Spinoff: To eat or not to eat... (Food gifts, pot lucks)?

[smkiya]

So I was just wondering, do many of you have hangups about eating food items from people you don't really know or people you do know (friends, acquaintances, coworkers, etc.). I posted the following below about my hesitation to eat other peoples homemade items on another thread, and another person mentioned something about cats on the countertops. My mil and sil have LOTS of dogs and cats and I just don't like eating at either of their houses. I've seen the dogs take nibbles off of plates on the table, I've seen the cats jump on the table, and do they wash their hands everytime they pet their animals or handle them while preparing food... of course not.

"Homemade items? NO WAY! Why, you ask?

#1- When I was a kid, I went to a friends house and a roach fell off the ceiling into a pot of spaghetti sauce.
#2- A lot of people don't wash their hands after leaving a public bathroom. I'm sure many more don't when they're at home.
#3- I saw an episode of America's Funniest Home Videos, where someone was videotaping through the window of a grandparent(?). The lady was making pie crusts. She took out her dentures and proceeded to make the ridges in the pie crust with them. "

 

[paintnolish]

I LOVE potlucks and bake sales.I love trying other people's homemade stuff. I am still alive, too!

 

[KAMLEM]

I hate potlucks. I won't buy food at a bake sale, either. If I don't know where it's coming from I just can't eat it.

 

[JessicaR]

So I was just wondering, do many of you have hangups about eating food items from people you don't really know or people you do know (friends, acquaintances, coworkers, etc.). I posted the following below about my hesitation to eat other peoples homemade items on another thread, and another person mentioned something about cats on the countertops. My mil and sil have LOTS of dogs and cats and I just don't like eating at either of their houses. I've seen the dogs take nibbles off of plates on the table, I've seen the cats jump on the table, and do they wash their hands everytime they pet their animals or handle them while preparing food... of course not.

"Homemade items? NO WAY! Why, you ask?

#1- When I was a kid, I went to a friends house and a roach fell off the ceiling into a pot of spaghetti sauce.
#2- A lot of people don't wash their hands after leaving a public bathroom. I'm sure many more don't when they're at home.
#3- I saw an episode of America's Funniest Home Videos, where someone was videotaping through the window of a grandparent(?). The lady was making pie crusts. She took out her dentures and proceeded to make the ridges in the pie crust with them. "

I dont have much hesitation when eating others prepared foods. Now that I have your reasons...#1, #2, #3, I need one of those flashy things MIB used to remove the images!

 

[TeresaBelle]

So I was just wondering, do many of you have hangups about eating food items from people you don't really know or people you do know (friends, acquaintances, coworkers, etc.). I posted the following below about my hesitation to eat other peoples homemade items on another thread, and another person mentioned something about cats on the countertops. My mil and sil have LOTS of dogs and cats and I just don't like eating at either of their houses. I've seen the dogs take nibbles off of plates on the table, I've seen the cats jump on the table, and do they wash their hands everytime they pet their animals or handle them while preparing food... of course not.

"Homemade items? NO WAY! Why, you ask?

#1- When I was a kid, I went to a friends house and a roach fell off the ceiling into a pot of spaghetti sauce.
#2- A lot of people don't wash their hands after leaving a public bathroom. I'm sure many more don't when they're at home.
#3- I saw an episode of America's Funniest Home Videos, where someone was videotaping through the window of a grandparent(?). The lady was making pie crusts. She took out her dentures and proceeded to make the ridges in the pie crust with them. "

OMG to that highlighted statement!!

I always eat at potlucks, I don't think about it. Same with restaurants. I like food too much I guess!

 

[dakcp2001]

If I am being honest, I pick and choose. There are some coworkers who are not what I would call "clean" and I would never eat anything from their home. People I know and trust, I will eat what they bring.

I am weirded out by pot luck & bake sale food from strangers. I once had a bake sale brownie and it had a long piece of hair entwined in it, and that ruined it for me for life. Ewwww


No hairy brownies for me, thanks!

 

[TeresaBelle]

If I am being honest, I pick and choose. There are some coworkers who are not what I would call "clean" and I would never eat anything from their home. People I know and trust, I will eat what they bring.

I am weirded out by pot luck & bake sale food from strangers. I once had a bake sale brownie and it had a long piece of hair entwined in it, and that ruined it for me for life. Ewwww


No hairy brownies for me, thanks!

This will make a great tag!

 

[C.Ann]

No problem - because I have personal knowledge of what goes on in the kitchens of restaurants; what kind of contamination is allowed before it's "over the limit"; etc.. If I can eat in restaurants, I can't imagine conditions being any worse in something "homemade"..

 

[smkiya]

If I am being honest, I pick and choose. There are some coworkers who are not what I would call "clean" and I would never eat anything from their home. People I know and trust, I will eat what they bring.

I am weirded out by pot luck & bake sale food from strangers. I once had a bake sale brownie and it had a long piece of hair entwined in it, and that ruined it for me for life. Ewwww


No hairy brownies for me, thanks!

When at a pot luck I'll always ask, "oh, who made this?" If I like the answer, I'll take some... if I don't, I'll say "looks yummy (stomach curdles), I'll have to try that on my next round" and keep walking.

 

[Minnesota!]

I am not a germaphobe by any means, but I usually will not eat home made food prepared by someone I don't know. If someone I trust can "vouch" for them, then I will. However, I have been with DH for 16 years and i still will not eat anything one of his aunts, his cousin, or his sister make. When you see how some people live...you just can't eat anything from their house. Vomitous.

 

[nmmom95]

I am not a germaphobe by any means, but I usually will not eat home made food prepared by someone I don't know. If someone I trust can "vouch" for them, then I will. However, I have been with DH for 16 years and i still will not eat anything one of his aunts, his cousin, or his sister make. When you see how some people live...you just can't eat anything from their house. Vomitous.

MTE
"Vicki, can I help you with that Koolaid, please?"

 

[Pakey]

no problem - because i have personal knowledge of what goes on in the kitchens of restaurants; what kind of contamination is allowed before it's "over the limit"; etc.. If i can eat in restaurants, i can't imagine conditions being any worse in something "homemade"..

mte

 

[Christine]

If I am being honest, I pick and choose. There are some coworkers who are not what I would call "clean" and I would never eat anything from their home. People I know and trust, I will eat what they bring.

I do the same.

 

[hulagirl87]

Put me on the list of people that don't eat what other people make. It skeeves me out. It could be too that I have food allergies and I never know what people are putting in certain things. Store bought good. Food made from someone's unknown kitchen habits bad.

 

[Va-bear]

[/B]

OMG to that highlighted statement!!

I always eat at potlucks, I don't think about it. Same with restaurants. I like food too much I guess!

Ditto on all accounts! I could never pass up homemade food - or food period!

 

[disney1990]

I LOVE potlucks and bake sales.I love trying other people's homemade stuff. I am still alive, too!

Me too. I am definitely not a germophobic. I have been eating stuff prepared in people's homes, at bake sales, and potlucks for many, many years and have never gotten sick.

Personally, I find that most of my acquaintances/friends that are germophobics are sick a lot more than DH and I are. Because we virtually never get sick.

 

[Angelhalo]

I LOVE potlucks and bake sales.I love trying other people's homemade stuff. I am still alive, too!

Ditto!

 

[Minnie*J*]

I eat at pot lucks and food gifts.

 

[Joyciemc]

Yep, I eat at pot lucks, will eat a food gift and LOVE bake sales.

I wouldn't assume that things are contaminated just because they are homemade. Now if I actually SAW the things the OP listed happening to the food offered, that's a whole different story!!

 

[Pembo]

Don't eat at potlucks and not a big fan of homemade food gifts...unless I know the person that made them VERY well.