Sunday Dinner Just Waiting

The idea of a sit down Sunday dinner with family and friends may sound appealing, but sometimes it’s easier said than done. With weekends jam packed with errands or kid-centered activities, coming inside to cook on a Sunday afternoon doesn’t always work. The urge to entertain and serve a home cooked meal sometimes seems daunting rather than fun.

When I look in my freezer and see two homemade lasagnas — a white one with fresh Ricotta cheese and Spinach and the other, a classic meat and tomato sauce — I feel satisfied. I feel accomplished and envision a stress-free, laid back Sunday afternoon, surrounded by friends and family. And I will be the hostess; eating, talking and enjoying. I only have to schedule a date, or spontaneously invite friends and family to my table — dinner is waiting!

I made these particular lasagnas with my friend Liz last week. We each had an hour, so we worked together quickly, in between naps and pre-school pick-ups, to create meals that would come in handy later. Liz fed one of her lasagnas to her family that night and the other is tucked away in her freezer – A future dinner. My two lasagnas are waiting for an ideal moment to entertain.

So, for those of you who like the idea of entertaining but seem to have a hard time pulling off anything more than a few take out pizzas, here’s my suggestion: Get together with a friend during a time other than the weekend and focus on creating a main dish meal that you can freeze and serve later. Maybe it’s a big batch of sauce and meatballs, meatloaf or lasagna — whatever it is, I can assure you that you’ll love having Sunday dinner just waiting!