Kitchen

[Mominohio]

I could throw together a nice green salad, and prepare a pasta dish pretty easily. I usually always have those things on hand, and they make up pretty quick.

I can usually throw together a pot of chili pretty quickly too.

[Libbylady]

Depending on the ages of the guests, I would be able to make a nice salad, spagetti with meatballs or meat sauce, and Italian rolls.

If all were adults I'd probably make breaded veal patties (from Omaha Steaks), noodles or rice, and a veg.

I purchase day old long Italian sub rolls from a local deli for around $.40 each.  Cut them in half in both directions and spread each roll with melted butter & garlic powder.  Wrap tightly in foil and freeze.  They last several months in the freezer.  I usually do about 15-20 roll servings each time so I'm prepared for the grands who like them for meatball sandwiches and individual pizzas.

I always have a dessert at the ready.  My grocery store often has Entennmans Pound Cake on BOGO.  I get them every time, even when I have one already.  I slice them into 3 layers and frost each layer with lemon curd, or frosting, or fruit preserves.  Put the layers back together, wrap tightly in foil, and freeze.  I can cut the cake in slices while still frozen and refreeze what I don't need.  Serve the defrosted slices with a topping of fresh fruit or a dollop of whipped cream if I have it.

[missy1]

order pizza

[house_cat]

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@Libbylady wrote:

I always have a dessert at the ready.  My grocery store often has Entennmans Pound Cake on BOGO.  I get them every time, even when I have one already.  I slice them into 3 layers and frost each layer with lemon curd, or frosting, or fruit preserves.  Put the layers back together, wrap tightly in foil, and freeze.  I can cut the cake in slices while still frozen and refreeze what I don't need.  Serve the defrosted slices with a topping of fresh fruit or a dollop of whipped cream if I have it.

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 You have some really good ideas! Thank you!  I miss Entenman's cake so very much. My mom didn't bake and I was raised on Entenman's but they don't sell it here in the LA area.  They carry the donuts, for some reason, but nothing else.

[Snowpuppy]

housecat, I feel for you! I slipped on ice & fell just after the holidays last yr. I was laid up and off work.....and right after the holidays my pantry and freezer were mighty thin!

Living rural you learn to keep a deep pantry and stocked freezer but boy, was I ever caught short!!

I live too rural for pizza delivery but usually keep some in the freezer.

[gmkb]

If they showed up at 4 pm with no prior warning, I would offer a cold drink or coffee and wait for them to invite us out to dinner.

[circles]

If it had to come from my pantry....I have a box of noodles and a jar of Ragu for spaghetti....

For dessert  I have some cookies or ice cream...or both if they wish...

[sfnative]

My entre is what I plan to make for dinner tomorow: Lidia Bastianich's fennel and Italian sausage with pasta.  For dessert, I'd create a Paris Brest, fill it with chilled pastry cream and blueberries (the baby ones we always have on hand from TJs - washed, drained and patted dry, before placing on top of the pastry cream).  The entire choux is dusted with confectioner's sugar and sprigs of mint and thyme placed in the center opening, reaching out to the diners.  This is cut into serving pieces that are about 3-4" wide.

[Pook]

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@meowing kitty wrote:

First of all I probably would not even answer the door. If I'm not expecting you don't bother to come over because we don't answer the door. But if by mistake I did, it would be reservations. 

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I.m with you on this one.  No one I know would be that rude to just show up and if they did and I did answer the door I would not offer to make food for them even though I always have a stocked pantry to make many things.  If it was our vacation cottage I might get out the fixings hot dogs or mountain pies made over a campfire with smores.  

[debic]

It would depend on who they were.  Casual aquaintences we'd order pizza or go out.   Someone close, I'd ask them what they'd like and run to the grocery store if I hadn't planned anything for dinner.  As a rule I always cook too much food and I could toss in a salad to spread it out more.   And we don't do desserts so I wouldn't feel the need to serve it to anyone else.