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AIBU?

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Original poster

Travelled to friend's house for dinner, just strawberries for desert - AIBU to think it's low effort?

660 replies

Carefreebie · 24/07/2024 00:44

On the weekend my partner and I travelled to a friend's house for dinner. The journey was over an hour by train.

The main course was sausages with nice sides (potato salad, tomato salad, another salad). That was nice.

But desert was just strawberries with some pouring cream.

We had a nice time, but AIBU to feel that the desert was very low effort and unexciting, and should have been more exciting than strawberries given the journey?

When my friend came to mine, I did a 3-course meal, feeling I should make a big effort because of her long journey.

OP posts:
Sunshine9218 · 30/07/2024 20:51

Surely you were more bothered about seeing your friend than the food?

Bordesleyhills · 30/07/2024 20:49

Love strawberries! Why not make life easy? Sausages are great- it’s nice to be invited out and have people back

MumApril1990 · 29/07/2024 11:22

It sounds lovely

Solibear · 29/07/2024 10:59

Carefreebie · 24/07/2024 00:54

I'm not meaning to say I ever hope for super impressive food. I just find a bowl of strawberries very unexciting.

Show quote history

That’s your personal preference. Many people would be perfectly happy with strawberries & cream. Unless this was for an episode of “Come Dine With Me” or something, I wouldn’t ever be judging what a friend serves me for dinner when visiting! It’s about the company, not the food! If you want a fancy dinner/a meal of your choosing, go to a restaurant. And not that it’s even relevant, but I don’t think an hour on a train is a long journey

spikeandbuffy · 29/07/2024 09:43

I had strawberries and cream last night after this thread with some crushed up shortbread
So good!

vincettenoir · 29/07/2024 09:19

I think fresh summer strawberries are considered by most people to be a decent dessert. It’s one of my favourites.

Laserwho · 29/07/2024 08:50

An hour train isn't that long a journey, many kids and adults do longer than that on a daily commute. Strawberry's and cream is fine.

Seasidewalker · 29/07/2024 08:44

Don't come to my house, I usually only remember that I haven't planned a desert, halfway through the main course! 🤣

heavenisaplaceonearth · 29/07/2024 08:22

I’m honestly amazed that strawberries and cream which is a major treat pudding here, is not good enough for a guest.

SD1978 · 29/07/2024 03:19

As a shite cook, I would be a tad mortified to know that you found it a lack of effort- I would have thought the company mattered more, but clearly you don't. I don't see anything wrong with the menu, but maybe don't accept next time

VeryHappyBunny · 29/07/2024 03:03

PointsSouth · 27/07/2024 15:50

This is really not difficult. There's a well-known convention that covers it.

Journey Time Dessert
10 minutes Mr Kipling Country Slice (1)
20 minutes Del Monte fruit salad and evaporated milk
30 minutes That tinned steam pudding no one likes
45 minutes Strawberries and cream
1 hour M&S Bread and Butter Pudding
1.5 hours Home made trifle (no sherry)
2 hours Home made trifle (sherry)
More than 2 hours Mille Feuille, made from scratch, with liqueurs.

As we can see, the OP's friend was a good quarter of an hour off the running, and probably should be cancelled as a hostess.

When I travelled to South Africa to stay with friends what should I have expected? I think it was about a 16 hour journey. Can't remember what we had to eat, I was too busy having a good time with my friends to notice.

She wasn't the best cook and shortly after they were married he came in to work and asked me what a clove of garlic was, I told him the small segment you pull off the big bulb. Bloody hell he said the recipe called for two cloves, but after cleaning and chopping the first full bulb she luckily couldn't be bothered doing the second and left it at that. He was fairly pungent and you could smell him coming for days after.

BeckiBoBecki · 28/07/2024 23:55

Carefreebie · 24/07/2024 00:44

On the weekend my partner and I travelled to a friend's house for dinner. The journey was over an hour by train.

The main course was sausages with nice sides (potato salad, tomato salad, another salad). That was nice.

But desert was just strawberries with some pouring cream.

We had a nice time, but AIBU to feel that the desert was very low effort and unexciting, and should have been more exciting than strawberries given the journey?

When my friend came to mine, I did a 3-course meal, feeling I should make a big effort because of her long journey.

Wow.

You sound exhausting. You went to spend time with a friend who was nice enough to cook for you, not a michelin starred restaurant.

HungryWombat · 28/07/2024 22:17

We served sausages (homemade) quiche and salads this weekend 😁. Lovely summer food.

Followed by strawberries and cream. We were inspired by this thread 😍

Epicaricacy · 28/07/2024 22:11

Mumoftwochildrenand6furkids · 28/07/2024 21:59

Strawberrys and creams my fav pudding but the dinner dont sound nice, Sausages and salad is not something Id eat but im fussy.

maybe not at home, but if it was diner at a friend, surely you would eat them?
What's wrong with salads?

ILoveToCleanSaidNooneEver · 28/07/2024 22:09

I don't even like strawberries and I think YABVU. I would just pass on dessert and be extremely pleased that I had spent some time with lovely friends.

Mumoftwochildrenand6furkids · 28/07/2024 21:59

Strawberrys and creams my fav pudding but the dinner dont sound nice, Sausages and salad is not something Id eat but im fussy.

ToWhitToWhoo · 28/07/2024 21:49

PointsSouth · 27/07/2024 15:50

This is really not difficult. There's a well-known convention that covers it.

Journey Time Dessert
10 minutes Mr Kipling Country Slice (1)
20 minutes Del Monte fruit salad and evaporated milk
30 minutes That tinned steam pudding no one likes
45 minutes Strawberries and cream
1 hour M&S Bread and Butter Pudding
1.5 hours Home made trifle (no sherry)
2 hours Home made trifle (sherry)
More than 2 hours Mille Feuille, made from scratch, with liqueurs.

As we can see, the OP's friend was a good quarter of an hour off the running, and probably should be cancelled as a hostess.

LOL!!!

ToWhitToWhoo · 28/07/2024 21:46

Strawberries and cream make a delicious dessert, often regarded as something of a luxury..If you don't like it, you don't like it; but no need to get all self-righteous about it. Your friend isn't running a restaurant, and so long as she provides a decent meal, which this sounds like to me, it seems U (unreasonable and ungrateful) to turn up your nose and judge her level of 'effort'.

reallytimetodeclutter · 28/07/2024 21:36

Appledoughnut · 24/07/2024 01:28

It's strawberry season. They are delicious right now.

Yes. I think it's really classy to serve in season fruit, actually.

reallytimetodeclutter · 28/07/2024 21:33

YABVU. If you like them so little that you begrudge the travel time then do everyone a favour and don't go

Internationalpony · 28/07/2024 21:30

Weirdest thing I’ve ever read. If you’re travelling for the food go to a restaurant. If you were travelling for your friend’s company you wouldn’t care what desert is. I’d be glad my friend hadn’t gone to too much effort and spent all their time feeling like they had to make something fancy for me.

Julimia · 28/07/2024 16:50

What you do is your choice and what anyone else does, your friend included, is their choice. Nothing to do with low effort! Why compare anyway l? Is it not about being friends for goodness sake?

GlitteryUnicornSparkles · 27/07/2024 19:35

I think you should just be grateful they catered for you. Sounds like a reasonably healthy dessert to go with what sounds like a fairly healthy meal.

Sparrowball · 27/07/2024 19:32

Summerlovin24 · 27/07/2024 19:10

This is why I don't do food/dinner parties for people. Such a fàff and ao much unecessary pressure
Thank you OP for reassuring me I am in the right for only ever doing drinks and crisps. One upmanship at it's worst

I'll all for crisps and nuts, and I'll occasionally throw some frozen party food into the oven, that's the height of my entertaining.

ruethewhirl · 27/07/2024 19:28

Work out who you live 30 minutes from.

😂😂