Festive tidbits

Do you have enough ingredients in the house, to make festive tidbits for unexpected guests? I always try to have something at hand, so I can feed my guests if they come without notice. Here are some useful tips and a list of items to keep in your pantry.

• slices of stale baguettes (keep them in the freezer in a ziploc bag)
• pesto or tapenade
• anchovies
• bite size cooked meatballs (freezer - ziploc)
• pita bread (split open - freezer - ziploc)
• garlic butter snails (freezer)
• olives
• sundried tomatoes
• feta
• puff pastry (freezer)
• bite size sausages (can)
• goat cheese (fridge)
• apples
• pine nuts
• honey

And this is what you do with it:

• Grill the slices of baguette on one side in the oven. Top with pesto or tapenade.
• Put the anchovies, feta, sundried tomatoes and olives in small bowls.
• Spread pesto on the pita halves. Cut each half in 6 wedges. Bake them in the oven till crisp.
• Shove the snails in a hot oven until bubbly.
• Thaw the puff pastry. Rol a sausage in a piece of pastry. Go on until you run out of ingredients. Bake the mini sausage rolls in the oven.
• Bake the cooked meatballs. Serve with ketchup or mustard or just plain. Warm or cold.
• Peel and core the apples and slice them. Bake the slices and swirl some honey on top. Grill some slices of baguette. Top with goat cheese, baked honey apple slices and toasted pine nuts for an instant festive tidbit.

Don't forget to add your own creations to this list. Tape the list to the inside of a kitchen cabinet. Comes in handy at any time.