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Simple Entertaining Doesn't Exist -- Cheat:
I come from a family that made their own bread for special occasion
meals. Um, no. Cheat. Buy bread from good bakeries, get pre-chopped
lettuce, bottled salad dressing is good enough for just about everyone,
Sorbet and Pepperidge Farm cookies are a light dessert that will
actually get eaten. Of course, like I said, I'm not made of money,
so I pick and choose these things wisely. Usually only one or two
things is a "cheater", but that's one less thing to worry
about.
Cheater Appetizers
Fancy frozen things like quiche, spanakopita, cocktail meatballs, quality cheese
and crackers, marinated olives or veggies from a deli.
Cheater Main Dishes
Most bucher shops and gourmet grocery stores sell some really fancy meats now:
Stuffed pork chops, chicken breasts, whole turkeys, pre-made kabobs, racks
of ribs already partially cooked and doused in bbq sauce. Many Italian restaurants
will sell their lasagna or Marinara sauce that you can put on your own fresh
cooked pasta. Anything you can make in advance and freeze is good too.
Cheater Side Dishes
Those fresh mashed potatoes in the dairy case aren't bad, but if you love the
lumps, make them a day in advance and reheat them before dinner. Bagged salads
with bottled dressing or deli salads. Very few people actually make their
own potato salad or cole slaw these days, why should you? Packaged sauces
for vegetables aren't too bad and make an ordinary vegetable pretty tasty.
Cheater Desserts
If you've got a good bakery, their cakes are prettier and taste just as good
as anything from a mix. Most cities have a Baker's Square or Marie Callendars
and people are very impressed by their pies and cheesecakes. If kids are
coming, watch their eyes light up when you make a do-it-yourself sundae bar
with jars of pre-made topping.
Let
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