Page 25 | Travelled to friend's house for dinner, just strawberries for desert - AIBU to think it's low effort?

Carefreebie · 2024-07-23T23:44:25+00:00

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.

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

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.

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! 🤣

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.

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.

spikeandbuffy · 29/07/2024 09:43

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

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

MumApril1990 · 29/07/2024 11:22

It sounds lovely

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

Sunshine9218 · 30/07/2024 20:51

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

MooonDreamz · 30/07/2024 20:55

As PPs have said, it is a relatively clean dessert. Some people don't like heavy desserts.

Where were you travelling from that you needed a nicer dessert?

What did you make her?

To be honest the sausage main sounds odd but she has cooked for you and she's your friend. I imagine she'd be upset if she read your post.

Original poster

Carefreebie · 01/08/2024 00:24

I enjoyed the sausage main course. It was good.

We did have a nice time with them and of course we enjoyed catching up and said thank you for the meal.

I see this friend loads - we go to the same tennis club and often meet up after work. It would've been much easier for us all to go to a restaurant more centrally but I wanted to agree to go to hers because she'd made the effort to come to mine.

She would never read this, and I would never voice dissatisfaction about the strawberries to anyone IRL but my partner.

The strawberries were from a supermarket and she had about 2 punnets. This time of year, you can get them for about £4 for 2 punnets. Some are saying they're expensive - surely not at the moment, unless you're getting them from some fancy place.

To me, strawberries are a nice fruit but on a par with kiwis or oranges. I would have them for breakfast with yogurt. I know it's a tradition to eat them at Wimbledon, but on their own with a bit of pouring cream, i think they are boring. It sounds like most people on here disagree.

There are lots of low effort ways to make them into more exciting desserts. For example:

Eton mess, with shop-bought meringue and whipped cream
Sponge cake (homemade or from a shop) spread with strawberry jam, with strawberries and whipped cream on top
A crushed biscuit and butter base, with strawberries and whipped cream on top, and toffee sauce on top of that (either shop-bought or melted toffees)

OP posts:

Original poster

Carefreebie · 01/08/2024 00:28

Also, to those saying 'it's not about the food, it's about the company', and who say you wouldn't care what you were given to eat - if you travelled a fairly long way and were given beans on toast, I'm assuming you wouldn't mind?

That is of course a very different situation to my friend's (in case anyone thinks I'm making out it's comparable!)

OP posts:

TriesNotToBeCynical · 01/08/2024 00:35

Carefreebie · 01/08/2024 00:24

I enjoyed the sausage main course. It was good.

We did have a nice time with them and of course we enjoyed catching up and said thank you for the meal.

I see this friend loads - we go to the same tennis club and often meet up after work. It would've been much easier for us all to go to a restaurant more centrally but I wanted to agree to go to hers because she'd made the effort to come to mine.

She would never read this, and I would never voice dissatisfaction about the strawberries to anyone IRL but my partner.

The strawberries were from a supermarket and she had about 2 punnets. This time of year, you can get them for about £4 for 2 punnets. Some are saying they're expensive - surely not at the moment, unless you're getting them from some fancy place.

To me, strawberries are a nice fruit but on a par with kiwis or oranges. I would have them for breakfast with yogurt. I know it's a tradition to eat them at Wimbledon, but on their own with a bit of pouring cream, i think they are boring. It sounds like most people on here disagree.

There are lots of low effort ways to make them into more exciting desserts. For example:

Eton mess, with shop-bought meringue and whipped cream
Sponge cake (homemade or from a shop) spread with strawberry jam, with strawberries and whipped cream on top
A crushed biscuit and butter base, with strawberries and whipped cream on top, and toffee sauce on top of that (either shop-bought or melted toffees)

All ways to ruin perfectly good strawberries and cream.

Sparrowball · 01/08/2024 00:54

Who in their right mind melts toffees?

Original poster

Carefreebie · 01/08/2024 00:54

Topee · 24/07/2024 11:25

Long journey? It takes many people longer than that to get to work! YABU.

It was also an expensive journey. It cost us £80 to go there and back on the train. The cost doesn't really matter, because it's good to visit friends in their houses sometimes - but it's not like going to work.

OP posts:

Original poster

Carefreebie · 01/08/2024 00:58

Sparrowball · 01/08/2024 00:54

Who in their right mind melts toffees?

I should have said melted toffees mixed with a bit of cream, to make a liquid sauce. Like on BBC good food here - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/strawberry-toffee-tart

Strawberry toffee tart recipe | Good Food

Easy-to-make and perfect for kids. From BBC Good Food

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/strawberry-toffee-tart

OP posts:

xsquared · 01/08/2024 01:24

Low effort is fine with me. Strawberries are nice enough on their own and I'd take a bowl of fresh strawberries any day than strawberry sponge cake or strawberry toffee tart.

When I serve strawberries to guests, I let them build their own Eton mess with mini meringues, and whipped cream if they don't want them plain.

Poddledoddle · 01/08/2024 01:56

This post is beyond cringe. Who do you think you are, rating her meal like a contestant on come dine with me. Oh and an hours journey, where you didn't even drive. Laughable.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 01/08/2024 03:04

Just don’t bother going to visit your friend in future. You seem like such a snob

LightFull · 01/08/2024 03:15

That's a kids dinner

She clearly can't cook

Maybe invite her over and show her how it's done

LightFull · 01/08/2024 03:17

I understand what you mean OP

As an adult when you go to someone's house for dinner this is definitely not what you'd expect

Not sure why anyone thinks it's ok

BettyBardMacDonald · 01/08/2024 03:25

LightFull · 01/08/2024 03:17

I understand what you mean OP

As an adult when you go to someone's house for dinner this is definitely not what you'd expect

Not sure why anyone thinks it's ok

Agree.

I'm all for simple fare but for a company meal some effort should be made.

Tulipsareredvioletsarebue · 01/08/2024 05:59

Carefreebie · 01/08/2024 00:28

Also, to those saying 'it's not about the food, it's about the company', and who say you wouldn't care what you were given to eat - if you travelled a fairly long way and were given beans on toast, I'm assuming you wouldn't mind?

That is of course a very different situation to my friend's (in case anyone thinks I'm making out it's comparable!)

Edited

You seen obsessed with money and how much stuff cost and how much they spent on a meal for you.
Do the friend a favour and not visit them Austin. Maybe try to warm your way to Rishi Sunaks house, he will have more time to entertain pretentious gits these days.

Tryingtokeepgoing · 01/08/2024 07:04

Carefreebie · 01/08/2024 00:24

I enjoyed the sausage main course. It was good.

We did have a nice time with them and of course we enjoyed catching up and said thank you for the meal.

I see this friend loads - we go to the same tennis club and often meet up after work. It would've been much easier for us all to go to a restaurant more centrally but I wanted to agree to go to hers because she'd made the effort to come to mine.

She would never read this, and I would never voice dissatisfaction about the strawberries to anyone IRL but my partner.

The strawberries were from a supermarket and she had about 2 punnets. This time of year, you can get them for about £4 for 2 punnets. Some are saying they're expensive - surely not at the moment, unless you're getting them from some fancy place.

To me, strawberries are a nice fruit but on a par with kiwis or oranges. I would have them for breakfast with yogurt. I know it's a tradition to eat them at Wimbledon, but on their own with a bit of pouring cream, i think they are boring. It sounds like most people on here disagree.

There are lots of low effort ways to make them into more exciting desserts. For example:

Eton mess, with shop-bought meringue and whipped cream
Sponge cake (homemade or from a shop) spread with strawberry jam, with strawberries and whipped cream on top
A crushed biscuit and butter base, with strawberries and whipped cream on top, and toffee sauce on top of that (either shop-bought or melted toffees)

Those might all be low effort, though not as low as unadulterated strawberries, but all are far too sweet and stodgy for a summers day. I can’t see anything exciting about them.

Also, the word is dessert, and its origin is French. It meant to clear the table, and was traditionally fresh fruit, dried fruit ir nuts. It sounds like what you wanted was a pudding…