Ten...Or Fifteen Extra for Dinner

The guest list was planned; the house was cleaned and the menu prepared. It was Sunday morning, and the company was due to arrive for the evening meal after church. That’s when my brawny teenage son put in his request for a few extra guests.

“Mom, is it okay if I have six or seven, or…” he paused, calculating, “…fifteen extra fellows over tonight?”

My thoughts somersaulted over the menu I’d planned. Presentation would be less pristine, but we could add some extra food and serve a smorgasbord. No one would go hungry. Anyway, with that charmingly goofy grin looking back at me, what else could I do? Sure, I told him. Fifteen extra teenagers would be welcome!

As it turned out, several of the predicted fifteen didn’t show up. It’s a commonality I’ve noticed among teenage young men. Plans are made to be changed; they might come. Then again, they might not. Perhaps they were indulging in a nap and couldn’t be bothered; or perhaps another invitation, delightfully better than the first one, came along. Ah, these fleeting years of mothering a houseful of teens and twenties! I love it – and their guests!

“Guests” is hardly the right word for the special friends who know the keypad code to the back door and easily drop into the hustle and grime of everyday life, looking around
hopefully for a can of soda and a comfortable chair. If they happen to spy a Little Person conveniently nearby, they might urge them to go fetch from the pantry cupboard – please, pretty please – the Tupperware® of oyster crackers – you know, it’s the container with the blue lid – and bring it here; the cracker craving desperately needs attended to.
It warms my heart when my children’s friends know they are welcome to show up anytime, day or night, and heat themselves a homemade meal from the leftovers in the fridge (or raid the oyster crackers), take a nap on the couch, or use the iron when they feel the need to spiff up a little. (Who knew a twenty-year-old lad had such a skill? On second thought, I wasn’t around to inspect the outcome…) Sometimes we even get around to inviting them over for a proper meal.

For a tableful of young men, it’s so satisfying to serve hearty steak and baked potatoes with plenty of trimmings and sides. There’s no reason to fuss over presentation; we set out the everyday plates alongside the steak knives. If the windows didn’t get washed, I’m not worried. They probably won’t notice. Just be sure there’s lots of steak and an ample amount of garlic bread!

When I host an event for the ladies, I love to include whimsical décor and artful
presentation. Several years ago, I purchased a package of 

tissue paper that’s printed to look like old-world-style maps. It adds a fun touch to serving trays! The most recent way I used it was for a ladies’ brunch. I put several layers of the tissue paper on a stoneware tray to serve savory pastries, hot from the oven. Garnished iced coffee in glass jars and white stoneware plates on rattan placemats

offered a cheery tone, cohesive with the coffeeshop atmosphere suitable for brunch.

This past winter, my girls and I hosted a January soup supper and hot chocolate bar for the single sisters from church. It was a cozy theme for a cold night. When the meal was over, we spread wax paper on the kitchen table and set out ingredients to dip hot chocolate stirring sticks and sprinkle the warm chocolate with goodies – crushed peppermint, mini chocolate chips, or tiny marshmallows. After the event, the young men our boys were hosting in the basement came upstairs to enjoy the leftovers.

I want our guests to leave our home feeling blessed and refreshed, with lovely memories to tuck away for another day. Sometimes, this calls for a carefully laid menu with garnishes and décor. Other times, it’s seizing the moment for an unexpected but heartwarming chat when I walk into a room and discover several stray teenagers inhabiting the couches. And when planning the menu for Sunday evening company, it’s best to keep in mind that one just never knows; fifteen spare teenagers might show up!

- When Brooke is not editing photos or hosting company, you will find her tackling the laundry mountain that comes along with a family of ten (plus a few extra articles of clothing that definitely belong to friends!) There is now the curious question about whether the boots she snagged from the mudroom to take the photograph for this article belonged to her son - or his friend!