The spouses dinner dilemna.

Chili Mash Spuds are just buttery mashed spuds that have had some sweet chili sauce stirred in to add a little more flavour and bite..of course,if you didn't like the Boss,You could always mix in some Jalapenos or Red Scotch Bonnets into his!

Hi shepherdspy, okay I should have embellished the scenario a bit more but yes indeed you're stuck with it. Just because you've got all enlightened now over in Ireland there's no need to go round making fun of nice respectable suburban couples with lace net curtains. Mylot is a gloabal forum and there could well be this situation in play this very night with someone facing this exact hideous dilemna. Now it's not your boss coming to dinner, you're stuck in the kitchen today, and the person who may or may not live with you is inflicting their boss on you and you owe this person big time for insulting her big Skirt or his Suit, so please advise what is on the menu tonight.

Chilli mash potatoes, and you don't even like the guy. Is that fresh chillies, that's one thing I never thought of adding. See this was just a ploy to get some food foody ideas. It was my scenario so I could do as I liked with it thank you, and look what happened to the poster who gave him stale peanut butter sandwiches, the rumour was wrong and the boss was round to announce a double figure promotion, until he saw the food offered. Anyway returning to the interesting part, at what point do you add the chillies to the potatoes and are they raw, I'm going to have that one night when I can find a surplus chilli in someones garden.

Hi wizzywig, so you're opting for the option of rest of the day with your feet up. The boss hasn't heard the rumour though yet and he's definitely turning up to dinner whether anyone wants him there or not, but a tin of beans on the table is an excellent choice for when he arrives.You could even be nice enough to point him in the direction of the tin opener

A tin opener?? & have him think we could afford to live a life of luxury?? No, I wouldn't spend the day with my feet up, I'd go out so I wasn't home when they turned up....

Obviously a failure as a hostess here by refusing to meet and greet, tin opener at hand, in your nice frilly pinny.

Hi Zeph, this is what I like to see, foul food being offered as a fond memory of Grandma's home cooking. I must say it sounds rather vile, especially with the addition of bits of dough. Did you think about asking your mother in law to contribute to the occasion with a special dish or two of her own? Your meal sounds far more revolting than the stale peanut butter sandwichs as you get to play up how much this recipe means to you.

I think that's a much better solution all around, that way if the boss does survive the mother in laws cooking and survives a sacking too, he can blame your mother in law instead of you for the terrible night he endured after dinner.

Hi thea, its always a sort of privilege commenting or responding at your post. I am not bragging ok? Well the menu would be Crab fry, roasted monkey, peanut salad, and pig'd fried heart for dessert. lol

Ok so you obviously don't like this bossy boots or you wouldn't be feeding him up with pigs heart and monkey salad, so why be so nice and give him crab fry, I would love that. Is that with garlic and chilli too? It's practically impossible to get crab here, even though the sea is right here. I'm glad you enjoy responding and being responded to, not a soul responded to my responses earlier though I'm sure some of the originators of the three year old discussions I called in on must still be here.

An elusive answer Krajib, going your own way and leaving things to chance. This is not your boss we are talking about the boss of someone else, you can make up whatever person you choose but lets pretend they saved your life last week so you owe them a favour. So bossy boots is arriivng in 8 hours, the rumour of his imminent departure is not certain, so what's on the menu please?

Hi rosepeal, a most excellent approach if I may say so, and none of those silly arguements as from above. You can sort out the hubby later for inflicting his boss on you and I'm sure there will be ways of making him pay. So no fuss at all, just what you were having anyway, you may put your feet back up now and finish your coffee.

You too rosepadal, enjoy your coffee.

That is right..Look out hubby..LOL..To the coffee pot you go and back up with those feet. Have a great day thea...Keep smiling..

Hi purplealabaster, you just know that I'm not going to let you get away with that one don't you. The rules were stated clearly here, the boss is coming for dinner and you must cook, no sending him off to the cheapest fast food place. Now no one said you had to be nice to the boss, or cook his favourite things, so play nicely now please.

That doesn't matter, hubby hates the guy anyway so give him your worst. Seriously you can't cook??

Well, I was trying to save my husband his job, just in case the rumor wasn't true and his boss wasn't getting fired, since I don't cook.

Mine comes out with the chewy fat on and my son insists on eating it and declares it is delicious, but I'm much rather he didn't pick up habits like that so will definitely try it your way. For myself I loathe the slightest bit of fat on any meat and have to trim every last bit off before cooking, even though Taksi says that the fat left on the beef is an integral part of his beef soup.

Hi finlander, nice to see you again. Right on the ball, no taking out to dinner allowed. I see that you have considered another option which I had not myself considered, the boss promoting in his place, so bravo there. I'd raised the option of him not being fired himself but there to give out a promotion until he ate the horrid food, but you are covering all bases here with a good meal throw in as well. There was certainly no need to be classy for the boss as he's a bit of a slob so another well done for your perception there.

Thea! What I meant was that when it has been decided that the man is going to turn up for dinner[spouse or child are generally considerate and normally I would be given prior notice].In this case of a boss , when this prior notice could not be given I feel it is my duty to help save face for the child or husband.Normally when there is scope for advance warning I keep telling my son that it would be difficult on certain days to quickly rustle up something and that I need time for preparation.In my place I have to do everything myself including buying some vegetables or provisions.So, advance warning is a must. .But, I mnormally keep things available at home and can manage.The word 'duty' was used not as a compulsion but as a loving duty for the person because otherwise it would be a loss of face for that person. I know it would be a rare thing because people normally know how difficult it is to do this without prior warning and how difficult I find itBut regarding thsi' domesticity' it is an accepted thing in our households.Domestic area is strictly mine and that is the way it would be .

Moreover, the duty is not to the boss but to the husband or son --THE DUTY TO SERVE A GUEST.

Hi Kalav, it sounds as if you wouldn't mind being imposed upon this way and would just be fine with doing it for your husband or child. Your talk of duty suprises me as I have never heard that used before for anything pertaining to domesticity, I wonder if that is just how you have worded it or how you really feel. I would hate to be duty bound to anyone.

What can I say to that except don't ask me along to make up a fourth.

Wow, special treatment! Extra coffee for you!!

With your famous brownies of course.

As it's you I'm going to let you get away with that one but no one else is, the rest are staying into cook. Enjoy your spaghetti.

Well I wouldn't want my hubby to be fired from his job, especially if the boss is going to be laid off, or rumor has it... It would be bad. Lol. I wouldn't want to go all out to impress him either because after all he won't be working where he is working for much longer. Yes Chicken and Dumplings are delicious!

Hi Amber, so without so much as a bye your leave hubby is bringing home the hated boss and you are worried about possible food allergies and his favourite foods. It is so obvious that you are a newly wed wanting to be the perfect wife, unless you were scheming on the food allergies ready to have something handy to cause a reaction. I think you should go with the chicken and dumplings as sound the tastiest to me.

Tut tut sunny, passing on the actual dilemna by using the excuse of late, how cn anyone be late, I often delight a poster by turning up over a year late.. It is noted that your natural politeness here wins the day and you lack the evil side I quite like to indulge in. As the eight hours have passed and I had to endure an evening with said boss I will adopt your positive spirit and simply refuse to entertain the notion again.

i believe in karma. i also believe that i am responsible only for my own deeds and not anyone else. no harm in being good to everyone...who knows when someone would learn their lesson from you...

Hi English, now that's a bit of a wimpy approach you've taken there I must say. You do what your husband asks of you and then unleash your fury on him when the boss has gone, thus putting him in a bad mood when he should really be delighting in possibly haven partaken of the last supper with the boss. Surely you could have added something nasty to the poverty stricken fare you were serving and thus got two birds with one stone. You couldn't really be the perfect hostess whilst seething inside.

Two boxes kalav. I do understand a few of your domestic traditions actually from my good friend Malpoa who is often suffering with the friends of her father in law sitting round expecting her to feed them. I think the age is overdue for many of these men to find out where the kitchen is and what to do in it. I get my son to help me out in the kitchen a lot so he'll be independant when he grows up and not reliant on a woman to produce his food. Naturally many of the Greek men think this is a terrible thing to inflict on a boy, but my son does appreciate that some of the best chefs in the world are male.

Nope, nope. You should visit Singapore; everything is Westernized nowadays. There are just so many Western food aplenty and people have cheese and bread for breakfast, apart from sometimes having Asian food on the menu too. Mashed potatoes, salad and whatnot are the norm here. Grilled, dory fish and whatnot ha... you can never go wrong with boiling and grilling. Or best, a steaming pot of veggies and some tofu! Yum2x..no, no..I understand your dilemma, Thea. Just be yourself and serve your guest and you'll never go wrong.

I miss tofu.

Hi Zed, I guessing here that you chose to misunderstand just so you wouldn't have to deal with the dilemna I posed. I wasn't feeding anyone, you were meant to be doing it, frilly pinny in place. I'm suprised how westernised your diet sounds in Singapore, I hadn't realised you'd be recommending things like mashed potatoes. Is this a new introduction over there?

Hi Hatley, what a good person you are going to all that effort for such a foul boss. Certainly best not to believe the runours and risk a night with a bad stomach for him, he may still well wield the power long into the future. Would you be so kind if it was the roomie who'd invited herself for dinner though?

Hi Malpoa, I'm made of firmer stuff than you my dear and put my foot down and recommend a nice hotel for them to stay in, I don't like to have intrusive guests around overnight unless I have invited them. I suppose its acceptable if you do the same back to them when visiting their country. My man put off a bunch of Athenian relatives last weekend who phoned to say they were planning to make camp at his house for the election visit but we'd already made plans so he told them no, full house. Now he's got annoyed relatives.

Yes my sister also used to say that I should be more firm with such things. My mother in law was, and she did it off quite well. She want bothered about what they thought. Sometimes I also feel that I neednt be miss goody when they do not bother of my inconveniences.

Hi Malamar, another one who can't really be bothered to do anything special for your extra guess, not even a specific plan to poison or please, just whatever you were having anyway. Do I suspect you'd rather be back with your feet up and another coffee.

Nothing wrong in being single malamar, no horrid univited bosses to turn up for dinner. As for myself I have yet to raise a finger in the hostest department, my man is firmly ensconsed in his own house and house trained as well, he is the boss, but not my boss obviously, and last time I looked he was perfectly capable of cooking me meal. The only contribution I made was to pass him the balsamic and then break a plate that the olive oil pourer thing was sat on.

Yeah thea, you are right. I am definitely the hostest without the mostest! There is no doubt about that at all. I am sure with your charm and wit, you could have the dude eating catfood out of your hand by the end of the evening, and not knowing the difference - I never really gave it much thought before, but, perhaps my hostess skill is the reason I am single? Hmmm.... must think that through one day.

Hi Sunshine, excellent reasoning here thinking of all the angles with the hated boss (I really wish I'd gone into a bit more depth here about the reasons he was disliked but another day) . Curry sounds like a good choice but I'd recommend making it as hot as you can just incase he doesn't turn into a nice person out of the work place.

Hi sunshine, I didn't see this but you are like me, you've come up with a really good discussion idea in this last remark, take it and run with it, I'm sure it will be a popular one.

Oh yeah, put all the chilli seeds in his!! The he looks like a wuss in front of everyone but can't say anything as it will make him look worse! If he is really hated i can tell you some of the things i have seen in professional kitchens to et revenge!