Dear MIL...

[superme80]

I am an unbelievably lucky DIL so I have no complaints to make but I need to respond to this! Watergate salad (we actually call it "green fluff" in my family since it's not in any way a salad! Haha!) is loved by all in my family! It's at many holidays & potlucks around here I think it must be a Midwest thing? We love our marshmallow/cool whip desserts And the chunky bits are the pistachios from the pudding mix. Blame Jello for the color lol!!

Is that the Pistachia pudding salad???? If so we love that in my family. It was a Grandma specialty. Sadly we don't have it as much after she passed.

 

[ImDMous]

I love that stuff too, but I understand that it's not universally liked I don't know why?

 

[superme80]

Dear MIL,

Thank you for finally admitting ro your son that I am your favorite child

My grandma said that about my dad. She loved him so much.

 

[mummabear]

I wish my dad and brother would do lists. They are so hard to buy for. What do you want? Nothing. Ugh.

I really like it, we make "long" lists as in 3-5 gifts longer than the family group so there is still a surprise about what you are getting, sometimes people will put something biggish on the list and everyone puts in for it but mostly it's CDs, specific books etc
If I'm spending money I would rather it was something they actually wanted.

He'll even between my girlfriends (are kids are all good friends) we will ask each other what specifically the kid wants for their birthday (like I will k ow they are Lego mad but they will have heaps so it helps us get them something they don't already have or so
Elliot e else is t already getting (or again the 5 of us may chip in for a big set)

 

[mousefanmichelle]

1 year my MIL thought she was being funny and had a big John Deere box that she must have bought something in. She put my real present inside of the box, wrapped it up and when I opened it I could feel my face drop. I was like what the heck did they get me now??!! Turns out she was being cute and wrapped up my new set of silverware in the box lol!!!!

She also tries to decorate my Christmas tree with John Deere. Every year she buys my dh an ornament. Guess what it is???

Come on, Guess!!!!

It's a John Deere tractor ornament!!! It's bad enough that every tee shirt the man owns has something green and yellow on it lol!!
This one time she bought him a shirt that read, " Will trade wife for tractor"!

She totally gets a kick out of it and it's all harmless fun

 

[ols386]

This x 1000.

Listen. If I'm an adult and you're an adult and you don't know what to get me, then we aren't close enough to be exchanging gifts anyway.

Actually, I like it when my kids give me a list for Christmas gifts. I know them well, but that doesn't mean I can always pick out a gift they will love. Having a list just makes it easier for me, and insures that I'll get them gifts they love. They're adults now so they don't really care one way or another about being "surprised".

 

[ols386]

All the adults and kids in our family have lists. It's way too hard to keep track of what people already have, what color/size they would need, which game system they prefer. You are definitely free to go off-list if you want. I usually mix it up with something they specifically asked for and then something I just think they'll like.

My departed MIL used to give us things she shoplifted from local stores, even though BIL had given her money or offered to buy all her presents. In it for the thrill I guess...

Oh Wow!

 

[MamaBelle4]

Actually, I like it when my kids give me a list for Christmas gifts. I know them well, but that doesn't mean I can always pick out a gift they will love. Having a list just makes it easier for me, and insures that I'll get them gifts they love. They're adults now so they don't really care one way or another about being "surprised".

I guess I'm the oddball here. When I started with my husband, everyone kept hounding me for lists and it makes me uncomfortable.

Heck, I didn't even want to register for our wedding. Feels, I don't know, presumptious to me. I know that sounds crazy. But I never said I wasn't.

 

[Hook326]

Is that the Pistachia pudding salad???? If so we love that in my family. It was a Grandma specialty. Sadly we don't have it as much after she passed.

Yep! It's super easy to make if you want to carry on her specialty! Recipe on the jello brand pistachio pudding box

I love that stuff too, but I understand that it's not universally liked I don't know why?

How can you not like a green concoction of (almost) pure sugar?!?! I do wonder who decided to throw crushed pineapple, pistachio pudding mix, cool whip & marshmallows together and call it a salad though But it's yummy!

 

[goofyernmost]

No one will ever accuse me of being the world's greatest housekeeper and I admit I have left out overnight accidentally on occasion and we almost always eat it and have never gotten sick. I don't know I guess some people are more sensitive to that than others maybe?

I'm not saying this to imply anything concerning any comments from anyone on the board, but, I remember when I was in High School. Myself and a few of my friends used to volunteer to work in the kitchen. One day a group of guys decided to pick on this friend of mine and told him that he had just accidentally ingested rat poison and that he had better get ready to go to the doctor within the next half hour. He got violently ill was transported to the hospital got his stomach emptied, the whole nine yards. To this day he still thinks he ate rat poison. None of us had the heart to tell him that it was just a piece of left over cookie that he ate. The power of suggestion is a powerful one, so I guess if someone believes that two hours will be a problem then it is better to just not ingest it then get sick.

 

[CarolAnn856]

I'm not saying this to imply anything concerning any comments from anyone on the board, but, I remember when I was in High School. Myself and a few of my friends used to volunteer to work in the kitchen. One day a group of guys decided to pick on this friend of mine and told him that he had just accidentally ingested rat poison and that he had better get ready to go to the doctor within the next half hour. He got violently ill was transported to the hospital got his stomach emptied, the whole nine yards. To this day he still thinks he ate rat poison. None of us had the heart to tell him that it was just a piece of left over cookie that he ate. The power of suggestion is a powerful one, so I guess if someone believes that two hours will be a problem then it is better to just not ingest it then get sick.

Wait, what?? You let this person keep believing he ate poison to the point he became "violently ill" AND you never fessed up even as he was about to go to the hospital? Granted, you probably didn't realize he would end up getting his stomach pumped, but to let the gag go on to that point is unbelievable.

 

[Hikergirl]

There is nothing wrong with someone being ok with eating food that has sat out longer than 2 hours, but people aren't crazy germaphobes if they choose not too

From Google.
Cooked food sitting at room temperature is in what the USDA calls the "Danger Zone," which is between 40°F and 140°F. In this range of temperatures, bacteria grows rapidly and the food can become unsafe to eat, so it should only be left out no more than two hours

 

[Melissakay1q]

There is nothing wrong with someone being ok with eating food that has sat out longer than 2 hours, but people aren't crazy germaphobes if they choose not too

From Google.
Cooked food sitting at room temperature is in what the USDA calls the "Danger Zone," which is between 40°F and 140°F. In this range of temperatures, bacteria grows rapidly and the food can become unsafe to eat, so it should only be left out no more than two hours

DH won't eat leftover chicken if it's been in the fridge for any length of time (bc he thinks it can get salmonella) but will eat pizza that sat out on the counter for an entire night. The man is a mystery.

 

[Tasha228]

I guess I'm the oddball here. When I started with my husband, everyone kept hounding me for lists and it makes me uncomfortable.

Heck, I didn't even want to register for our wedding. Feels, I don't know, presumptious to me. I know that sounds crazy. But I never said I wasn't.

I see nothing wrong with lists, as long as everyone is in agreement. We don't really do lists anymore but I do ask people what they want if I'm stumped so it's kinda the same thing without making them write it down.

That being said, I find it completely rude in the previous poster's situation to be an adult and call someone and say I'm not getting them anything and then give them a list of what to get me. What the--?!

 

[mom2rtk]

DH won't eat leftover chicken if it's been in the fridge for any length of time (bc he thinks it can get salmonella) but will eat pizza that sat out on the counter for an entire night. The man is a mystery.

Let's see.... cold chicken or room temp pizza....... I know which one I would choose!

 

[Melissakay1q]

Let's see.... cold chicken or room temp pizza....... I know which one I would choose!

Ewwww...LOL

 

[goofyernmost]

Wait, what?? You let this person keep believing he ate poison to the point he became "violently ill" AND you never fessed up even as he was about to go to the hospital? Granted, you probably didn't realize he would end up getting his stomach pumped, but to let the gag go on to that point is unbelievable.

Don't let your knickers get in a knot... No, I didn't know about it until after the fact. But, I guess you showed me. All I didn't do was tell him after. Because lacking in consideration that you apparently feel I possess, I didn't want to embarrass him even further. However, sadly I cannot tell you the addresses of the ones that did do that so you could get all righteous on them.

 

[pat fan]

Dear MIL,
Miss you!

She was a crack-up. it did take a few years for us to find our "spot", but then it was great! Yes, she had her flaws (favored SIL's kids over ours) but she tried. And I am trying my hardest to use the good things she did with my DIL and avoid the things she did that were not so good. I'm sure my DIL will still be able to complain about me, but I do try, lol!

And the cool whip, jello cottage cheese thing? Ambrosia. My MIL made it too. I make it, minus the cottage cheese Cottage cheese does NOT belong in jello. She HAD to make jello with all the stuff in it. She could never get straight up jello to "set", lol!

 

[MamaBelle4]

Dear MIL,
Miss you!

She was a crack-up. it did take a few years for us to find our "spot", but then it was great! Yes, she had her flaws (favored SIL's kids over ours) but she tried. And I am trying my hardest to use the good things she did with my DIL and avoid the things she did that were not so good. I'm sure my DIL will still be able to complain about me, but I do try, lol!

And the cool whip, jello cottage cheese thing? Ambrosia. My MIL made it too. I make it, minus the cottage cheese Cottage cheese does NOT belong in jello. She HAD to make jello with all the stuff in it. She could never get straight up jello to "set", lol!

The Ambrosia is orange and has pineapple in along with the marshmallows and the Watergate is green.

And I love'em both!

 

[pat fan]

he Ambrosia is orange and has pineapple in along with the marshmallows and the Watergate is green.

YES! I thought the poster who thought they were gross had mentioned both kinds.

Never had the Watergate salad, not a huge pistachio fan. I do like jello salads though, lol!