Tackfully tell family member to stop bringing lousy food to potlucks

[Anonymous]

Now I want waffles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I get it if preparing the dishes yourself has a lot of meaning for you but food contributed in a potluck doesn't have to be homemade. Consider for a moment that the personal effort made in preparing the dish is less important to her (or maybe she can't cook well or doesn't have the time or whatever) and maybe her motivation is based on contributing something she can present as both fun and tasty. Think of it as her "potluck love language" and focus instead on the togetherness of the event.

"potluck love language" LOL!

My pll is store-bought dessert. 😊

[Anonymous]

For our neighborhood potlucks, I always make:
-Hot ham and cheese sliders
-Banana pudding (which is actually quite time-intensive as I don’t use any boxed ingredients or shortcuts; I even make my own butter cookies for the topping)

And (because it’s such a large crowd) I also always bring fried chicken from Wegmans. GUESS WHAT ALWAYS GOES FIRST?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP. Yes, a typo. The issue is she isn't putting any real effort. She is picking up stuff from a store or restaurant. Everyone else is taking the time to cook food and plate it. She literally stops on her way over. Can't even put on a real platter or bowl. She agrees to bring items but can't bother to make things. Her own family is only worth a quick stop at the grocery store.The rest of the family says how good the soup is or such but they are only being nice. It is so dismissive of her. She eats everyone else's real food.

I don't eat my own food at potlucks. That's the beauty of potlucks--you get to eat many different types of food! It's a poor man's buffet. OP, you and your mom need to relax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For our neighborhood potlucks, I always make:
-Hot ham and cheese sliders
-Banana pudding (which is actually quite time-intensive as I don’t use any boxed ingredients or shortcuts; I even make my own butter cookies for the topping)

And (because it’s such a large crowd) I also always bring fried chicken from Wegmans. GUESS WHAT ALWAYS GOES FIRST?

Now you (and OP) have done it--I want fried chicken and waffles now!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For our neighborhood potlucks, I always make:
-Hot ham and cheese sliders
-Banana pudding (which is actually quite time-intensive as I don’t use any boxed ingredients or shortcuts; I even make my own butter cookies for the topping)

And (because it’s such a large crowd) I also always bring fried chicken from Wegmans. GUESS WHAT ALWAYS GOES FIRST?

Now you (and OP) have done it--I want fried chicken and waffles now!

Next potluck: platter of waffle quarters, platter of Chik-fil-a nuggets, jug of maple syrup.

[Anonymous]

The Popeyes always goes first.

[Anonymous]

Just ask her to plate it ahead of time. I always but my potluck did, but dump it into a bowl in the car and cover it with Saran Wrap. I once had a guest go on about my chicken and hire much better it was than Whole Foods’. Dear reader, he was eating chicken salad from Whole Foods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just ask her to plate it ahead of time. I always buy my potluck food, but dump it into a bowl in the car and cover it with Saran Wrap. I once had a guest go on about my chicken and hire much better it was than Whole Foods’. Dear reader, he was eating chicken salad from Whole Foods.

Typos!

[Anonymous]

I make a fairly fancy quiche myself. It’s not that time consuming. The crust and filling prep takes a bit but it’s not like it’s a hard slog. They are always gobbled up too. Sometimes I use store bought crust and make a quick tomato pie. It’s not that complicated.

Also it’s nice to have a mix of things. Junky egg rolls and crab Rangoon sound fab. Fresh blueberries with whipped cream and diner waffle? Hell yes. It’s high and lowbrow perfection.

[Anonymous]

My mom is amazing she never once - not once talked about how great a cook she is, or even suggested how to make something, or even commented at all about anyone's food. Friends and family and acquaintances rave about my mom's food, and always have. She has always been humble about her talents.

MIL goes on about the quantity of food being served - how something is "too much!", "enough for an army!", "I could never eat all of this!!" "I certainly don't have room in my (empty) fridge for this!!" or (mysteriously) "just the right amount!" every single time - like a strange ritual. It would make a great drinking game!

Point being, some people have strange hang ups about food. Try to be gracious, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How can I tell a family member to stop bringing their lousy food to potlucks. For mother's Day she brought two huge containers of lobster bisque from a grocery store with plastic cups and spoons to serve it in. broke up some cheese crisps to drop on top & little paper container of heavy whipping cream. For a brunch, she bought 10 waffles from waffle house. cut in quarters and put out some kinds of syrup in the bottles, can of whip cream, blueberries, cut up strawberries at my house, and put on a plastic platter from a dollar store. Other things like crab rangoons & egg rolls from a Chinese restaurant with a bunch of chopsticks. She "served" those in the takeout red/white containers.

This is all stuff she brings right from the grocery store or restaurants, still in the bags, wrapped up. Everyone else makes food and brings it in nice containers. Should I assign her items to bring or just tell her to not bother with her grocery store run? With holiday tomorrow who knows what she'll show up with.

Stop being cheap and just buy food to serve when you invite guests over. I'd be happy with waffle house waffles or egg rolls or chinese food.

[Anonymous]

Food sounds awesome, problem solved lol

[Anonymous]

the soup sounds gross but only because I don't like seafood. I'd be all over that waffle set up though!! I don't give a rat's behind if it's on a dollar store tray or directly from the Chinese food containers. Actually, directly from the container tells me I'm less likely to find a rogue dog hair in it, so that's a bonus for me.

Either properly host and provide everything, or accept whatever offerings are brought. For some it will be homemade, for others it will be store bought. Relax and enjoy the company. Eat the foods you like, and skip the rest, like a normal person. You're not going to eat every single thing that's brought regardless of how it's prepared or presented, so stop worrying about it.

[Anonymous]

I don't think this thread has gone the way OP had hoped.