starts with the welcome at the door. If you are not artistically inclined, no worries. Stretch yourself enough, or at least stretch your pocket book to purchase a wreath for the door and leave it at that. If you have the time and the inclination to get crafty--go nuts--lights, topiaries, wreaths, whatever, just get creative and had fun, with style and taste of course. A warm greeting goes a long way to making someone feel wanted and a part of things rather than as a piece of baggage you need to store somewhere.

Afternoon and evening arrivals should be greeted with the smell and taste of a warm and bracing drink and tray of nibbles. Awkward conversation can be diverted immediately upon the arrival of food and drink so make sure to offer tasty tidbits to fuel at least a few minutes of conversation. Some visits don't require the societal niceties, such as the visit of a college buddy or your sister but most will require some straining of what gracious entertaining muscles you may have (think boss, neighbour or church member). Having an instant conversation ice breaker on hand is priceless.

Your overnight guest should find a well made bed with extra pillows, blankets and throws. Some people have allergies going both ways--some to feathers, some to the poly fill--so it is a good idea to find that information out before hand and offer that if they come without provisions of their own. I myself always travel with my own pillow for my head, as I have neck nerve issues and one I use to separate my knees at night, as I have RLD (restless leg disorder) and I find the pillow helps. Don't assume however, they will travel thusly burdened themselves. Here is where you can either go overboard or offer the minimum. You can take your cue from a hotel room and stick a coffee/tea maker, hairdryer and new bathrobe if your guest is staying longer than one night. Conversely, you may want to only stick some thick towels and a magazine in the room. That helps for guests you don't want making themselves at home!

The same can apply to the bathing needs of your guest. All that you the host(ess) would have to do most of the time is supply thick and fluffy towels. However, you may want to keep handy a few new toothbrushes, a new tube of popular toothpaste and a new comb. Anyone who has traveled beyond their doorstep knows that no matter how carefully you plan and pack, something will be left behind. As well, if your guest is a close relative, odds are they are assuming they can use your supplies, unless they have special needs that you just can't cover. No body loves you like your family!

If your guest is someone special or if you are just the type to be crafty and love to give gifts, a little something left on the bed or side table for your guest to take home with them is a wonderful idea. It can be anything from a box of local handmade chocolates, to a handmade christmas ornament or my favourite, beeswax candles bundled in threes and tied with raffia or jute and hung with a tiny "dollarstore" charm. ( In quotes, as most things from a dollar store are made in China. I would recommend not buying these types of things new. Buying them and other small trinket items used repurposes them, cuts down on new items being made and the money spent goes into the local economy rather than to a foreign company.)

Rolled Beeswax Candles
Beeswax candles will burn cleaner and with less impact on air quality. You can pick up natural sheets and the cotton wicks at most craft stores.

• Cover your workspace with waxed paper sheets
• Use a hairdryer to warm up the wax just until it is pliable
• Lay one length of cotton wick along the edge of a sheet and fold over about 1/8" of beeswax, pressing to seal.
• Continue rolling up to the end of the sheet
• Trim the wick 1/2" from the top and even on the bottom
• Tie in bundles of three with jute or raffia
• Thread a charm or trinket onto the same material and tie to the bundle

Include a little card and a candle holder for the receiver and it will be a lovely take home gift. Alternatively if you are the guest, this would also make a lovely host(ess) gift.

You can also get your kids into the fun by making some salt dough ornaments.

Salt Dough Ornaments

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 cup warm water

Put salt and flour into a bowl and add the water 1/4 cup at a time until a rough dough is formed. Dump out on floured board and knead until smooth and pliable. Use your favourite cookie cutters and stamp out your ornaments. Poke a hole for the string. Place dough onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and bake at 300F for 1-11/2 hours.

Let cool. Paint and embellish. 

Road to Happiness is through the stomach

Now that your guest has slept soundly and bathed well, they're going to be hungry. Be warned that even if you have a guest that says "Don't worry about me, I never eat breakfast" as soon as they see others eating they will want to, at least, munch on a little something. Have some homemade granola and yoghurt as well as some winter fruit salad made from apples, grapes, frozen whole berries and a bit of maple syrup for sweetness. Try to avoid exotic imports for the obvious reasons (I covered that in another post). For those that wish a hearty breakfast there are the standard  2 eggs, bacon, homefries and toast or french toast with sausages or you can get a bit adventuresome and make the following:

Peameal Bacon and Egg Shell Pasta

with Hollandaise sauce

18 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and rinsed in cold water, drained

1/2 cup goat's cheese, crumbled

6 eggs, scrambled but still very soft and runny

4 green onions, minced

1-2 tbsp Miracle Whip or mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp water

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill or 1 tbsp dried dill

1 tbsp butter, melted

8 slices of peameal bacon, fried (cured, pickled pork loin)

Combine goat's cheese, onions and Miracle Whip; stir well. Gently mix with the scrambled eggs and fill the shells. Place shells in baking dish; add the water to dish. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes at 350F.

Combine the cheese, breadcrumbs, dill and butter; sprinkle over shells. Continue baking, uncovered, for 5 more minutes.

Blender Hollandaise sauce:

3 egg yolks

pinch cayenne pepper, ground

2 tbsp lemon juice

3/4 cup melted butter

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill or half amount of dried

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

In blender, blend all ingredients except for the butter, for 10 seconds. Continue blending while slowly adding the butter. Serve immediately.

To serve:

Pour some sauce onto the plate anyway you'd like but I prefer a broad swath that will offer sauce for every mouthful. Place one slice of fried peameal bacon on the sauce and top with 2-3 shells (these are very rich and filling). Drizzle a bit of the sauce over the egg shell pasta.

Goodbye is such sweet sorrow

Saying a fond farewell to your guest is another opportunity to do your host(ess) duties by gifting them with a doggie bag of baked Christmas goodies. For guests with children, include some candy and a little toy.

I wish you much fun and success in your holiday entertaining. If you are to be a guest yourself, remember what the work entailed, be appreciative and bring a little something for your host(ess).

Merry Christmas!