I love to have parties. Well, not exactly parties -- I tend to think of parties as events that require a lot of planning and end up being very "official". The gatherings I have are casual and often are pulled together during the last hours of the workday when some friends at work start musing about getting together soon. Then I'll pop my head up and say, "Hey, why not make quesadillas at my place tonight?"
Before you know it, I've got one friend bring strawberries and tequila for the margaritas, another bringing three kinds of cheese and yet another offering to pick up some salsa and guacamole on the way over. Add to that a couple of pizza stones, some flour tortillas and other ingredients I've got on hand and we're going south of the border with little effort at all! We'll pop in a Latin CD and we're busy salsa-ing while we're putting together four or five quesadillas. It's really fun and low stress -- that's my idea of entertaining.
Just in case you're thinking that this is the sort of thing that's reserved for the bold, I'm going to share some of my favorite last-minute entertaining ideas. If you've got a little more time, feel free to expand on menus, add decorations and give a little more thought to music and beverages. My main rule, though, is to get your friends involved. When someone asks if they can bring something, say yes and give them a list. If someone wants to help out in the kitchen, let them. Better yet, get them all involved. That's half the fun.
Mexican in Minutes
I always have a variety of ingredients on hand at my home to satisfy my cravings for Mexican food. These become incredibly handy when it comes time to have a last minute gathering at my place with friends. Here's a partial list that will keep you south of the border whenever the mood hits:
flour tortillas
canned beans -- I'm especially fond of black beans
bottled salsa
bottled lime juice
a variety of cheeses
sour cream
green onions
black olives
tequila
frozen strawberries
bottled margarita mix
tortilla chips
canned diced tomatoes -- I like the varieties that come mixed with green chilies
I love to have parties. Well, not exactly parties -- I tend to think of parties as events that require a lot of planning and end up being very "official". The gatherings I have are casual and often are pulled together during the last hours of the workday when some friends at work start musing about getting together soon. Then I'll pop my head up and say, "Hey, why not make quesadillas at my place tonight?"
Before you know it, I've got one friend bring strawberries and tequila for the margaritas, another bringing three kinds of cheese and yet another offering to pick up some salsa and guacamole on the way over. Add to that a couple of pizza stones, some flour tortillas and other ingredients I've got on hand and we're going south of the border with little effort at all! We'll pop in a Latin CD and we're busy salsa-ing while we're putting together four or five quesadillas. It's really fun and low stress -- that's my idea of entertaining.
Just in case you're thinking that this is the sort of thing that's reserved for the bold, I'm going to share some of my favorite last-minute entertaining ideas. If you've got a little more time, feel free to expand on menus, add decorations and give a little more thought to music and beverages. My main rule, though, is to get your friends involved. When someone asks if they can bring something, say yes and give them a list. If someone wants to help out in the kitchen, let them. Better yet, get them all involved. That's half the fun.