Seeing the Potential in Your Heart & Home with Guest Jessica Zigenis

Welcome to our first swap and share Friday for our hospitality study!

Before we get to the recipe sharing and today’s giveaway, meet our current guest, my new friend Jessica Zigenis.

From her heart:

Hello new friends! I’m Jessica, and you can usually find me over at Monster Cakes where I blog about life with my handsome husband and our giant puppy.

When I first got married at the ripe age of twenty, I constantly compared myself to my amazing mother and other seasoned hostesses, ultimately letting anxiety take over and closing my door to any and all hosting possibilities.

Slowly but surely, God worked on my heart, humbling me and reminding me that opening up my home is about having a heart to serve, to love, and to fellowship with others.

When I stopped focusing on our second-hand furniture, my inexperience in the kitchen, the giant hole in the couch courtesy of our unruly pups, my lack of funds for decorations and food, and our tiny living room with carpet stains throughout, I saw the potential in my heart and home.

I let go of my insecurities and let God take over, ultimately finding my bravery and opening my door.

I threw parties for friends.

I started hosting a book club.

I cooked for friends and family.

Once I became willing, God took my chaotic, little home and blessed me through hostessing beyond what I expected or deserved.

What I’ve learned along the way?

Some simple truths that may help you to open your heart and home to others too:

Like….

~ At the end of the night, the fellowship and conversation is what truly matters, not the difficulty level of the meal or the messy guest room.

~ Even if you’re on a tight budget, you can always focus on making one thing really special and memorable: a photo booth wall, fresh flowers, a unique or homemade dessert, etc.

~ Most people are craftier than they know and have the ability to make affordable, easy decorations if they can muster up some confidence and creativity.

~ Once you stop comparing yourself and your home to others, you will find that contentment often leads to a deeper desire to play hostess.

Let God use you. You bring a willing heart, and He’ll do the rest.

Jessica

Great advice!

Now, for today’s giveaway and recipe swap & share!

The giveaway includes:

~ A collapsible colander–great for rinsing pasta or draining berries for muffins.

~ A reusable drink cup in a fun paisley pattern. You can sip while you cook. :-)

~ Two boxes of instant iced coffee. One hazelnut. One French Vanilla.

~ A handwritten recipe of our family’s favorite company dishes— stuffed crust pizza!

Okay–to be entered in the giveaway, either link up below to a post on your blog with a recipe to share or leave one in the comments section.

Can’t wait to try some new ones out!

And don’t forget, we’ll have guests both days over the weekend so be sure to stop by!

Okay–let’s see those company-pleasing recipe favorites!

{Bloggers, will you kindly grab the code for my hospitality button and place it in your sidebar so other can find us?}

{Non-bloggers, simply leave us your recipe as a comment!}

238 Comments

  1. I make this for my family when time is short and I haven’t thought of anything else to make.
    Pan fried chicken:
    Pound 2 chicken breasts to about 1/4 inch thick – dredge in seasoned flour (paprika, salt & pepper), then dip in beaten egg (seasoned with salt & pepper), then coat with italian breadcrumbs.
    Heat a pan with olive oil (about a 1/4 cup) and cook coated chicken breasts on both sides until breadcrumb coating is browned and chicken is no longer pink inside.
    I usually serve this with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.

  2. An easy recipe for “Sloppy Joes” that is use for company is:

    3 lbs of browned hamburger
    1 bottle of BBQ Sauce (I personally like the Kraft Thick & Spicy Original)
    Approximately 1/4 cup of ketchup
    2 or 3 squirts of mustard

    I will make it up earlier in the day and let it sit and simmer.

  3. One meal that is easy to serve to company is:
    Roast Burritos

    Chuck Roast
    1 Jar Pepperoncinis

    Place in a crock pot on high for 4 hours. It is the BEST flavored meat.

    Then serve with:
    warmed flour tortillas
    black beans (I use canned.)
    sour cream
    guacamole (mashed avacado, garlic salt, salsa)
    salsa
    lettuce
    tomatoes
    cheddar cheese

    Mmmm..really yummy! It gives guests a lot of variety to make up their dinner…they can make a taco salad or burrito with or without meat. It is a kid pleaser as well! And if I have leftover meat, I add barbecue sauce to it the next day and serve it on rolls.

  4. My favorite recipe is for Christmas morning. We usually have all of the family overnight. The next morning I put my breakfast casserole in the oven and don’t miss a thing. It is prepared the night before.

    Break up 2-3 slices of bread in the bottom of a casserole.

    Brown 1 lb. of sausage, drain and sprinkle over bread.

    Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese over the sausage.

    Mix together 6 eggs, 1 cup of milk and 1 tsp. of mustard powder and pour over the top. Salt and pepper.

    Refridgerate overnight.

    The next morning bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.
    Serves 6

  5. I am so excited to see all the recipes listed. Can’t wait to try some out. My recipe is:

    Swiss Cheese Potato Casserole

    Ingredients

    6 Large Potatoes Peeled and Quartered

    ½ cup Butter

    1 ½ tsp salt

    1 ¼ cups milk

    3 TBSP Butter melted

    1 ½ cups Swiss Cheese Shredded

    Pinch of black pepper

    ¾ cup fine bread crumbs

    1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese grated

    Cook potatoes in pot of lightly salted water for 20 mins.  Drain and let cool.  Break up into small pieces.  Add ½ cup of butter, swiss cheese, salt and pepper.  Toss with fork to combine.  Spread into 2 quart dish.  Pour in milk.  In small bowl combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and butter.  Pour onto the potatoes.   Bake in preheated 375’ oven for 20-25 minutes.

    I hope you enjoy it!  You can always add more cheese.  We probably do close to 3 cups of Swiss Cheese.  We also really like the bread crumb topping so we add a little more of that.

    Tennille

  6. “Jello Blocks” (or Finger Jello) – great for entertaining kids. Grown-ups love them too. I thought everybody knew about these, but an elderly friend just marvelled about how wonderful they were at Christmas and she had never seen such a thing!
    3 cups boiling water
    3 sm pkg flavored gelatin (orange jello or any flavor)
    4 envelopes Knox gelatin

    Open all jello/gelatin packages into a glass or ceramic bowl. Pour boiling water over and stir immediately. Continue stirring until dissolved completely (1-2 minutes). Pour into 13×9 glass or metal pan. Using a pan with a lid is helpful to move the liquid without spills. Cool in refrigerator until set (about 5 hours). Cut into squares or rectangles or get out those cookie cutters and have fun.

  7. Crumb Cake Recipe
    The crumbs
    3c flour
    3/4 c packed br sugar
    1/2 c white sugar
    2 sticks of butter
    2TBS cinnamon
    mix all together to form crumbs

    The Cake:
    2 c flour
    3/4c white sugar
    1 tsp salt and baking powder
    mix together

    2 eggs
    1/3c oil
    1 c milk
    1TBS vanilla

    Whip liquids together and add dry ingredients- batter will be thin.

    Pour into greased 9×13 pan- press crumbs into batter
    bake at 375* for 40-45 minutes
    Dust with 10X sugar when done

    Can add up to 1 cup fruit to batter bake for full 45 min- chopped granny smith apples work great as does about 3/4 c blueberries or peaches

  8. this is quick and easy and everyone loves them:
    MOCK HEATH BARS
    Line a large cookie sheet with foil. Cover with 48 club crackers
    Melt 1 stick margarine and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Pour over crackers.
    Bake at 350 for 8-10 min until golden brown.
    Sprinkle with 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and return to oven (heat turned off) for 2-3 min until melted. Spread melted chips over crackers. Cool until chocolate hardens. Can put in fridge if in a hurry.
    Break apart, eat and enjoy!!

  9. We make pizza when company comes especially if there are children. I thaw 3 loaves of frozen Meijer bread dough during the day. Then we flatten them, put tomato sauce, pepperoni and cheese on 2 of them. On the third we put BBQ sauce, diced cooked chicken and cheese. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes. So easy and so yummy!

  10. I was home with my children when they were small and was able to have a clean home. Now I often work six days a week and have had my grandchildren stay over often so my home is not any where as clean as it used to be, I’ve learned to make simple and quick treats.

    Breakfast waffles
    Make your own or use store bought waffles
    Flavored yogurt
    Berries: Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and red raspberries
    Whipped cream

    We place the yogurt on the waffles and toss our favorite berries, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup too. Very yummy and fast. I can’t wait to try many of the recipes posted. Thank you

  11. I really enjoyed reading a little bit about Jessica and some of her hostess tips :) :) I’m going to check out her blog!!! Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather ;)

  12. WOW!! So many wonderful sounding recipes! I need to read back through and write them down.
    I found this one recently on Pinterest and love it! Sooooo easy and open to sooooo many variations.
    MELTED ICE CREAM CAKE
    1 box cake mix (any type)
    1 pint ice cream (any type)
    3 eggs

    Leave ice cream out to melt – the “meltier” the better, you really don’t want it to be very cold. Mix all ingredients together and bake according to package directions based on type of pan you are using. I used yellow cake mix and Bananas Foster ice cream when I made this. I can’t wait to think of all the varieties I can do and have a completely new cake each time.

  13. I tried this recipe a couple of weeks ago from the Taste of Homes site. It is amazing. Been sharing it with everyone.
    Forgotten Jambalaya
    1 can(14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
    1 can(14 1/2 oz) beef or chicken broth
    1 can(6 oz) tomato paste
    2 medium green peppers, chopped
    1 medium onion, chopped
    3 celery ribs, chopped
    5 cloves garlic, minced
    3 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
    2 teaspoons dried basil
    1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
    1 1/4 teaspoons salt
    1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
    1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
    1 pound smoked sausage, halved and cut into 1/4 inch slices
    1/2 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
    hot cooked rice
    In a 5 quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, broth and tomato paste. Stir in green peppers, onion, celery, garlic and seasonings. Stir in chicken and sausage.
    Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in shrimp. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink. Serve with rice. Eleven servings.
    Wow. Is it good.

  14. Embarrassed at how simple this is, but always get asked for recipe:
    Artichoke Dip
    2 cups Ranch
    2 cups parmesan cheese
    2 can artichokes drained and cut
    Mix and bake in casserole dish at 350 for 20 minutes
    Great with pita chips

  15. Jan’s chicken
    -I got this recipe from my mom, who got this recipe from her friend Jan (thus Jan’s chicken), it is super easy to make, you can make it the day before and it is delicious-

    boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    bacon
    1 package dried beef slices
    1 can cream of mushroom soup
    1 pint sour cream

    grease baking dish. place beef slices on bottom of dish. wrap bacon around each chicken breast lay on top of the dried beef. mix mushroom soup and sour cream and pour over chicken.

    bake uncovered for 3 hours at 275 degrees.

    my son doesn’t like mushrooms so i just slather his chicken with sour cream.

  16. Good morning! Sorry for the delay in getting my recipe posted….. it is a great crowd pleaser.

    Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
    1 package of creme cheese (I use the reduced fat)
    1 package of Jimm Dean sausage (I use the reduced fat)
    1/2 stick of melted butter or olive oil.
    1 – 1.5 cups parmesan cheese
    Several packages of white button mushrooms, Stems removed.

    Cook the sausage.
    Mix with creme cheese and then stuff mushrooms.
    Drizzle with butter or olive oil, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
    Enjoy!

  17. I am a little late but I thought I’d share I’m hosting a young couple tonight and I’m hoping I can put these principles to practice as they are athiests. If you think about it please pray for our time together. I will be making my favorite lasagna recipe:
    1 # lean g. beef, 1 onion chopped, 2 (6oz) cans tomato paste, 1 (14.5oz) can crushed tomatoes, 2c. water, 1T dried oregano, 2t. garlic powder, 2t. salt, 1/4t. black pepper, 1Tsugar, 12oz. ricotta cheese, 1/2c. parm cheese, 1 egg, 9 noodles, 1# mozzerella cheese.
    In large skillet cook beef until brown. drain. cook onion then add the tomatoes and spices. cook and cover to a boil. reduce heat to a simmer for 1 hr.
    While sauce is simmering, blend ricotta,parm, and egg until smooth set aside.
    Bring a large pot salted water to boil – add pasta, cook and drain. Preheat 350 spread 1 c sauce on bottom pan. cover sauce with 3 noodles. Cover noodles with 1/3 remaining sauce. Top with half the mozzerella, place another layer of noodles and one of sauce over the mozzerella- top that with the ricotta mix. Top with remaining 3 noodles and sauce. Bake 30 minutes sprinkle remaining cheese and bake 15 more minutes. Men love this!!

  18. Pork Chop Casserole

    Porkchops
    2 cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup
    2 Cups Rice
    2 Cups of Water
    Seasoning for chops

    Preheat oven 350 degrees.
    Rinse and pat dry chops. Put rinsed rice and water in a casserole dish (11x 13 pan, I usually fix two). Add your seasoned porkchops , I don’t overlap them. then add the mushroom soup on top. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and half covered in tinfoil. One of my family favorites and company’s.

  19. I have gotten so much from this study already! Most importantly it got me to thinking about where I was must comfortable at. The answer is never in the beautiful, overdone homes that entertain- it’s in the homes of people who open their homes and hearts to you as if you were family. I would love for you to check out my Crowd Pleasing Grilled Chicken at http://www.allthingsmoms.com. It’s easy, inexpensive and will feed a crowd or fill a freezer depending on the need. Thanks for a study Karen and thanks to all you wonderful ladies for some great recipes!!

  20. This is my favorite meal for company because I can prepare it, the salad, the dessert, and even get the garlic bread ready for the oven long before my company comes….AND clean up the kitchen. Once my company is here all I have to do is boil pasta and throw the bread in the oven! I get face time with my company! It also will give me another meal for my family later in the week or month, or a meal to share. I love to make this meal to take to a friend in need because it is our favorite, and it makes enough for both their family and ours. (I have a rule, my family eats the same meal I take, it is only fair!)

    Kristy’s Spaghetti Sauce

    2 packages 1 1/3 lb ground turkey
    1 1/2 cups chopped onion
    3-4 green peppers chopped (or more)
    4x395mL can tomato sauce (the 14 oz ish size)
    3x156mL can tomato paste (that small one)
    1 tbsp sugar
    1/8 – 1/4 cup dried oregano (depending on how strong the oregano is)
    4 cloves crushed garlic
    2 bay leaves
    pepper

    Brown turkey, (I usually do one package at a time with 3-4 grinds of pepper) place in slow cooker.

    Saute onions and garlic, place in slow cooker.

    Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high for at least 4 hours, or on low for at least 8 hours.

    (IF the oregano is too strong add a bit more sugar. )

  21. If I find I have unexpected guests my favorite thing to do is a taco bar. It’s easy to mix up the meat (s). You can brown ground beef quickly. If you have left over chicken you can shred that and just add taco seasoning in the pan for easy chicken tacos. Put your choice of toppings ie cheese, tomato, black olives, onion, salsa, lettuce in to bowls or a divided tray if you have one and allow everyone to create their own tacos. I have shells on hand pretty much all the time. If you heat them in the oven it takes about 10 minutes with soft shells. Just wrap them in aluminum foil and place in 250* oven. Since this is such an easy meal you can be eating quickly without stress. You can also put your guests to work by having them help you chop up the toppings.

  22. I make this recipe for all of our family events. It was my mother’s favorite request.

    Cream of Coconut Cake

    1 pkg. white cake mix
    1 can sweetened condensed milk
    1 can cream of coconut
    1 (12 oz.) carton of Cool Whip
    1 small can flaked coconut

    Bake cake according to package directions, using a 9 X 13 inch pan. Take from oven and while hot, pierce holes across the top of the entire cake using a fork. Mix condensed milk and 1/2 can of the cream of coconut (do not shake the can, and use the liquid for this step). Pour evenly over the hot cake. Let cake cool completely.
    Fold Cool Whip into remaining cream of coconut (this will be mostly gelled cream). Spread on top of the cake. Sprinkle the flaked coconut over the cake. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

  23. This is a recipe that my guests always love. The recipe makes 2 pies and it’s yummy!
    BANANA BLUEBERRY PIE
    Use 2 single baked pie shells; cool. I make my pie crust but you can always buy the ready made or even graham crusts. (I prefer regular pie crusts.)

    Slice bananas in bottom of each pie shell.
    Combine:
    1 8oz pkg cream cheese 1 c sugar
    1 large Coole whip 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
    Spoon over bananas; top with canned blueberry pie filling (1 can split between 2 pies) Refrigerate until chilled.
    TIP: To avoid the pie filling from bleeding into the cream cheese mixture during chilling, I put the can of pie filling
    in the fridge and top the pie just before serving.
    Get ready to accept praise from the masses. So good!

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