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For The Last-Minute Party by Michael DouglasYou've just invited your friends to dinner on your way back from office, and realised that there's nothing at home to serve. It's already six o'clock. What are you going to do? Relax, and have fun, of course... Impromptu dinner parties are great fun, but they can raise the blood pressure to unhealthy levels. A little planning, however, and you should be able to get yourself together in the 90 minutes between leaving work and your guests turning up... here's how: Make your shopping trip count, so when you get home, preparation time is minimal. Decide the route around the shop to correspond with the ingredients you need to buy. Simple, fresh ingredients pave the way to a good starter. A really ripe lemon and some Parma Ham is always a winner (if you suddenly need a vegetarian option, remove the Parma Ham). The fish section of most supermarkets will usually stock ready-made blinis, which are a good standby. Serve as a starter with smoked salmon and sour cream and chives sprinkled over the top. Antipasto is an easy and interesting starter and one you can whip up from store cupboard ingredients. As long as you have stored jars of artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted peppers for just this sort of occasion. Plan a main course that is high in flavour and low on maintenance: a stir-fry or Thai chicken dish is ideal. Always go for rice, instead of potatoes, because there's no preparation involved. Serve salad in place of vegetables. When it comes to puddings, one of the most delicious and hassle-free is affogato: vanilla ice cream with a shot of hot espresso coffee over the top. If you haven't got an espresso machine buy instant espresso coffee powder and make up as instructed. If you completely run out of time, a delicious cheeseboard served with nuts and fresh fruit is hard to beat.
About the AuthorMichael Douglas has contributed several articles, ezines, news, stories in various magazines, newspaper and many other websites. You can learn more about him and his amazing work at his website http://www.diyhometips.org. last minute party
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