Invited to a Shrimp Boil and Told to Bring the Shrimp

[Disneybuckeye]

Don't forget Penn State...people here bleed blue and white!!!

That was a nice win last week. Hoping you don't win when you come to Columbus at the end of October.

 

[anniemae]

Sounds like DH wants to keep the peace. In this case, I think it's his choice since it's his sister. It seems the kids also want to go and you made alternate plans so everyone is happy. I would be curious to know what others were asked to bring.

Sometimes in life you're the "paper plates and napkins" person and other times you are the "8 LBS of shrimp" person. LOL.

 

[bcla]

Frozen shrimp don't work for a boil; if they are not fresh they turn into mealy goo. Absolutely not worth bothering with. (Unlike crawfish or crabs, shrimp are not boiled live, but you need to keep them fully in the shell and with heads on to cook them properly by this method.)

Well - I've seen shrimp boiled alive, so it can be done. But I'm on the west coast where the main live shrimp are going to be California spot prawns or Santa Barbara shrimp. They're pricey too at about $20 a lb when there's a glut.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Until I started on the Dis I didn't realize anyone under the age of 22 watched college football besides parents.

You never thought about alumni of a college? Is that not a thing in Canada as far as things like alumni association? Donations from alumni?

My alma mater is more about basketball because for over 10 years they've sucked at football and actually one of the big issues is alumni pulling funds out because the team wasn't doing well. Losing millions of dollars in alumni funds hurts for sure. They don't have issues getting donations for basketball though and those games are HUGE for alumni. They do an evening event each year to kick off the season and they often bring in people. A few years ago Snoop Dogg was there. This year Run-DMC is one of the guests.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

So I guess I'm confused on the actual issue. It seems like over the past the OP has brought stuff even last year brought shrimp just a fraction of what is being asked this year. If it was more of a feeling of imposition that wouldn't jive with bringing stuff in the past. If the issue is being asked versus it coming from your own choice well as much as I sympathize (because I can be like that too) that's just a personal issue. You don't have an issue with bringing something you just don't want to be told but I'm guessing somehow at some point in the past the OP has been asked to bring something and it not being their choice. If the issue is the amount well I guess even though the shrimp is bought you could always clarify why the amount, could be that other food is being provided that balances out the ask for the large amount this year. But in the end I gather these events are more "meh" for the OP which I can again sympathize with. If it's not something you're looking forward to it's easier to get annoyed at something.

Maybe the most important is does the husband and other family going see this as a big issue or are they down for it?

 

[disneydreamer1980]

THIS is a recipe for a shrimp boil. You can do crawfish too.

Then you put it out on the table after draining, just in a long line or pile, and everyone digs in.

We steam our shrimp here in Maryland, and smother them with old bay. Can’t imagine them any other way.

 

[Moliphino]

You never thought about alumni of a college? Is that not a thing in Canada as far as things like alumni association? Donations from alumni?

My alma mater is more about basketball because for over 10 years they've sucked at football and actually one of the big issues is alumni pulling funds out because the team wasn't doing well. Losing millions of dollars in alumni funds hurts for sure. They don't have issues getting donations for basketball though and those games are HUGE for alumni. They do an evening event each year to kick off the season and they often bring in people. A few years ago Snoop Dogg was there. This year Run-DMC is one of the guests.

College sports just aren't big everywhere. I'm in New England and people are definitely more invested in professional sports than college. It was a little bit of culture shock when I went to college in Georgia.

 

[leeniewdw]

The OP’s husband bought the shrimp, it’s his sister, appar this is only the second year of this event. I think it’s really up to her husband to handle it since it’s his family (only because it sounds like there are issues, with my IL’s I handle everything because they are the nicest people I know and we get along great).

Yes, I think a consideration is that how you choose to react, will have an impact on him, not just you. Families are strange and different. Maybe it's possible that the siblings misunderstood each other and he agreed to something he didn't fully understand before you got the info?

I am not close with my sibs-in-law, but if this were the thing I was dealing with, I'd be like "whatever" and contribute the shrimp. There are FAR bigger family squabbles (or worse) that you could be dealing with.

Bottom line for me would be to make things easier for my spouse, even if it was giving in to his sibling.

 

[CdnCarrie]

You never thought about alumni of a college? Is that not a thing in Canada as far as things like alumni association? Donations from alumni?

Absolutely nowhere near the scale of US colleges. Like nowhere.
Yes there are alumni associations. I think college sports are just not as big here. Also leaving province to go to college is way less common then in the USA so you probably don't get the bond with the institution you do when you stay on campus.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

College sports just aren't big everywhere. I'm in New England and people are definitely more invested in professional sports than college. It was a little bit of culture shock when I went to college in Georgia.

No I'm cool with that part, that poster has been vocal about that in the past. I was just responding to their 22 year old thing other than parents thing. They said that anyone but even if you're not 22 or a parent it's still completely possible that alumni watch college football or whatever sport. I can't imagine making that assumption that not even alumni in the entirety of alumni watch sports of their college ya know? My step-father-in-law is from NE, even he knows that alumni can watch sports whatever they may be, I'm assuming you probably figured there was some alumni in NE that watch sports too. That's why I asked are alumni not really a thing in Canada as far as the connection to your past school.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Absolutely nowhere near the scale of US colleges. Like nowhere.
Yes there are alumni associations. I think college sports are just not as big here. Also leaving province to go to college is way less common then in the USA so you probably don't get the bond with the institution you do when you stay on campus.

Okay so it's not really that you didn't think that alumni watch college sports but just that it's not as big of a thing because of the connections to the school you make when you're going there in Canada. That makes much more sense than saying you didn't know until the dis that anyone over 22 unless they were parents watched it. Thanks for clarifying

 

[wvjules]

We steam our shrimp here in Maryland, and smother them with old bay. Can’t imagine them any other way.

I'm in MD and have been to MANY shrimp boils. I love them! But I've always brought an app/side/dessert, never the actual shrimp. lol

From what I read the "invitation" included bringing the shrimp, correct? What if your family wasn't able to come? Where would the 8# of shrimp come from?

 

[Moliphino]

No I'm cool with that part, that poster has been vocal about that in the past. I was just responding to their 22 year old thing other than parents thing. They said that anyone but even if you're not 22 or a parent it's still completely possible that alumni watch college football or whatever sport. I can't imagine making that assumption that not even alumni in the entirety of alumni watch sports of their college ya know? My step-father-in-law is from NE, even he knows that alumni can watch sports whatever they may be, I'm assuming you probably figured there was some alumni in NE that watch sports too. That's why I asked are alumni not really a thing in Canada as far as the connection to your past school.

Growing up, nobody around me paid much attention at all to college sports. There was a little excitement when UMass made it to the final four in basketball, but that was it. If people were wearing sports related gear it was all NFL/MLB/NHL/NBA. College sports just aren't a big deal to the majority of people.
In the south there were people who didn't even go to the college who follow them religiously. It was quite a different experience.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Growing up, nobody around me paid much attention at all to college sports. There was a little excitement when UMass made it to the final four in basketball, but that was it. If people were wearing sports related gear it was all NFL/MLB/NHL/NBA. College sports just aren't a big deal to the majority of people.
In the south there were people who didn't even go to the college who follow them religiously. It was quite a different experience.

I understand I'm just saying you probably thought there was a possibility that alumni of a university can also be lumped into the category of watching sports (as in the concept of alumni watching sports) despite the fact that it wasn't as popular. My comment wasn't actually about was college sports a big deal to some people or not. I'm totally aware of that. But the poster clarified so it's all good now.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Okay so it's not really that you didn't think that alumni watch college sports but just that it's not as big of a thing because of the connections to the school you make when you're going there in Canada. That makes much more sense than saying you didn't know until the dis that anyone over 22 unless they were parents watched it. Thanks for clarifying

Bit of both. Not many students attend the games. College sports just aren't a big thing here. Games aren't televised that I'm aware of either.

 

[easyas123]

I'm in MD and have been to MANY shrimp boils

We do shrimp boils ( in Maryland), too!

 

[mjkacmom]

Bit of both. Not many students attend the games. College sports just aren't a big thing here. Games aren't televised that I'm aware of either.

College football seems to be much bigger in areas without a heavy professional football presence.

 

[crazymomof4]

You're invited to my party, you bring the entrée.

oh and I've been craving lobster tails!!!

 

[CdnCarrie]

College football seems to be much bigger in areas without a heavy professional football presence.

That makes sense.

Anyhow my original point is turn off the tv and go be with your family OP!

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I'm in MD and have been to MANY shrimp boils. I love them! But I've always brought an app/side/dessert, never the actual shrimp. lol

From what I read the "invitation" included bringing the shrimp, correct? What if your family wasn't able to come? Where would the 8# of shrimp come from?

Where in Maryland are you seeing “many” shrimp boils? Maryland is known for its steamed seafoood. Shrimp boils are a southern thing.