Turning 30 - pressure to buy the whole office lunch!

rhilee581

Hello all

Just wanted to do a quick poll. I'm turning 30 soon and am having a party to celebrate. On top of the cost of this, there's a rule in work that if it's your birthday you buy cakes for the whole office (there are 15 of of us). This year, as it's a biggie, there's pressure to put on some kind of buffet, even though I've invited everyone to the party. 2010 is my year to tackle my debts and I'm thinking £25 spent on a buffet could actually be put towards paying off a credit card.

Do you think I will just look mean if I go for a simple chocolate cake, especially if they buy me a present!

Help!

planning_ahead_2

rhilee581 wrote: »

Do you think I will just look mean if I go for a simple chocolate cake, especially if they buy me a present!

Help!

Of course you won't - it's your birthday and it not about them 'giving' in order to 'receive' more back from you.

Sometimes I think everyone in the office/workplace forgets this and everyone really thinks as you are now, but no-one is brave enough to take the first stance. Most people you work with will have commitments, eg family/debts etc., and will be glad when it's their birthday that they can follow your lead.

rhilee581

as mine is the first birthday of the year, it usually sets the precedent too, so cheap and cheerful it is! Thanks.

josephine82

Hello!

Why not make some cakes instead? you could make a big batch of cupcakes enough for everyone to have one or two? personally I'd love that if someone in my office went to the effort of making something instead of doing the easy option and just buying lunch..shows effort and thought for doing something different!

planning_ahead_2

josephine82 wrote: »

Hello!

Why not make some cakes instead? you could make a big batch of cupcakes enough for everyone to have one or two? personally I'd love that if someone in my office went to the effort of making something instead of doing the easy option and just buying lunch..shows effort and thought for doing something different!

That's a fab idea....mind you if I made the cakes then the sick levels at work would be sky high for a week (I just CANNOT make cakes to save my life - my brother once accused me of breaching the trade descriptions act when I gave him a piece of my sponge cake - he swore it should have been called rock cake:rotfl: and, in fairness, he was spot on:rotfl:)

WestWalesWannabee

Hi. Here's what i'd do... If like me you're rubbish at making cakes, go to your nearest supermarket and buy a Betty Crocker Devil's fudge cake packet mix and a chocolate fudge cake icing filling and make it at home. It makes THE most beautiful soft chocolate fudge cake you can imagine! It'll set you back about £4.50 for all of the ingredients (you need a couple of eggs and some oil as well) and it makes a huge fudge cake. Seriously - you can't go wrong with this. It's the easiest thing i've ever made and when i took mine into the office, i was being asked to make one constantly and ended up doing about 10 in a couple of months! It's fantastic stuff. Even nicer than buying a ready made one. Best i've ever tasted! Good luck! Oh and happy birthday!

hels123_2

I agree WWW^^ it is deelish!

Gosh, for MY Birthday Id be expecting the office to be buying ME lunch!!

davetrousers

WestWalesWannabee wrote: »

Hi. Here's what i'd do... If like me you're rubbish at making cakes, go to your nearest supermarket and buy a Betty Crocker Devil's fudge cake packet mix and a chocolate fudge cake icing filling and make it at home. It makes THE most beautiful soft chocolate fudge cake you can imagine! It'll set you back about £4.50 for all of the ingredients (you need a couple of eggs and some oil as well) and it makes a huge fudge cake. Seriously - you can't go wrong with this. It's the easiest thing i've ever made and when i took mine into the office, i was being asked to make one constantly and ended up doing about 10 in a couple of months! It's fantastic stuff. Even nicer than buying a ready made one. Best i've ever tasted! Good luck! Oh and happy birthday!

You'll need a cake tin (or two) as well

WestWalesWannabee

davetrousers wrote: »

You'll need a cake tin (or two) as well

Yep - two round cake tins and some greaseproof paper. Still cheaper than buying a load of cakes and people will marvel at your cooking skills (you don't tell them it's a packet mix obviously!).

savingmummy

Of course you wouldnt look mean.
I NEVER done the whole birthday cakes thing at work, others did but i just didnt lol! noone ever said anything.

My father used to work in the city and he used to take in a mix of different small cakes ie, jam tarts, mr kiplings etc they went down well!

I would go for for the fudge cake....sounds simple to make and very cheap too

Happy birthday xx

Zazen999

Make some of these:

http://www.jstott.me.uk/recipes/chocolatebiscuits.php
Don't bother putting the filling in, just bake them and take them in.

I usually roll the mix into a sausage, put it in the fridge to cool, and slice it when it is hardened and then bake. You get nice round biscuits that way.