Help me plan food logistics of this 3 day visit

[Anonymous]

Friends are coming on Tuesday. My plan was to take them to an outdoor performance they mentioned wanting to see. On Wednesday, we plan to go out on our boat.

On Tuesday, my husband wants to do a barbecue dinner at home. And since we will be out all day, I plan to prep the salads, and hot side dishes the day before. Then I just pop the hot sides in the oven 30 mins before dinner.

Husband wants me to make a few charcuterie trays to take on the boat on day 2 , but I feel like we should do the trays when we go to the performance early in the day (it’s an outdoor picnic type situation). He suggests that I make sandwiches for everyone to take with us. This would only involve me making egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad and then asking each person what type of sandwich would they like?

How would you plan out the meals?

Option 1: sandwiches for the picnic, charcuterie for the boat

Option 2: charcuterie at the picnic and sandwiches for the boat

Option 3: Charcuterie at both. (DH isn’t a fan of this unless I can make distinctly different charcuterie spreads for each day)

Option 4: taking all the salads and meat/cheeses and bread to the picnic for each person to assemble their own sandwich (DH also doesn’t love this idea but I think it would be simpler)


What do you think? Feel free to give other opinions separate if the options above.

[Anonymous]

Your DH seems to have very specific opinions considering he isn't the one who is doing all the prep work.

My vote is for:
--charcuterie for the picnic
--prepared sandwiches for the boat

But what trumps all is what you want/what is easier for you, since you are doing all the prep work. Even if that is <gasp> two of the exact same charcuterie boards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Friends are coming on Tuesday. My plan was to take them to an outdoor performance they mentioned wanting to see. On Wednesday, we plan to go out on our boat.

On Tuesday, my husband wants to do a barbecue dinner at home. And since we will be out all day, I plan to prep the salads, and hot side dishes the day before. Then I just pop the hot sides in the oven 30 mins before dinner.

Husband wants me to make a few charcuterie trays to take on the boat on day 2 , but I feel like we should do the trays when we go to the performance early in the day (it’s an outdoor picnic type situation). He suggests that I make sandwiches for everyone to take with us. This would only involve me making egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad and then asking each person what type of sandwich would they like?

How would you plan out the meals?

Option 1: sandwiches for the picnic, charcuterie for the boat

Option 2: charcuterie at the picnic and sandwiches for the boat

Option 3: Charcuterie at both. (DH isn’t a fan of this unless I can make distinctly different charcuterie spreads for each day)

Option 4: taking all the salads and meat/cheeses and bread to the picnic for each person to assemble their own sandwich (DH also doesn’t love this idea but I think it would be simpler)


What do you think? Feel free to give other opinions separate if the options above.

Option 5: your DH makes the food. He seems to have opinions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your DH seems to have very specific opinions considering he isn't the one who is doing all the prep work.

My vote is for:
--charcuterie for the picnic
--prepared sandwiches for the boat

But what trumps all is what you want/what is easier for you, since you are doing all the prep work. Even if that is <gasp> two of the exact same charcuterie boards.

Strongly agree with all of this including the division of food up there, which is what I would prefer myself. YMMV and your husband's mileage is less important than yours if he's not doing the work.

[Anonymous]

DH sounds like he’s got it all figured out. Let him handle it.

[Anonymous]

Your DH needs to prep all the food and serve and clean up from it. You're not a waitress.

[Anonymous]

DH handles

[Anonymous]

Why is your DH micromanaging you? Ask him to make the food if he is so particular.
If you’re doing charcuterie I’d just pick up trays from Wegmans.

[Anonymous]

My only comment is that not everyone is ok with mayo based salad sandwiches- id not do all three, instead offer Turkey or something else with one of these (egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad ).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My only comment is that not everyone is ok with mayo based salad sandwiches- id not do all three, instead offer Turkey or something else with one of these (egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad ).

Yeah, I wouldn't eat any of those three.

[Anonymous]

Get takeout subs for the picnic on the way (everyone can choose what they’d like), get a prepared charcuterie tray or two from a grocery store for the boat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My only comment is that not everyone is ok with mayo based salad sandwiches- id not do all three, instead offer Turkey or something else with one of these (egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad ).

Op here,

Thanks for the advice!

The sandwich options would be those three plus regular turkey/ham/cheese options. I just mentioned the salad based ones since I would be prepping those in advance (day before). Additionally, I think I’m only going to do two bread options to make it easier. Since I bake bread, DH was hoping for a selection of about 4 or 5 different breads. I’m going to just do sourdough and whole grain sandwich loaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is your DH micromanaging you? Ask him to make the food if he is so particular.
If you’re doing charcuterie I’d just pick up trays from Wegmans.

He doesn’t really handle food in our house so that’s why I’m trying to plan this all out. He does man the grill though! He also doesn’t want pre made charcuterie. He prefers to have all the meats and cheeses sliced fresh at the deli counter and then I arrange them. Also I add in other items like stuffed olives, soft cheeses like Brie , tapenades and hummus. Those are all store bought though so pretty simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My only comment is that not everyone is ok with mayo based salad sandwiches- id not do all three, instead offer Turkey or something else with one of these (egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad ).

I was going to say the same thing.

Are these people staying with you? I would put out a selection and ask people to make themselves sandwich(es) before you go.

I'm having trouble knowing what kind of event and what kind of boat. In my mind, the boat is more sitting around talking, while an event would be walking around and then stopping to eat, so I'd do charcuterie on the boat and sandwiches at the event. But if the event is something that involves sitting around, like lawn seats at Wolf Trap, or the boat is something where you'd be busy, like canoeing, then I'd say the opposite.

Whatever you do, DH needs to change his ratio of opinions to effort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is your DH micromanaging you? Ask him to make the food if he is so particular.
If you’re doing charcuterie I’d just pick up trays from Wegmans.

He doesn’t really handle food in our house so that’s why I’m trying to plan this all out. He does man the grill though! He also doesn’t want pre made charcuterie. He prefers to have all the meats and cheeses sliced fresh at the deli counter and then I arrange them. Also I add in other items like stuffed olives, soft cheeses like Brie , tapenades and hummus. Those are all store bought though so pretty simple.

Op, does it really not bother you that your “DH” is treating you like a caterer? This just sounds so demeaning. You need to worry less about charcuterie and sandwich combos and more about gaining some self respect.