Another Weekend
....company coming?

Weekends often mean company. If you are having guests for dinner then you have probably planned for it. This article is not for that kind of hospitality. This is what to do if you hadn't planned on feeding anyone but your own family.

These ideas are what to do if you decide to get together on the spur of the moment or if company surprises  you----or if you just need a meal in a hurry. I keep these things in separate sections of my pantry or freezer so I don't have to hunt for anything when I already may be a little stressed or hurried.

Plan for the unexpected:

• Buy meat of any kind (beef, chicken, fish, turkey, anything),cook it and divide it to freeze in easy-to-thaw portions. When you need them, take out as many portions as you will need.
• Do the same thing with other ingredients like veggies and sauces, always in small portions so they will thaw as they cook quickly. Sauces that use corn starch do not re-liquefy when thawed and re-heated. I found this out the hard way at a wedding reception for one of our kids.
• Keep pastas and tortillas on hand. Keep some gluten-free types in your pantry in case someone is allergic or intolerant of wheat or other grains. 
• Store some canned beans and veggies. I rarely use canned foods but one of my favorite go-to meals in a hurry is chili. Canned beans are very handy for that.Or cook your own dry beans and freeze to use, again, in small portions.
• Some of our most enjoyable evenings were spent with close friends and family when we have decided to get together and  pooled what we each had on hand  for a shared meal. This is inexpensive, fun and very creative.
• Have pre-formed hamburger patties in your freezer along with good-quality buns. Don't have lettuce, tomatoes or pickles or the standard condiments? Make specialty burgers----with mushrooms, onion burgers, add beans, bacon.Not enough buns----serve patty on one half of a bun, put a sauce, an egg, regular hamburger fixings on top and drizzle with sauce, serve with a fork. Use your imagination. Or don't use the patties as hamburgers. They  make good Italian dishes when cooked as a patty, served covered with sauce on pasta with a sprinkling of cheese. Or smothered in mushrooms and onion served over rice.
• Save bottom-of-the-bag tortilla chips as a base for a quick Mexican casserole or salad. Short on cheese? Mix grated cheese with crumbled tortilla chips. Since you get a bite of cheese in the topping you don't notice a good part of it is broken chips.
•  Breakfast for dinner is fun. We once had a bunch of people over after an evening church service for scrambled eggs, sausage and pancakes.Everyone pitched in and we had so much fun! 
• Quick desserts: mix equal parts of honey and a nut butter (check for allergies first!) a cereal you have on hand, chocolate, choc. chips, nuts, coconut---whatever you have on hand. Roll in something to seal them like coconut, chopped nuts, cereal, carob powder and freeze or serve as is. Make mini-trifles or pretty parfaits with leftover cake, muffins, nut breads, cookies crumbled with fruit, sweetener, jam, pudding, yogurt or ice cream and serve in a wine glass. Or toss a bunch of stuff you have into the blender---I save older bananas in their skins to make frozen smoothies---no ice added!  Top these with a slice of fruit or berry, a touch of cinnamon or cocoa powder.   
• Ideas are only limited by your imagination. Relax and enjoy company even when it comes as a surprise.
• My grandma always said that company wasn't a problem---just throw another potato in the pot! 

Have a great weekend!

• Starting tomorrow: Quick and easy company-quality recipes---the first of many---- that look like you spent a long time on them but you didn't!