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Going to a party should I take something
Started
by Debby Kudalis
on June 4, 2010
In a couple of weeks my boyfriend and I are going to his boss's house for a barbecue. Should I ask them if I should bring a side dish since I am now a vegetarian? I'm sure there will be things that I can eat but I know if someone was coming to my house and had say an allergy to something I would want to know so that I could make at least something they could enjoy.
I just don't want it to be a big deal or have the host feel bad that I am not getting enough to eat. Not sure what I should do.
I would definately ask if you can bring something. I did that for my sisters memorial day BBQ and she said to bring whatever I wanted including vegan sausage/hotdogs. Her husband then cooked my food seperately. It was real sweet of them. It was also funny because one of the other guests got to my "sausage" and ate almost all of it. When his sister asked him how it tasted he said really good, but he couldn't figure out what kind of sausage it was. My vegan chocolate chip cookies also went over well, everyone who didn't know what was in them loved them and they were really surprised when they found out they were vegan.
Have fun at your bbq! :)
I would ask if you could bring something, but depending on the event or the relationship with the boss maybe not bring up the no meat, b/c then they may feel pressure to give an alternative for you? Just my opinion, but bring a filling, yummy side dish that could be your meal if needed, even if they say no they don't need you to bring something. If you get more comfy with them they may eventually know you're vegetarian, but that can be a lot of pressure for your boyfriend with his boss. We went to a bbq a few weeks ago and they said we didn't need to bring anything, but I showed up with a huge salad and said I just had to bring it b/c I have so much lettuce growing (true) Bring a hearty black bean dip, with some tortilla chips, or even a soft tortilla, you could fill up and have some protein. Add just drained black beans,corn, peppers, onions, lime juice, jalenpenos, avocado, olive oil, and you could pretty much have that as your meal. You could even have brown rice in there! Have a great time!
I've been in that situation before. It's hard to know how to approach it, especially if you don't know the hosts well. Something I've done in the past is say, "I've got a great new recipe for (X side dish) that I'm dying to try on other people, and I'd love to contribute something to the party. Do you mind if I bring it?" Most people don't mind at all. You don't have to mention it's vegetarian if it feels awkward.
I also sometimes bring along a veggie dog or Boca burger in a small cooler in my car. If the vibe of the party feels relaxed and open enough, I'll say to whoever is manning the grill, "Hey, I don't really eat meat. Would you mind throwing this on for a few minutes?" You can do it discreetly, if you need to. If it feels like it would be weird to do that, just leave the veggie item in the cooler. It'll be fine in there till you get home.
Always challenging to navigate new food situations! Good luck and have fun!
Thanks for the suggestions. I talked to my boyfriend last night about it and he said that he will ask if we could bring anything and mention that I'm vegetarian. I am so lucky that although he eats meat he is very supportive of my decision not to.
Angela that bean dip sounds wonderful. I'm making beans today so I may just make that for this weekend.
HECK YES!!! My motto is to take a entree or salad (with protein) and a dessert, this way I always have something to eat.
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