Meet "the girl"- need menu ideas

amother

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 9:28 am

We live a few hours from DS. Things have been going well bli ayin hara with the woman he is seeing and he would like us to meet her. They are coming tomorrow for dinner. I need menu ideas! They are stopping at the grandparents for lunch and they are having Chinese.

So I need fleish ideas for dinner- I could do hamburgers and hotdogs depending on the weather- but I feel like I want to do something nicer- but shabbos food....

Ideas

amother

Ginger

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 10:38 am

Hotdogs and hamburgers sounds too casual to me.
I would do:
salad plated first with fruit nuts etc and dressing drizzled on
Then soup like broccoli soup, zucchini soup, butternut squash soup, not shabbos chicken soup
Them meat and chicken cutlets, roasted potatoes, green beans, orzo or rice
Dessert- Ice cream with brownie or apple crisp

amother

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 10:40 am

amother Ginger wrote:

Thanks! I worry they are going to be too full from the chinese they are having earlier...

amother

Jetblack

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 10:41 am

Don’t serve soup . Soup is challenging to eat if you’re nervous and your hands are shaky
Do a grilled chicken or grilled salmon salad with a nice soft roll then dessert
Apple pie ala mode

healthymom1

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 10:57 am

Salads are not attractive to eat!
I’d say if they are coming from a meal maybe dessert (like something easy to eat. Sorbet, soft and not flakey or crumbly cake/cookies and tea would be nice.
Cut up fruit as well.
She will be nervous too. I can’t imagine she is going to eat a plate of food.

amother

Begonia

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 10:57 am

amother OP wrote:

Thanks! Why am I so nervous!?

Meeting the girlfriend is a big deal. I hope things go well. I'm also pretty sure that no one will care what you serve. Grilled chicken, a starch and a salad will be perfect. I hope she feels welcome and everything goes well!

healthymom1

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 11:02 am

If coming for dinner.
Skirt steaks with rice and very diced salad so not fulll of leafy mess on her face or open her mouth wide.
Or can do chicken cutlets instead of steak.
Or salmon.

But small things will be easier and nicer and less messy to eat. Nothing should be hanging off the fork

amother

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 11:10 am

amother Begonia wrote:

amen- thanks!

amother

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 11:11 am

healthymom1 wrote:

So tacos would be bad....
I don't want to be stuffy... I like the grilled chicken idea- thanks!

healthymom1

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 11:12 am

amother OP wrote:

So tacos would be bad....
I don't want to be stuffy... I like the grilled chicken idea- thanks!

Tacos are messy. Wait until they are engaged for that lol.
Salad should be very small chopped. Pasta bite size. Rice bite sized.

mha3484

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 11:14 am

If lunch is fleishig I would do salmon. Not everyone likes eating two meat meals in a day. I love Chinese food but it can be heavy and greasy. A light dinner sounds nicer to me.

SG18

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 11:19 am

amother OP wrote:

So tacos would be bad....
I don't want to be stuffy... I like the grilled chicken idea- thanks!

I love taco salad! Ground beef cooked with taco seasoning, chopped avocado, tomato, and cucumber, sprinkled with crushed tortilla shells or chip, with Ortaga taco sauce on top. Easy to eat and filling.

samantha1

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 11:21 am

I agree , too much to have two meat meals. Salmon sounds great just make sure she eats salmon, I don’t and wouldn’t even b able to force it if I didn’t wanna insult my future mother in law . U can do a dairy meal mayb like ziti with a fancy salad , flounder With potatoes and string beans ,

amother

Antiquewhite

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 11:28 am

She may not eat fish. DD 22- she does but 1/2 her friends don’t. It would put her in an awkward situation. Stick with the chicken or meat. Unless of course you clear it with DS-have they gone out to eat and does she eat salmon.

I agree, skip the soup but do a nice plated salad, unless it is very cold. The you can do soup. She shouldn’t be too nervous to handle a spoon.
A nice chicken, rice, and veggies.- I would have an extra side, either potatoes or a second vegetable, just so there is options if she doesn’t like something.

Dessert-any brownie/cake/cookie….. and some cut fruit.

The goal is nice but not too nice. You don’t want to have to keep up something which is unattainable on a consistent basis or intimidate her.

FYI, when “The Boy” came to my house, I ran out and bought new dishes, because our every day ones were 20 years old and in not great shape and I didn’t want to put out the obviously Shabbos ones with the gold trim. I understand the nervousness.

amother

Yolk

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 11:35 am

Not everyone likes fish.. do something with chicken cutlets .. and yeah, they probably won’t be too hungry and feel like eating but you have to prepare a nice meal anyway.
Hope it goes well! Most important is enjoying the time together, not the actual food but I’m sure you know that…

amother

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 11:55 am

amother Yolk wrote:

tichellady

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 12:35 pm

these comments make me laugh. so much thought into what is easy to eat when nervous. it's very sweet. make food that you guys like and are comfortable making. I would make soup because we always have soup when we have guests. and then a dinner that your son likes that isn't too messy

amother

Cadetblue

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 12:53 pm

I would go with simple but nice. Don't overdo it and make it like a yom tov meal, I think that would be more intimidating, and a lot on top of them having a full lunch. I like the sound of grilled chicken breast-lighter than meat or chicken quarters. Salad or roasted veg as a side, along with a carb-rice or maybe mashed potatoes? If the weather is hot I wouldn't make a soup, otherwise I would make a soup as I think that is always nice to serve and will stretch the meal out without it seeming too long. And I would have a light dessert like cut up fruit or fruit salad.
Remember there's only so long you can linger over 1 course without it being awkward on both sides. So having more than 1 course makes it easier-you have to serve, clear up, then serve the next course etc.
And good luck.