A Southern Hostess

People are often surprised when I say that we could have 80 or more people at house this Saturday. I LOVE to entertain – and I learned from my Mama how to be a gracious hostess, in true southern style. There are two main rules for being a good southern hostess:

1. Make sure your guests are comfortable. I think about the things that make me comfortable (or uncomfortable) in someone’s home, and then I act accordingly. I don’t like to be in someone’s home where there are a lot of rules, or a lot of things I could break (it’s a pretty sure bet I WILL break something). Another thought from my Mama – “Things are things, and people are people, and you had better know which is important.” Accidents happen, and generally, the person who has dropped or broken or spilled something already feels bad – so I do my best to assure them that my concern is whether or not they are OK. I also don’t like being in someone’s home when they are so busy fussing, and serving, and cooking, and DOING that I don’t get a chance to spend any time with them. So, I try to make sure that I do as much as possible ahead of time – so that I can sit and talk and relax with my guests. Never let them see you sweat – and really, don’t sweat the small stuff. If I forget to put something on the table – I laugh about it – put it on the table – and go right on visiting.

2. Do not ever, ever, ever, EVER run out of food. The southern thought process is that is far better to feed an army with the leftovers, than to run out of food. With an Open House, this can be challenging, because there is no way to know exactly how many people will be there. There are no RSVP’s – and an open invitation is extended to the church, to the people I work with, and to various friends who don’t fall into any other category. It is reasonable to assume that most will NOT come, but if they ALL come, and we don’t have enough…well, that is one time I WOULD sweat! Fortunately, I have never run out of food – and we usually have a pretty consistent number of people year to year. I still make extra though (and the bonus is that I get to use all of that food later – to take a platter to work – to take some goodies to a party or a friend’s house.) For years, Dave tried to get me to make less food – but now he realizes that is a losing battle – and I’m happy to report that he has not said one thing this year!

We always try to have the same number of sweet things versus non-sweet things, with some healthy (or healthier) choices for those who are trying to be careful. Anything that I can do up ahead of time is done. I have the linens and serving dishes ready to go, so that actual setup is easy. During the party, Dave and I take turns checking to see what needs to be refilled. He’s a super help at times like this – and enjoys entertaining as much as I do. When everything is all over – I will be tired, but very happy that we were able to do this one more year. It’s a great way to kick off the Christmas season!