E went away on vacation with his best friend for two weeks, celebrating Cinco de Mayo with tequila under a palm tree. The second he left, I got three instant houseguests.

My dear friend Jenny, her husband, Otto, and their 6 month old baby Arlo were homeless after a huge pipe burst in their house. So, they moved in with me for the weekend. Hey, I had room!

Our apartment has been covered with bottles and baby clothes and organic cleaners and luggage for two days. My 6 AM alarm on Sunday morning was Arlo’s crying for breakfast. I got a first hand look at what baby rearing is really like (you mommies work very hard). But I love a mess in my home when it’s other people’s mess. Other’s might be annoyed by it, but I find it a good excuse to not clean. You can’t vacuum around the luggage. Just wait until it’s gone.

I made French Toast sandwiches similar to these as brunch for my guests yesterday. Then we spent most of our day out of the apartment taking in the Brooklyn sights. I didn’t have time to make a new sandwich. But I’ll share four suggestions from the 300 Sandwiches library that work well for sleepover guests:

—Sandwich #114–”Cinco de Mayo-ish” Mexican Torta: Today, Cinco de Mayo, is the day for a torta. These meaty sandwiches are often big enough for two. Make two or three of them, cut in half, pair with tequila or a margarita and a piñata and your sleepover is Cinco de Mayo ready.

—Sandwich #34–”Fall Dinner Party” Bacon, Arugula and Manchego Cheese Panini: a dinner party favorite. You can grill up two sandwiches, cut them into fourths, and serve up guests as an appetizer or late night snack.

—Sandwich #231—”Diffuse Anger with Laughter” Snack-Sized Muffuletta: You’ll need friends to eat these thick sandwiches, packed with meat, cheese and olive relish.

—Sandwich #202-“The Game Changer” Shooter Sandwich: I made this for Thanksgiving this year, filling the inside with leftovers turkey and trimmings. But you can layer on all sorts of meat, cheese, veggies and condiments inside a round loaf of bread, wrap and press for a few hours, then cut it into pie slices for several friends. Your houseguests may never leave.

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