When someone does something S/O

[MistressMonster]

What if you tried it and didn't like it? Would you keep eating it? Would you wished that you had brought sliced turkey with you and if they do that again the next year, would you bring the sliced turkey?

My DH"s aunt makes a ham for Christmas and she slathers it with mustard. I hate mustard! I try to get a piece that has no mustard on it since it's just slathered on the outside though.

Idk I've never had one. I'm kind of curious about it so I'd try it. Idk anyone who would ever do one though.

Actually I'd add to say what I really want- and I may have to marry a Hispanic man to find it- is homemade tamales....

MMM tamales! Done right they are amazing. We used to have a lady come through selling tamales. It's been quite awhile. I could eat a few right now!

[Anonymous 1]

I think the OP just is trying to understand why MIL would be upset by her bringing her own potato. She obviously really likes baked/boiled potatoes (lol!) so why can't she just bring it without her MIL acting offended?

It sounded like to me that a baked potato was a staple to her for a Thanksgiving dinner and since her MIL didn't set aside boiled potatoes like she would ask, then she just started bringing her own. If I as a host kept forgetting to do that or just didn't want to (not sure the reason her MIL doesn't do it), then I wouldn't care if someone brought their own then. We have certain staples in our family as I am sure everyone does especially for Thanksgiving. I get why people are saying that you should bring a dish to share for everyone, but since everyone else eats them mashed, I don't see the big deal to bring a different kind that she likes. In reality, this is nothing in this world. It's food. It's a blip in a life, but if she feels something rude from her MIL, that causes friction so I see it as more about the friction than the potato itself. JMO.

Yea, but would you continue to bring something when you knew the host was offended? That's the funny part of the story. I mean it's one meal, how obsessed can one person be over a food item, LMAO!

I agree with this, which is why I wouldn't bring the baked potato, or a blip in life, LOL...no need to have a scowling MIL over a damn potato, which although you are excusing as some other motive, I am actually taking her troll town story at face value, MIL is upset at her bringing a potato.

[Valentina327]

Personally it doesn't bother me if someone brings something. However, coming from the perspective of the person who's been doing all of the cooking, baking and clean up for about the last decade, I can see why someone might take offense.

The lady is obviously older and it no doubt takes a lot out of her. There's how many shopping trips, hauling a 25 pound frozen turkey, a ten pound bag of potatoes and all the sides in the house, lugging cases of soda in, digging out your big pans, likely baking the day or two before, then starting to cook at 6am on the actual holiday. Don't even mention what all of this costs too. Then there's cleaning up which runs into the next day. If she's in her 70s, which I suspect she may be, she's got to be beyond exausted. But she does it to make a nice day.

There's a lot that goes into these holiday dinners that those who show up to eat and go home that night don't even consider. It's definitely a labor of love when it's being done, so I can understand where someone might get hurt that what they're doing isn't good enough. There's this feast laid out before you, and you're going to walk in with a mangy baked potato in your pocket. WTF

[LiveWhatULove]

There are a probably multiple reasons she could be offended, but those are the facts -- she is offended, lol. From my perspective the only thing to understand is: 1) continue to offend her with a baked potato OR 2) don't bring the potato.


You can't change crazy, you can only choose how you deal with it, right?

I think the OP just is trying to understand why MIL would be upset by her bringing her own potato. She obviously really likes baked/boiled potatoes (lol!) so why can't she just bring it without her MIL acting offended?

It sounded like to me that a baked potato was a staple to her for a Thanksgiving dinner and since her MIL didn't set aside boiled potatoes like she would ask, then she just started bringing her own. If I as a host kept forgetting to do that or just didn't want to (not sure the reason her MIL doesn't do it), then I wouldn't care if someone brought their own then. We have certain staples in our family as I am sure everyone does especially for Thanksgiving. I get why people are saying that you should bring a dish to share for everyone, but since everyone else eats them mashed, I don't see the big deal to bring a different kind that she likes. In reality, this is nothing in this world. It's food. It's a blip in a life, but if she feels something rude from her MIL, that causes friction so I see it as more about the friction than the potato itself. JMO.

I agree with this, which is why I wouldn't bring the baked potato, or a blip in life, LOL...no need to have a scowling MIL over a damn potato, which although you are excusing as some other motive, I am actually taking her troll town story at face value, MIL is upset at her bringing a potato.

[LiveWhatULove]

There's this feast laid out before you, and you're going to walk in with a mangy baked potato in your pocket. WTF

OMG, the mental image of this is priceless. It's like a comedy movie. I truly could make a comedy skit on Saturday live about this situation. I don't know what is wrong with me, but I am in tears over this. I gotta get out more.

[Anonymous 1]

Yeah, she said she brings other side dishes to share as well but the one baked potato just shouldn't be an issue IMO. I think she said she has been in the family for over 25 years so I assume she probably has hosted some holidays at some point.

Personally it doesn't bother me if someone brings something. However, coming from the perspective of the person who's been doing all of the cooking, baking and clean up for about the last decade, I can see why someone might take offense.

The lady is obviously older and it no doubt takes a lot out of her. There's how many shopping trips, hauling a 25 pound frozen turkey, a ten pound bag of potatoes and all the sides in the house, lugging cases of soda in, digging out your big pans, likely baking the day or two before, then starting to cook at 6am on the actual holiday. Don't even mention what all of this costs too. Then there's cleaning up which runs into the next day. If she's in her 70s, which I suspect she may be, she's got to be beyond exausted. But she does it to make a nice day.

There's a lot that goes into these holiday dinners that those who show up to eat and go home that night don't even consider. It's definitely a labor of love when it's being done, so I can understand where someone might get hurt that what they're doing isn't good enough. There's this feast laid out before you, and you're going to walk in with a mangy baked potato in your pocket. WTF

[Valentina327]

I think the OP just is trying to understand why MIL would be upset by her bringing her own potato. She obviously really likes baked/boiled potatoes (lol!) so why can't she just bring it without her MIL acting offended?

It sounded like to me that a baked potato was a staple to her for a Thanksgiving dinner and since her MIL didn't set aside boiled potatoes like she would ask, then she just started bringing her own. If I as a host kept forgetting to do that or just didn't want to (not sure the reason her MIL doesn't do it), then I wouldn't care if someone brought their own then. We have certain staples in our family as I am sure everyone does especially for Thanksgiving. I get why people are saying that you should bring a dish to share for everyone, but since everyone else eats them mashed, I don't see the big deal to bring a different kind that she likes. In reality, this is nothing in this world. It's food. It's a blip in a life, but if she feels something rude from her MIL, that causes friction so I see it as more about the friction than the potato itself. JMO.

I agree with this, which is why I wouldn't bring the baked potato, or a blip in life, LOL...no need to have a scowling MIL over a damn potato, which although you are excusing as some other motive, I am actually taking her troll town story at face value, MIL is upset at her bringing a potato.

It's not the potato itself. It's what it represents. The lady goes through the trouble of this whole big dinner to make a nice family gathering and someone walks in the house with something for themselves because what she made isn't good enough. That's the message and that's why she's hurt.

I can't understand being so obsessed over one food item that you can't just skip the potato. That is just insane to me to be so adamant about something as stupid as food. It's not a restaurant. Eat what she worked hard to make.

[Valentina327]

There's this feast laid out before you, and you're going to walk in with a mangy baked potato in your pocket. WTF

OMG, the mental image of this is priceless. It's like a comedy movie. I truly could make a comedy skit on Saturday live about this situation. I don't know what is wrong with me, but I am in tears over this. I gotta get out more.

LOL
I was laughing when I wrote it. It is ridiculous. You should send it in! Now I'm laughing even harder at what you said!

[Anonymous 1]

But since OP told her MIL years ago that she doesn't like mashed potatoes and could she set some boiled ones aside before she mashes them and she doesn't do it, OP just brings her own now. I don't see the issue. It just would not bother me. If anything, as the host, I would feel like oh crap I forgot I'm sorry, and then I would make sure I set some aside.

I am a picky eater so I can relate to not liking a lot of certain foods and if I wanted a specific thing for a holiday, I would bring it too. I just don't know how that affects her MIL or anyone that would be offended by it. Now, if it was like a dinner with friends or something and you knew there wouldn't be much that you like, I would bring a side or 2 that I liked to make sure there was something I could put on my plate. But since MIL is already serving a form of potatoes, I think OP thinks it would be strange to bring another side dish of a different kind of potatoes.

I think the OP just is trying to understand why MIL would be upset by her bringing her own potato. She obviously really likes baked/boiled potatoes (lol!) so why can't she just bring it without her MIL acting offended?

I agree with this, which is why I wouldn't bring the baked potato, or a blip in life, LOL...no need to have a scowling MIL over a damn potato, which although you are excusing as some other motive, I am actually taking her troll town story at face value, MIL is upset at her bringing a potato.

It's not the potato itself. It's what it represents. The lady goes through the trouble of this whole big dinner to make a nice family gathering and someone walks in the house with something for themselves because what she made isn't good enough. That's the message and that's why she's hurt.

I can't understand being so obsessed over one food item that you can't just skip the potato. That is just insane to me to be so adamant about something as stupid as food. It's not a restaurant. Eat what she worked hard to make.

[Anonymous 1]

I would LOVE to see an SNL skit of that!!!! Although exaggerated (as they always are) with bringing something in your pocket..that would be funny!!!!!

There's this feast laid out before you, and you're going to walk in with a mangy baked potato in your pocket. WTF

OMG, the mental image of this is priceless. It's like a comedy movie. I truly could make a comedy skit on Saturday live about this situation. I don't know what is wrong with me, but I am in tears over this. I gotta get out more.