Unexpected guests? Oh No? Oh yeah! Bring it on!

I have no idea if you've ever been in this situation- you come back home, you're tired and somebody calls you to say " yeah, I'm nearby, I'll pop over for 5 minutes, I haven't seen you so long". No? Maybe it's just me.

( sorry for the crappy pics, ipads do not take good photos)
<- crakers with cheddar cheese and strawberries, plain crackers with goat cheese, pear slices sprinkled with cayenne pepper. Next are rosette slices folded,cherry tomatoes, and strawberries.

<- crackers with cheddar cheese and pear slices, rosette, pear, more cheese, tomatoes, and sliced strawberries

 Please mind the gap

<- these are pepper crackers with cream cheese, chopped chives and a strawberry slice, next to some cherry tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and radish sprouts for a kick

 <- Basicaly the same as upstairs, except with rosette salami, and sliced pear
















Anyway, a list of snack staples to keep around the house for times like this. Or when you don't really feel like cooking. Let everybody else do it. Their way. Let's smorgasbord! Love the word by the way :)
This is a list of things to have ( but you don't need to have all of them at once:))and how to serve"

Fridge:

• smoked salmon, sliced, served with lemon and fresh dill, serve on salad
• cream cheese philadefia, in a small bowl and butter knife
• edam, gouda, cheddar cheese, in small pieces or slices, any cheese can do
• small bowl of cherry tomatoes, or served in clusters with cheese or cold meat
• bunch of radishes, sliced or with the stems for easy holding
• carrots, cut in stalks, in a glass
• celery, cut in stalks, in a glass
• lettuce, served on crackers, sandwiches, or in small bowls, or as dressing
• lemon, cut in wedges for drinks or seasoning
• jar of mini pickles, served in small bowls, or cut in stalks, on a salad bed
• pickles of any kind (radishes, gherkins, carrots,) served as a topping or aside on salad
• pearl onion pickles, in a small bowl, with toothpicks
• french pate in a jar ( comes from carrefour, quite handy), serve with a butter knife
• cold meat (rozette, cured sirloin, kabanosy), cut in small slices, on a plate, or on crackers
• cured baco, can wrap up prunes for baking, or fry it up, or fold it like a ribbon, serve on salad
• butter, small pieces, on plates, or a small bowl, with butter knife
• fresh cucumber, thin slices, on salad or a plate
• small bell pepper, half cut in thin slices, half diced for toppings or nibbling on, in a glass
• mayonaise, small jar, served in small bowl, or on crakers with toppings
• hoummus, in small bowl around the table
• horseradish, small jar, in small bowl
• greek joghurt- small bowl for making dips and sauces

 Freezer:

• pancakes- which you can make from here and freeze
• waffles- buy them ready made if , like me, you don't have the waffle maker, and freeze in ziploc bags
• shrimps
• baguette
• loaf of bread ( you can defrost it in 15 minute in your oven, preheat 180C, just wet your bread first)
• frozen dumplings with cheese filling, or kopytka
• frozen pizza ( our fav: Ristorante for 20 min bake for a nice crunchy crust)
• leftover lasagne sauce, or lasagne, or stuffed bell peppers
• green beans 
• fava beans for nibbling on

Cupboard:

• can of chickpeas ( to make hoummus or minestrone soup)
• small can of corn (for salads, or as a fast, cheap side dish, or to add to a soup for more oumff)
• can of tuna ( for pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salads, your cat)
• small can of pineapple ( for dessert, cocktails, thai food, cravings)
• raisins, cranberries, almonds, pine nuts, dried apples, prunes ( for baking, nibbling, cooking stews, desserts, meat)
• applesauce (cookies, cakes, pies, cravings, on waffles, or pancakes, to serve with duck)
• maple syrup ( pancakes, drinks, coffee, cookies, marinades )
• box of dried herbs (oregano, basil, parsley, dill, garlic salt, onion, curry, cayenne pepper, tarragon, sea salt, colored pepper corns)
• olives- black, green or verde (yum!) to snack on
• crackers
• jam ( great for pancakes, crepes, cookies)

For me, these are must haves, and it helps out a lot, especially when I'm really lazy:)