8 Tips For Serving Uninvited Guests On The Fly Slideshow

Whether that means stocking a few trays or keeping track of your ice dispenser, it's always good to have ice when entertaining or even just at home. 

Always keep a bottle of red in the cabinet and a bottle of white in the fridge. For one thing, it's great to pair with your own dinners at home, but also, you can never be sure of what your guests will want.  

Whether you're a born host or not, it's always good to have a larger platter, even it's for dinners for two. 

Snack items like crackers, pretzels, and tortilla chips are add-ons in your grocery cart on a regular basis, so just keep some in your cabinet at all times so you're not left without anything to serve on the fly. 

Be stocked, always — for obvious reasons. 

Grainy mustard, olives, cheese, and hummus are sure to be on the highbrow of your grocery spending, but they go far when it comes to putting something out on the table quickly. 

This is a stretch, but something sweet — chocolate, cookies, ice cream — is always a plus. Uninvited guests don't always show up for the best reasons, so perhaps they need a bit of comfort, and nothing says comfort like a bowl of ice cream. 

Not just coffee, good coffee. No one likes "decent" coffee, ever. If we're going to be gourmand about it, a French press is always a plus.