Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Each day we will write a blog post on a pre-determined theme chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the fifteenth day of the month is "Volume."
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I do not have much time to write this today because we have a busy weekend. Yesterday we did laundry, I made tons of cookies, and we went to hang out with our friends at their new house. Then today we have to do more laundry (the sheets!) and we our going to hang out with our neighbors and one of Dr. BB's former students and then I have book club tonight. Considering I need to fit in workouts and walk the dog incessantly, this has left me with little downtime this weekend, which is absolutely bizarre in my usual world of never leaving the house.
I am a midwestern woman of a certain age who doesn't think I should go to people's houses without something in hand to feed them, so I made buckeyes (five ingredients only! I promise they're not that hard) and some molasses cookies I also made last weekend to take to a friend's house (this post is making it seem like we're super social and I promise you I am NOT), so I had leftover buttermilk, which is the one ingredient that's required to make these cookies that I don't just normally keep in my pantry. Boom. A dozen buckeyes and half a dozen cookies for each location.
What's your go-to offering when you go to other people's houses?
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To see what Bestest Friend has to say about volume, go visit her at Too Legit to Quit.
Thankfully, men don’t require taking a gift to drop in on someone. Not that I drop in. 🤓
ReplyDeleteInteresting. This is a double-standard that I never considered. My husband NEVER considers bringing something and I would feel terrible if I showed up empty handed.
DeleteI often take a nice bottle of wine from our cellar. I, too, am a midwestern woman, and I always feel that I should Take Something.
ReplyDeleteGosh, I haven't had a good molasses cookie since my grandmother died decades ago. Hers were the best, and they were huge cutout circles almost as big as my hand--soft, chewy, and the most wonderful things.
Yes, these cookies are amazing. They're soft and spicy and they're always a big hit!
DeleteI like the cookies you made but then I'm a midwestern woman, too. I usually take a small box of Godiva chocolates or a bottle of wine.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I never consider alcohol because I'm a teetotaler, but I'm learning that wine is common!
DeleteIf we're visiting friends we don't usually bring something unless we're asked, but family gatherings are different. I always make cookies, and we usually bring an extra bottle of wine along just in case.
ReplyDeleteOh, interesting. I would actually feel better not bringing something to a family event than to a friend's house!
DeleteDepends on the occasion- but I would say usually cookies or a bottle of wine. I can't remember the last time this actually came up though- maybe we need to start getting out a little more.
ReplyDeleteHa! I am out of practice myself and that's why this was a bit of a last minute baking extravaganza!
DeleteDepending on the person but usually a bottle of wine or something to eat with coffee.
ReplyDeleteYes! Please bring me something delicious to eat with coffee!
DeleteDepends on the occasion but wine or beer and if it's a potluck deviled eggs or an apple cake.
ReplyDeleteApple cake! Yum! I want some right now!
DeleteHmm. Unless I'm asked to bring something, I usually don't but that's just the friend group we run in. We host quite a bit at our house and our friends don't bring things unless asked. I find it less stressful that way.
ReplyDeleteWe do very few potlucks, though those are fun.
At my house, I make a lot of our favourite curry dish, skillet cornbread and then carrot cake for dessert. This is a GO-TO meal for company.
I love, if we're doing a potluck, if they make a specific request. Like: bring a chocolate cake, or bring garlic bread!
Interesting. I think it must be cultural. No one has ever asked me to bring something, but as a midwesterner, it would be all the gossip in my circle of friends if someone (someone = a woman because there are different standards for men, sadly) didn't bring something to a gathering!
DeleteI'm on board with never going anywhere without food. My go-to in our group is usually buttermilk biscuits - my daughter when she was younger once saw me packing them up to go over to our friends' place and said "oh yeah. The (LastNames) REALLY love your biscuits". Cookies during the holiday season. I love when a leftover ingredient fits neatly into the next thing you make.
ReplyDeleteOOooooohhhhh...do you bring things to put ON the biscuits or are they delicious enough to be served on their own? I want to know more details about these biscuits.
DeleteOh, I love that you baked cookies to bring to someone's house. I don't have a go-to, but if I have time, I'll bake muffins or a cake, or I will pick up chocolates somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI am currently trying to eat all the leftover sweets in the house from Christmas.
Oh, our book club was definitely trying to get rid of all the food from holiday activities! There were so many sweets on the table!
DeleteI would never even THINK to bring something to someone's house unless it was specifically for a pot luck. I would probably just pick up something from a bakery if I felt the need to bring something, though. Interesting how many people on this comment thread said they'd bring a bottle of wine!
ReplyDeleteOh, interesting. I wonder if this is a geographic custom? I've basically always lived in the Midwest, so I don't have a ton of experience outside of this area.
DeleteIt depends on the person but I am often going to the house of a really good friend so typically don't bring anything. But if I feel I need to bring something, I bring wine generally but I also know that the people I'm visiting drink wine and will appreciate having another bottle around! I will also make sure we volunteer to make something if we are going to a get together, so this past weekend we made chili.
ReplyDeleteI love buckeyes but have not made them for years, mostly because it is best for me to not have lots of sweets around!
My buckeye recipe makes so many! I think I got almost 40 out of this recipe, so it was really only appropriate to make because I could split it up into three groups. Otherwise, if they were just sitting in my fridge, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from eating them everytime I went into the kitchen!
DeleteThe cookies look wonderful and I think you are the best guest. I also never want to visit someone empty handed, I'm not a baker, so I usually bring wine or flowers or both.
ReplyDeleteYay for you getting out and enjoying other humans. It didn't hurt, did it? 😜
I am doing so well on my "leave the house to someplace other than the library or grocery store" goal this month. Yay me! It is hard, though, because each of these gatherings has people with different comfort levels. We wore masks at one of the events, but not the others. It's all still a real challenge on how to make everyone feel comfortable.
DeleteOMG, how has no one asked you for the actual recipes? I didn't see that they were linked but maybe I missed it? Those molasses cookies look fantastic - one of my favorite flavors. Are you willing/able to share? I understand if they are family secrets, though. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, taking something = the way it's done. Also, taking things to work, giving food as thank you gifts, etc. Yet, I am not a native Midwesterner - so perhaps it's the PA Dutch taking over??