Uni students eating me out of house and home

C_J

Make the eggs go further by turning them into a big dish of Spanish tortilla - fill a large roasting tin with layers of cooked sliced potatoes, onions and any other veg you have available (peas or spinach would be good), pour in beaten eggs and sprinkle over a little grated cheese if you wish before baking. Cut into squares and keep in the fridge for snacking.

Rosa_Damascena

3secondmemory said:

I never bought snacks, if mine were hungry it was Weetabix or sandwiches. 

Brilliant advice.

C_J said:

Maybe buy some own brand porridge oats and bake a couple of big trays of flapjacks - might keep them “fuller for longer”.

I wouldn't even bother doing that. I recommend a bag of supermarket brand oats, 6 pints of milk and don't come back until dinner time

VJsmum

I agree, if you put it in there, they'll eat it - especially if it's easy.  I've seen my lad devour a pack of ham while waiting for a toastie to cook.

There's a Dr Who Alien called the Vashta Nerada that swarms over people instantly devouring their flesh and i think teenage boys are somewhat similar (girls can too come to that based on some of DD's birthday parties).

The big tin of stuff like bread pudding is a good idea, or allocate them the money and tell them to spend it well.

C_J

Ha, I'd forgotten about Vashta Nerada - before you reminded me, I was thinking that young lads are rather like The Tiger Who Came To Tea (and who ate everything in sight).

I suppose it's a fine line between providing inexpensive scran just to stop them feeling hungry, and the desire to want to feel like you are looking after them and making their stay with you a pleasant experience (esp if they don't have particularly happy home lives of their own) and not just an expensive inconvenience.  (If this is so, then I sympathise - I have that ridiculously over-active nurturing gene whereby I used to treat my daughters' boyfriends as surrogate sons at that age, welcoming them into our home and making them feel part of the family. I remember they used to often prowl around the kitchen hunting for food so I spent a lot of time baking muffins to try and deal with their insatiable hunger. They used to eat SO MUCH!!).

VJsmum

C_J said:

Ha, I'd forgotten about Vashta Nerada - before you reminded me, I was thinking that young lads are rather like The Tiger Who Came To Tea (and who ate everything in sight).

I guess it's from memories of them swarming over a buffet table - leaving it stripped to the bone.  In this instance the tiger who came to tea is probably more appropriate

Spendless

Yes, that's exactly it. We said it was ok for DS to invite them. We have no wish to make them feel like they're an inconvenience, whilst not wanting to replenish food every day. One friend is a girl btw, but with more of an apetite than my DD. I've had one fo them stay before and the food and did the seperate fridge thing then and it worked well, I'd no idea having 3 of them at once would be a game changer!  Flapjacks will be made as and when it suits me. I've no cheap oats in. For health reasons a few years ago I was told I'd got to start liking porridge and have only ever found Quaker oats that I like and I'm not using them, when a cheap bag will suffice.

kazwookie

Well done on you, I don't think I would be so accommodating for either tent in garden or feeding.

Toast / cereals / pasta IMO are the way to go.

Is there anywhere locally they can get part time jobs? and chip in even if it is £10 per week it would be something.

Spendless

They're not staying long, only until sometime next week, so I don't think a job would be possible. 

Spendless

The tent in the garden is no trouble btw, if anything it's easier. Since moving to Uni, DS has the smallest bedroom, with just a single bed. I offerred this to female friend, and told the boys they had to do any combo of sofa, bed settee in conservatory or tent. Female friend has peferred to camp out as well. It's a big tent with 2 beds and a middle space that can also be a bedroom. 

theoretica

Sleeping outdoors will make them even hungrier.  A big pot of peanut butter is cheap to go with bread.