Entertaining on the Cheap

I'm having a little get together this weekend. A little crafting time with the girls. My husband and I usually go all out when we host events. Not this time. I'm trying to be thrifty right? So, my guests are expecting spectacular but I don't' want to spend very much money. What to do?

I've decided to only use what I already have in the house to entertain. My inventory includes mozzarella, and pepperoni, canned diced tomatoes, a bit of red wine left over, and basil growing in my window=Pizza. It also includes some pasta, italian dressing and frozen peas=pasta salad. And for the finally I have flour, butter, and frozen fruit=pie.

A while ago I learned a very nice trick for canned tomatoes. If you have to use canned (and here in Alaska you usually do) a nice trick is to open the can, drain it (reserve the liquid if you need it later), place tomatoes in a roasting pan and on the center rack of the oven broil for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until the tomatoes start to brown around the edges. Then remove the pan and add a bit of red wine and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes to deglaze the pan.
This sort of revives the tomatoes and gives it a much "fresher" taste. I dont' mind doing the extra work because I make a LOT of sauce and freeze it.

I'll give an update on how the party goes.