So it’s been a hectic week, you have friends coming into town for Pride weekend and you’re running late. Or, it’s been a long day at the Pride festival and your friend just invited those two images of sun-tanned eye candy perfection you’ve been checking out over to your house for a quick bite before Circuit Daze begins. In either scenario, 45 minutes and a quick run to Ralphs, Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods lies between you and an evening to remember. What to do?

Never fear. Andrew Haddock, who provides the “Queer Tip of the Day from the Gay” on Star 100.7, has the gourmet answer to a fast and frugal party for the GLBT strapped for time, panache and cash.

First and foremost, Haddock says, ice water is key. After a long drive or day in the sun, ice water is the world’s best mood booster.

He suggests putting slices of cucumber into the water instead of lemon: “Cucumber is a refresher. It revives you; it wakes you up, as opposed to lemon, which just gets rid of the chlorine taste in the water. Cucumber still does that, but you get more out of it than you do a lemon.”

Serve your guests an appetizer no more than 10 minutes after they arrive; this will buy you plenty of time to prep the actual meal and dessert.

For appetizers, think pre-made. Trader Joe’s sushi rolls or hummus, artichoke or roasted red pepper dips and pita bread is a good place to start. Whole Foods and most Ralphs and Albertson’s have a decent deli section with pre-made tabouli, cold pasta salads and mixed olives. Baguette with Brie, Camembert and fruit, or olives and dried salami, is another favorite.

“Get some fresh vegetables,” Haddock adds. “If there’s one thing that’s really easy to do, it’s roasting quick vegetables: for example zucchinis, yellow squash, eggplants, asparagus, green beans, shallots.”

Slice the vegetables about a quarter-inch thick, toss them with the any kind of balsamic dressing, put them on a cookie sheet and bake them at 450 for 10 to 15 minutes. Let them cool and add them to the appetizer plate.

Whatever you serve, make sure there are several options. “People like to have choice,” Haddock says.

For the main course, think light and cold. Summertime lends itself to lighter fare and a heavy meal can sap the energy you’ll need to go out later. Cold dishes, such as salads, are light and quick to prepare.

Haddock recommends pre-washed, cut salad greens with pre-cooked chicken or pan-seared fish thrown on top.

“A blackened salmon salad is the easiest thing in the world,” he says, “Buy McCormick’s steak seasoning, put it on the salmon filet, sear the salmon in a hot pan with olive oil, put it in the oven for 10 minutes and it’s finished. It’s impressive and it looks nice. Serve it on a bed of mixed greens with a light dressing and there you go.”

If you want red meat, stick with a lighter cut such as filet rather than steak, and look for meats that are already marinated.

For drinks, go with white wine sangria or cosmopolitans, and make a whole pitcher at once to save time. “Australian wines are really big right now,” Haddock says. “A lot of people prefer red, but go with a nice chilled white for something like this – it’s lighter and easier to drink.”

For white wine sangria, cut up oranges, limes, lemons and cantaloupe, put it in a pitcher and pour the wine (a sauvignon blanc works best, chardonnay can be too sweet) in with a little bit of Grand Marnier and sugar.

For cosmopolitans, stir cranberry juice, vodka, sliced limes and a few frozen cranberries together and pour into glasses with ice. Apple martinis are another good bet.

For dessert, again stick with lighter fare, such as a fruit tart or fresh berries topped with whipped cream (avoid Cool Whip. Pour a pint of heavy whipping cream into a bowl with two tablespoons of sugar and beat with an electric mixer until stiff).

Or grab a bag of white or dark chocolate chips and a pint of heavy whipping cream and make chocolate fondue. Heat the cream in a saucepan for about five minutes until it reaches a simmer, pour the chocolate chips into a glass bowl, pour the cream on top and mix it together until the chips melt down. Cut up some fruit, lay some cookies on a plate, arm your guests with forks or toothpicks and dig in.

As far as table décor, old magazine covers can make for a unique table setting that’s also easy to clean up – just crumple up and throw away.

Rustle up a few candles and put them in assorted drinking glasses – the more mismatched the better. “It’s amazing what a standard jelly jar glass will do with light,” Haddock says. “Beautiful, really pretty, really elegant.”

Just what the evening calls for.