Anyone else have an awkward Christmas...?

DeltaNu1142

Only slightly awkward, really. To set the stage, since my wife & I and her sister and parents didn't have specific plans for Christmas, my wife's (younger) boss and his folks invited us over to their place for dinner. We would eat, we were told, around 4pm; I let him know I'd make up a Boston butt and some mac & cheese.

I put the 8-lb bone-in butt in the 225-degree Egg at 10pm on the 24th. Around 11am on the 25th, I casually started the mac & cheese - Crack 'N Cheese recipe, cheddar, monterey jack & gruyere, heavy cream, with some paprika & pork rub in there for good measure. At noon, my wife's boss called - food will be served pretty much anytime, so just leave whenever you can. It's an hour drive.

I amped the Egg up to 300 degrees and fired up the crock pot so the mac would cook a bit on the way (hadn't planned to use it). Quick shower, pulled the butt at 179 degrees (of a 195 target) and straight into FTC. Packed the kid & food into the car and off we went.

When we arrived, they were waiting for us. None of this was the awkward part... boss's mom had made a pork shoulder in the oven. We revealed both sort of simultaneously by accident, and it turned immediately into an impromptu competition. Everyone was drawn to the dark black molasses & rub bark on my pork, and the smoky aroma overwhelmed the kitchen. I thought everyone knew what I was bringing and there wouldn't be more pork there, but alas... his mom's pork fell by the wayside and I think she felt slighted. The mac & cheese, my first attempt with this recipe, got equally high marks.

So... did anyone else's cook result in hard holiday feelings?

SGH

No sir, I got lucky. All the food turned out well and I managed to keep my clothes on some how

DeltaNu1142

SGH said:

No sir, I got lucky. All the food turned out well and I managed to keep my clothes on some how

So... success? 

Canugghead

Great and awkward story indeed. I guarantee that you won't be invited back again 

SGH

DeltaNu1142 said:

SGH said:

No sir, I got lucky. All the food turned out well and I managed to keep my clothes on some how

So... success? 

I consider it a overwhelming success my friend anytime I manage to remain fully clothed

lousubcap

Nothing like a failure to communicate to hose up other-wise great intentions.  I dodged what could have been a similar scenario by going around SWMBO direct to the source to sort out "who's on first and bringing what...".  It all worked out but the set-up was lurking.  

johnmitchell

So I guess the wife hitting the pavement on Monday.. Good luck with the job search... Great story..

DeltaNu1142

johnmitchell said:

So I guess the wife hitting the pavement on Monday.. Good luck with the job search... Great story..

Ha ha... I don't think it'll quite come to that. Wife's in real estate, and like I said, her boss (broker) is a younger guy. She told him yesterday she's going for her broker's license anyway. They may be partners by sometime in 2016.

But as @Canugghead said... it's unlikely I'll be invited back for dinner. Even her husband raved about my food. He probably caught it right in the neck after we left.

jakebge

Sounds like young blood might be a future BGE owner.

DuckDogDr

Yes... But it's because my ex and my family could not get along at all...
we broke up the 23rd... 

stlcharcoal

We have four kids and the biggest house, so most of the time it's easiest for everyone to come to our place.  It doesn't have to be Christmas--just some day around there.  So, the in-laws wanted to come on Thurs for lunch.....set it three weeks ago.

We said fine, lunch will be served at 12:00 noon, so expected them to be here around 11:00, right?  I had shrimp, smoked sausage, and all kinds of appetizers set out at 11:30.  Salads chilled and ready for 11:45.  For the main course, prosciutto wrapped filets with a mushroom/shallot cream sauce.  Then sautéed green beans, candied Brussels sprouts, honey carrots, and steamed asparagus.  Then smoked sweet potatoes, plus a some cheesy rosemary potatoes someone else was bringing.  Rolls, various sauces, desserts, and fresh sangria.  All was perfectly timed to be served at noon.

At 11:30 I was starting to get PO'd, so my wife texts them......they hadn't even left home yet and they live an hour away.  Her brother texts he's going to be 15-20 minutes late, which turned into an hour.

I was freaking fuming.  They show up and start cutting up deer sausage when I have full buffet of [soggy] appetizers.  I finally got every seated and starting throwing the food at them at 1pm.  Steak was slightly overcooked, all the veggies were soggy, salad was wilted, and overall I was just PISSED OFF.  I'm sure it showed or my wife said something to them before they came in the house because they kept their distance.  The kids were crazy since they usually eat at 11:30, then add an extra hour they had to wait to open presents.  Plus, two of them are falling asleep at the table since they start naps at 1pm.

I'm rambling, but yes is was awkward because I was furious over a very well planned, expensive meal that went to $hit.  You want to come to my house, my party, and eat my food, show up on time!!!!!!!

bgebrent

@stlcharcoal, I'm with you man.  Late=rude and disrespectful.  Sorry it went that way for you brother.  I teach my kids "if you're not early, you're Late". 

RRP

Reminds me of an awkward Thanksgiving a while back. We thought it was a given that I was bringing an egged turkey. It was a 22 pounder and I was proud as it was magazine picture pretty! Well, we get there and turned out the gal had baked a 16 pounder in her oven. Hers was pale as a ghost and dry as a balsa wood model airplane! There were 6 adults at the table and my 22 pounder was devoured by 5 of us and the host was the only one to pick at her 16 pound air plane (turkey). She was pissed and made a scene dumping hers in the trash can!

lousubcap

There's a word in the English language that needs to be banished, "assume". A majority of the time things have gone south in my experience is because that word is the second one uttered  "I assumed...".  Won't happen because it is a cover and excuse tool.  I could go on but venting over.

northGAcock

Yes.....walked into my bathroom thinking wife was in the shower.....was my 27 year old daughter