Drop-In Guests

A well stocked pantry will set you free to be ready for drop-in guests at anytime.  There are a few basic items that you can keep on hand.  You should have some beverages, special cookies, a quick dessert and ingredients to prepare an emergency dinner.

My children used to refer to my fancy Pepperidge Farm's cookies as "grown up cookies" that they knew not to touch.  I always had a package of something like this on hand so I was always ready to offer a surprise guest a cup of coffee or tea with a special treat.

For an emergency dinner, I keep a large sized frozen lasagna in my freezer as well as the ingredients to make spaghetti in my pantry.  Sometimes I freeze some browned ground beef or onions in a self-locking freezer bag in my freezer.  This can be used for the spaghetti or a lot of other quick dishes.  Frozen meatballs can be bought commercially and kept on hand for emergencies.

These simple steps will keep you prepared to entertain instantly!