So I’m in a country house with my extended family

[lissie123]

We’ve hired a house for a “fake” Christmas because we can’t be together over the real Christmas period. Mix of teens,
young adults, middle aged parents and grandparents. Board games are ruling the day and I’ve just had a meltdown over who’s cooking dinner. Dh and I have done a majority of the cooking over the last few days and he’s grabbed a beer and down tools. I’ve just flounced because no-one seems interested or concerned about who’s doing dinner; and I’m now two glasses of wine in hiding in the library ( yes there’s a library). I’m not sure what I’m asking for but my extended family are pushing my buttons. First world problems and all that. I’ll get my coat.

Sausage and mash? Yes. Salad? No!

It's hardly a difficult meal to make. Why are they are so lazy and leaving it all to you? Next time arrange a schedule ahead of the visit and tell people when it's their turn.

So we have run out of potatoes. Cheese, salad, fried onions (burnt), bread and sausages it is. My D nephew had promised to visit the shops this afternoon to top up missing ingredients for making dinner. Apparently he forgot. Downing another glass of wine (well it is a holiday) and enjoying the off duty feeling. Thanks for all the lovely comments its made me feel less guilty about the flounce.

Missing the point of this thread but search for a hidden room behind the bookcases! The house must have hidden rooms 😁

On another note as long as they know you’re not cooking, fuck them all. They can organise it themselves.

How far IS the nearest takeaway? Just thinking about you for tomorrow night.

I wonder whether any of the OP's extended family has remembered to go food shopping today...

I feel this thread should be accompanied by a photograph that suggests the OP is somewhere entirely different, like a French campsite…

I hope it is better tonight, OP.

I find that as I’m the one who always makes dinner, through my choice, in circumstances outside the home like this no one else seems to think about it.
I think it’s just because if you are always the chef then it’s part of how you plan your day. For other people it just happens.

But with an American plug socket…..

Sausage and onion sandwiches can’t go wrong. But it will be interesting to seeing anyone steps up to plan the menu and shopping for the next few days!

I'm Wondering this too!

Next time you need an agreed pre break food/meal/cooking spreadsheet!

We've had similar, OP.
There was a sudden mad scramble when it became clear that neither Edith (who several of the ILs openly dislike) nor Mr Stourton was cooking another fucking thing and were getting legless on buckets of wine.

A takeaway magically appeared.

We need an update OP, I’m gripped!

How was dinner, did everyone survive the night, has errant nephew pulled his finger out, who is cooking this evening, where are the long and heavy candlesticks…?

Is there a handsome but stern vet/doctor/lumber Jack included in the party who has been upset by the lovely yet inexplicably sad interior designer/events manager/nursery teacher and is there a blizzard imminent? In that case you are the backstory to this years Xmas movie.

Sounds like that episode of Cold Feet where they hired a big house and argued a lot.

Oh god no you actually did it, poor you! My DHs family talk about doing this every few years and we all say what a great idea it would be (it would be awful) and then do nothing to arrange it and don't discuss it for another 3 years. I can't believe you did it, good luck 🤞👍🤣😆 x

😂

Yes. And a newspaper in Arabic or Mandarin, just for added mystery…

We did similar a few Christmases ago - 5 couples and 2 tinies in a big converted pub in rural Devon (with a proper pub around the corner 🙂).

It worked fine, only because of meticulous lists of absolutely everything that would be needed, and strict apportioning of who was going to bring/be responsible for which meals.
Muggins here still did quite a bit of it, but I’ve never minded cooking 🎄dinner anyway.

Out of interest OP, what meals did you & DH cook for everyone? I hope they properly step up & step in today. It's your holiday too!

Well by way of an update nobody was murdered in the library with the candlestick, rope or dagger and we did eventually eat… but as a result of “dinnergate” and other events that arose during the “holiday” it’s been agreed that we won’t meet up as an extended family again, in a self catering setting. It’s a shame but some members of the family (who shall not be named) just weren’t willing to muck in and help out with catering for a large family group.

Just keep a note of those who helped @lissie123 and go away again with them - somewhere hot and glamorous to rub lazy noses in it!

I'd go out for a long walk and when I got back ask loudly What's for dinner? Who's turn was it to cook?

Or alternatively someone pays to order in a takeaway.