To not be able to feed 3 extra adults unexpectedly for lunch?

[ImFree2doasiwant]

I'm single, with 2 small children. I do a weekly meal plan and shop once a week.

If 3 extra adults dropped in for lunch, I'd either be able to feed them but have to go shopping again, or not have enough food in to feed them at all.

Its not like I can't afford to, I just buy the food that we, as a family, will eat. I have a small freezer. I could probably manage dinner better.

Am I that unusual?

If you wanted to have something to feed people you weren’t expecting, I’d suggest buying a couple of large bags of dried pasta, a carton of passata, and a tin of tuna. I’ve fed lots of unexpected guests using those ingredients when money’s tight over the years , and kids and adults have generally eaten it up quite happily.
That’d cost about £2. You could Stick them in the back of the cupboard just Incase.
But having said this, it’s only if you want to be able to feed extra people, no one should expect you to. X

Do groups of people really pop into other people's homes unexpectedly and expect to be fed?! If so, they AB very U.

Beans and toast. Et voila!

@Elzbells

So next time he offers give them his share of the meal and you keep yours. He offered didn't he.

Weird thread. No one is allowed to visit other people's houses for random pop in meals in Scotland. I didn't realise England was that different

@Ineedaneasteregg

My family joke that I have enough food to feed the street in our cupboards. I grew up with limited food at times and always have a good stock of dried food and tins. So I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum to you OP.

I'm more like this. Have a full pantry and freezer. Might be low on some fresh stuff but could muster something

If you are turning up unexpected to my house and want to be fed, It's going to be mug cake, I make a mean carrot cake mug cake. Or beans, something with beans. The kids loved beans for all of one month then refused to eat them again and there's a few unloved cans somewhere in the pantry.

Although I always stop to buy cake if visiting people around lunch, so really is it too much to ask for cake bringing guests?

Irrelevant at the moment as you can't have people in the house.

However in normal times, if people drop by they cannot expect to be fed.

*I'd suggest buying a couple of large bags of dried pasta, a carton of passata and a tin of tuna.
*
This perfectly illustrates my point about actual meal planning rather than rustling something up from your food cupboard staples.

This is toddler food! I wouldn't dream of serving it as a meal for ourselves, let alone guests.

@2Rebecca

Weird thread. No one is allowed to visit other people's houses for random pop in meals in Scotland. I didn't realise England was that different

Do you mean in lockdown or ever?

no I think cooking programs give the impression that people pop round for lunch unexpeclanty does anyone really do that that sounds a bit rude to me

@MyInsidesLoveFrench

*I'd suggest buying a couple of large bags of dried pasta, a carton of passata and a tin of tuna. * This perfectly illustrates my point about actual meal planning rather than rustling something up from your food cupboard staples.

This is toddler food! I wouldn't dream of serving it as a meal for ourselves, let alone guests.

If someone just turns up during lunch time, they will eat what theya re given or they should learn not to be bit rude visit people between 12 and 1:30 without previous arrangements. Any other time the surprise can be actually pleasant.

The meal palnning doesn't help anyway considering portions are pre planned too, does it

The only time this happens is with close family - my sister or dh’s - because they’re popping in and finding themselves unexpectedly hungry, and are comfortable enough with us to say so. On these occasions I’ve made toast and marmalade and offered banana/apple and crisps/biscuits. Almost always have those things in the cupboard.

@MyInsidesLoveFrench

*I'd suggest buying a couple of large bags of dried pasta, a carton of passata and a tin of tuna. * This perfectly illustrates my point about actual meal planning rather than rustling something up from your food cupboard staples.

This is toddler food! I wouldn't dream of serving it as a meal for ourselves, let alone guests.

What a snobby attitude

I am a competent cook. This wekend I will be cooking (from scratch) a sweet potato, chick pea and paneer curry, tomato and goat's cheese tarte tatin, middle Eastern slow roast shoulder of lamb, and afternoon tea with home made cakes and scones, and sandwiches made with home made bread, BUT I wouldn't turn my nose up at a tuna pasta bake. Having pasta, passata, tuna etc in the house are brilliant fallbacks for emergencies, and for the occasion when you just want some simple comfort food.

You need to get over yourself.

Sounds lovely @RampantIvy!
I am doing red wine and herbs marinated leg of lamb with central european easter stuffing on side. Only problem is getting fresh nettles. I got 1😂 So parsley it is probably with dandelion leaves🤔 Improv because I am not picking nettles up in a park where kids and dogs pee on it😂
Happy Easter!

I remember my eldest son frequently bringing one of his friends home for dinner as his mum worked and he wouldn't eat otherwise. It wasn't until very recently (years later and DS is now 25) that I admitted when I fed his friend, I went without. It's hard sometimes 🙁🙁

I would feel so uncomfortable&a little embarrassed if 3 extra people turned up at mealtime... I would be compelled to ask if they want anything because I would feel very uncomfortable eating without offering.. Just engrained in me, but at the same time I would know darn well I have only cooked enough for me and my toddler! So would have to tally what to give them..
We are on a budget, which unfortunately sometimes has to be, I plan a week's worth of meals&shop to make up these meals, the plan is written down&this really helps, Manners and caring go a long way but being caugh off guard without notice isn't fair&sometimes you just got to cater for the household first&foremost, it's not being unreasonable or selfish at all.

I could usually manage something not very exciting - pasta and tomato sauce or veg fried rice. I couldn't do it without dry food though.

I also keep sliced bread in the freezer which is useful when short on food. Good for toast.

RampantIvy I really don't mean to sound snobby, but we like to look forward to dinner!

@MyInsidesLoveFrench

This thread is revelatory - I really didn't think hoarders non-meal planners existed before!

I just couldn't live like that - it seems so wasteful (and I suspect you were the ones clearing the shelves at the start of the pandemic last Spring!).

We are a family of four and I love cooking from recipes. I've got a European father though so grew up with my mum juggling British and more complicated European meals which she had to learn.

I rotate about 40 meals on average, most from recipes. I'm not a particular great cook and don't actually like cooking that much, but I like eating restaurant standard food, so I've had to learn how to do it myself.

I just couldn't cobble something together.

What you can’t make an omelette? Or a pot of soup and a batch of cheese scones? A quiche?

"This thread is revelatory - I really didn't think hoarders non-meal planners existed before!

I just couldn't live like that - it seems so wasteful (and I suspect you were the ones clearing the shelves at the start of the pandemic last Spring!)."

Freezers exist.

I really don't get what is so offensive about pasta bake

My favourite meal is "quick roast not roast in a bowl". Sauerkraut with pan fried chicken and paprika potatoes 😂

That tuna bake must be safer to serve to guests

Lunch here is always a sandwich so I could certainly manage a variety of fillings depending what they wanted. There’s always soup, baked beans, eggs, cheese in too. If they didn’t like any of that they wouldn’t think to pop in at lunchtime again!!