In-laws STINK

[Bryophyte]

I don't put up with crap like that from my mother-in-law. Your wife should be intervening when she gets out of hand. Put your foot down firmly but with impecable manners. Kill her with charm, but don't back down when she pushes you.

 

[bcterps]

Grow some backbone and lay the law down and say you're not doing it. If you don't set boundaries with family they are gonna walk all over you again and again. I'm sure in a month we're gonna see the same rant.

And yes, I am married and know what it's like.

 

[Bryophyte]

You control access to her grandchildren. Sometimes it doesn't hurt to remind her of that.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: djheater
I don't like people who don't appreciate fine food. Food is life.

If food be the music of life, let the band play on!

Fritzo, your story, like so many other "in-laws from hell" stories, made me literally cringe. I couldn't go to that dinner you're going to, and I dead nuts wouldn't have surrendered my turkey to it, either.

I guess you'll think, "Easy for you to say . . .", and I appreciate that that is much the case, but still . . .


Sorry if I sound casually judgemental, I feel for you far more than I judge you, and I know from experience that once the ground rules in such a complex relationship have long been laid down, they are all but impossible to change w/o flying fur, tears, bad theatre, and endless recriminations until the day you die, but . . . well, just, BUT!

Still, a man who appreciates good food is a man after my own heart. My father's mother was French, and the cooking skills and deep, everyday appreciation of decent food came down to me from his side. Good food doesn't even have to be showy or complex, not one bit.

And yet I also intimately know the other side of the coin, as many of my cousins were 3/4's Irish -- Riney, Sullivan, McVickar (Scotch/Irish, but still) -- with an Irish mom in the kitchen relentlessly boiling things until all life and taste had duly departed.

You are a good man, Fritzo, so I wish to end on a mutually happy note, and it will be this: Homemade sausage stuffing.

Mmmmmmm. Let's eat!

 

[Fritzo]

And yet I also intimately know the other side of the coin, as many of my cousins were 3/4's Irish -- Riney, Sullivan, McVickar (Scotch/Irish, but still) -- with an Irish mom in the kitchen relentlessly boiling things until all life and taste had duly departed.

Heheheh...thanks for the words What is it with Irish/English people? They do boil everything!

Anyway, my main problem is the out-laws live only 8 houses down from me. If you've ever seen Everybody Loves Raymond on CBS, my mother-out-law is Raymond's mother on the show to the T (only she can't cook) .

 

[Bryophyte]

Bleh, I won't live closer than 100 miles from my MIL ever again. 8 houses away?!?! How can you deal with that? Whose idea was it to live that close to her?

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Bryophyte
Bleh, I won't live closer than 100 miles from my MIL ever again. 8 houses away?!?! How can you deal with that? Whose idea was it to live that close to her?

The Series of Unfortunate Events:

1) Met future wife, she lived at home, noticed she still had the umbilical cord attached, was a good enough person that I overlooked that.

2) Her parents moved, she got a great job, and a fixer-uper house 8 doors down went up for sale. She bought it.

3) We worked on it for a while, I moved in, we got married.

4) Been there for 11 years now. We're moving next year though, so her reign of terror is almost over.

 

[vood0g]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: Rustynuts
I you have to buy canned gravy, at least get some good stuff like Boston Market. Oh, and you're not really supposed to put stuffing inside a bird anymore. Too much chance for food poisoning. We always cook it separate now. You can stuff the bird with sacrificial stuff like oranges, apples, whatever.

You can do it if you know what you're doing. The stuffing should be loosely packed (basically make a ball and put it inside the cavity). You can then remove it when the bird is done and then bake it in a 400 degree oven for 20 more minutes. If it's well seasoned an made a bit on the dry side, it will hold the moisture in the bird nicely as well as season it from the inside.

I'll skip the stovetop crap that's going to be used in this case though. I think I'm going to make my own sausage stuffing and bring it with me.

sausage stuffing, sounds good, how do you make it?

 

[Bryophyte]

We lived in a rental on my parents' property for 4 years while my spouse was in college. Had almost no problems whatsoever with them, they respected our privacy. My Dad would help watch our kids occasionally or go to town with me and the kids to keep us company, but they never tried to take over or tell us what to do or anything like that.

 

[DougK62]

I was expecting a thread about people with bad body odor. Oh well.

 

[Fritzo]

sausage stuffing, sounds good, how do you make it?

Suitable for stuffing your bird or just eating by itself. Good stuff (pun intended)!

8 cups seasoned salad croutons
2 cups of poultry stock
2 cup poultry stock (extra)
3 celery stalks (sliced thin)
1 carrot (peeled and minced)
1 onion (peeled and minced)
1/2 cup mushrooms (chopped)
3/4 lb sage sausage
1tsp thyme
1tbs poultry seasoning
1tbs salt
1tbs pepper
4tbs olive oil

Sautee celery, carrot, onion, and mushrooms in oil over medium high heat until onions become transparent. Add sausage in and lower heat to medium. Cook sausage until it crumbles and is no longer pink, then remove from heat (do not drain). Pour croutons in large bowl, add sausage/vegetable mixture and seasonings. Add 2 cups of stock and mix croutons until absorbed. Mix until croutons become "pasty" (add additional stock if needed- the croutons should not be square anymore). Loosely stuff bird with stuffing, or place mixture in a large 13x9 baking dish, place slices of butter on top, cover, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake on 500 for 5-7 minutes or until top browns. (Tip: if mix is going to be used to stuff a turkey, make it a bit more dry so it is more absorbent). Serves 8-12

 

[Stark]

nice rant, but...

1. you knew they were psychos when you married your wife.
2. nobody forced you to take your kids to the airport.
3. you need to teach your wife to keep her mouth shut and not invite her family over without clearing with you first
4. you've never had a turkey until you've tried Brining

you'll forgive me for #1-3 once you've tried #4

 

[faZZter]

God I hate it when crap like that happens........

 

[Ninjja]

Originally posted by: loic2003
The difference between inlaws and outlaws?

outlaws are wanted.

hahaha. i've never heard that one before!

 

[StormRider]

You are *so* lucky to have a brother-in-law that eats a lot. That means you will have less turkey leftovers! I hate leftover turkey. I still got a bunch in the fridge and I'm having turkey sandwiches for dinner tonight.

 

[MaxDepth]

JEEBUS, MAN! CANNED GRAVY???

That stuff is used motor oil. And not the high grade stuff either. And don't get me started on the sodium content...


Here ya go, this might get a chuckle. Ask mum-in-law about the brother-in-law's contribution to dinner. Tell her that you don't want to bring anything that they are going to bring. And don't stop unitl the question becomes, "so what exactly are they bringing to the dinner?"

 

[Bryophyte]

Update?

 

[badmouse]

You have all my sympathy!

Although . . . one of the things I almost miss about my ex is that I can't play head-games with the inlaws any more. It got to be really fun. Oh, you want me to cook dinner for you? Why, sure thing, sweetie. You want me to do it a certain way? Gosh, yes, dearie. Awwww gee, you mean it wasn't supposed to be burnt like this - but I did it EXACTLY the way you told me, I thought you liked it that way - you know I'd do anything for you.
Wink.

Alcohol helps :beer: .