ILs always leaving leftovers at our house - just venting

[Anonymous]

We often have family gatherings at our house, as we have the space to do it, and a central location for everyone to gather. Generally, it's about 10-12 people over at our house for these gatherings. Every single time, we get stuck with all the leftover food from any and all gatherings. MIL especially loves to cook a ton of extra food that she knows will not get finished, plus bring over 3 different desserts which hardly get touched (she typically will bake a giant cake, plus pick up a costco pie and a plate of costco cookies.) The other families also bring over more food and desserts.

Like clockwork, when it's time to leave, everyone just leaves their food here, even though DH and I practically beg them to take it with them! It's always, "Oh no! We don't want those brownies in our house!" "We can't be eating all that pie." -- You get the idea.

It's just DH and I at the house, we do not have children. We don't want this stuff at our house either - we can't eat it all and we dont' have room to store it all in our fridge. We try not to eat junk food outside of holidays or get togethers/special occasions. We have told people not to bring over so much food & that we can't keep it but it falls on deaf ears. We just had a get together last night for the UFC fight and our fridge and freezer is now overloaded with leftover deli meat, an aluminum baking pan with baked beans, various dips, lil' smokies, potato chips, ice cream, 3/4 of a costco apple pie, and nearly an entire bundt cake.

Just venting. And thanksgiving is coming in two weeks...

Anyone else have this happen?

[Anonymous]

Just throw it out.

[Anonymous]

Talk to the OP of the in-laws taking leftovers thread. You all are ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of people on my local BN group offering leftover food and it usually gets picked up!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just throw it out.

+1
My MIL often brings food/junk that we don't want when she visits (she lives 20 minutes away). We've asked her to stop, but she continues so we throw it away after she leaves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of people on my local BN group offering leftover food and it usually gets picked up!

OP here. This is brilliant. I wouldn't have thought of this, didn't think people would actually want something like this.

[Anonymous]

I would not expect those that watch UFC events to care about wants of others. Take it to work, offer to neighbors, find food pantry fridges for the store bought items, throw away

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of people on my local BN group offering leftover food and it usually gets picked up!

Yes. Party leftovers are offered and taken all the time in my group.

[Anonymous]

Do you go to work? People often leave these in the break room at my work. I work in a nice place. You could put a note on the wall saying- "Costco pie from 11/16. Please help yourself!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Talk to the OP of the in-laws taking leftovers thread. You all are ridiculous.

It almost seems like it's the same OP reinventing this story from another angle.

[Anonymous]

My parents do this and it’s obnoxious. They won’t stop so I just throw it all out. You are not under any obligation to store or eat through this food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of people on my local BN group offering leftover food and it usually gets picked up!

What is a BN group?

[Anonymous]

They feel bad throwing it out so they’re making you do it. Throw it out and don’t feel guilty!

[Anonymous]

Maybe let them see you throwing it out. As people start to clear the table, just announce that all the desserts can be tossed as well as the salad and potatoes. We will use some turkey slices for sandwiches tomorrow but that is all we will eat.

Alternatively do a sign up for contributions. List 2 desserts, 1 salad, 2 mains. Remind people to only bring us on the list

[Anonymous]

OP this is part of hosting. You can control the food and cook for 12, or ask people to contribute and deal with leftovers. You have to pick one.

I will take my own leftovers home if it's not eaten, but I get prickly very fast when someone else's leftovers are being pushed on me as I'm leaving because "We don't want all this food in the house!". Yeah, I don't want the baked bean casserole either.

If it's just MIL, it's a MIL quirk. But based on the UFC fight story, this happens a lot. So, if you're going to ask people to bring food, be prepared for them to leave it. Or cook for 12. Personally I'd handle the leftovers.