Hubby and I went to a holiday dinner party at a friend’s house the other night.Β They prepared the most lovely and impressive meal, a shrimp and lobster (!!) stew, fresh asparagus, and a bright green salad, plus tons of appetizers and red wine. She was so sweet, she even went out of her way to make sure the entire meal was gluten-free for me.
Then for dessert, she pulled out coconut and mango sorbet that she had purchased at Costco. She lamented not having the time to make anything for dessert, but in reality, we were THRILLED to share and nibble on the packaged sorbets while playing iPhone app games.
So here’s the lesson I learned: entertaining is about the company you keep. Yes, of course, it’s important to have a delicious main course. But when it comes to appetizers and dessert, keep it simple with no stress! Your guests are just as happy to eat store-bought delicacies as they are a homemade pie. I swear.
Some of my favorite no-stress appetizers areΒ good-quality cheese and sausage, sliced cucumbers, kalamata olives, almonds, cashews, grapes, and baby carrots.
When it comes to dessert, if I have time to make something amazing like pumpkin ice cream, of course I’ll make it. But if I’m entertaining on the fly and running low on time, I love the idea of serving store-bought sorbet like my friend did, or chocolates served on a pretty cake plate.
I was recently introduced to a company called SunCups, a company that makes GMO-free, soy lecithin-free (try to find a chocolate today that is!), and corn syrup-free chocolate cups with sunbutter in the middle (think Reese’s peanut butter cups, but WAY healthier!) They are so incredibly delicious, and think they would be perfect to serve as an easy dessert in the midst of the busy holiday season.
What are some of your favorite easy desserts to serve while entertaining? Let me know!
xoxo,
