What to keep in your pantry

Stock your pantry and refrigerator with these items and you'll have something to offer unexpected guests:

-- Crackers, chips, pita or bagel chips.

-- Block cheeses.

-- Olives.

-- Dried fruit and nuts.

-- Pickled vegetables, including marinated artichokes or roasted red peppers.

-- Flavored cream cheese to spread on cucumber slices.

-- Frozen cooked shrimp with cocktail sauce (or ketchup mixed with horseradish and lemon juice to taste).

-- Frozen phyllo cups can be filled with tuna, crab or egg salad. Or fill with flavored soft cheese and half a marinated artichoke.

-- Hummus or tabouli.

-- Hot pepper jelly and cream cheese to make a spread for crackers.

-- Boursin cheese for crackers or as the filling for rolled sliced salami.

-- Pick out a few emergency appetizers from the freezer case such as mini-quiches, mozzarella sticks or popcorn shrimp.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)

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