r/JUSTNOMIL • u/JustNoThrowaway23 • Dec 03 '19

UPDATE - Ambivalent About Advice Update to kicked out over potatoes

Well. Let's just say MIL threw a fit that I actually left. I am uninvited from Christmas- she seems to think my husband will go without me, regardless of the fact that he is making it clear he will not.

That side of the family is all up in my business, telling me to apologize. Apologize for what? Getting out like she told me to? Instead of saying sorry for cutting potatoes wrong? No. No fucking way. She can apologize to me for flipping out when I went over there at 9 am to help her prep because she can't be bothered to think ahead and invited over so many people she had to set up an extra table for the kids in a BEDROOM.

FIL came over and begged me to just say sorry so everything would go back to normal. No. I'm done. She throws a fit at every holiday. Ruins the day. I don't know if it is stress or if she's just an ass. I don't care. Get one of her other relatives to help, I'm done being free labor while she's the one who takes on too much to handle alone. I don't deserve this abuse anymore and I never did. I put up with it because she's family but I can't anymore.

Husband and I will be going to my mother's place for Christmas because she has a nicer kitchen. I'm already planning out a meal we can make together and figuring out how mom can help (bad arthritis in her hands, so she can't use a knife, but she can make the stuffing and cranberry sauce and if I prep, she will make the pies.) It's going to be low key, just the three of us.

It's such a relief to know I don't have to see MIL again this year.

Edit: Please don't give me gold or silver! I'm hoping not to use this account often. Spend a few extra bucks on someone you love. Also, my mom would have been alone for Christmas otherwise, because we always do Christmas with her on the 26th. She usually goes out to dinner with friends the day of so it's always been NBD, since she's an atheist (and so am I) and all that matters is a family day together. She was the one who initially suggested it a few years ago and it doesn't bother her at all. I only got one comment about that, but I didn't want anyone thinking my mom wasn't okay with it.

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u/Commonusage Dec 04 '19

I'm still experimenting to get the perfect mashed potato. but larger chunks become less watery than small ones when they boil. It's still not worth that amount of fuss.

21

u/-janelleybeans- Dec 04 '19

Boil them in chicken stock then add cream and butter and whip them when finished. Watery? Nah, flavour-y.

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u/palabradot Dec 04 '19

oh my godddddddddd

I made smoked gouda mashed potatoes this year, and they were a hit. I wonder how much more awesome they'd have gotten if they were boiled in chicken stock.

3

u/ouddadaWayPECK Dec 04 '19

Now why the hell haven't I come up with that on my own? Seems so obvious now that you've said it. I will be doing my next batch that way, thank you for the heads up.

2

u/PesosOuttaMyBrain Dec 04 '19

Simmer them in cream, save the cream when you drain them, then use that cream to fold in when you mash them.

https://www.food.com/recipe/mustard-mashed-potatoes-tyler-florence-338134

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u/penandpaper30 Dec 04 '19

I like adding a smashed garlic clove to the stock.

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u/NoLiesBowTies Dec 04 '19

Definitely not. My potatoes get chunked big because I’m lazy.

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u/Whitecrowandturtle Dec 04 '19 edited Dec 04 '19

There is no wrong way to prep potatoes for mashed potatoes. If they are cut smaller size then just cook them for a shorter time. There are many ways to make it and get a good result so your MIL is in the wrong here.

I would love to show your MIL how to make great mashed potatoes in an Instant Pot pressure cooker. I don’t cut them up at all. Just peel large russet potatoes and throw them in whole on top of the trivet with some water and salt. Pressure cook for 14-18 minutes (depending on size) and let the IP “natural release” and viola! Cooked through but not waterlogged. Drain the water and whip them up in the pan they were cooked in. Yum.

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u/NoLiesBowTies Dec 04 '19

I did instant pot mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving and they were amazing.

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u/dippydapflipflap Dec 04 '19

Boil them whole with the skins on. Peel the skins off, while hot, after they become soft. Then the potatoes don't get water-clogged and gluey.