Cheap Tip Saturday 8/27

Cheap Tip: Budget-Friendly Entertaining

One of my favorite past-times in the whole wide world (besides torturing Z.) is to share a meal with others, especially sharing a meal with friends in my home. I almost said cook a meal for friends but Z. proudly does the cooking when we have people over. I contribute side dishes and desert. We have refined the technique of budget-friendly entertaining. Here are a few tips I have learned along the way:

• Try your best but do not stress out (excessively) about how your food turns out. Your friends are happy to be spending time with you and that you went to all the trouble. Besides, if they are like most people, they do not cook for themselves very often and are excited to have a home-cooked (or semi-homemade) meal.
• If we are cooking, our meal of choice is Indian or pasta. Indian food is great if you have to cook for a large group of people; it does not matter if you are cooking for 2 or 8, beans and rice take the same amount of time to cook either way.
• Potluck. I do not know who you are hanging out with but my friends always ask what they can bring. Frequently, Z. and I will provide the main course and desert. We ask our guests to bring a side dish or wine. If you cannot cook, wine is almost universally appreciated.
• Feature dishes or foods that guests can assemble themselves. Each person has their own particular likes and dislikes. Assembly-meals allows guests to tailor their meal as well as be involved. Dishes that lend themselves well to this are tacos, paninis, individual pizzas, and kebabs.
• Crudites. I almost always have a platter of fresh, crunchy vegetables ready to be served immediately when my guests arrive. Veggies are tasty, filling, and can be cheap depending on what you buy. I like to serve carrots (always), bell peppers, cucumbers, radishes, celery, broccoli, or cauliflower, all depending on what is on sale.
• Keep desert simple. I save my fancy deserts for the occasions when I will only be serving desert and coffee. Orchestrating an elaborate desert and preparing dinner can be a little overwhelming for me. I do love serving baked deserts. Nothing is as inviting or fills the home with as much fragrance as baking deserts. Cookies are always a welcome sight for guests. Fruit crisps or cobblers are simple and take advantage of what is on sale at the market or straight from the freezer. This summer I have served plain, fresh fruit several times for desert. Nothing is as delicious as fruit at its ripest at the peak of the season.