A shadow Thanksgiving
I loathe my MIL's cooking. I told her I liked her deviled eggs once (under duress, I lied) but over the last few years her cooking has gotten worse. She cooks with an ancient electric oven that is always 20 degrees off either way and everything else ends up a watery mess, burnt or undercooked. What I have done is come up behind her and quietly add salt, pepper and dried herbs so it's at least palatable. The rest of the family is privately urging me to fix the food, even going so far as to ask me to make mashed potatoes and toss hers out and add mine to the same dish she brought. It's dumb. I told my husband and his brothers to just ask her to bring one item instead of 6(!!!) and not to say anything because it's what she loves doing. I'm not playing along this year because I'm sick of the waste and it's just dishonest.
Anyone else go through this kind of thing? You know someone's food sucks but you endure it to make them happy?
by Anonymous | reply 10 | November 26, 2024 5:13 PM
|
Mmmmm… no. I don’t know any crappy cooks.
by Anonymous | reply 1 | November 26, 2024 6:41 AM
|
I moved away from where my family lives, so I don’t worry about holiday cooking. I just eat what I want.
by Anonymous | reply 2 | November 26, 2024 6:52 AM
|
[quote]You know someone's food sucks but you endure it to make them happy?
Yep, most of us do this. It's called 'life' -- enduring a bit of discomfort to make someone happy. The food is not going to kill you - just eat a small amount - and enjoy the company.
by Anonymous | reply 3 | November 26, 2024 7:41 AM
|
OP you sound dreadful. The rest of the family is saying behind YOUR back, "Good god, just make him feel special. Fake it - act like his food is so great, because he seems very desperate for attention and approval. Anything to shut that mincing queen's mouth."
by Anonymous | reply 4 | November 26, 2024 8:46 AM
|
Fucking hell, Americans and their "I hate waste!" spineless control freak Thanksgiving problems.
If you're the host, change the rules. Have an all Italian meal, for instance, and ask everyone to bring one dish or a donation to take around to a food shelter to share your good fortune.
Why make people miserable over a Thanksgiving meal? For the most part the food is so miserable that every dish is avoided for 364 days of the year.
If you're going to spend the same day every year with the same people, make it a day of easy hospitality and enjoying each other's company, not about passive-aggressive bitching about mashed potatoes and old stoves and bad cooks
by Anonymous | reply 5 | November 26, 2024 8:48 AM
|
Stop the drama. Stop talking about it with other members of the family. Ask her to bring a specific dish and make sure some of it disappears.
Enjoy the holiday.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | November 26, 2024 9:21 AM
|
Change up the menu so it's easier for your MIL to bring a fool-proof dish. Invite her over early so you she can utilize your no-doubt perfect kitchen resources. Or, order out/go out for dinner.
You sound like a little bitch, by the way.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | November 26, 2024 12:03 PM
|
Yes, I opt out of this stupid granny shit show.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | November 26, 2024 1:06 PM
|
Have you considered gifting her a new stove/oven? Doesn't need to be terribly expensive.
by Anonymous | reply 9 | November 26, 2024 3:58 PM
|
Is she elderly? My grandma used to cook all the food for Thanksgiving, but as she got older and got more forgetful, the food quality got worse. So my mom quietly took over. I don't see any problems with my mom stepping down in the future; she hates cooking.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | November 26, 2024 5:13 PM
|