More Family fun times.....

[DWGal210]

Ugh, back from another holiday with one side of my family and once again, leaving shaking my head.

For about the zillionth year in a row, there is not enough food for everyone at this get-together! We come together each year around Christmas (really the only time this side of the family gets together) and each year, no one brings enough food!! Knowing this, this year we brought about a quadruple size batch of cheesy potatoes and a triple batch of green bean casserole....and everyone else who was to bring something brought about enough to feed 4-5 people!! It's the same every year - I can understand not making a TON of food, but come on?! You KNOW how many people are going to be there, so plan accordingly.

AND it just kills me that all these adults see how much food is there (or not there, in this case), and they still go through the line, piling food on their plates. Can they not see that the people behind them will not get any food?!?!?!

OK, rant over. It just kills me, year after year.

Feel free to share some of your family "fun times" over the holidays - let's commisserate together.

 

[Darsa]

Wow, that surprises me! Usually we're at a point where we make up "take home" packages for each family, because we have SO much left over!

My side of the family, our Christmases are always wonderful, loving, silly and fun affairs. Then we go to DH's mom's Christmas, and its a stilted, formal (not formal as in fancy, but formal as in solemn, serious) couple of hours to be endured. And chances are VERY good that the gift we give will be "looked down upon", and remarks like "oh, that's nice." Just like that. And then she wonders why we don't visit much through the year.

 

[MIGrandma]

I would hate to be without enough food for everyone coming to my house, and if it happened year after year? That's inexcusable. I would much prefer to have lots of leftovers, to divide up to give to the families when they leave, than to not have enough food for everyone to have as much as they wanted.

We host Christmas Day at our house every year for our family (my Mom, our kids and grandkids) and there is always more than enough food. I send some home with the kids, and there is still a ton left. I love it though, as we eat leftovers for 3-4 days so no cooking! I love that!!

 

[diesel]

Ugh, back from another holiday with one side of my family and once again, leaving shaking my head.

For about the zillionth year in a row, there is not enough food for everyone at this get-together! We come together each year around Christmas (really the only time this side of the family gets together) and each year, no one brings enough food!! Knowing this, this year we brought about a quadruple size batch of cheesy potatoes and a triple batch of green bean casserole....and everyone else who was to bring something brought about enough to feed 4-5 people!! It's the same every year - I can understand not making a TON of food, but come on?! You KNOW how many people are going to be there, so plan accordingly.

AND it just kills me that all these adults see how much food is there (or not there, in this case), and they still go through the line, piling food on their plates. Can they not see that the people behind them will not get any food?!?!?!

OK, rant over. It just kills me, year after year.

Feel free to share some of your family "fun times" over the holidays - let's commisserate together.

I'm guessing your family is not Italian!!!!!

When ever we go to my husbands families gatherings there's enough food for ten extra families. It cracks me up.

 

[DWGal210]

I would hate to be without enough food for everyone coming to my house, and if it happened year after year? That's inexcusable. I would much prefer to have lots of leftovers, to divide up to give to the families when they leave, than to not have enough food for everyone to have as much as they wanted.

We host Christmas Day at our house every year for our family (my Mom, our kids and grandkids) and there is always more than enough food. I send some home with the kids, and there is still a ton left. I love it though, as we eat leftovers for 3-4 days so no cooking! I love that!!

And the funny this is - on my mom's side, there is always a TON of food. In fact, it's now a running joke in our family that at least once on Thanksgiving and Christmas, someone will say "We should remember all the extra food we have and not make as much next year" and of course, next year rolls around and there is always tons of food!

But with this family, (my dad's side), it's so strange - it's like they forget that there are going to be 30-35 people there. People who are there EVERY YEAR.

 

[dakcp2001]

We have a relative like this. SHe has parties and BBQs and then there is no food. We always call to ask what we can bring and she says "no need" and of course we always eat before we go, and bring something along anyway. Then you get there and there is no food, they run out in the first hour and people end up ordering pizza. And guess who buys the pizza? The guests of course.

She also is like the "food police" and comments on people's weight and what they are eating, and after one comment like "Should you really be eating that?" I have hated going there, eating there, or being anywhere near there.The family jokes that she is trying to put us on a diet. But since her hubby and my DF are very close, I have to take one for the team. If she ever commented on what I was eating, I would tell her where to go and how to get there.

 

[okeydokey]

Honestly, next year eat before you go and bring a plate of cookies to share. If anyone asks why you aren't fixing a plate, tell the truth.

 

[DWGal210]

Honestly, next year eat before you go and bring a plate of cookies to share. If anyone asks why you aren't fixing a plate, tell the truth.

That's a good idea - I'll remember that.

It's really not that I care so much if I eat or not; cause really, I could go home and make something to eat. But I guess what bothers me the most is that people see there isn't enough food but they continue to pile it on like there is a bounty in front of them..... Just don't get it.

 

[minniecarousel]

hmmmm....this keeps happening year after year? Time for someone to speak up! The cheapskates need to hear: "bring 2 lbs of sliced meat, or 2 pies, or 3 dozen rolls"....

 

[The Mystery Machine]

That's a good idea - I'll remember that.

It's really not that I care so much if I eat or not; cause really, I could go home and make something to eat. But I guess what bothers me the most is that people see there isn't enough food but they continue to pile it on like there is a bounty in front of them..... Just don't get it.

I would then have to experiment with weird recipes. See if you can get Uncle Greedo to stack his plate with some interesting Vegetarian dishes.

You know the things you want to try but don't.

 

[powellrj]

This is my moms house. She never fixes enough food. I went early to help with Thanksgiving and my dad was peeling potatoes. We were having 12 so I told him I thought 25 or 30 would be plenty. He looked at me like I had 2 heads and said mom told him to do 10 or 12. We compromised at 20.

She hates leftovers and when she fixes a meal she is thrilled when the bowls are scraped clean. She will go on for days about how much everyone loved what she fixed because they licked it clean! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, it wasn't because it was wonderful, it was because everyone was still hungry and would have eaten anything at that point!

 

[puffkin]

My DH's family is the same way. There is never enough food...yet MIL is busy making care packages from the leftovers for all the elderly relatives to take home while the rest of us barely get through the line. I come from a big dessert family....many times there are more desserts than people My first Thanksgiving with DH's family and there was 1 apple pie and 1 pumpkin pie for 20 people. I brought the pumpkin pie unexpectedly. I just don't get it On Thanksgiving she will clean up the meal immediately (around 3 pm), and then have NOTHING out the rest of the day. Yet if you try to leave she says, oh why are you leaving so soon. That family is bonkers.

We usually go to their house last on the holidays and try to load up at my family gatherings before we get there.

 

[C.Ann]

I can't relate.. When we used to have our anuual Christmas Eve party every year, no one was asked to bring anything.. I always ended up making enough food to feed the entire northeast.. LOL..

It's a family thing - that's how we were raised.. My late brother was a night supervisor for an adult group home (right next to his own home) and the majority of whatever was leftover he would take to them.. They were thrilled to get it and I was happy that it went to a good cause..

I don't understand people that don't make enough food..

 

[MM27]

I'm guessing your family is not Italian!!!!!

I was thinking the same thing. There is no such thing as not enough food at an Italian family party. And the older ladies try to stuff you with as much as they can because they claim you look so skinny.

 

[eliza61]

Ugh, back from another holiday with one side of my family and once again, leaving shaking my head.

For about the zillionth year in a row, there is not enough food for everyone at this get-together! We come together each year around Christmas (really the only time this side of the family gets together) and each year, no one brings enough food!! Knowing this, this year we brought about a quadruple size batch of cheesy potatoes and a triple batch of green bean casserole....and everyone else who was to bring something brought about enough to feed 4-5 people!! It's the same every year - I can understand not making a TON of food, but come on?! You KNOW how many people are going to be there, so plan accordingly.

AND it just kills me that all these adults see how much food is there (or not there, in this case), and they still go through the line, piling food on their plates. Can they not see that the people behind them will not get any food?!?!?!

OK, rant over. It just kills me, year after year.

Feel free to share some of your family "fun times" over the holidays - let's commisserate together.

You sure you're not related to me. My nephew was born on 4th of July, every year when he was younger my brother and sil would insist on a huge birthday party for him and serve exactly 1 hot dog per person. Now he lives in Arlington Va and I live in NJ. So I drive for 3 hours with my kids to get exactly 1 hot dog?
Another time he held theparty at Chuckie Cheese and ordered 1 pizza for 10 kids. I have never seen 1 pizza slice so thin.

My siblings think he is an alien because we have major family celebrations with enough food to feed the entire eastern seabord.

 

[teacherforhi]

Just a thought, but we have someone in charge of keeping track of how much food everyone needs to bring for Christmas dinner on my mom's side. Some time during October, we all get together and decide who will bring what. Different families alternate bringing the turkeys (yes, more than one) and ham. My cousin keeps a list of how much of each food item we need.

After everyone has their fill, my cousin goes through the line making notes on what was eaten completely, lots leftover, etc. We use those notes the next year to plan the dinner again.

It might seem kind of anal, but we have never have the problem that the OP had. We also make sure that we plan for extra turkey and ham so everyone can take some home if they like.

 

[maps]

That's my DH's family. They only make picky kinds of foods (shrimp, olives, chips/dips--it's the same thing at every gathering).

One year we drove 3 hrs on Christmas Eve, after we had worked 1/2day. There was no food for lunch and the "picky foods" were not until everyone came (around 8pm).

I had to send DH out to McDonalds to get us some food on Christmas Eve!

Now, my side of the family is Italian. I buy gladware and take them with me so I can stock up on leftovers for a week.

 

[C.Ann]

I'm guessing your family is not Italian!!!!!
.

Bingo!! Was raised in a big Italian family.. Not enough food? Unheard of!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Louiepipbgeeco]

I cannot relate...we always have WAY to much food at our large family gathering. This year we had to tell everyone to cutback because it is so ridiculous how much food we end up.
I can't imagine how this happens year after year. You would think someone would notice and make more

 

[redlight]

I was thinking the same thing. There is no such thing as not enough food at an Italian family party. And the older ladies try to stuff you with as much as they can because they claim you look so skinny.

That's my family! Eat up, you're skin and bone.