Hey friends!

 

Raise a hand if you’re ready for some warm temps and sunshine!

 

With school beginning its final months until summer vacation and spring around the corner, Mike (my husband) and I look forward to houseguests. We love hosting people, and it seems like the Spring and Summer months are the busiest.

 

Not only do I love creating a little getaway for our guests, but I love that house cleaning adrenaline I get before they arrive. Projects that have sat dormant for months are suddenly completed within hours, bed sheets are perfectly crisp, you could eat off the bathroom floor and the house smells like freshly baked sugar cookies (thanks to that candle I got as a gift & finally use).

 

With all that I try and cram in before guests arrive, the last thing I have time for is to stay up all night baking or preparing a big breakfast. Most of the time, I try and fix one nice meal at home so we can allow our guests to experience Atlanta’s great restaurants too.

 

I wanted to share with you a really simple trick that helps me prepare for houseguests.

 

 

Whenever I bake muffins, I double the recipe and freeze the extra.

 

 

When you store the muffins, put them in smaller freezer bags. When you group them in smaller batches, it allows you to break up the batch. If you only have 1 houseguest, you wouldn’t need to thaw 12 muffins. You can store them in a freezer for 2-3 months, so write the date on the outside (and the kind of muffin) to keep track.

 

When we have houseguests, I put the frozen muffins in the refrigerator the night before, and then they’re ready to go the next morning. I usually lay out a buffet with the muffins, some fruit and coffee. Sometimes I even put them in the oven (on low) while the coffee is brewing so they’re warm.

 

It makes breakfast so easy, inexpensive and homey. This also allows you to cater to your guest’s dietary needs. Last summer, we hosted 3 of my college friends and their families. Several of them were gluten free, which can be overwhelming if you’re not used to cooking that way. The funny thing is, now my husband and myself are both gluten free (which is why I made gluten free blueberry lemon muffins).

The recipe I used for these is from Simply Gluten Free. They turned out really good, are pretty easy to make, and you can hardly tell they’re gluten free.

 

Tip: I used frozen blueberries (which is why I think they kind of sank to the bottom). Next time, I’m going to thaw them or use fresh.

 

Of course you don’t have to do blueberry muffins. You can do banana, peach, cranberry, chocolate chip…the sky’s the limit.

 

Just remember that the most important part of having houseguests is that you get a chance to deepen relationships and enjoy someone’s company. I am such a doer that I often want to cram exciting excursions into a trip. Sometimes though, the most rewarding experience is sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee, a muffin and some wonderful conversation.

 

Until next time…party on!

 

www.PartiesforPennies.com

www.heidirew.com