Easy Springtime Party

No-Fuss Entertaining

Serves 6

• Feta Cheese Truffles
• Chicken Scaloppine with Spinach and Linguine
• Easy Three-Seed Pan Rolls
• Sweet Dip with Cookies and Fruit

 photo: For a simple look, we covered a 6-foot table with two king-size sheets from the clearance aisle. A remnant of decorator fabric was used to make a table runner and napkins.

1 Week Ahead

• Gather items to set a pretty table. Have everything―glasses, dishes, serving pieces, flatware, napkins, table linens, and vases―clean, pressed, polished, and ready to go.
• Select music.
• Make shopping list.

 photo: Look for old canning jars and interesting containers, such as this baby bathtub, to display beverages.

Up to 3 Days Ahead

• Shop for groceries (perishables and pantry items), wine, and flowers.
• Prepare Sweet Dip with Cookies and Fruit; cover and chill.
• Prepare Feta Cheese Truffles through Step 1.

 photo: Serve Feta Cheese Truffles with cucumbers, tomatoes, almonds, and olives.

1 Day Ahead

• Measure wet and dry ingredients for Chicken Scaloppine with Spinach and Linguine. Place in small bowls or zip-top plastic bags; cover or seal. If necessary, refrigerate ingredients. (Don't cook pasta.)
• Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; cut in half crosswise. Cover and chill.
• Thoroughly wash and pat spinach dry, and place in a zip-top plastic bag. Seal and chill.
• Place flowers in selected vases.
• Set table.

3 to 4 Hours Before Sitting Down To Eat

• Prepare Easy Three-Seed Pan Rolls through Step 1.
• Shape Feta Cheese Truffles; roll in parsley. Cover and chill. Prepare accompaniments.
• Gather cookies, berries, and chocolate; arrange on serving tray.

 30 minutes before guests arrive:

• Let truffles stand at room temperature. Arrange on tray with accompaniments.

 photo: Sweet Dip with Cookies and Fruit is reminiscent of buttercream frosting secretly swiped off a cake.

30 Minutes Before Sitting Down to Eat

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Start boiling water for pasta.

 20 minutes before sitting down to eat:

• Bake rolls.
• Prepare Chicken Scaloppine. If you don't have enough oven space to keep batches of chicken warm, place on a wire rack in an aluminum foil-lined pan, and tent with foil.

 photo: Easy Three-Seed Pan Rolls start with frozen bread dough but taste as if they're made from scratch.

Call Guests to Table

• Take Sweet Dip out of refrigerator.

 After dinner:

• Arrange Sweet Dip on tray with goodies. Serve with coffee.

 photo: Chicken Scaloppine with Spinach and Linguine comes together quickly. For fast assembly, measure out and prep ingredients before guests arrive.

"Easy Springtime Party" is from the April 2008 issue of Southern Living.