I've written in the past about how to make hospitality simple and attainable. After a couple weeks of unpacking, we have been able to get back into sharing meals and fellowship in our home. It's a blessing to be surrounded by laughter and friends! (Plus, the perks of a clean house and leftovers the next day!)

Cha Cha Chicken Salad sandwich + salad

Here are a few more ways I manage to make time for dinner guests (without skipping school or other daily tasks*...):

Plan, plan, plan!

Several days in advance:

• Make a menu (be sure to ask about allergies or food preferences!). Plan a simple meal or an elaborate feast -- it's up to you! I try to determine what I can prepare that is nice and tasty but not too stressful. We've gotten in "over our heads" a few times when it comes to menu planning, but that's part of the fun, right? :)
• Make sure you will have all the ingredients for your menu when it's time to start cooking
• Start clearing clutter and do some general organizing if your home needs it

The day before:

• Start cooking, if possible (I love to plan a nice casserole or dish that can be made many hours in advance and baked at the last minute! If you're making something like pizza, you can shred the cheese, chop veggies, etc. the day before.)
• Do any cleaning that won't get undone by the next day (ha, ha!)

The day of:

• Make a list (I like to write the menu on my to-do list so I don't forget to serve everything I planned! Yes, I've pulled dessert out of the fridge and realised that the lovely salad was still in there too!)
• Finish the cleaning
• Finish the cooking
• Have fun! :)

*Now, let's see if I can serve meals to guests on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week... without neglecting this blog!

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