Cooks! I need your help ASAP!

We're supposed to go to my friend's house tomorrow, for Christmas dinner.  DH is really sick with a stomach ailment. He was up, vomiting several times last night, and some other nasty intestinal issues today.  Any other time, he'd nap, and then get up in an hour or two, feeling much better. That isn't happening today...though, about 2 hours ago, he said he was feeling a bit better. I have him drinking spring water with some apple cider vinegar in it. We were to go out to dinner tonight, but I'm not sure if he'll be better that soon.  As I was expecting him to feel better much earlier, I didn't go to the store; he had planned to do some errands early today. No way am I going to a store now, with the nuts that will be out there, and I can't afford to literally spend 3 hours sitting in a traffic jam--I have stuff to bake for tomorrow. And tonight, it's supposed to sleet/snow, so that's out of the question for me. In short, I cannot get to a store to buy stuff for tomorrow. I had left buying the rolls and the veggie tray for today, for freshness reasons. We're hoping he'll be ok tomorrow (dinner is at 5-6 pm).

Anyhoo...here's what I was planning to make (to serve 10-12):

Shredded beef roast, on kaiser rolls

A store-bought veggie tray, with dip

Bacon cheddar roll-ups (made with crescent rolls)

Gingerbread (cake, not cookies), with homemade whipped cream

Chocolate chip cookies

(Cooked) eggnog

Potato chips

Ok, I made 2 largish beef roasts last night. I can't get rolls to serve them on, though.  Can't get the chips, either.

Apart from the veggie tray, I have the ingredients for everything else.

Cookies have been baked.

Will bake gingerbread today/make whipped cream.

Will make eggnog tonight.

I need a starch to accompany the shredded beef (which has a bit of gravy).  I do have some potatoes in the house. I have flour. I may have Bisquick. I have crescent rolls (2 tubes), but I still need an appetizer to take, if I use those for something else. I have 2 packs of shredded cheddar cheese. (For the bacon rolls.)

I thought I could make cheddar mashed potatoes, and serve the beef over those. However, the hostess is making twice-baked potatoes (family tradition, so I don't want to infringe on that).  I could just make crecent rolls; you can't make sandwiches with those, but it would be something. However, she's also making those! I could use the flour or Bisquick to make a crust to put over the meat, and call it a meat pie.

I think I must scratch the idea of the veggie tray, but want some non-starchy veggies with my meal (she won't have any herself). All I have is a smallish head of broccoli and canned veggies, and frozen corn. I think I have frozen green beans; not sure (we have 2 freezers, which is why--things get buried!).

I own 3, good-sized Crock-Pots, and a serving thing, with 3 small pots in it, to use for a buffet, so I can keep things warm.

Any ideas? Thank you!

Do you have any rice?  Maybe you could serve the beef over rice.

And vibes for DH:  I hope he is feeling better soon.

nurseangel said:

Do you have any rice?  Maybe you could serve the beef over rice.

And vibes for DH: 

I hope he is feeling better soon.

Click to expand...

Rice is a good idea

Thanks, but I have no rice in the house. Hubby hates it!

You're not mentioning what she's doing for dessert. Can you bring dessert? Call your friend and see what she's missing, coordinate things, maybe?

Since you have canned and frozen veggies, cooked shredded beef , cheddar and potatoes maybe you could turn it into Shepards pie? That sounds festive.

smitten4kittens said:

Since you have canned and frozen veggies, cooked shredded beef , cheddar and potatoes maybe you could turn it into Shepards pie? That sounds festive.

Click to expand...

Yep, that's what I was thinking!

I just remembered that a local Italian restaurant is open tomorrow (none of the grocery stores are). I bought a gift card for us (we originally were going to eat there for Christmas, until my friend invited us over). They have take-out, and appetizers--many with tomato stuff on them--those are veggies! Hmm...

Sounds like your Husband has the Norwalk Virus. Highly contagious stomach bug!  Usually lasts 24 to 48 hours, but can last longer. I was sick for a week with it.

Good hand washing and he needs to stay away from other people so they don't get it.  Once his diarrhea and vomitting has stopped for 1 full day, he should be good to go.
 

How about making biscuits? Easy enough if you have shortening, lard, margarine or butter, flour, baking powder, and milk. They are fast to bake and make good replacements for rolls.

Natalie_ca said:

Sounds like your Husband has the Norwalk Virus. Highly contagious stomach bug!  Usually lasts 24 to 48 hours, but can last longer. I was sick for a week with it.

Good hand washing and he needs to stay away from other people so they don't get it.  Once his diarrhea and vomitting has stopped for 1 full day, he should be good to go.
 

Click to expand...

Thanks! I never thought about that particular virus, even though I think it was either a stomach virus or food poisoning.  He is really sick--I've never seen him this sick before. He hasn't eaten in over 24 hours, though I just made him some soup. He only took 1 or 2 spoonfuls.  He's on his 2nd bathroom trip in less than 15 minutes. He says he's dizzy when he gets up. He did finally come downstairs to sit on the sofa (mainly so I could change the mattress pad; use your imagination here!). I feel so bad for him!

After all of my asking about recipes (should we make it to dinner tomorrow), he just told me that the local Wawa (convenience store chain in the U.S.) sells rolls, and will be open tomorrow!

Yuk, that sounds miserable. Make sure he gets enough water. Give him something like Gatorade--one of those sports drinks meant to rehydrate you. Should help the dizziness.

Huuby said he felt a little better, and hasn't been in the bathroom now for 3 hours. He still hasn't eaten anything (except for 3-4 forkfuls of mashed potatoes) since yesterday morning. He's been asleep. Thank you for all of your concern!

I decided to make, as a vegetable, a corn/canned diced tomatoes, chopped onion and black bean salad. I drizzled it with an olive oil and apple cider vinegar dressing. Not bad. I think it will be much better when it marinates overnight. If we don't go or they don't eat it, I'll use it in quesadillas!

I baked the gingerbread, and made homemade whipped cream (yummmm!).  I remembered that I had frozen Meyer lemon curd I made earlier this year from the lemons on my tree (which I ended up killing). That will be amazing on the gingerbread, with the whipped cream.

I'm holding off on making the eggnog, until we see if we're going. It takes a dozen eggs--no point wasting them--I couldn't drink it all. Ditto with the bacon apps.

MargeCat said:

He says he's dizzy when he gets up. He did finally come downstairs to sit on the sofa (mainly so I could change the mattress pad; use your imagination here!). I feel so bad for him!

Click to expand...

Sounds like he is dehydrated. Can you give him something for nausea and encourage him to drink water or flat ginger ale? He needs the fluids.

It's probably too late for me to chime in.....can you bake bread? First thing I'd do is throw together some large yeast rolls for the beef. If you decide not to go, you can always throw them into the freezer for another time. The salad sounds delicious and that gingerbread with the lemon curd and whipped cream??? OMGoodness! I'm on my way to your house!

Is he feeling better this morning?

Never mind, I just saw your post about Wawa being open, so you're good to go there for your rolls.

Hope he's doing OK and you'll be able to go to your dinner. 

Natalie_ca said:

Sounds like your Husband has the Norwalk Virus. Highly contagious stomach bug!  Usually lasts 24 to 48 hours, but can last longer. I was sick for a week with it.


Good hand washing and he needs to stay away from other people so they don't get it.  Once his diarrhea and vomitting has stopped for 1 full day, he should be good to go.

 

Click to expand...

Since this is so contagious I was just wondering how you were doing? Are you still ok?