To make covid fudge

[Decorbreadthegingerate]

DD, 6, halfway through covid isolation and climbing the walls with boredom. We thought about making fudge today to gift to family members when isolation ends on Xmas eve. Would you eat the covid fudge?

Make the fudge. Eat the fudge.

But no - fudge lover though I am, I wouldn't fancy your Covid fudge.

Well of course you might have given unwanted gifts over time, everyone has.

Probably you didn't though and everyone has loved them - but even if not, they will have known and recognised the gesture?

No need to feel sad about some imagined waste. Just assume they've all been enjoyed, one way or another!

@St0rmTr00per

No, but i also wouldnt eat cold or flu fudge. I would worry someone had coughed or sneezed in it., not that it carried covid.

But why would you be concerned about someone coughing or sneezing on it if you didn’t think that transferred live virus?

I'd eat it :)

@RockingMyFiftiesNot

And presumably you bake in the first place because you enjoy it, so it's not really a waste of time in that sense. You could always just bake for your immediate family or for bake sales or something in the future if you're worried about it going to waste.

Oh I love baking and will continue to do so for those I know appreciate it (ie have consumed my food in front of me). What I will no longer do is spend time baking for people who might put it straight in the bin. Which is a shame because chances are they would have eaten and enjoyed it.

Sorry if I've derailed your thread OP I was just taken aback by people saying they wouldn't eat home made food under any circumstances.

I’m with you. Completely taken aback that people would not eat homemade food gifts under any circumstances. A grandma on my husband’s side if the family makes us peanut brittle every year. I look forward to it. It’s no different from going to her house and eating a meal she’s prepared there. What’s the big deal?

@Wavypurple

I think it’s a really nice and kind idea but personally I never eat and don’t know many people that do eat handmade gifted food, it ends up in the bin. Probably most cost effective to make something else that the two of you could eat together like cupcakes

Blimey, what a sinful waste! If you get any homemade fudge this year, please send it to us! I’ll pay the postage.

I’m with you. Completely taken aback that people would not eat homemade food gifts under any circumstances. A grandma on my husband’s side if the family makes us peanut brittle every year. I look forward to it. It’s no different from going to her house and eating a meal she’s prepared there. What’s the big deal?

Me too. Im really surprised (although I do think MN has a lot if posters with ED) And the assumption that people seem to think everyone else's kitchen is dirtier or less hygienic than their own, and no one would notice or intervene if a child was baking with dirty hands, snotty nose , or wipe surfaces etc

I'm also bemused at the person who knows the family down the road has frequent bouts of worms. Weve got a (MN favourite!) Road whatsapp group and no one has divulged this kind of info!

@Wavypurple

I think it’s a really nice and kind idea but personally I never eat and don’t know many people that do eat handmade gifted food, it ends up in the bin. Probably most cost effective to make something else that the two of you could eat together like cupcakes

🙄🙄🙄

@Wavypurple

I think it’s a really nice and kind idea but personally I never eat and don’t know many people that do eat handmade gifted food, it ends up in the bin. Probably most cost effective to make something else that the two of you could eat together like cupcakes

So you don't eat at restaurants, cafès, food stalls or at friends' or family's homes either, presumably??? Nor do you buy food from Market stalls, greengrocers, bakers or butchers either?

But why would you be concerned about someone coughing or sneezing on it if you didn’t think that transferred live virus?

Because I don't want to eat food that's covered in other peoples' spit and snot particles? Is that really so odd?

Yes, the cooking or baking process would kill any germs present in the mixture (assuming it's cooked properly) but the finished product still needs to be cut, decorated and handled before being given as a gift.

I really don't know why people are so offended at the idea that not everyone wants to eat other people's homemade cakes.

There's probably more care and attention to hygiene given when cooking for people you care about than the average food worker.
Its real people preparing the food your buy in, people that are probably earning minimum wage, working long shifts when feeling ill and tired, because they can't afford not to work. Not sure why that is preferable to someone making something at home.

I hope that people who throw away all homemade food tell the giver that they do that, so they don't waste any more time, energy or money on them anymore.

@SenseSphere

I once caught hand foot and mouth disease from a cake baked by a 5 year old. So no.

Don't be so utterly ridiculous

@Pigeoninthehouse

There's probably more care and attention to hygiene given when cooking for people you care about than the average food worker. Its real people preparing the food your buy in, people that are probably earning minimum wage, working long shifts when feeling ill and tired, because they can't afford not to work. Not sure why that is preferable to someone making something at home.

As has been said though, if you get food poisoning from a restaurant, you can simply not go there again. Or if you dislike the food or it's undercooked, you can complain, send it back, ask for a refund or swap your meal for something else. There's no personal relationship there so it's much easier to speak up and say "this is not nice, can I have X instead please".

But if a friend makes you something, you can't very well say to their face "sorry but that looks horrendous" or ask to swap it for a different gift, so social etiquette requires you to be polite and say thank you, even if you know you won't actually enjoy it or eat it.

And if you do eat it and it makes you sick, or you really dislike it, or it's undercooked, you're unlikely to tell your friend that, and you're then also put in an awkward position if they make it again - you don't want to risk getting sick (again), you can't return it or re-gift it, so there's no other option but to put it in the bin.

Why don't you make salt dough tree decorations . My daughter really enjoyed us making those and can't wait to hand them out to family tomorrow.

@girafferafferaffe

I hope that people who throw away all homemade food tell the giver that they do that, so they don't waste any more time, energy or money on them anymore.

Do you do the same to people who buy you tat you're never going to use? Probably not.

You do the polite thing which is to say "thank you, this is lovely" and then put it away to be re-gifted or donated because it's not nice to say to someone's face that they've given you (what you think is) a shit gift.

@icedcoffees

But why would you be concerned about someone coughing or sneezing on it if you didn’t think that transferred live virus?

Because I don't want to eat food that's covered in other peoples' spit and snot particles? Is that really so odd?

Yes, the cooking or baking process would kill any germs present in the mixture (assuming it's cooked properly) but the finished product still needs to be cut, decorated and handled before being given as a gift.

I really don't know why people are so offended at the idea that not everyone wants to eat other people's homemade cakes.

Who do you think is preparing your food in restaurants and takeaways ? Unless you prepare all your own food from scrarch, I can pretty much guarantee that you will at point have had someone sneeze on your food, talk over it (spit particles) touch your food without washing their hands properly and all manner of distingusting things that humans do. You are kidding yourself if you think otherwise.

Just to clarify my earlier post: I would accept this gift with a smile and nothing but gratitude. I also gladly eat food prepared by adults in their home (with the exception of one person I know who is a hoarder and her house is filthy, but then she wouldn’t ever offer anything anyway).
My only issue is food prepared by children as they do not have the same understanding, generally when younger, that adults should have re hygiene. Young children are disgusting and think nothing of coughing in your face or hugging you with snot dripping from their nose.

@Pigeoninthehouse - yes, I'm aware of that, but I suppose I just think people should be allowed to decide what they do and don't want to eat without being labelled weird, rude or selfish for doing so. Everyone has reasons for eating the way they do and most of those reasons won't be rational, but that doesn't mean people should be labelled rude or selfish as a result.

I do eat out in restaurants but as I said, I don't have a personal relationship with the staff, so if there's an issue, I can speak up and complain, not eat the meal/just pick at the chips or whatever - it's not as easy to do that when the food is made and prepared by someone whose feelings you care about, so it's easier to avoid the situation by not eating that homemade food in the first place.

My personal issue is more with textures than germs anyway - I'm autistic and have serious problems with some textures and I would hate to try something a friend baked me and have to rush off to spit it out or be sick. So I just don't try it in the first place as I find it a lot easier that way.

I would eat it and consider it homeopathic.

At the moment I would eat anything made by others whether they had covid or not.

@Pigeoninthehouse - yes, I'm aware of that, but I suppose I just think people should be allowed to decide what they do and don't want to eat without being labelled weird, rude or selfish for doing so. Everyone has reasons for eating the way they do and most of those reasons won't be rational, but that doesn't mean people should be labelled rude or selfish as a result.
Yes you are entitled to eat as you wish, as long as you accept it's very irrational behaviour and don't try to impose your irrational views on others, by stating home cooked food is germ ridden, disgusting and covered in snot.

[quote Pigeoninthehouse]**@Pigeoninthehouse - yes, I'm aware of that, but I suppose I just think people should be allowed to decide what they do and don't want to eat without being labelled weird, rude or selfish for doing so. Everyone has reasons for eating the way they do and most of those reasons won't be rational, but that doesn't mean people should be labelled rude or selfish as a result.
Yes you are entitled to eat as you wish, as long as you accept it's very irrational behaviour and don't try to impose your irrational views on others, by stating home cooked food is germ ridden, disgusting and covered in snot.[/quote]
Why is my way of eating automatically irrational, but yours is totally rational, though?

I haven't said home-cooked food is germ-ridden or disgusting, btw, but I am (trying to) stand up for people like me who have been labelled rude, disgusting, selfish, weird, strange and arrogant by other posters on this thread, simply because we've said we wouldn't eat any home-cooked gifts we were given.

Everyone has eating habits that could be considered weird to others, but I don't see why it's necessary to get offended and throw nasty insults out just because someone does things differently.

Covid is not going to survive a week of being cooked into or even touching the quantities of sugar involved in making fudge.

Damn, I wanted to ge tin and eat the covid fudge before anyone else had a chance!

Please, please, I'll have the covid fudge!! All the fudge!!!