Easy Entertaining

Kroger is the grocery store store that I've relied on for my weekly groceries for years...but I never thought of them when I was having company over--which just seems crazy now. I used to go to restaurants and purchase expensive hou d'oeuvres and then have to go to a liquor store for my wine--that I had to choose with very little help.

One day it dawned on me...I was at the store, doing my regular shopping and already thinking about a dinner party I was planning for the following Saturday. Suddenly, I saw a woman carrying a large tray away from the deli area. I was close enough to peek--the tray was decked with olives, pita, roasted red peppers, mozzarella, stuffed grape leaves and hummus! It was gorgeous, and I knew right away I had to have it for my party.

I went to the counter to ask about the tray and learned that it was a steal compared to what I had been getting from restaurants! I told the gentleman at the counter I would be ordering one for Friday and he was kind enough to fill me in on a little secret--he told me to check ShopAtHome.com for Kroger coupons before ordering! He asked if I would need anything else and I told him what I had in mind for the party. The gentleman from Kroger also recommended the Mediterranean Platter, to compliment the one I would already be ordering--which includes crostini, tapenade, hummus (you can't have too much hummus) and bruschetta!

Next he told me about the online Wine Pairing Tool...it is a device on Kroger's site that recommends what type of wine would be good with whatever it is you happen to be serving!I searched under vegetarian, then garlic and tomato and discovered that Merlot was the best bet for all of my Mediterranean flavors!

After visiting ShopAtHome.com for coupons and Kroger's site for useful tips, I realized that I was saving enough money on everything else...I could buy a cake too! So when I put in my reservation for platters I also ordered an Italian Creme Cake, which I knew would finish off the Mediterranean platter perfectly!

The next time I entertain I might go with the Fiesta Dip and Chips and have a Fiesta! Or I might pair the Deviled Eggs Platter with the Spinach Dip Basket, a very large bread bowl filled with creamy dip! Either way, I know it will be simple and convenient for me to pick up right when I need them ...and so inexpensive!

Submitted by Ann Marie from ShopAtHome.com