Hostess Tips: How to keep ‘em coming! Impromptu Party Necessities; what to have on hand when you don’t want the night to end

If you’re the kind of host that loves to entertain it’s likely that you will be the first to volunteer your home when friends are looking to change locations, the evening is shifting gears, or you simply don’t want to foot a bar tab any longer.  Offering a location is all well and good but without a few party essentials the energy will fizzle faster than a day old bottle of champagne.  

here are a few things we like to keep on hand just in case:

• a box of crackers or two; something simple and light that will go with anything and something a little more dynamic. we like trader joes sea salt pita rounds and the fig and rosemary mini toasts.
• a nice cheese, brie is always a safe bet and a party favorite.  if you only have small pieces of various cheeses you could always whip up a gourmet mac and cheese or grilled cheese sandwiches, nothing goes better to soak up some alcohol than your friends, carbs, and cheese.
• a summer sausage gets extra points and you can keep it in your fridge for quite some time without it going bad.  it feels a little more decadent and will pull the impromptu cheese plate together in an instant.
• when in doubt, check the freezer! parties in a pinch should rely on some frozen goodness!  frozen pizza, mini quiches, chicken parmesan lollipops, are all delicious and easy to keep on hand in case of such an emergency.
• a few bottles of wine or beer are a must if you want to keep the party going.  if you have it at your disposal before arriving home, great! if not, suggest a field trip to your local liquor store and everyone can pick their favorite libations!