WWYD: MIL just wants a salad...again... - Page 6

[mama2mygirl]

Originally Posted by cycle

Usually people who eat mainly things from a can or box do not like "real" food. KWIM? My brother and SIL only eat things that come from boxes or cans - they turn their noses up at anything I make and constantly make fun of my eating and cooking habits. Whatevah!

I would make the salad and bring another dish, at least you'll have something you can eat - and don't be bothered by it at all.

I have a friend like this. She used to come over and criticize my homecooking and then invite me over for hamburger helper. It took me so long to figure out that she didn't really want homecooked food. She prefers the canned/boxed stuff.

[nikag]

Originally Posted by onlyzombiecat

That's nice.
What are you going to make?

Yep, this is what I wanna know.

I love food talk.

I want details!!

[crysmomofthree]

Originally Posted by moondiapers

I'd do this, but in a more polite way. I'd bring the salad, plus a dish that is different than what is usually there.

: THis is a great idea and i'm with you I have passive aggressive in laws and I feel put down often when we are getting ready for family events I"ve solved that by doing what is asked of me ie: salad and doing what I would love for the holiday

[Laggie]

I'm having a similar problem with my mom - she wants me to bring dessert, but DSD and my Grandma are gluten-free, so she told me not to bring a gluten free dessert because she has something for them.

I don't really get the point of the separate desserts - if I'm going to bake, I may as well make something everyone can eat, right? So I offered to make a gluten free cake instead. No. She has jello pudding parfaits or some such thing for the gluten free. Gross.

I just told her I'm bringing cheesecake. The recipe will just happen to not have wheat, I guess.

[macheetah]

Laggie, on the GF dessert thing...I have similar issues.

I'm gluten-intolerant and my family of origin either doesn't believe it or doesn't care...last year we had a family and friends dinner at my parents' house where they actually put out 5-6 desserts on a table and I could not eat any of them...my BF was so affronted by this story that he went out of his way to make me GF apple crisp and cookies for the Thanksgiving dinner we all had.

Now, for our Christmas dinner, my mom was happily telling me all the things she is making and none of them are GF. When I said I wouldn't be able to eat any of it she said, annoyed, that I could "eat around" the crust on the pecan pie. Uh, no, that doesn't work out so well! So I'm sure the BF will be beside himself thinking up some outrageous GF dessert (perhaps something with flames as mentioned earlier on the thread... )

So good for you to be thinking of your GF family members, IMHO it is very nice and thoughtful to provide a dish everyone can eat, especially when it comes to dessert. PM if you want a recipe for apple crisp or pralines.

[ma_Donna]

So glad to hear that you're on for an appetizer and dessert!
I agree with the theory that they don't appreciate the good cooking you do.

When my IL's first came up here to visit, at different points in the trip they brought cool whip and boxed wine into our home - I knew I wouldn't have the issues my Mom had with my Granny about never being able to cook well enough (Mom must still be traumatized since she always tries to have THE impressive dish of any occasion). Nor the problem of my SIL who has the same issue with my Mom

Anyhoo I didn't realize that cooking from scratch would be a problem for them, but I think it is. And this puzzles me since DH likes to cook from scratch. Before I met him I had no idea how easy it was to make fresh salsa.

I had some tears at our last visit with them. They left to go shopping and I started the sauce for dinner (meatballs in sauce and lasagne). I made a huge pot of sauce, roasted the garlic, fresh herbs and everything. After they got home I see MIL putting meatballs in the sauce I made - I do not eat beef - and she used jarred, full of HFCS, sauce for the lasagne.

[Smokering]

Interestingly enough, quite a few traditional Christmas desserts (in NZ, at any rate) are 'naturally' gluten-free, or can be. Pavlova, meringues, ambrosia, fruit salad, ice cream, chocolate-dipped strawberries, custard... heck, even Christmas cake and Christmas pudding have quite a few gluten-free versions knocking around these days. I think making a GF cheesecake is a lovely thought.

Meringue mushrooms are cute too, and GF... just felt I should point that out. I love 'em!

[mama_at_home]

For Thanksgiving this year we were told to bring ONE can of corn.

[AngieB]

If my dh had sisters I would think we where from the same family. With my IL's it's my MIL and her 3 sisters. They have the same boxed foods every year for the holidays and the same person always brings them and don't you dare try and change anything. One year (early in my marriage) I made the mistake of bringing a plate of cookies to christmas eve. Little did I know that Aunt C brings the cookies. No one but my dh would eat the cookies from my plate. Then for years at thanksgiving I would bring a great cranberry dish and every year MIL would open a can of cranberries and everyone but dh and I would only eat the canned crap.I gave up. I make the good stuff for my family and this year dh and I hosted and after thanksgiving party for our friends.

[Nicole77]

Originally Posted by mamalisa

One of my favorite MIL moments was the Christmas right after dd was born. My dad and I cook, the inlaws usually come here. As everyone was finishing dinner I said that I would make the whipped cream as soon as dd was done nursing and we could have dessert. My MIL got this incredulous look on her face and said, "Make whipped cream?" I said yes, and explained how I made it. Obviously it's nothing fancy, whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla. I swear she snorted and said, "Well Cool Whip has always been good enough for my family." Yea, well so is "potted meat" and canned asparagus so wtf do you know. So now dh calls me "The snob who makes her own whipped cream, just to show off".

Oh my, I think we must secretly share the same MIL. Mine thinks I am "fancy" and takes every opportunity to comment about it, even turning down chicken and white bean chili or plain old seared salmon with some butter and lemon while saying we know them, they don't like anything fancy. Makes me want to smack her.

[mata]

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[mata]

oh, no no no-that won't do. I'd make a couple of other dishes, and present them to her saying they're my signature dishes. She's trying to keep you in a corner! and nobody puts baby in a corner.

[nikag]

Originally Posted by mata

...and nobody puts baby in a corner.

Best. Quote. Ever.

[MommyHawk]

Originally Posted by ma_Donna

After they got home I see MIL putting meatballs in the sauce I made - I do not eat beef - and she used jarred, full of HFCS, sauce for the lasagne.

she must not be Italian...that is soooo wrong!: