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How do "kiruv couples" afford 50 ppl each shabbos?secret?
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amother
Wine


 

Post Fri, Jul 05 2019, 11:42 am
We work for a shul and get an entertaining budget. The same amount every shabbos if we have zero (never, even after I give birth I have guests) or 30. The difficulty for me is I literally never know if we will have guests. Even if I haven't invited anyone someone still might pop in so I always have to be prepared with enough food. So I can't just do a super simple meal.

For many years the budget we were given was way too small so we were using our own money as well.

Before we had this job I also hosted a lot. But I could choose when to host.

We get a salary but living OOT we have to send our kids to dorms and it gets expensive.

No one is in this lifestyle to get rich!
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amother
OP


 

Post Fri, Jul 05 2019, 2:52 pm
amother [ Natural ] wrote:
I have between 3 and 15 guests most weeks B"H, plus my own B"H not small family of big eaters.

We buy fish and chicken in bulk. I only serve gefilte fish rolls, no salmon. I make a lot of cheap salads, beans, potatoes, pasta, spaghetti. I check my own romaine hearts, I don't buy with hechsher. I make a big pot of soup with 2 pieces of chicken and Matzah balls. I use only chicken leg quarters usually because they are cheaper. I make cheaper kugels, lokshen kugels, sometimes pineapple kugel, potato kugel. Sometimes sweet potato pie. Most ingredients I use are not expensive. I shop at Walmart for most groceries, and make my own challah.

We fundraise, but not so well unfortunately... But this is an integral part of why we're here, so I consider it a non-negotiable expense.


Thanks everyone who responded.

To the above poster, what type of pasta and spaghetti dishes do you serve(I assumed you are serving it on shabbos). Do you have some recipes?

Also, if you have a simple bean salad recipe you could share?
(Personally, fish and chicken are expensive for me even in bulk and fruits and vegetables are very expensive too, but thanks for sharing some of the ways you cut costs. Its helpful.
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amother
Natural


 

Post Sun, Jul 07 2019, 5:09 am
Pasta salad:
box macaroni (I usually use shells or tricolored rotini)
mayo
splash of vinegar
salt
lots of dried basil
= under $2.50

Spaghetti sesame salad: (I buy big containers of sesame seeds in Brooklyn!)
usually whole wheat thin spaghetti, but white works perfectly (it's $1 by me, and it doesn't really affect the taste so I buy ww)
equal amounts sugar, soy sauce (la choy), oil - mix together
pour over pasta, add sesame seeds generously
= under $2.50

Bean salad:
1 can each red kidney beans, cut green beans, garbanzo beans (or it's really pretty with 2 cans of kidney beans, 1 red and one dark red)
pour over splash of oil
pour over splash of vinegar
generous amount dried basil
(sometimes a bit of salt and pepper)
= about $3.50

I don't serve individual pieces of chicken, I just put out a platter, and I find that since there is so much other food, I can get away with making 8 chicken leg quarters total, and I rarely run out. It is after a big salad course, chicken soup, and there are kugels, rice, and a vegetable side dish. (My kids like leftovers usually, so I don't worry about making too much.)

Fruits & veggies aren't cheap, but I.e. a big cucumber salad costs under $2.50 (long English cucumber = $1.25, 1 small onion, a few baby carrots, oil, lemon juice, salt).
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