Yesterday we hosted a family birthday party for my sister in law. She had
offered to reimburse us for all the costs if he did it at our house. She
even offered to pay for a cleaning lady, though we declined that part of the
offer and did the cleanup ourselves. They were to bring wine. It worked
out great. While it rained in the morning, it cleared up by mid afternoon
and we were able to entertain on the patio.

We started off with drinks and tortilla chips and salsa before going for a
walk in the fields behind the house. When we got back we had smoked salmon
on pumpernickel with capers sliced red onion. It was my home made smoked
salmon and everyone raved over it. Then we had BBQed shrimp. After a short
breather we BBQed strip steaks, which all turned out very nice, which was a
bonus because I hate cooking steaks for other people. Sil did not want a
cake but requested that I make ice cream, so we had ice cream and brownies.
After dessert we had a selection of 5 cheeses from the new local cheese
shop. After that, a big plate of chocolates.

Food was great, the weather cooperated and everyone seemed to have a good
time. My big fear was that this family includes the infamous big niece....
the one who eats non-stop and who also goes snooping through my pantry and
helps herself to whatever she finds, and that includes taking it upon
herself to open new boxes. I had told my wife ahead of time to keep the
niece out of the kitchen and, better yet, out of the house. We were
somewhat successful there. The only problem was that she and her husband
went to town to get some cheese while we went for the walk, and they
returned before we did and she came out of the house with a fresh drink and
munching on something.

The rule of thumb when the big niece comes is that we have to prepare twice
as much food. Since her mother was paying for everything I got lots I
didn't care how much she ate..... as long as she didn't go snooping in my
pantry.

Towards the end of the evening the niece started getting obnoxious. She had
had several Rye and gingerales and then started swilling wine, first the
white wine with the salmon and shrimp and then red wine with dinner.... and
dessert, and after dessert. Eventually her husband asked me to put the wine
away because she was making an ass of herself. So she started eating
more...... brownies, chocolate and cheese. She eventually ate herself sick.
That surprised me. I thought she had a bottomless pit.

"Dave Smith" > schrieb im Newsbeitrag
m...
> Yesterday we hosted a family birthday party for my sister in law.

<snip lovely meal>

> When we got back we had smoked salmon on pumpernickel with capers sliced red
> onion.

Have you ever considered spreading a little sweet mustard
(Weisswurstsenf) on the bread ? Then the salmon, plus
the sliced onion ?

Cheers,

Michael Kuettner

Michael Kuettner wrote:
>
> "
> > When we got back we had smoked salmon on pumpernickel with capers sliced red
> > onion.
>
> Have you ever considered spreading a little sweet mustard
> (Weisswurstsenf) on the bread ? Then the salmon, plus
> the sliced onion ?


I never even thought of it, but it sounds like a good idea.

Dave Smith wrote:
> Michael Kuettner wrote:
>> "
>>> When we got back we had smoked salmon on pumpernickel with capers sliced red
>>> onion.
>> Have you ever considered spreading a little sweet mustard
>> (Weisswurstsenf) on the bread ? Then the salmon, plus
>> the sliced onion ?
>
>
> I never even thought of it, but it sounds like a good idea.

Cream cheese, plain or with chives, is a good addition, too.

gloria p

On Sun, 7 Oct 2007 13:08:47 -0400, "Dave Smith"
> wrote:

>Towards the end of the evening the niece started getting obnoxious. She had
>had several Rye and gingerales and then started swilling wine, first the
>white wine with the salmon and shrimp and then red wine with dinner.... and
>dessert, and after dessert. Eventually her husband asked me to put the wine
>away because she was making an ass of herself. So she started eating
>more...... brownies, chocolate and cheese. She eventually ate herself sick.
>That surprised me. I thought she had a bottomless pit.

Well, now you know that at least one person is capable of being
embarrassed by her actions and she does have a food limit. Isn't it
nice to not feel like you're going to blow a gasket after a family
party? Maybe the secret to family parties at your house is to have
your SIL pay for the food, so you can make enough to satisfy your
niece.

sf


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sf wrote:
>
> >more...... brownies, chocolate and cheese. She eventually ate herself sick.
> >That surprised me. I thought she had a bottomless pit.
>
> Well, now you know that at least one person is capable of being
> embarrassed by her actions and she does have a food limit. Isn't it
> nice to not feel like you're going to blow a gasket after a family
> party? Maybe the secret to family parties at your house is to have
> your SIL pay for the food, so you can make enough to satisfy your
> niece.

That could be the secret, though it took a lot of food and drink to reach
that limit. However, I also had to request that my wife to be on guard and
not let the niece into the kitchen unguarded. It really bothers me that I
have to be so wary of her rooting around in my pantry and helping herself
to things in there, even opening sealed boxes when there is a buffet on the
table. For the life of me I cannot understand any normal guest at a party
sneaking off to the kitchen and opening a new box of something and cramming
into her maw when the same thing or similar items are already on the table.

On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 15:43:32 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

> For the life of me I cannot understand any normal guest at a party
>sneaking off to the kitchen and opening a new box of something and cramming
>into her maw when the same thing or similar items are already on the table.

She has poor social skills, zero social judgment and probably some
sort of disorder or syndrome as a cause.

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sf wrote:
> On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 15:43:32 -0400, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> For the life of me I cannot understand any normal guest at a party
>> sneaking off to the kitchen and opening a new box of something and cramming
>> into her maw when the same thing or similar items are already on the table.
>
> She has poor social skills, zero social judgment and probably some
> sort of disorder or syndrome as a cause.
>
I've always been shocked when reading Dave's description of this niece
and her habits. Anytime he writes about family parties I know she'll
shock me again! She sounded pretty tame this time actually?
I wonder if she'd be embarrassed or shamed into behaving better if she
had any idea of how people (or at least Dave and wife) saw her?

Goomba38 wrote:
>
> sf wrote:
> > On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 15:43:32 -0400, Dave Smith
> > > wrote:
> >
> >> For the life of me I cannot understand any normal guest at a party
> >> sneaking off to the kitchen and opening a new box of something and cramming
> >> into her maw when the same thing or similar items are already on the table.
> >
> > She has poor social skills, zero social judgment and probably some
> > sort of disorder or syndrome as a cause.
> >
> I've always been shocked when reading Dave's description of this niece
> and her habits. Anytime he writes about family parties I know she'll
> shock me again! She sounded pretty tame this time actually?
> I wonder if she'd be embarrassed or shamed into behaving better if she
> had any idea of how people (or at least Dave and wife) saw her?

I wonder how accurate his description is.
Remember, we're only getting one view, and
it's Dave's view. When I recollect the saga
of the woman in front of him in line, I tend
to think that we should not accept his description
at face value.

I'd suggest the niece has grounds for a lawsuit.

On Sun, 07 Oct 2007 18:14:42 -0400, Goomba38 >
wrote:

>I've always been shocked when reading Dave's description of this niece
>and her habits. Anytime he writes about family parties I know she'll
>shock me again! She sounded pretty tame this time actually?
>I wonder if she'd be embarrassed or shamed into behaving better if she
>had any idea of how people (or at least Dave and wife) saw her?

Only momentarily. People like that aren't sorry until they are caught
and repremanded.

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Goomba38 wrote:
>
>
> > She has poor social skills, zero social judgment and probably some
> > sort of disorder or syndrome as a cause.
> >
> I've always been shocked when reading Dave's description of this niece
> and her habits. Anytime he writes about family parties I know she'll
> shock me again! She sounded pretty tame this time actually?


You're right. She was pretty tame this time. Her mother paid for the food,
so I prepared lots, and they brought the wine. The only thing that I was
worried about was the pantry raids, and I told my wife to make sure that
she was responsible for keeping her niece out of the kitchen, with a very
firm warning that if I caught her raiding the pantry I was definitely going
to confront her.


> I wonder if she'd be embarrassed or shamed into behaving better if she
> had any idea of how people (or at least Dave and wife) saw her?

I have to wonder about her embarrassment. I don't know if she sneaks food
because she is embarrassed to let people know how much she eats or if it is
some sort of game she plays, sort of like shoplifting for cheap thrills.
And I am not talking about helping herself to a glass of milk or an piece
of fruit. I am talking about opening boxes of cookies and crackers in the
pantry, even when there is already ample food laid out on the table. This
is the girl who showed up unexpected at the home of her step sister who was
expecting guests for dinner and ate all the food before the invited guests
arrived.

Dave Smith wrote:
> sf wrote:
>>> more...... brownies, chocolate and cheese. She eventually ate herself sick.
>>> That surprised me. I thought she had a bottomless pit.
>> Well, now you know that at least one person is capable of being
>> embarrassed by her actions and she does have a food limit. Isn't it
>> nice to not feel like you're going to blow a gasket after a family
>> party? Maybe the secret to family parties at your house is to have
>> your SIL pay for the food, so you can make enough to satisfy your
>> niece.
>
> That could be the secret, though it took a lot of food and drink to reach
> that limit. However, I also had to request that my wife to be on guard and
> not let the niece into the kitchen unguarded. It really bothers me that I
> have to be so wary of her rooting around in my pantry and helping herself
> to things in there, even opening sealed boxes when there is a buffet on the
> table. For the life of me I cannot understand any normal guest at a party
> sneaking off to the kitchen and opening a new box of something and cramming
> into her maw when the same thing or similar items are already on the table.


Wow, is she still at that?

She has an eating disorder and in her muddled mind if other people don't
see her eating the food, it doesn't count. I used to have a very obese
friend (clinically labeled "morbidly obese"). Every time she went to
town to the grocery store she would buy an "extra" package of Oreos or
dozen doughnuts and eat them by herself on the way home. This was a six
mile trip, not a trek into the wilderness. It's a mental illness.

gloria p

Dave Smith wrote:
> sf wrote:
>>
>>> more...... brownies, chocolate and cheese. She eventually ate
>>> herself sick. That surprised me. I thought she had a bottomless pit.
>>
>> Well, now you know that at least one person is capable of being
>> embarrassed by her actions and she does have a food limit. Isn't it
>> nice to not feel like you're going to blow a gasket after a family
>> party? Maybe the secret to family parties at your house is to have
>> your SIL pay for the food, so you can make enough to satisfy your
>> niece.
>
> That could be the secret, though it took a lot of food and drink to
> reach that limit. However, I also had to request that my wife to be
> on guard and not let the niece into the kitchen unguarded. It really
> bothers me that I have to be so wary of her rooting around in my
> pantry and helping herself to things in there, even opening sealed
> boxes when there is a buffet on the table. For the life of me I
> cannot understand any normal guest at a party sneaking off to the
> kitchen and opening a new box of something and cramming into her maw
> when the same thing or similar items are already on the table.

It's just plain rude, Dave, but then you know that already. She obviously
doesn't care what you think or how you feel. I would suggest installing a
keyed lock on the pantry door. When the neice is going to be in attendance,
lock it the door and hide the key in your bedroom. Then be prepared to snap
a photo of the look of surprise on her face when the door won't open.

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
>
> It's just plain rude, Dave, but then you know that already. She obviously
> doesn't care what you think or how you feel. I would suggest installing a
> keyed lock on the pantry door. When the neice is going to be in attendance,
> lock it the door and hide the key in your bedroom. Then be prepared to snap
> a photo of the look of surprise on her face when the door won't open.

I think that the sad thing is that she really doesn't care. I had to zip
my lip the other day when she was telling me how much she admires me
because of my interest in cooking and my culinary skills and how it is her
passion. Obsession would be more accurate.

Putting a lock on the panty would be difficult because it is a long shallow
closet with a set of bifold doors and it would lead me to explain why I
lock it. I should be able to just confront the woman and tell her to stay
the hell of of my pantry and out of my fridge..... and while she is at
it..... park her fat ass away from the buffet so that someone else can get
to the table and find some food. It is a pain in the ass to spend hours
preparing for a family gathering and then have her show up early and
proceed to eat up everything there before the others arrive. I don't want
to have to put things out a bit at a time. I would prefer to spend time
with the rest of the guests. I don't have an extra fridge and room to keep
the stuff, and I should not have to.

This past event was organized a little differently. She and her husband
showed up a little earlier than others. We kept them outside talking until
the others showed up. Then I herded everyone out to the patio and escorted
her to the seat in the corner so that it would be too much effort for her
to get out and past everyone else. After our walk in the back I brought
out one thing at a time, made sure that she got some and then placed it at
the less crowded end of the table, passing it to her whenever she asked,
but not leaving anything close enough that she could scarf it back before
the others had some.

Personally, I would prefer not to have her in my house, but it was a family
party, and in honour of her mother's birthday. We never invite her and her
husband on their own, have excuses prepared in case they try to invite
themselves. We no longer have family Christmas parties here because my
stand was that if we had to invite her we weren't having it.

I know that she has a problem. It is not my problem. her mother knows she
has a problem. She is 48 <?>. She thinks of herself as a BBW, not the FFS
the rest of us see her as.

Dave Smith > wrote in
:


>
> I know that she has a problem. It is not my problem. her mother knows
> she has a problem. She is 48 <?>. She thinks of herself as a BBW, not
> the FFS the rest of us see her as.
>



Pic???

Dave Smith wrote:

> I think that the sad thing is that she really doesn't care. I had to zip
> my lip the other day when she was telling me how much she admires me
> because of my interest in cooking and my culinary skills and how it is her
> passion. Obsession would be more accurate.

<clipped>

> I know that she has a problem. It is not my problem. her mother knows she
> has a problem. She is 48 <?>. She thinks of herself as a BBW, not the FFS
> the rest of us see her as.

Does she cook or entertain? Does she actually know good food or just
know where to find food (*at your house)?

What does FFS mean? LOL

One time on Usenet, "Dave Smith" > said:

<snip>

Sounds like a nice party! Smoked salmon, BBQ shrimp & steaks. Why
wasn't I invited? ;-)

> Towards the end of the evening the niece started getting obnoxious. She had
> had several Rye and gingerales and then started swilling wine, first the
> white wine with the salmon and shrimp and then red wine with dinner.... and
> dessert, and after dessert. Eventually her husband asked me to put the wine
> away because she was making an ass of herself. So she started eating
> more...... brownies, chocolate and cheese. She eventually ate herself sick.
> That surprised me. I thought she had a bottomless pit.

I remember hearing about your niece before, Dave. I have to wonder
why someone close to her (your SIL or her husband, for example)
doesn't suggest she go into therapy. She's not eating because she's
hungry by any means. She's sick and needs help. That being said, I
know that suggesting she seek help doesn't mean she'll do it, but
I'm surprised they don't try. Or maybe they have..?

--

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In article > ,
"Dave Smith" > wrote:

> Yesterday we hosted a family birthday party for my sister in law.
<snipped>

Other than the last part, it sounds like fun. :-)
--
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"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down." -- Steve Rothstein

Dave Smith wrote:
> My big fear was that this family includes the infamous big niece....
> the one who eats non-stop and who also goes snooping through my pantry and
> helps herself to whatever she finds, and that includes taking it upon
> herself to open new boxes. I had told my wife ahead of time to keep the
> niece out of the kitchen and, better yet, out of the house. We were
> somewhat successful there.

Have you asked your niece not to raid your pantries?

Serene
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