Part II: Kitchen: Getting Ready for Summer Guests

     I sat out on my dock today, breeze on my face, waves lapping against the dock.  I fed and watched my new duck friends Barney and Alice II (video below), followed by another five chapters of a Nicholas Sparks novel  as I worked on my savage tan.  (Not that a blonde haired, blue eyed, freckled gal can really look savage, but I did give it my best try sporting my SPF 15 sunscreen).    I decided to spend this perfect day by myself, as I realized that this weekend is the last quiet weekend that I’ll have for a while as the summer visitors start arriving next week.

    My quality quiet time lasted for about four hours, of course, before I realized that I have more chores to finish to get this lake house ready for visitors.   In my first article of this series, Part I:  Bedroom and Bathroom:  Getting Ready for Summer Guests, I provided an extensive list on how to get guest bedrooms and bathrooms ready for summer guests.   Next area of extreme importance to get ready is the kitchen which is what I’ll be talking about in Part II of this series.  Because when folks visit on Lake Keowee, South Carolina, or another other lake in the country, they want to eat, drink, and be merry, and we’ve got to be ready for them.

Below is a list of all of the things that I like to have ready before I open that front door and say, “Welcome to the lake!”:

Kitchen

1. Paper Towels  – I don’t know what it is about living on the lake and having a slew of visitors, but I go through more paper towels than Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda  did with their eighteen children in the movie “Yours, Mine, and Ours.”  To save money, I buy paper towels in bulk when they are on sale and keep a huge stash on a shelf in my garage for easy access.  I also opt to buy the Bounty sectional paper towel variety (2 perforated sheets which equal the size of one sheet) to try to help myself from going to the garage too often for another new roll. 
2. Zip Lock Bags (all sizes) – Just like paper towels, I also go through a ton of zip lock bags.  I think it is probably because storing quick leftovers in a resealable bag is easier than having my guests root through my plethora of mismatched storage containers and lids.  Buy sandwich, quart, one gallon, and my new favorite the two gallon size varieties and you won’t be sorry.  Tip:  buying in bulk at Sam’s or Costco will save you a ton of cash.
3. Plastic Storage Containers – when the resealable bag isn’t suitable (fruit salad, potato salad, e.g.) then have these on hand as well.  All sizes are great to have depending on the size of crowd you are serving or the amount of leftovers you may have.
4. Bottled Water – A case of bottled water is something that I buy every time I go to the grocery store as it seems that no one thinks he should ever drink out of a faucet again.  Our tap water here in Seneca, South Carolina is surprisingly delicious, but in case my guests don’t believe me, I like to keep plenty of bottled water freshly chilled in my beverage container and also in my extra refrigerator that I keep in the recreation room, so that they can be loaded quickly in a cooler to take on the boat.
5. Bags of Ice – Kudos to those who own ice makers that can produce fifty plus pounds of ice in the blink of an eye.  But, for those of us who are not blessed with this appliance, suck it up, head to the store, and grab bags of ice and store in your freezer or extra ice chest.   As our forefathers realized, ice is a luxury, and you can never have enough of it—especially if you’re loading up coolers and making margaritas or slushies (more on this later). 
6. Disposable Plastic Cups – I am a firm believer in owning Tervis Tumblers (the best sweat-proof glasses in the world), but I do like to have disposable plastic cups on hand when I’m entertaining on the dock or on the boat.
7. Triscuits/Crackers/Nuts –   When there are ‘two-fer’ sales at the grocery store, load up on these staples and store in your pantry.  You’ll be happy you did, so that you can serve cheese and crackers or nuts in a jiffy when your guests need a quick snack with pre-dinner or after dinner cocktails.
8. Cranberry  Chutney – this is one of my new favorite things.  My friend Tammy introduced me to the cranberry chutney on top of cream cheese served with crackers appetizer, and I don’t mind telling you that it is delicious.  Many times, I’ve been served the marmalade and nut on cream cheese appetizer, but the cranberry chutney with cream cheese has my vote hands down.
9. Cream Cheese – On bagels, used for other spreads, dips, and appetizers, you just can’t go wrong with having this in your refrigerator.   Also, see cranberry chutney above. 
10. Olive Oil, White Balsamic Vinegar, Sunflower Seeds, Dried Cranberries – Ronda’s famous salad is composed of field greens drizzled with olive oil and white balsamic vinegar; sprinkled with kosher salt and cracked pepper; topped with sunflower seeds and dried cranberries.   It’s light, refreshing, and a real crowd pleaser.
11. Load up on meat, pork, chicken, and bacon – At the beginning of summer, I go to Sam’s and spend a few hundred dollars on ribs, pork tenderloin, chicken, and bacon.  Then, I store all of it in my freezer chest in the basement.  Having meat products on hand and buying in bulk is a huge time and money saver.  You’ll notice that I did not mention steak, as I think that the best tasting steaks are never frozen. 
12. Maple Syrup and Pancake/Waffle Mix – Sometimes eggs, Danish, and toast get boring. 
13. Soda – all kinds even though most guests bring their own.
14. Alcohol— all kinds and a lot of it.  (Note:  see item 11 in Part I article—have plenty of Aspirin/Advil on hand in case of hangovers) Hot items for summer are Ice-tea flavored vodka, white rum for Dad Ringo’s “Slushies”, and plenty of beer.  Don’t forgot Bloody Mary mix.  My favorite is Zing-Zang.  Dad Ringo’s infamous “Slushies” have been enjoyed by so many throughout the years that it has to be shared.  As you’ll see from the recipe below, it is super simple, but it tastes absolutely delicious!

Dad Ringo’s Slushies

1 – can concentrated Limeade (large for two batches; small for one)

White Rum (fill ½ to ¾ of can of rum for large batch—split for each batch, or fill 1 to 1 ½ small cans with rum) (or add whatever amount of rum you think you can handle.)

½ blender filled with ice (to start)

1 T. Powdered Sugar

• Fill the blender halfway to the top with ice and add in half of the large can or all of the small can of frozen limeade.  Add in powdered sugar.  Pour in the rum on top of the ice and frozen limeade.  Note for large batch, only pour in half the rum as you will be making two batches.
• Turn the blender on medium setting and pulse until fairly smooth.
• Stop blending.
• Add in more ice until ice reaches about ¾ to the top of the rim. 
• Turn on the blender again, pulsing at first, and then switch to puree speed until smooth.  The slushie should be similar to an Icee—not liquidy. 
• Spoon into Tervis Tumbler or plastic glass and enjoy.  Dad will be proud!

 So, again, everybody, get shopping and get prepared!  I promise that I will, too!

Barney and Alice II (my new duck friends)