When we celebrated Christmas in July with our family, Don’s daughter, Carole( from Belgium) was to do a theme dinner. She brought the recipe for Belgium…..in my English term – like Beef Bourguinan. There was a ton left over so Don made a Shepherd’s Pie. Now….on to the rest of the story.

After thawing on the counter, I kept looking at it and seeing too much food for two, so we decided to have an impromptu dinner with our friends and after them agreeing to come over, we decided what to do next.

We had jars of homemade antipasto….add several kinds of crackers, napkins, plates and glasses of wine and the conversation flows and the evening has begun.

We had scallops on baby shells in the freezer. Voila! Pop in the oven for 20 minutes and you have a perfect appetizer. Don grilled fresh pineapple strips and our very own figs, then drizzled balsamic vinegar over. The plate looked awesome.

I set the table earlier in the day (casual) and lit a few candles…done.

For dessert we had plates of fresh fruits, a couple of different cheeses and crackers. Coffee and more conversation finished the evening.

No fuss, no  bother and such fun. Try it and you will see.