teachermom2834 Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 be prepared to eat leftovers! I cooked for my family of 17 yesterday. MIL arrived last evening. I have already had to discuss what we will eat today. She doesn't want leftovers. I have a fridge full of leftovers and have been cooking for days and now I need to get creative! FWIW our leftovers include all kinds of Italian food in addition to the Thanksgiving staples. I'm tired. I didn't really feel like cooking a pot roast! So, if you are staying with someone who just banged out dinner for 17 people, you must happily eat leftovers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 I absolutely agree--ours is just traditional fare with a few "family weird dishes" since my Mom is here. Mashed carrot and Turnip, anyone? Organ meat stuffing? :D (If you are so inclined to read about my TG, I actually posted a blog entry here.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Isn't eating the leftovers the best part of Thanksgiving??? I would try to come up with a polite way of saying "if you would like something else, I won't be the least bit offended if you go in the kitchen and whip something up." Good luck with that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellyndria Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Yeah, I thought the best part of Thanksgiving was not having to cook for the rest of the weekend. Maybe you should send them out to a restaurant if they're not satisfied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 I'd tell her if the leftovers weren't good enough for her you could all go out to dinner. Her treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vkay Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Isn't eating the leftovers the best part of Thanksgiving??? I would try to come up with a polite way of saying "if you would like something else, I won't be the least bit offended if you go in the kitchen and whip something up." Good luck with that! :iagree::iagree: Perfect response! If for some reason she is unable to physically enter the kitchen and cook what she wants, then I would be honest and just say that I was too tired to cook today followed by a sinsere 'I'm sorry'. There would be zero chance of actually getting me to cook AGAIN if you have a ton of food available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lissijane Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 I have some familythat don't like leftovers that come in the same state as they were originally. So I make soup, pot pies and enchiladas all weekend. But if someone came and stayed at my house and were that rude I would probably draw a map to McDonalds for them. Oh wait I have when after working for hours my bil sits down looks at the main course of chicken and pasta with pesto and says he doesn't eat anything green in front of my kids. I guess I have trouble with that. Oops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Isn't eating the leftovers the best part of Thanksgiving??? I would try to come up with a polite way of saying "if you would like something else, I won't be the least bit offended if you go in the kitchen and whip something up." Good luck with that! :iagree: It really is unreasonable for her to expect you to cook again when there is plenty of food to eat. That said, if she wants to cook or treat you all to a dinner out, let her have the pleasure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Even with a fridge full of leftovers, fil and mil are taking all of us to the Chinese buffet today. :001_smile: Maybe you have a can of soup or something you could heat up for her (or have her heat up!)? Personally I love leftovers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 I'd tell her if the leftovers weren't good enough for her you could all go out to dinner. Her treat. :iagree: how rude of her. I can't imagine being a guest either for dinner or over night and complaining about the food the host provided.:huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted November 27, 2009 Share Posted November 27, 2009 Absolutely. We are actually going back to MILs tonight to eat the leftovers and we aren't even staying with her. :) I would tell your MIL that, if she doesn't like leftovers, she can make herself a grilled cheese for supper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabelen Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Of course! If she wants to impress you guys with her culinary expertise or her deep pocket, she can always go in the kitchen and cook something new with the leftovers or take you all out and treat you to a nice dinner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 The menu wouldn't even be up for discussion. I would set out cold turket, mayo, cranberry sauce, rolls, etc. plus other left overs, and say, "Dinner's on." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Sounds like my MIL. She wants three meals cooked everyday while she visits. I'm exhausted when they leave. The whole point of cooking that HUGE Thanksgiving meal is so that you earn a reprieve for the next three days afterward. Time to go hide in your bedroom during meal time. Tell hubby you have a migraine and disappear. LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Wow. Your mil has a brass set, hasn't she? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 ...that the definition of an optimist is someone who says, on the day after Thanksgiving, "Well, what is for dinner?" As if there is any question!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 There would be zero chance of actually getting me to cook AGAIN if you have a ton of food available. Oh yeah, not a chance. I'd say, "Oh man, I'm way to tired to cook again today. Sorry." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 (edited) be prepared to eat leftovers! First, let me say that I do not think the OP should go cook something else. <<So, if you are staying with someone who just banged out dinner for 17 people, you must happily eat leftovers!>> I agree. But, I think I can relate to where the MIL might be coming from. For any number of reasons she might not want to eat those same foods again: - she doesn't really care for turkey - like me, after cooking something for hours, she doesn't even feel like eating the food, and so in her own kitchen, she became accustomed to not eating the TG leftovers; now it's a old habit - any similar reason BUT, but she was unfortunately inconsiderate of her DIL's feelings and the amount of effort DIL had expended. It's one of those areas in which different women think in different ways, and coming to a mutual understanding of one another is helpful. The best the OP can do is receive the MIL's viewpoint graciously, and then decide what she wants to do with it. Unless the MIL is habitually obnoxious, I wouldn't hold this against her. Gracious knows that I've unintentionally said some rude things in my time, even though it was not my intention to *be* rude. I think sincerely and graciously inviting her to *help herself* to the pantry and kitchen facilities for anything her heart desires is the perfect way of handling this, unless she is disabled in some way, and if that's the case, she might just had to pick whatever she prefers of the leftovers. hth Edited November 28, 2009 by Valerie(TX) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConnieB Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Isn't eating the leftovers the best part of Thanksgiving??? I would try to come up with a polite way of saying "if you would like something else, I won't be the least bit offended if you go in the kitchen and whip something up." Good luck with that! :iagree: Heck, I do this with my own kids all year long, telling MIL after cooking for 17 would be a snap! I assume she didn't help cook for yesterday, so it'd be very easy and not the least bit rude to imitate Scarlett O'Hare with a brush of your wrist across your forehead and declare that you simply can't cook again today.....but would be most happy to eat whatever she whips up! Sounds like it might be time for a MIL/son talk, lol. I wouldn't wish that on my MIL though as my DH has no tolerance for such behavior. He'd probably tell her if she didn't like leftovers he'd be happy to drive her to the airport now so she can be home in time for dinner at her own home. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted November 28, 2009 Author Share Posted November 28, 2009 Thanks for the support. It's just one of those things I've come to expect from my MIL. She has such bigger problems and a sad life so I just let this stuff go. I just told her I was cooking anything new but offered all the many ways the leftovers could be served up and that I would be happy to do it. FWIW the leftovers included an antipasto salad, pork roast, stuffed shells, and an Italian soup so it wasn't all turkey and stuffing! It's just one of those things I made a mental note to myself about teaching my children. I wasn't always taught manners and I have embarassed myself plenty of times. I accidentally posted more related issues on the curriculum board at 4 am. Oh, how I wish the comment about leftovers was the biggest issue we're dealing with. Thanks ladies for letting me vent. Marie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Well, we must be crazy like you because even though we were going to my dh's family for dinner... my mom made a small turkey so we would have our own leftovers for the weekend. We both made extra of whatever we were bringing to dh's family, so we could bring it home to have with that extra turkey. I will NOT be cooking this weekend. No way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 The menu wouldn't even be up for discussion. I would set out cold turket, mayo, cranberry sauce, rolls, etc. plus other left overs, and say, "Dinner's on." This is exactly what I did last night when my mom and sister (happily) arrived for dinner. Everyone was content. We will be having the same for tomorrow's dinner. Tonight we have a wedding to go to, so we will get a break for one night. I hope to finish up the leftovers tomorrow night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 I'm pretty easy going about eating and want guests to feel welcome, and are welcome to fix themselves something, but please clean up and share:D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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