Cooking for Friends

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Cherry Salsa 

This was an adventurous dish that went over moderately well, it would 

not be a hospitality dish because its just a little too "out there" ;-)

For the record, I liked it.

I (Elaine) love to eat cook.  Its a really big part of my role in a Hospitality House. Its how I became connected as an Airmen to the Hospitality House.  I peeled potatoes, peeled tomatoes (before learning about blanching!), turned a messy pan of brownies into a lovely torte, made pie crust, soup, cookies and loads more.  As the director of a house I do the planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning for meals.  I really like employing Airmen in these tasks too, as was done for me. Like the time I made Steven grate three pounds of cheddar cheese by hand! Or the time I had Chris chop several cups of pecans, by hand (he came back the next day with a nut chopper for me!). And I'm sure that almost everyone who has come through my front door has been handed a spoon and told, "here, stir this" at some point.

As we've been staying with family for 6 of the last 8 weeks I've been able to stretch my "cooking for more than two" muscles.  My "Food" board on Pinterest has always been the fastest growing.  I've spent the last year collecting recipes and constantly brainstorming on how to turn one lovely family meal into a lovely family meal for 30 people.  What ingredients do I need? What tools do I need? How can I pull this off and not feel like a cafeteria?

I've really loved cooking for our families again and its a nice little jump start before we head back into field ministry and I'm feeding the masses. If you've been the benefactor of this food, thanks for not wrinkling your nose at my new recipes or odd combinations (I'm not good at pairing food yet--waffles and coleslaw anyone?).  If you find a new, yummy, challenging or interesting recipe please pass it along!

Nothing makes someone feel at home better than a good meal or a hot beverage on a cool evening.  But we know that "man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matt 4:4). We're not a restaurant, we're a body. And we love it.

One last thing...if we end up getting assigned to Germany I'll need someone to help with a comprehensive lexicon of English to German food and cooking terms! Thanks.

Elaine