DH friend for dinner...can I serve ready-made food?

[FlirtyThirty]

Hmmm...this is tricky. DH has a female friend who I sort of tolerate rather than like. (He had a brief fling with her whilst seeing a previous girlfriend which I can't quite get past, even though I have no worries at all about his fidelity now!). Anyway, she is coming for dinner tonight. I love to cook and really enjoy making nice things when we have guests over, but to be honest I really can't be bothered making the effort for this girl. I know that sounds awful. I'll be perfectly pleasant to her, I just can't be arsed organising a home-made dinner. So...I was thinking, would it be awful to serve something yummy (but ready-made) from Tesco?

Ask her if the rumours about her being into dogging these days are just malicious gossip.

No oranges of course not but it would make me feel happier if I looked fab, had my adorable children there, cooked an amazing meal and was generally at my best.

I think it's fairly natural when your husband has an ex (even an ex you know he wouldn't look at twice now) over to feel like this but meh, we're all different.

And of course we all know that affairs aren't down to cooking, clothes and how much marital sex you're having etc. However it doesn't mean you do ready meals every night, slob around in your PJs and never bother to bonk does it?

Oh oranges just to clarify - I absolutely don't think for a second that DhHwould go near this girl now...or any other for that matter. But I do completely understand what
notamummyyet is saying. I think that when most of us can do something well, it makes us feel good about ourselves, and for me one of those things is cooking...so the suggestion was merely to utilise this now.

I think i will go for simple but stylish though. This is not an occasion for grand dinner party stuff - the arrangement was always casual Friday night. But I will make some effort and have already cleaned and tidied and set the table to look pretty. She is not a formal person anyway, so would probably actually make her uncomformatble to do something too fancy, and whilst I may not want her as a bosom buddy, she is DH's friend and I would hate for anyone to feel uncomfortable in our house.

Flirty x

I think you can probably get away with a bought dessert tbh.

Or isn't there a really quick chocolate mousse recipe somewhere? [racks brain]

Pasta and nice bread etc good plan = not a lot of effort.

(If she is a proper veggie though don't give her parmesan - it isn't usually vegetarian)

If this happened in my house it would be up to DH to cook or bring in a takeaway tbh.

Well, she'd get a pizza at my house. I would buy ready-made margherita pizzas (bogstandard or Taste the Ponciness, depending on just how insulting you want to be) and a few toppings to choose from - as she's veggie you could include mushrooms, olives, peppers etc. Everyone can then make up their own pizza combo, you bung them in the oven and serve with lashings of wine.

Anyway I like your style Flirty. I am not of the "show what a great cook DH bagged" party. This reminds me of that classic Jacky Fleming cartoon (can't find it or I would link to it) with a woman dolled up for a dinner party standing in a kitchen saying "No food. Couldn't be bothered."

Ewe - thank God affairs aren't just down to lack of bonking...since being pregnant, I've been more likely to crave coal than sex!

Hmmm...pondering poached pears!

A nice slice of tart with a bit of creme fraiche on the side

PMSL snowleopard!
No need to link; I can picture the cartoon perfectly!!

Oh yes tart for pud. Masterstroke! For this, you need to buy it readymade so that you can bring out the box - with TART emblazoned across it.

second chocolate mousse idea for dessert

or my cheats cant be arsd dessert:

you will need:
blackberries/raspberries/both (reserve enough raspberries/blackberries for how many people there are eg 3 if theres 3 of you)
icing sugar/sweetner
plain natural or greek yoghurt
lemon curd
dash lemon liqueur if you have it

in a bowl slightly mash raspeberries/blackberries and add a little sweetner/icing sugar (but so they still keep their shape a bit)
place fruit in bottom of nice glasses
in a bowl mix lemon curd and yog together with lemon liqueur if desired
pour lemon yoghurt mixture on top of raspberries/blackberries to get a nice swirly effect.
plonk a raspberry/blackberry on top

of course. i see your pov. and pasta and nice dessert sets the perfect note. have a lovely evening.

wow.

So, whose Idea was it to invite her for dinner? You dont like her, you just "tolerate her". Yet, you are expected to cook for a woman that your dh has been unfaithful with in the past (albeit not to you)

You must be very tolerant and open minded. My hat off for you.

Thanks oranges!

And notamummyyet - if I can't find a tart with appropraitely huge TART letter ing, then I will be making your desert! I have all ingredients to hand!

Am now off to chuckle at tarts in the supermarket...have a happy weekend ladies and thanks for the help!

But quickly, before I go, Quintessential - it was DH's idea to invite her. Of course. He likes her. They have been friends for 20 years and had a fling for a few weeks. It took me a few years, but some things you just have to put in perspective. He loves me know; he was stupid once. I am quite comfortable with her coming...but probably like most women, I will never be great friends with her because I know of their past (which she does not realise, and probably never will). And frankly, even if I didn't know about their history together, I doubt we'd ever be great friends anyway...we are just very, very different people!

Now...to tarts...

I was about to say that I wouldn't even have her in the house but then read your last post!

You have the upperhand because you know about her so I think you should go all out to impress!!! She should be the one feeling a little awkward (and your DH). I also wouldn't be able to resist a sly comment about being on a diet too as another poster mentioned

'Tis a pitty you're in the UK. In Holland you could serve her dessert with whipped cream- 'slagroom'