To Those Who Host A Lot of Shabbos Guests

gold21

Sun, Oct 06 2013, 8:57 pm

I don't invite guests cuz it's too darn exhausting.

The only guests I invite are the people that I'm very close to and very comfortable with. Like my siblings, close friends, etc.

I use disposable plates, cutlery, and cups.

I have many other interests beyond cooking, cleaning, and hosting meals, and I can't spend endless amounts of energy on having guests. Instead, I hang out with neighbors after the meal. We visit each other, make playdates for our kids, etc.

:-)

ChossidMom

Sun, Oct 06 2013, 11:20 pm

I host sleepover guests almost every Shabbos.
Frankly, a Shabbos with guests is not that different from a Shabbos without.
The house just needs to be a bit cleaner Wink

I cook very simply - soup, cholent, chicken and maybe rice. Fresh salad gets cut right before each meal and I use gefilte from a jar or open a can of tuna (my kids LOVE tuna). Egg salad gets made right before lunch. I use store bought chumus and techina as dips.
I make sure to have sunflower seeds, peanuts etc. to put into my guest room before the guests come and I also leave them a plate of cake and a bottle of soda or water.
I use mostly disposable at meals.
So, there isn't really more work when I have guests than when I don't.
They all have a grand time and we enjoy them.
BTW we have a guest book that we have all our guests sign after Shabbos. It's fun to look back at it. My parents did this starting in 1978 and I am now continuing in their book. It's great.

Oh yeah. The "guest room". That's work. I usually get my kids to clean it up (it's actually my son's room) and someone (not me) makes the bed. During the week I do the linens for the next round.

amother

Mon, Oct 07 2013, 10:49 am

I think that everyone needed a break this past Shabbos, after hosting up to 3 triple headers. 2 years ago, when the holidays fell out the same way and I hosted 18 meals straight (while working full time), I was exhausted. One of our "chessed" guests (with severe emotional disturbance) called to invite himself for the Shabbos after the holidays and I said yes ... basically I could not cook, bought all takeout, and really resented his company. We haven't had him back since. My new approach is - take a break! That's why I took a break this past Shabbos. I didn't even make chulent. Now I can get back in the saddle ...

smiledr

Mon, Oct 07 2013, 11:38 am

I prep food in advance while I have time so when I have company I'm not overloaded. I always have different types of soup, prepped chicken, marinated meat a couple of kugels and baked items. This also helps for dinner - instead of coming home after a long day I can pull out a bag of honey mustard chicken breast or spicy burgers and a container of soup make a fresh veggie and I have a full fresh meal ready in a short time. It's also great for last minute company. I can't stay up till one in the morning cooking when I have to leave early to work the next day.

elaela

Mon, Oct 07 2013, 1:13 pm

in summer we only invite shabos lunch (fri night is late im soooo tired).
I dont find cooking so time consuming, I make easy non-patchkedige stuff like fried chicken, brisket, veggy stir fry, chulnt, ricekugl, cilli con carne or string beans. someimes I buy challa/kugel, if I make them myself I make doupbe or tripple portion and freez. desert is brownie, icecream, fruit...anything that is done in one minute preptime in one bowl. I have a dishwasher, dishes dont bother me.

oatmealcookies

Mon, Oct 07 2013, 1:28 pm

I usually do all my shopping Wednesday and all my cooking Thursday night and leave only 1 or 2 things for friday, this way although I go to bed exhausted thursday night I know I am almost all ready and when I come home from work friday I do the last minute stuff like chulent and matza balls and then I can shower and fold laundry and relax. I dont usually have more than 5/6 max but thats still double the size of my family Smile

. Sometimes it gets overwhelming so we take a break and go away ourselves Smile