Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

Recently I've been a little bit appalled (is that the right word? too strong probably. maybe "saddened" is better) at the lack of hospitality we here in modern America have as part of our culture. When was the last time you were invited over to someone's home for dinner? When was the last time you opened your home to someone else? When was the last time you walked into a church service on Sunday morning, not knowing where you were going to be eating lunch, and walked out with an impromptu invitation to someone's home? When was the last time you ran into an old friend; and instead of vaguely saying, "We should get together sometime!" you said, "Can you come over this Friday evening? Around 6:30 or 7:00? Great!"

I understand that people are busy, but we all have to eat, right? I understand that there are various seasons of life; and sometimes at challenging times, the thought of hosting anyone is overwhelming. I've been there. I understand that sometimes, we feel like our homes are so messy that we don't want to open the door to anyone for fear of looking like a failure or being judged. For that, I say, check out FlyLady and, for your own sake, take some baby steps to regain control of your house and your life. I understand that fixing a whole dinner for guests can be time-consuming and expensive and scary, especially if you're new to the realm of hospitality. Here's my solution for that: call up some friends or your Aunt Mary & Uncle Joe or your next-door neighbors, and ask if they can come over around 7:15 for coffee (iced tea, if it's hot) and dessert. (That's it. Just dessert and coffee. No dinner. Make things easy on yourself.) Then make this...

Cherry Cheesecake Brownies are a wonderful way to bless your family or guests with a delicious dessert without a lot of time or effort. Here's how:

What You Need

1 box brownie mix (and ingredients called for by the mix)

2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

What You Do

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie mix as directed on package. Pour into a 9 x 13 greased baking pan. Bake 15 minutes. Beat vanilla, egg, milk, and cream cheese in bowl until very smooth. Pour over baked brownie layer. Return to oven and bake until topping is set, about 25 minutes. Let cool. Spread with pie filling. Refrigerate for about 2 hours (or more) before serving. Cut into squares. Store any leftovers in refrigerator.

This recipe is from The Fine Art of Hospitality Handbook, edited by Sheila Jones and Betty Dyson.

See? You can do this! Happy hosting! :)

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Hospitality seeks to provide a safe place.
Entertainment seeks to provide a showplace.

Hospitality strives to serve.
Entertaining strives to impress.

Hospitality puts people before things.
Entertaining elevates things above people.

Hospitality claims that what's mine is yours.
Entertaining claims that everything is mine and you should admire it and certainly not touch it.

Hospitality takes no thought for reward or reciprocation.
Entertaining expects praise and a return invitation.

Hospitality is about welcome, inclusion, and acceptance.
Entertaining is about exclusiveness and pride.

Hospitality frees us to enjoy one another and grow in the Lord.
Entertaining enslaves us to personal and cultural expectation.

Hospitality specifically seeks out those in need of food, shelter, company, or a listening ear.
Entertaining seeks out those we think can help us in some way.

Hospitality is an act of obedience and stewardship.
Entertaining is essentially a self-serving occupation.

~ from Finding Your Purpose as a Mom

by Donna Otto