SIL always orders an expensive smoked turkey since she hates cooking the bird. Personally, I can't stand the taste and the pervasive smoke smell makes me cough incessantly. She means well, but it's become an ordeal when she hosts.

They served dinner at noon and they are not serving dinner. DH took charge and said we’re feeding the kids and ourselves a bit—we’re hungry.

Anonymous wrote:Host mail ordered all the food and it wasn’t good. Everything was undercooked due to everything in one oven. Everyone either avoided the undercooked meat or subtly microwaved theirs. No one wants to take leftovers home.

For good reason!

Turkey way overcooked. Everything cold by the time we ate.

served pumpkin pie warm

Host mail ordered all the food and it wasn’t good. Everything was undercooked due to everything in one oven. Everyone either avoided the undercooked meat or subtly microwaved theirs. No one wants to take leftovers home.

Not opening any wine until dessert time. And it wasn't even dessert wine.

Everything the hosts made was good. I was not very impressed with the desert recipes that I made. Oh well.

Another one here with ILs who stuff the too-big-for-a-small gathering bird. Gee, it’s dry again? Who could have foreseen?

They don't keep anything warm. They put it in cold serving dishes and on cold platters, and pass family-style, so by the time you actually get to eat, it's cold. And you can't even nuke it because the china has a metal rim.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They made cranberry stuff that is all raw cranberry in the food processor with orange peel. Nope! I’m going to make some proper boiled cranberries and sugar next week.

are your hosts Scandinavian in origin? This is my family’s preferred cranberry relish too, though I am REALLY happy if someone also makes a cranberry and port boiled cranberry dish as well. The more cranberries the better!!

I LOVE raw cranberry relish with orange peel and walnuts. Delicious. We had both kinds and I barely touched the boiled.

Anonymous wrote:They made cranberry stuff that is all raw cranberry in the food processor with orange peel. Nope! I’m going to make some proper boiled cranberries and sugar next week.

are your hosts Scandinavian in origin? This is my family’s preferred cranberry relish too, though I am REALLY happy if someone also makes a cranberry and port boiled cranberry dish as well. The more cranberries the better!!

They made cranberry stuff that is all raw cranberry in the food processor with orange peel. Nope! I’m going to make some proper boiled cranberries and sugar next week.

OK, so we’re all grateful and we would never complain or do anything but say thank you and make pleasant conversation, but…what did your hosts/guests who made contributions get wrong?

We rotate hosting, so I get that it’s hard to get it all right and get it all on the table at the same time, but…

MIL overcooked the turkey AGAIN, because she insists on buying a huge bird for not that many people, stuffing it, and basting it all the time—lowering the oven temperature each and every time she bastes/peeks in. She herself said, “Well, I managed to dry it out again” but does the exact same thing every year and then complains about it.

My husband mashed the potatoes and used a hand mixer, which makes them gluey. Again, he does that every time and complains about it.