Part of being a Fashionable Housewife is of course being stylish at all times, keeping a lovely, clean home and being able to be the hostess with the mostess even when on short notice!
Today I have a few quick tip to help you entertain those unexpected guests without much or any notice. Friends and family are always stopping by during the holidays for casual visits, sometimes even unexpectedly! Stocking up on simple basics and having easy food items prepared in advance makes it easy for you to entertain anyone, even on short notice.
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1. Always have a bottle of wine on hand. I like to keep White Zinfandel handy in my wine cabinet because it’s light, fruity and most people like it. Another great one is Riesling. Either of those are sure to please and go well with quick meals or appetizers.
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2. Always have a box of cookie mix on hand. Even if you like to make things from scratch, you don’t always have time. Find a brand you love and keep at least one box in your pantry so you can whip up fresh baked cookies (or even brownies) at the snap of a finger!
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3. Have a drawer or file handy with all your local takeout and delivery menus in case you don’t feel like cooking for those surprise visitors!
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4. Keep your freezer stocked with easy to bake appetizers like crab rangoons, jalapeno poppers, mini pizzas or tartlets. Try to find items that take 30 minutes or less to bake so you won’t keep your guests waiting!
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5. Keep a block of cheese in your fridge and a box of crackers in your pantry. Easiest, yet most non-obvious treat to serve to your guests.
Here is a quick and easy recipe I usually whip up for my surprise intruders…
JALAPENO CREAM CHEESE PINWHEELS
1 pkg. flour tortillas
16 oz. whipped cream cheese (or two (2) 8oz packages of soft cream cheese)
1/2 cup Chopped jalapeno (or chili) peppers
1/2 cup Chopped or sliced green olives with pimentos
1/4 cup chopped onion or celery
1/4 cup chopped or sliced black olives
(If you use two (2) 8oz packages of cream cheese, you can microwave them for 10-20 seconds to soften them, then put them in your mixer with 1/4 cup of ranch dressing and beat till smooth.)
Gently mix cream cheese with all ingredients until smooth. Spread mixture on flour tortillas. Roll up and slice about 1/2 inch wide pieces. (The pinwheels look best, if the cheese mixture is spread about 1/8 inch thick before rolling and slicing.)
Arrange on a platter and serve!
Another great thing to have would be the new LG Blast Chiller, available in the 3-Door Super Capacity French-Door refrigerator (LFX31935), that can chill a room temperature, 12oz beverage in five minutes or a bottle of wine in just eight minutes. By comparison, a typical refrigerator takes about 40 minutes to accomplish this task – even in the freezer. This refrigerator is also among the largest capacity 36-inch refrigerators currently on the market, offering almost 20 percent more space and the ability to store over 50 gallons of milk.
It’s perfect for any impromptu moment when you need a quick refreshment to help you have a โblastโ or just โchillโ out. There are MANY times when I wish I could cool a beverage down quickly instead of diluting it with a bunch of ice. I love my new refrigerator, but I’m kinda wishing it had the Blast and Chill feature that the new LG fridge has.
Just think of the convenience and instant gratification of the blast chiller because the chiller is on-demand, whenever you need it. Hot summer day, you run out of cold beverages in the fridge so you run to the pantry and find a bottle of soda. With the new LG Blast Chiller fridge, you could cool it off in 5-10 minutes and it would be ready to serve!
In my refrigerator, even if I put something in the freezer to cool it down, it takes well over half an hour… No one wants to wait that long when they are ready to pop open a bottle of wine. I know I don’t!
Please visit the LG USA Facebook page or website to view entertaining blast or chill content and share your own blast or chill moments!
That fridge is niiiiice!!!