I awaken and smell coffee.  Ahh…the joys of spending the night at my parents’ house.  I roll out of bed and head to the kitchen.  Not only is coffee freshly-brewed, but my mug is filled with hot water so that when I pour that first cup of joe, it doesn’t cool quickly from being poured into a cold cup.  A solid night’s sleep.  Hot coffee.  A breakfast spread that rivals any famous buffet-style restaurant. Mom and her attention to detail.

Having been reared by “the hostess with the mostest” as she’s been called, I guess it’s no surprise that I welcome guests in my home.  As a matter of fact, I love having overnight guests, especially when I have a few days to plan. If you’re staying at my house overnight, there are a few things you can expect when you go to bed (again, provided I’ve had a couple days to prepare!)

My Details

A bed with freshly-washed sheets and blankets.  Oh, how I love to make a bed!  I start with an excellent quality set of sheets—600+ thread count, and they have to be 100% cotton.  The top sheet is put on thread-side up so when it’s folded down, the print and/or the decorative piping is seen.  The corners must be mitered, too.  If the sheets are wrinkled, I’ll iron them.  Ok, I ironed them—one time.  Now I immediately retrieve them from the dryer so wrinkles can’t set in, and if there are a couple, I’ll simply iron the top part of the flat sheet (the part that’s seen when folded down.)

Extra pillows. If you don’t have new pillows for your guests, now is the time to purchase some.  They’re fairly inexpensive depending on where you buy them, and if they’re used only for guests, they won’t wear as quickly.

Extra blankets. Even in the summer, extra blankets are sometimes necessary for guests.  They could be cold-natured, or the air conditioner may have it particularly cool in the bedroom.  Better to have something and not need it than need something and not have it.  Wash them, fold them neatly, and let your guests know where they can be found.

Nightlights. Obvious reasons here.  A middle-of-the-night visit to the restroom or the kitchen for water shouldn’t be risky.  Light their way.

Guest towels and washcloths. I have a couple sets just for guests.  They’re washed, towels are folded in thirds, then placed on the table in the guest room.  (On any given day, my linen closet could look like a mini-tornado went through it.  Providing towels & washcloths upon arrival generally eliminates the possibility of their witnessing the aftermath.)

Travel-sized amenities.  Shampoo, body wash, toothpaste, lotion, deodorants (men’s and women’s,) and a couple full-sized toothbrushes are in a basket on the nightstand.

Room-darkening curtains.  This is especially important if the window(s) is east/southeast facing.  (If they prefer to be awakened by the morning sun, they can keep the curtains open, of course.) 

In the morning, after a (hopefully) restful night’s sleep, I’ll prepare breakfast, which is my favorite meal to fix.  After all, it always includes coffee and usually includes bacon.  What’s not to love?  I’ll ask the guests the night before what their preferences are, then cook accordingly in the morning.  Gravy, biscuits, eggs, sausage, bacon, baked cheese grits, hash browns, and blueberry waffles are some of my specialties.  When the guests sit down to eat, there are a few things they can expect.

Preferences & Offerings

If they’ve chosen waffles, they’re going to have real butter and hot syrup.  The thought of pouring cold syrup on margarine-laden waffles horrifies me.  If I won’t eat it, I don’t expect my guests to, either.

Should biscuits & gravy be their preference, I’ll make homemade gravy and <gasp> frozen biscuits. I used to make homemade biscuits because the canned ones were just, well, not palatable to me.  With homemade, it took about 45 minutes and there was flour all over the counter top.  When I discovered Pillsbury’s frozen biscuits I never looked back.  They’re the closest thing to homemade one can buy!  (The only gripe I have is their packaging—I wish they came in a zipper-seal bag.  You’ll have to use your own freezer bags if you buy them.)  And since I’m a native West Virginian, if gravy is served, there will be apple butter on the table, too.

Thick-cut bacon.  I’ve discovered that anything not specified “thick-cut” is in fact “see through” and shrivels up to nothing.  Unless it’s Neese’s brand.  See next preference.

Neese’s sausage.  Full disclosure here—I’m a texture eater.  I used to never eat sausage because I would always bite into gristle <fullbodyshiver>.  That is, until I tried Neese’s.  I’ve been using it for about 20 years and not once have I ever eaten their sausage and bitten into gristle.  I recommend it to everyone.  They are a family owned business with a small-ish delivery area, but they can ship to anywhere in the United States.  Yes, it’s that good.  http://www.neesesausage.com/ *

Orange juice in frosted glasses. I’m quite particular when it comes to my OJ.  It cannot be “orange drink”, it cannot have pulp, and it has to be frosty cold.  I know some prefer pulp—I just never buy it that way (texture thing again.)  I buy the brand whose oranges all come from the USA.

Coffee. I drink mine strong and black, but when we have guests, I make sure to have creamer (not powdered) and artificial sweetener in addition to sugar.  I love serving it in my grandmother’s china, too.  There’s something about seeing her cups & saucers on my table that makes me wax nostalgic & feel all homey & warm.

And finally, a pepper grinder on the table.  Freshly-ground is the way to go if you like pepper.  I love it on eggs, hash browns, gravy, grits…well, pretty much everything.

This isn’t an exhaustive list of the details I’m particular about, nor am I able to do this with every houseguest.  But when I have time to plan, this is what I enjoy offering.  I’ve witnessed my Mom’s gift of hospitality.  All of my life I’ve seen her go above and beyond to make sure anyone and everyone who comes through her door feels welcomed and loved.  Perhaps hospitality is a gift—and I inherited it.  Perhaps it is a skill—and I learned it.  All I know is I’m thankful I had (and still have) such a great example in my Mom.

Now, if I could just cook like she does…

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