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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

...or is this slightly odd behaviour with regard to leftovers?

195 replies

naranciata · 26/12/2016 11:50

At FIL's house. Yesterday I singlehandedly cooked a 3 course Christmas dinner for 11 people then went to bed about 9:30 because 25w pregnant and knackered. Woke up this morning and opened the fridge and you would not know it was Christmas yesterday. Every single leftover item has been portioned up and frozen and added to the "freezer spreadsheet" pinned to the noticeboard in the kitchen.

I was thinking along the lines of bubbles and squeak with fried eggs and cold meat for lunch, turkey sandwiches for snacks, big pan of veg soup for the next few days' food. Basically - no 'proper' cooking but lots of nice food.

I asked FIL if he'd frozen everything (as opposed to putting in garage fridge etc) and he thanked me for cooking and said he'd barely have to cook for himself over the next few days because of everything he was left with. In the same breath, he asked if I wanted some mince defrosting to make a chilli tonight.

AIBU to feel like it's not really up to him to freeze all the Christmas leftovers to be eaten when we've all left? Him and I paid for the food 50:50.

OP posts:

FurryLittleTwerp · 26/12/2016 23:51

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 27/12/2016 00:55

Well done OP - glad you defrosted and ate what you wanted! Can't bear misers.

toffeeboffin · 27/12/2016 01:01

Shocking spreadsheet behavior

I thought my FIL was bad.

toffeeboffin · 27/12/2016 01:04

How on earth do you calculate guest usage of hot water anyway? Am I missing something?

ChocolateCakeandSprinkles · 27/12/2016 01:43

HAHA well done you for getting the food out!
My response to getting the mince out would have been well I'm exhausted but a chilli would be lovely, thank you so much!

Miserly sod! Who the hell has a freezer spreadsheet and a hot water spreadsheet! Jeez!

Whole point of Boxing day is left-overs! I would re-think your Xmas plans next year, or make it very clear that the leftovers will be split 50:50 to reflect the cost!

I'd also make some comment about it being the season of Goodwill!

38cody · 27/12/2016 02:34

Are you really that bothered over your 50% share of leftovers? It's at his house and he's obviously cleared up and being an organised person has frozen leftovers. I really can't see why you're so bothered over a bit of leftover frozen food.

Tezza1 · 27/12/2016 03:41

We've had panettone and clotted cream for breakfast!
Never thought of those going together, but it sounds wonderful (actually I'd have clotted cream on literally anything, or, really, by itself).

OpalTree · 27/12/2016 09:22

A spreadsheet of "hot water usage variance with houseguests"

Purplepixiedust · 27/12/2016 09:51

I would have been impressed by his organisational skills and made the chilli. Mostly because I would have been ready for a change of food and its all still food from his house/freezer so cost neither here nor there. Not a big job to make a chilli or if you are feeling knackered get your DH to do it. Not sure what you do with leftovers but must involve some cooking/prep unless you are just having sandwiches.

I don't think it is unusual to cook at a parents or inlaws house. I have done it. Often it geographically makes sense. While most people can cook, not everyone can cook for 11. Presumably you knew you were cooking when you agreed to go OP?

If you don't like how things played out and I accept bagging and freezing all the leftovers is somewhat unusual behaviour, make sure you do something different next year. For now though, I would have gone with the flow. He was happy, he said thank you, I would have been more amused than pissed off so long as food was still available or unless what he has frozen was all expensive stuff and you were expected to live on beans on toast or shop again!

I made curry for boxing day tea btw. It was lovely and a welcome change from gravy dinners and buffet food (I did have leftover veg for breakfast with quiche and colslaw)!

expatinscotland · 27/12/2016 15:10

'Are you really that bothered over your 50% share of leftovers? It's at his house and he's obviously cleared up and being an organised person has frozen leftovers. I really can't see why you're so bothered over a bit of leftover frozen food.'

When I'd paid for it and cooked it and then it meant I had to cook some more, yeah. A bit? 11 people = a lot of leftover.

ginghamstarfish · 27/12/2016 16:19

Good for you OP, thought don't know why you seem to have sole responsibility for feeding the others esp. as you are pregnant .... btw, we went to inlaws and I watched in horror as, after Christmas lunch, MIL chucked all leftover veg, roasties etc, into the garbage disposal thingy! They never keep anything except meat, but as she paid for and cooked it all, not my business to interfere! She seems to think leftovers are 'common'.

Workingmum34 · 27/12/2016 17:43

My mil came for Christmas. Brought nothing and then helped herself to leftovers when she left!

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 27/12/2016 17:45

I can't stop laughing at the freezer spreadsheet

Tapandgo · 27/12/2016 18:09

Scrooge would have loved all those spreadsheets......

Tartyflette · 27/12/2016 18:18

So, delicious moist turkey sandwiches and crispy bubble and squeak now, or dried out defrosted turkey slices in a month's time.
No-brainer, isn't it?
I don't think it's that odd, btw, it sounds like fairly common but somewhat eccentric lone-male behaviour, not used to considering anyone other than themselves. Presume your FIL is single?

Postchildrenpregranny · 27/12/2016 18:22

Left overs are fine for Boxing Day salad and the odd sandwich but that's it in our house ..I hate eating turkey for days .The left over roasties etc have been consumed at odd times by random people though....
Mind you finding boxes of e.g. stollen in the garage that I'd forgotten about in March is another matter ..

Joanna0685 · 27/12/2016 18:25

I think maybe he was just being nice, letting you rest and freezing it so it wouldn't spoil. Men, just get it out what you feel like. I really do think he was trying to help.

Tartyflette · 27/12/2016 18:31

Joanna' I think it's fairly clear that the OP's FIL is as tight as arseholes.

titsbumfannythelot · 27/12/2016 18:40

I hope his freezer spreadsheet is in pencil. The tight git.

RubbishMantra · 27/12/2016 18:55

You bad BAD DIL. You should've made the chilli, so he had some more food to be entered into his Freezer Spreadsheet, which he'd probably factored in.

I think you should accidentally switch the freezer off when you leave...

OpalTree · 27/12/2016 19:03

YABU. It is not slightly odd behaviour it is bloomin grabby. Tell us more about the spreadsheet of "hot water usage variance with houseguests."

Jinxxx · 27/12/2016 19:05

I took a lovely homemade Christmas pudding and some cream to the PILs. They kept it for themselves and their New Year guests and gave us a really rubbish supermarket one and some instant custard after we cooked the turkey dinner. We won't be doing it again.

RubbishMantra · 27/12/2016 19:21

Ugh, reminds me of the Christmas when DH and I bought FIL the bestest bottle of Chablis we could get our hands on. FIL gave it to his staff. In front of DH and I. Whilst making his 20 or so staff watch as they gave DH and I our wedding presents, several months after we got married. Didn't even offer DH and I a glass. Well I suppose they couldn't, a bottle of wine shared between 20 people... I suppose DH and I could have licked the bottle. I think we were offered a glass of water.

I can't abide tightness.

RubbishMantra · 27/12/2016 19:30

... he* , not they.

ToastDemon · 27/12/2016 19:35

WTF trying to help? By giving her yet more cooking to do??

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