What do you do when you recieve unexpected dinner guests?
By marguicha
@marguicha (223720)
Chile
September 13, 2009 9:46pm CST
Today I was fighting with my dog, cleaning up a mess in the garden, when I received a phone call from a cousin I don´t see more that once every two years. We have been in contact lately because we have an aut who is very ill and I´m in charge of giving him the news report.
So he called and told me he was coming to see me. "Of course" I said, and started to look at the fridge as if it was a painting. The only inspiration I got was I had two very small steaks that I was going to eat in a sandwich. Not much. And my cousin doesn´t eat onion (so handy to fix anything). So I cut them in strings, put some soya sauce, , beat an egg and put them there and then breaded them. I also cooked some potatoes and stir fried them. I had some lettuce and some olives and made up a salad.
Fortunatly I also had a can of fruit. I decided that that would be the desssert.
My cousin came with the most incredible bottle of wine. I tried not to feel quilty giving him a sort of leftover meal. We had a very nice time.
Hasa it happened to you. What do you do? Share!
2 people like this
19 responses
@classicemcegy79 (152)
• United States
14 Sep 09
Wow! You're really resourceful! Usually when I recieve unexpected guests, we just eat out at a nice restaurant or I rush out and buy a ready meal and heat it up. That's some fast work you did! Congratulations!
1 person likes this
@malpoa (1214)
• India
14 Sep 09
It just happened here yesterday...I was to have three people for dinner and by the evening, the number rose to 7!!! I got really mad. It was like a lot of work and to top it all, our part time maid took a day off without informing!!! and all the men folk, sat there ordering to make this and that. I got irritated and shouted back to help me, all one of them did was to buy some vegetables and cut them, which took more than one hour and needed some help form me!!! Oh by the time, they all left, it was 9.30 pm and i didnt have the energy to clean or even eat...but since I was feeling very weak, i gulped down some idlies and went off to bed. It gets difficult when people do not tell of their visitng plans well in advance.. Also letting know of more people for dinner at the 11th hour makes me go crazy...Yesterday was one hell of a day...
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
15 Sep 09
I fortunatly have easy things in the freezer for those ocations. The problem yesterday was that it was just one guest and a cousin that I never see. But for friends or family that come fairly often, pasta is the thing. And I have a couple of different sauces at the freezer and in my house I can be short of anything but toilet paper, coffee and parmesan cheese 
.
.@malpoa (1214)
• India
15 Sep 09
Even I do not have problem in treating when my fridge is well occupied hi hi...But it becomes difficult when they refuse to eat what I have made siting reasons like i do not like this, I have never eaten this, I do not like the look of it, I do not like the smell of it, that doc has asked me not to have it...hmm then I find it diffiult to think of alternatives...only day before yesterday, this aunty came and I gave her rose flavoured drink, she said she doesnt like it. Then I gave her coconut water, she didnt have that either...
when friends come, they always binge on anything which is here, but relatives are more choosy and problamatic. hi hi
@kukaisiton (702)
• Philippines
14 Sep 09
wow then you actually controlled the situation.. i think your cousin never thought that it was leftover food, and im gonna try your idea sometime,
as for me, i really dont like unexpected dinner guests or visitors at all especially if they just surprised you on your door. sometimes, we havent prepared food and our house isnt very much visitor friendly. so you might think that im kinda antisocial, but it's difficult to be in a rush, of course you want to give the best for your guests right?
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
14 Sep 09
I don't have many unexpected guests , i guess i'd be like you make a good meal the best way i could considering.Whatevr i had plnned for myself which could be anything i'd just have to share. People should give u a warning if they expect to come eat.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
16 Sep 09
I'm glad y'all had such a nice visit. I'm sure he enjoyed the food a bunch. I just know u are a good cook from what u have said. Happy days to u, Marg.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
14 Sep 09
Hi marguicha, it's unusual here to have dinner guests as people do tend to meet up at tavernas to eat instead, not fancy places which cost a lot as they tend to be tourist places, but rather local hangouts with home prepared food. And if anyone just dropped in from somewhere else they'd have to let me know they were coming otherwise they'd never find the house. Like you I'm old fashioned and never pay when I eat out
However I would be able to rustle up a mezes for your scenario, there is always olives in, I would heat up pittas and serve with olive tapenade, tomato salad, red kidney bean with red onion salad, some saganaki, and fresh figs.
However I would be able to rustle up a mezes for your scenario, there is always olives in, I would heat up pittas and serve with olive tapenade, tomato salad, red kidney bean with red onion salad, some saganaki, and fresh figs.@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
14 Sep 09
I have to admit that one of my favourite tavernas is just a back street place filled with local fishermen and no tourists, they let you take your own fish in and cook it for you, and will always have either eiter fish soup or beef soup on in the winter which is a full meal. I don't go on Mondays ever when the daily special is tripe soup
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
14 Sep 09
I can´t wait till I get enough money to go to Greece! I´d love to eat at those places. I don´t like the touristy places. Usually the food is worse as the y have to adapt dishes to what other people like.
@grenyo (7)
• Kenya
14 Sep 09
If i were to receive unexpected dinner guests i'd would go back to the kitchen and try to fix them something, anything that would take the shortest time possible. They could be hungry and the food made earlier wouldn't be enough. At least i'd make sure they ate something.
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
17 Sep 09
Many tiems I just make an omelette or a quiche. Everyone loves that. I couln´t do that with my cousin because he has ulcers and what I had to make a quiche was onions.
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
14 Sep 09
Pasta is one of my usual ideas for more people. But my cousin has ulcers and can´t eat onions, and I wasn´t sure about the tomatoes. In fact, after I gave him a hug when he came in, I interrogated him about what he could and couldn´t eat.. THEN we started to talk.
. THEN we started to talk.
@reckon21 (3479)
• Philippines
28 Apr 10
We received unexpected visitor from time to time. And it's seldom that our visitor will come during dinner it usefully happens during day time either lunch or snack time. If they come during lunch time then they will be able to eat what we prepare for the lunch. if they come during snack tine in the afternoon we always give them soft drinks or ice tea and some biscuits or bread if we had.
I think most of our visitors don't want to comment on what food they eat in our house they are just glad that we are able to offer them something to eat. A refreshment will do.
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
14 Sep 09
The problem here is that I live alone and he was just one other person. It was not a matter of stretching but of duplicating.
@alottodo (3056)
• Australia
14 Sep 09
Well I used to be a cook so things comes easy to me I always keep some fresh pasta in the freezer and some mince,sliced ham,and chicken. In the pantry I have beans, pasta sauce,lentils,noodles,mushrooms,rice,beetroots, and a can or 2 of fruit salad, I tend to keep the basic stuf in my cupboard most of the time as I Am a pensioner so I do my shopping once a fortnight, and only buy fresh fruit and vegies when needed it. Marguicha you did a fantastic job with your dinner congratulations! I actually publish a blog about cooking for one, nothing spectacular but I hope it can help some one out there! add me as your friend and I will give you my blog address. Happy my Lotting!
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
15 Sep 09
I added you. Thank you. Mylot has been a source of recipe ideas! After a conversation about garbanzo beans I had a few days ago, I´ll cook garbanzos and freeze them for latter uses in salads. I had always done mine as a hot main dish with pork.
@daliaj (5674)
• India
14 Sep 09
It is a difficult situation when you get unexpected guest. I live in a counry where guests are considered and treated as god. We prepare special food for guests and make sure that they feel comfortable at our home. If they come unexpected we usually buy some food from home and customize it in such a way that it gives the feel that we made is specially for them. We also make some dishes at home to serve with it.
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
15 Sep 09
That must be hard to do! .I like to treat my friends and guests as well as I can, but things change if they call to say they are coming with little time to prepare for them.
@jen14ed (865)
• Philippines
15 Sep 09
hi marguicha you know what this is really happen in my real life i remember that 9pm in the evening i answer discussion on mylot until in the gate of my house we sound like beep beep OMG is comes on mind who is this unexpected guests? she using a 4 wheels then i log out in mylot and i turn off my computer then i open the gate of my house then i see my anti is my guest? you know what I'm so shy because we have no food on the table what will i do come's on my mind i buy fried chicken with gravy then me and my family and my anti is dinner together! this is really happen in real life?.
@jscaz1314 (82)
• China
15 Sep 09
I find that it's very hard for you to receive unexpected dinner guests.
This things also have happened in my life and made me very difficult to make a wonderful dinner for the guests.I remember my father take the guests who we are not expected to go to the restaurant and have a dinner in there.
It's very hard for me the some as you.
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
14 Sep 09
Similar things have happened to me, and I just put together a picnic style meal - small plates of various things for people to help themselves from. My problem is that right now I am doing a major declutter. If someone came over, I wouldn't have space for them to sit.
@Archie0 (5652)
•
14 Sep 09
Oh dont ask that has been my mothers favourite nightmare,i get unexpected guests every now and then on which its now hard even to react for, it becomes really scary and hectic as to what to serve them and how well to treat because its a sudden jerk and then we are left with not much plans to perform our best.
@Tantrums (945)
• Philippines
14 Sep 09
Set them out another plate, whether guest I hate or guests I like. They are just guests anyway, so a little hospitality over dinner won't hurt.
@seanbryan (349)
• United Arab Emirates
14 Sep 09
Hi there!
My husband used to stock fish and meat in our fridge and I always have great ideas in cooking meals even with unexpected dinner guests. And so, I am not really bothered anytime when a guest or two comes to join us for dinner. Good Day!
@nsmith606 (7)
• United States
15 Sep 09
Me myself, I would share even if i didnt want to. I was always raised that way, but I would also let him know that there wasnt much to share so he would expect anything big.
