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One of the best parts about writing about food<\/a> on Cup of Jo is reading your responses<\/a>. We love hearing how you enjoy eating a good meal and sharing it with others. Here are 11 reader comments on everything from frozen meatballs to puppy parties\u2026<\/p>\n On an adorable party idea:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI am a huge dog lover, so for my birthday my partner organized a \u2018puppies and their people\u2019 brunch party. Folks with dogs brought them along! It made the whole afternoon so light and fun.\u201d \u2014 Christina<\/a><\/p>\n On having a house specialty:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMy very Italian mother keeps hundreds of meatballs frozen at all times (\u2018if I drop dead, I want people to eat good food at my funeral\u2019). Everyone knows this, so I can\u2019t tell you how many spontaneous meals have been consumed and how many people she\u2019s encouraged me to include. She said if she ever opened a restaurant it would be called \u2018What\u2019s One More?’\u201d \u2014 Emily<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cMy dad made us a wooden M&M dispenser that hangs in the kitchen. It has a little drawer you pull out for a handful of M&Ms!\u201d \u2014 Midge<\/a><\/p>\n On hosting:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWhen a guest asks \u2018Is there anything I can do to help?\u2019 let them! A small, meditative task that\u2019s simple to do while chatting (folding napkins, arranging flowers in a vase, and so on) can give the anxious friend a way to ease into a social experience or allow the friend who\u2019s typically The Planner to truly relax into being taken care of after they feel they\u2019ve contributed. It builds an organic warmth in the space, on top of being genuinely helpful to the host.\u201d \u2014 Katharine<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a retired chef who moved from the U.S. to Portugal. Cooking for others is my great joy, and I miss it, so dinner parties keep me in the game. Hosting dinners have also helped us become part of our Portuguese community. We\u2019ve invited our landlord, neighbors, language teacher, even people we\u2019ve met at the grocery store; and spending time lingering at the table has enriched our friendships. When other expats see our success with integrating, they ask, \u2018What is your secret?\u2019 I tell them it\u2019s dinner, the best friend-making activity on earth.\u201d \u2014 Cynthia<\/a><\/p>\n On what to bring:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI often show up with a box of ice-cream Drumsticks. A friend recently shared that he remembered being at a July 4th party, looking out the window, and hoping that the girl walking on the sidewalk with a big box of Drumsticks was coming to their party. I was, and we still all celebrate July 4th together.\u201d \u2014 KG<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhen my husband and I are hosting, our friends always bring us a secret stash of Flaming Hot Cheetos. My husband and I hide it in the kitchen and eat it as a snack while we clean up afterwards!\u201d \u2014 Caitlin<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhen I can\u2019t think of anything to bring, I grab a package of Tate\u2019s thin chocolate chip cookies. They are a big hit with kids and grownups, and they pair well with a bottle of Prosecco. Even Ina Garten loves them, so you know they\u2019re good.\u201d \u2014 HJM<\/a><\/p>\n On a casual food theme:<\/strong> <\/p>\n \u201cFor my birthday, I had friends over for brunch. I made waffles<\/a> and a mortadella tart<\/a> (both from this website!) and just set out maple syrup, fruit, and coffee. It was easy to pull together, and friends are still commenting about how fun and low stakes it was.\u201d \u2014 Katelynn<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOne cold day, I was bored and alone, so I texted everyone I knew, \u2018Come over tonight. Bring soup.\u2019 Shockingly, 12 people showed up with soup to share! We all stood in my kitchen trying Norwegian fish stew, chicken noodle, lentil, pasta fagioli, chili, white bean and kale soup \u2014 someone even brought a can of SpaghettiOs. I didn\u2019t have enough bowls, so we resorted to various mugs and glassware. The lack of bowls and the fact that not everyone knew each other didn\u2019t matter at all. We had soup!\u201d \u2014 Wendy<\/a><\/p>\n What are your favorite tips for hosting, guesting, or just enjoying good food with your people? I\u2019d love to hear more.<\/strong><\/p>\n P.S. Five no-recipe recipes for fall<\/a>, 11 readers share their go-to meals<\/a>, and are sheet cakes the best cakes?<\/a><\/p>\n (Pizza photo by J.Anthony\/Stocksy.)<\/p>\n