OK. On Sunday I'll have 1 pg veggie, 2 x 3year olds, 1 x 18 month old and 2 beer swilling flesh eaters . What to cook?

[arfishymeau]

Lunch that is.

Other mum is v.fussy about children's food, so all natural.

I don't eat fish (normal suggestion for veggies) but generally I don't care what I'm eating as long as there is wine

Prob will do finger foods for the children - lots of veggies, frittata, dip and some funky sandwiches (am doing a mean line in butterfly-wiches atm) & my home made mini muffins with sultana bran sneaked in.

What for the grown-ups though? Wine is sorted - we just tracked down a missing case (never known panic like it quite frankly) and have a plentiful supply supposedly chosen by people with a better nose than me).

bbq
salmon sausages and chicken

Yes, def do a bbq

What are butterfly wiches?

bbq - lots of meat for the blokes, veg kebabs, aubergine salads, suasages and burgers (homemade of course ) for the kids.

For the veggie: Roasted vegetables (peppers, butternut squash etc), mini cold herb roasted potatoes, plus salad with avocado, chickpeas and toasted seeds. The meat eaters can eat it too and add in whatever meaty stuff you like cooking, I won't attempt to advise on that. The 3 year olds will probably like the roasted veg and potatoes too.

Will be raining here (in Sydney) or would deffo have done a BBQ. In fact, normally we do, hence the crisis.

Do loooove roast veggies though, and the salad sounds like my pg friends idea of heaven. Her DH doesn't like seeds, but could do them on the side for sprinking.

Hmm, some excellent ideas. Where do you get salmon sausages cod? Might be worth investigating our John Lewis equivalent's deli counter.

Isn't there a no-no with salmon when you're pg? No farmed I think, but fresh ok?

Hmmm. Rare roast beef slices would go well with the salad for the meaties.

Pasta -you can never go wrong with pasta! Especially for the kids.

Can also do garlic bread, salady things and some meaty stuff on the side

The pg one is veggie though, isn't she? So no salmon or indeed salmon sausages (I did read cod's post as "salmon, sausages and whatever", rather than "salmon sausages", if you see what I mean, but what do I know)

The seeds are lovely on the side for sprinkling. Just dry toast them in a heavy pan with a little soy sauce. Very good for pregnant ladies, and good protein for veggies.

Thought salmon sausages might be a new waitrose addition in my absence. You see, go away for a year and you start sounding like an idiot. Ho Hum.

Great idea re the seeds. In fact, especially as I already have some ready in the cupboard. The salad is definitely on the menu, great main for my pg veggie and a good side for the rest. Yay!

BS, are you on the pasta council?

Yes, was also toying with the idea of pasta. I have some v.good tuna pasta frozen with lots of hidden veggies. Might be too much for the 18 monther tho. Could do a very gentle pasta salad for them with some chopped veg, with some spare pasta for a grown up pasta salad for the rest.

Spicy cuos-cous and roasted veg? then some chicken portions for the meat eaters, and huge salad.

why can't you have salmon if you are pregnant (never knew that)?

Fresh tuna is delicious - I'm a big meat eater and I would be happy with a nice fresh tuna steak. You can fry them with onions and garlic and serve them with a green salad yummmm. You could always do some ribs or something for the meat eaters aswell if you are worried about them.

Can pg women have feta? I was never sure while pg so didn't, but perhaps someone will know. If it's ok, that salad is delicious with feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, arf.

It's not the fact she's pregnant, foxinsocks, it's the fact she's veggie - vegetarians generally don't eat fish. Do check with her whether she's fully vegetarian before you give her fish, Arfy ... I know some veggies do eat fish but most don't.

Corn on the cob is nice done on the barbecue and so are veggie kebabs (although if she's like me she'd thank you for not doing the vegetarian on the same barbecue as the meat, and for keeping it on a separate plate when it's hot), roast vegetable cous-cous and lots of salad.

F&Z. Are you looking in my fridge? I also have feta. Don't think the boys would eat it though. My pg/veg friend doesn't eat lots, so don't want to do too much.

Am worried about the avocado in salad. Love avocado and also v good for pg, but how soon in advance can I prepare it without it going brown? I don't want to be slaving in the kitchen once they're here as I want my friend to put her feet up and I'll watch the littlies.

Would you do a dressing with the feta/tomato or avocado/chickpea salad?

MamaG - butterfly-wiches are just sandwiches cut into the shape of butterflies. Seeing as I'm cutting the crusts off for DD anyway it's not too much trouble to do some gentle wing shaping. Use celery for the body and some raisins for antennae. Princess sandwiches are sandwiches cut into two pieces diagonally with a star cut out of the middle each side of the top slice.

oh I see (doh!)

I thought there was a hoo-hah about the chemicals in farmed salmon?

Its easier to feign a sicky

I don't do a dressing arf, but sometimes have it with some good mayonnaise. It might sound a bit over the top but I put all of those in together: avocado, feta, chickpea and sun dried tomatoes, plus some spinach leaves or whatever you prefer.

avodaco will stay nice and green if you squirt it with lemon juice

what about stuffed tomatoes, the kids might like these too as they are good for little hands and a novelty, you can stuff them with rice, coucous, roasted veg etc

big plates of mixed salads are favourites here when cooking for a mixed bunch, I have an enormous plate and I lay on lines of plum toms, cucumber, dressed mixed beans and chickpeas, coucous, roasted veg, crunchy lettuce, beetroot, purple cabbage coleslaw, sweetcorn, grated carrot...etc...anything that looks bright and cheerful

Oooh kitbit. Sounds fabulous. What a lovely idea.

Am going to do some stuffed peppers for my veggie too.

Deffo grated carrots. Thanks for some great ideas.

Thanks F&Z too.

I would never have thought of half of these things. Will look like a domestic goddess.