Stepping Up to the Plate

aem said:

I'm already pouring my pre-dinner libation when, "Oh, I forgot to
mention that So-and-So is dropping by for dinner." "I hope she's not
expecting anything special, it's leftovers tonight." "Is that all we
have?" "When is she coming--there isn't time to go shopping, (mutters)
even if I wanted to, is there?" "I know you'll come up with something.
You know how she likes to talk."

Who cares what someone else thinks. Unless it's your SO's boss. That
dinner is their problem.

Quoted message said:

So there's the pitch. The unspoken but well-understood message is,
Don't Embarrass Me.

Well, they'll learn next time won't they.

Quoted message said:

And I was looking forward to an effortless prelude
and accompaniment to the Dodgers game. Instead, it's going to be me
scrambling from behind rather than the team. Well, what to do?

Go to the game.

Quoted message said:

You've all been there, right? How did you cope with the last minute
challenge?

My wife would not do this to me nor would I do this to her (if she
could cook). You let the SO know what your boundaries are and this is
crossing them.

Quoted message said:

Last night's worked out pretty well. Our guest turned up almost
immediately and I put on just enough of a show to demonstrate that she
merited special attention. To dress up the ordinary tossed salad I
roasted a red bell pepper on a long fork over the gas flame before
peeling and slicing it, and toasted some sliced almonds in a dry pan.
Instead of the intended leftover mashed potatoes I made homemade egg
noodles. The two-day old beef stew (made this time with beef shanks)
was plentiful, and I casually commented that such things are always
better when they've mellowed in the refrigerator overnight. A slightly
better than planned red wine, and all was good. But the Dodgers lost.

While your verbal message to your SO may have been that was wrong.
Your physical message was that you are a doormat. Please step on me
again.

Quoted message said:

And you?

Anyway, that's my opinion.

aem said:

I'm already pouring my pre-dinner libation when, "Oh, I forgot to
mention that So-and-So is dropping by for dinner." "I hope she's not
expecting anything special, it's leftovers tonight." "Is that all we
have?" "When is she coming--there isn't time to go shopping, (mutters)
even if I wanted to, is there?" "I know you'll come up with something.
You know how she likes to talk."

So there's the pitch. The unspoken but well-understood message is,
Don't Embarrass Me. And I was looking forward to an effortless prelude
and accompaniment to the Dodgers game. Instead, it's going to be me
scrambling from behind rather than the team. Well, what to do?

You've all been there, right? How did you cope with the last minute
challenge?

Nope, never been there and if I were it would be the first and last time
because I'd kill him.

It was bad enough when I was working and my high-school son would invite
half the socer team over to lunch on frozen pizzas. They cooked,
cleaned up, and the only way I knew they'd been there was the stack
of empty pizza boxes in the trash and the big empty space in the
freezer. ;-)

"Forgot to mention" that someone is coming to dinner?
Not on your life.

gloria p

aem said:

I'm already pouring my pre-dinner libation when, "Oh, I forgot to
mention that So-and-So is dropping by for dinner." "I hope she's not
expecting anything special, it's leftovers tonight." "Is that all we
have?" "When is she coming--there isn't time to go shopping, (mutters)
even if I wanted to, is there?" "I know you'll come up with something.
You know how she likes to talk."

So there's the pitch. The unspoken but well-understood message is,
Don't Embarrass Me. And I was looking forward to an effortless prelude
and accompaniment to the Dodgers game. Instead, it's going to be me
scrambling from behind rather than the team. Well, what to do?

You've all been there, right? How did you cope with the last minute
challenge?

Nope, never been there and if I were it would be the first and last time
because I'd kill him.

It was bad enough when I was working and my high-school son would invite
half the soccer team over to lunch on frozen pizzas. They cooked,
cleaned up, and the only way I knew they'd been there was the stack
of empty pizza boxes in the trash and the big empty space in the
freezer. ;-)

"Forgot to mention" that someone is coming to dinner?
Not on your life.

gloria p

aem said:

I'm already pouring my pre-dinner libation when, "Oh, I forgot to
mention that So-and-So is dropping by for dinner." "I hope she's not
expecting anything special, it's leftovers tonight." "Is that all we
have?" "When is she coming--there isn't time to go shopping, (mutters)
even if I wanted to, is there?" "I know you'll come up with something.
You know how she likes to talk."

So there's the pitch. The unspoken but well-understood message is,
Don't Embarrass Me. And I was looking forward to an effortless prelude
and accompaniment to the Dodgers game. Instead, it's going to be me
scrambling from behind rather than the team. Well, what to do?

You've all been there, right? How did you cope with the last minute
challenge?

Last night's worked out pretty well. Our guest turned up almost
immediately and I put on just enough of a show to demonstrate that she
merited special attention. To dress up the ordinary tossed salad I
roasted a red bell pepper on a long fork over the gas flame before
peeling and slicing it, and toasted some sliced almonds in a dry pan.
Instead of the intended leftover mashed potatoes I made homemade egg
noodles. The two-day old beef stew (made this time with beef shanks)
was plentiful, and I casually commented that such things are always
better when they've mellowed in the refrigerator overnight. A slightly
better than planned red wine, and all was good. But the Dodgers lost.

And you?

You made homemade egg noodles on the fly?? (OMG, I am such a slug.)

I don't think DH would do that to me and if he did, he knows I'd be
giving him "the look" all evening and he would hear about it later.
You are a champ for accepting this fate with so little complaint and
creating a feast for your guest. You deserve extra attention in the
romance department for at least 2 weeks. :-)

Ginny

On Tue 26 Apr 2005 05:18:38p, aem wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

And you?

No way in hell!

Whoever was this totally thoughtless would be either a) calling the guest to
explain that this evening just isn't a good choice and to plan another date;
or b) scurrying off to the store for provisions and returning home to cook
the meal; or c) putting out for a very nice restaurant.

Any embarrassment is clearly deserved!

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

aem said:

So there's the pitch. The unspoken but well-understood message is,
Don't Embarrass Me. And I was looking forward to an effortless prelude
and accompaniment to the Dodgers game. Instead, it's going to be me
scrambling from behind rather than the team. Well, what to do?

Depends. If you enjoy the challenge, have fun. If you don't, skip it,
have your leftovers, and let the person get the message that last-minute
summons are Not Okay.

serene
--
http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
http://www.jhuger.com

One time on Usenet said:

I'm already pouring my pre-dinner libation when, "Oh, I forgot to
mention that So-and-So is dropping by for dinner." "I hope she's not
expecting anything special, it's leftovers tonight." "Is that all we
have?" "When is she coming--there isn't time to go shopping, (mutters)
even if I wanted to, is there?" "I know you'll come up with something.
You know how she likes to talk."

So there's the pitch. The unspoken but well-understood message is,
Don't Embarrass Me. And I was looking forward to an effortless prelude
and accompaniment to the Dodgers game. Instead, it's going to be me
scrambling from behind rather than the team. Well, what to do?

<snip>

What to do? Here's what I'd do -- I'd tell the SO to drag his/her
ass to the store/restaurant and find something, since they're the
one who allowed this predicament to occur. Fortunately, DH would
never do such a thing to me, nor I to him. However, I sincerely
admire your results, they sound tasty...

--
Jani in WA ~ mom, vid gamer, novice cook ~
"The ships hung in the sky in much the same
way that bricks don't" - D. Adams, HGTTG

"aem" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

You've all been there, right? How did you cope with the last minute
challenge?

Well, my husband occasionally calls at the last minute and says he's
bringing home a friend, but:

a. it's always the same friend, who has been to our house a million
times, and who normally microwaves a frozen dinner every night (so is
thrilled with whatever we make, no matter how humble);

b. they call to ask if I need anything, and then they stop at the store
on the way home and buy something to grill...or they have a few lobsters
steamed at the seafood counter...the guest always buys 3 or 4 pints of
premium ice cream in assorted flavors (he knows all our favorites, and
brings surprises to try, too!) plus some wine or beer; and

c. I never get the unspoken "Don't embarrass me!" message. My own
pride inspires me to quickly tidy up the house, check the bathroom for
clean towels, and whip up a little something extra to go along with
whatever they're buying...

So I don't really have the same level of last-minute challenge that you
had...but I must say, I'm very impressed...I love the roasted pepper and
almond idea, and the homemade egg noodles -- WOW! You did yourself
proud.

Chris

Chris Neidecker said:

Well, my husband occasionally calls at the last minute and says he's
bringing home a friend, but: [snip]

This doesn't happen often, but it has occurred enough so that it really
does not create undue pressure. If I gave that impression I was
writing imprecisely. We know each other's limits, and we know what
kind of challenges we enjoy rising to.

Quoted message said:

[snip] I love the roasted pepper and
almond idea, and the homemade egg noodles -- WOW! You did yourself
proud.

It was just a little showboating, which seemed to be called for at the
time. Not that there's anything tough involved. I'm not great at
homemade noodles, but once I tried it and experimented some, I found
that you can produce something enjoyable without a lot of effort.
Plus, I like the minimalism of flour, egg and elbow grease. (and a
pinch of salt and a few spoons of cold water)

I was expecting to get other people's stories of turning out something
entertaining on short notice. Frankly, I'm surprised at the vehemence
with which some say, "no way!" Every relationship is different, I
suppose. -aem

On Tue 26 Apr 2005 08:49:10p, aem wrote in rec.food.cooking:

First, let me just say that you did an admirable job of putting together a
lovely meal on a moment's notice. Obviously, you must truly enjoy this
sort of thing, however...

Quoted message said:

Chris Neidecker said:

Well, my husband occasionally calls at the last minute and says he's
bringing home a friend, but: [snip]

This doesn't happen often, but it has occurred enough so that it really
does not create undue pressure. If I gave that impression I was
writing imprecisely. We know each other's limits, and we know what
kind of challenges we enjoy rising to.

From my personal perspective, ONCE would be more than enough. While you
may enjoy being "challenged" (read majorly inconvenienced), I have enough
challenges throughout the workday without the need for "surprises" when I
get home. Luckily, we know each other's limits, too, mine being zero
tolerance!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

[snip] I love the roasted pepper and
almond idea, and the homemade egg noodles -- WOW! You did yourself
proud.

It was just a little showboating, which seemed to be called for at the
time.

That does seem to be the case, as well as your presentation here.

Quoted message said:

Not that there's anything tough involved. I'm not great at
homemade noodles, but once I tried it and experimented some, I found
that you can produce something enjoyable without a lot of effort.
Plus, I like the minimalism of flour, egg and elbow grease. (and a
pinch of salt and a few spoons of cold water)

I was expecting to get other people's stories of turning out something
entertaining on short notice. Frankly, I'm surprised at the vehemence
with which some say, "no way!"

I'm not in the least surprised. Not many people in the right mind would
want to put upon in such a way.

Quoted message said:

Every relationship is different, I
suppose. -aem

To be sure!

Cheers!

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

Nope my hubby wouldn't spring this on me, but I'd spring the guests on
him *and* come up with the food. Not that we're entertaining all that
much these days. But some day...

We did have a neighbor over recently and I showed off our new pressure
cooker (that thing again?) - quick steamed several enormous artichokes.
She was impressed. I seem to recall that we fed the pre-schoolers
leftover pizza so the rest of the meal was nothing to remember.

Leila

aem said:

I was expecting to get other people's stories of turning out something
entertaining on short notice. Frankly, I'm surprised at the vehemence
with which some say, "no way!" Every relationship is different, I
suppose. -aem

I guess I should explain my "no way" reply since I seem to be among the
most vehement.

Guests for dinner, even overnight guests, business and personal,
are not unusual here. Their advent requires a major amount of
extra effort for me--house cleaning or straightening plus a menu
that's more elaborate than our usual fare. Considering that my
husband's effort extends no further than the invitation, I feel
very justified in requiring advance notice.

gloria p

aem said:

I'm already pouring my pre-dinner libation when, "Oh, I forgot to
mention that So-and-So is dropping by for dinner." "I hope she's not
expecting anything special, it's leftovers tonight." "Is that all we
have?" "When is she coming--there isn't time to go shopping, (mutters)
even if I wanted to, is there?" "I know you'll come up with something.
You know how she likes to talk."

So there's the pitch. The unspoken but well-understood message is,
Don't Embarrass Me. And I was looking forward to an effortless prelude
and accompaniment to the Dodgers game. Instead, it's going to be me
scrambling from behind rather than the team. Well, what to do?

You've all been there, right? How did you cope with the last minute
challenge?

Sounds like you came up with a wonderful dinner on short notice! One
of our single uncles used to 'drop by' around about mealtimes on a
regular basis - he got whatever we were having, and if it was
leftovers, well then he got leftovers too, complete with the plate
balanced on his knees in front of the television as was our usual
weekday wont! lol When we had more notice then I went to more effort
and we ate at the table... and to his credit, he didn't always accept
the invitations to freeload.

~Karen aka Kajikit
Crafts, cats, and chocolate - the three essentials of life
http://www.kajikitscorner.com
*remove 'nospam' to reply

The closest I ever came to this was being invited at the last minute to
a party where everyone brought something. I had a reputation to uphold,
as I always brought something good in the past. I had $5 to my name,
and a close to bare pantry after just moving.

The end result was stuffed onions. I bought a bag of small yellow
onions. I bought a wedge of Fontina. I had crackers (Townhouse Bistro
Rye -- don't laugh until you try them), and a few strips of bacon (3!),
and a few remnants of other goodies at home.

I cooked the bacon, and crumbled into a mixture of crushed rye
crackers, and fontina. I added a bit of mustard and a tiny bit of pine
nuts I had left (ground up a bit.)

Cut the tops and bottoms off the onions. Then cut the onions in half.
Press the middle part out (towards the cut middle) and cut the bottom
off of the middle. Put the bottom of the middle back in the onions, and
you have small onion cups. Add the stuffing mixture, brush the onions
with oil, and bake until the filling is crusty and the onions are soft.

I served with the remaining crackers and fontina. Put half a jar of
olives in a nice bowl, and set this together on a tray. Done and out
the door in about an hour (the store was 5 minutes away). Dangerous to
fresh breath, but otherwise quite good.

Dean G.

Quoted message said:

The closest I ever came to this was being invited at the last minute

to

Quoted message said:

a party where everyone brought something. I had a reputation to

uphold,

Quoted message said:

as I always brought something good in the past. I had $5 to my name,
and a close to bare pantry after just moving.

The end result was stuffed onions. [snip procedure]

Brilliant!

"It was just a little showboating, which seemed to be called for at the

time. Not that there's anything tough involved. I'm not great at
homemade noodles, but once I tried it and experimented some, I found
that you can produce something enjoyable without a lot of effort.
Plus, I like the minimalism of flour, egg and elbow grease. (and a
pinch of salt and a few spoons of cold water) "

I once realized I would be a little short on gravy. So I made a roux,
tossed in a can of beef broth, and added it to what I had, with a dash
of fresh ground pepper. This is one of my few "secret recipes", things
that turn out better than expected from rather embarassing beginnings.
It is better than the jars you buy at the market (yick!), and the beef
broth is frequently on sale for $0.48. I once did this with just a
couple bullion cubes, but it comes out just like the jars from the
store, perfect consistency and mediocre flavor.

"I was expecting to get other people's stories of turning out something

entertaining on short notice. Frankly, I'm surprised at the vehemence
with which some say, "no way!" Every relationship is different, I
suppose."

I think the part about not having time to go to the store hits some
people pretty hard. Otherwise, I'm sure more people would rise to the
occasion.

Dean G.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

Nope, never been there and if I were it would be the first and last time
because I'd kill him.

It was bad enough when I was working and my high-school son would invite
half the soccer team over to lunch on frozen pizzas. They cooked,
cleaned up, and the only way I knew they'd been there was the stack
of empty pizza boxes in the trash and the big empty space in the
freezer. ;-)

"Forgot to mention" that someone is coming to dinner?
Not on your life.

You've never forgotten anything? I know I have. We have both
forgotten what our plans were for this Saturday, and with whom we made
them. So, any of you out there that we were supposed to get together
with, please accept our apologies, and maybe call us as you're leaving
the door so we have a chance to catch up.

Regards,
Ranee

--
Remove Do Not and Spam to email

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

See my Blog at: http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/

Quoted message said:

I was expecting to get other people's stories of turning out something
entertaining on short notice. Frankly, I'm surprised at the vehemence
with which some say, "no way!" Every relationship is different, I
suppose. -aem

Frankly, my comments reflecting the "no way" mentality had everything
to do with what you specifically wrote.

Your own description gave me the impression:

1. Your husband is an ass:

Quoted message said:

The unspoken but well-understood message is,
Don't Embarrass Me.

-Interesting choice of caps there.

2. You seemed to have some specific evening plans in place that had
required some planning.

Quoted message said:

And I was looking forward to an effortless prelude
and accompaniment to the Dodgers game.

So, to your comment that:

Quoted message said:

Every relationship is different, I
suppose.

You are right. Mine is built with my wife on terms of mutual respect.
Your relationship, from your original post looks to be one built out
of your spouse being an ass, and you being a doormat.

Maybe you phrased it badly as you later said, or maybe the word
choices/phrasing were freudian.

But this is a cooking group, not psychology.

Quoted message said:

Frankly, my comments reflecting the "no way" mentality had everything
to do with what you specifically wrote.

[snip]

Quoted message said:

But this is a cooking group, not psychology.

Yes, so I'll simply say you couldn't be more wrong. -aem