...to not want a roast dinner every Sunday?

[MissMarjoribanks]

DH insists that we have a full roast dinner with all the trimmings, every bloody Sunday. This effectively means that we don't actually get to do anything else, as he goes to church with DS in the morning, and goes off to do his hobby in the early evening.

So, if we have dinner at lunchtime, it goes on when he gets back from church and we will finish eating about 2.30pm. If we have it at dinnertime we have to eat at 5 for him to be out of the door for 6.30, so it goes on at 2.30pm.

He does the lions share of the cooking for it, btw, so this is not a whinge about that. It just seems that with trying to get a load of housework done, looking after 11mo DS and him inevitably wanting to fit in seeing his family at some point, there is no time at which it is just the three of us spending time together at the weekend, or getting to go out anywhere other than the supermarket. We're either spread throughout the house doing various jobs, have visitors or are visiting or are eating.

AIBU to demand boiled egg and soldiers for tea next week?

Why not go out for Sunday lunch instead? Plenty of places do it!

I am so with you about this MissMarjori. Blimmin roast dinner holds me to ransom so many times. I like them but they take up so much of Sunday and that's the very day you want to work less not more .

I have always thought there must be a gap in the market for 'Take Away' roast dinners along the lines of Chinese takeaways and curries etc.

im stunned byt hte amount of bloody christians on here!

Why bloody Christians exactly?

When we became veggie about six years ago, I was shocked at the number of people who said "but what will you have for Sunday lunch?"

In my life to that point, I think I had had precisely one Sunday roast, and I think that was a special occasion.

(I have to admit though, we've recently started going to a local pub that does a wonderful roast, and offers a 'ghost roast' with no meat for a couple of quid less. It's very yummy!)

cos its nuts religion isnt it?
all that devile shite

roast even second weekend or once a month?

YANBU, we never have roast dinners and Sunday is the day the least amount of effort goes into cooking. We usually have something quick and simple for lunch (which is all that's wanted if we had breakfast late) and then order pizza in the evening!

Sometimes have lunch out if we're out doing something, e.g. a country walk anyway.

If he does the cooking though...you have less to complain about than if he was insisting that you cook the roast. Can you offer to do the Sunday cooking sometimes, and make something more to your taste, on the grounds that the cook gets to choose the menu?

I made a big chicken and mushroom pie on Saturday, cheesy mash and veg. There was enough left for Sunday. Twas lovely, and lazy!

er bbq a lot all year around
yest we had steak and or gammon on bbq in rain wiht wedges etc

Oh yes we are actually veggie which probably makes a difference, especially if you don't like 'nut roast' and similar things!

YANBU, agree that alternate weekends are the way to go. We only have it about twice a year, I am generally a confident cook but hate doing roasts, too many things to have ready all at once, too many pans, not enough space in the kitchen.

Suggest going out for Sunday lunch next weekend - maybe a pub somewhere you can walk it off afterwards, or go for a walk first. That way, you can go straight from church and it not take the whole day. Or if you aren't going to church with them, why can't you get the food on so it's nearly done when they get back? Early lunch and then get on with something else for the rest of the day.

Also, I'd cut the supermarket shop out, can you do an online food order to be delivered on Friday evening when you're out at your hobby (and I assume your DH is in with your DS?). That would free up your Saturday morning, plan to do something else instead then.

We are veggie but often have roast on sundays and mid-week. Yesterday's was quite simple; Quorn fillets in onion gravy, Mashed swede and potatoes, mashed parsnips, carrots, cabbage and peas.

We add roasties, more greens and Yorkshire puddings.

For Christmas we have Rose Elliot's Chestnut en croute and every trimming we can.

Can't DP make a lovely pie, prepare all the veg and make the gravy beforehand? Then you could go out and have lunch.

Or as someone suggested earlier go out for Sunday lunch, so many places do excellent roast dinners, unless you are veggie, when very few places do excellent roast dinners.

You must invent a digestive disorder or allergy that prevents you eating a roast lunch.

YANBU - tell him set meals on set days is the fasttrack way to premature ageing!!! (reminds me of my old Grandparents)

The Weston pub in Bath is great for veggies. They don't offer an alternative, just a cheaper meal without the meat. The Yorkshire pudding, two types of potatoes, veggie gravy, stuffing, cauliflower cheese and assorted vegetables are all brilliantly cooked and well received!

(I don't actually like veg or cauliflower cheese, so I have a very brown looking plate with lots of potatoes and gravy? still gorgeous though!)

I can understand the boredom of a roast every week - could you make a suggestion of alternatives, or maybe you could cook alternate weeks?

TBH you have the whole day pretty much to yourself - he has baby in the morning, does the cooking and washing up - sounds like a saint to me and I would not grumble at that...my DH doesnt cook at all.

Plus a family lunch sat at the table is our together time - we talk about our lives and our plans for the week and ideas for future events etc. Maybe change you way of thinking about the meal and accept that its an opportunity to talk and socialise as a family.

Don't do your supermarket shop on a Sunday. Online shop to arrive Friday night or Saturday morning.

Tell him you are bored of it. Go out on a Sunday. Have lunch out. See friends.

I love a roast but it's not a chore for us as we have it for our evening meal. Yesterday we went to friend's.

Life's too short to be stuck in a rigid routine.

Thanks all.

Money is tight at the moment as I am on the unpaid part of my mat leave, so going out for Sunday lunch isn't really an option till the new year. We could have a packed lunch out somewhere though - weather permitting.

I could go to the supermarket on Friday morning but for some reason DH is reluctant about this - I think he enjoys sitting DS in the trolley and talking to him all the way round.

However, its not just about him so I'm going to put together my own plan for next weekend. Hopefully it won't rain all weekend and put a dampener (pun intended) on it all.

I'm also going to try and use DS' nap times slightly more productively so there is less housework to do at the weekends. That of course is dependent on DS actually napping during the day...

I love roast dinner, and luckily dh cooks the best one !

We are creatures of habit in our house, so on a Sunday dh goes and does the weekly shop and then he cooks roast.

If we're a bit short on time for whatever reason, like yesterday, then he roasts chicken breasts. We also bought a large roasting tray to take the meat and potatoes so only one to wash!

We do tend to cut back on the roasts in December as we both like Christmas Day roast to be really appreciated. We'll often have a nice casserole done in the slow cooker instead.

I have never ever ever understood th emad English obsession with roast dinners on Sunday. Even as a child I hated how it wasted the day, it's only bloody food. Now, we have one about once a year. Why spend a day on one meal?

YABU I think that roast dinners are wonderful

YANBU. We hardly ever have a roast Dinner on a Sunday.