Middle of the Week Company

My cousin, Dan, flew in from Colorado on a business trip this week and the family decided to meet here for supper. I've also decided that I like entertaining... thinking about what foods I'm going to prepare and making the house cozy and welcoming. A few years back, I started trying to keep the first floor picked up and neat most of the time so that if people happened to drop in on us, I wouldn't die of embarrassment. I'm glad I've made the effort, because getting ready for company hasn't been as overwhelming. The area I need to work on, though, is not getting too ambitious with the menu. Sometimes I get in over my head and then I'm in the kitchen all night and not able to sit down and enjoy the company! So, I decided to make a casserole and overnight salad this time. I changed my mind several times, thinking it wouldn't be good enough to serve but in the end, stuck with the plan. After people finished eating, I heard my brother say, Oh, I haven't had Chicken and Rice in such a long time ... and I think he had a somewhat dreamy look on his face when he said it, so I'm taking that as a compliment. I especially liked that I had plenty of time to pay attention to my guests. Now I'm wondering if I could get away with making a casserole on Christmas Eve?