For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain person's
house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's causing this
intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but isn't as miserable as
me. Same as last time.

Unfortunately, there's no way we can get out of eating there again in the
future. So I need to figure out what's making us sick so we can avoid it, or
else plan on possibly being sick after meals there. Which isn't very
appealing.

The thing is, neither of us have food allergies that we know of, and we eat
a very diverse range of foods at home and elsewhere. No problems with spicy
foods, the cabbage family, onions, cukes, or anything else that people might
complain about. The food we had last night seemed to be pretty benign. The
things we ate in common were the ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, and
store-bought pumpkin pie with some sort of cool-whip like substance on top.
Bread and butter-like substance. I brought the bread, so I know what was in
there.

I'm thinking it may be the beans. I think there was some comment last time
about them being "home-canned" but this person doesn't do any canning, so I
have no idea what that comment meant. Beans tasted weird to me, but I
attributed it to the bacon bits or whatever it was that they were cooked
with.

As I type, my stomach is making noises like I'm about to give birth to an
alien being. It's not happy with something I fed it. I just wish I knew what
it was.

Last time, I joked about how I might bring my own food and explain that I'm
on some sort of restricted diet, but I don't think I'd be able to get away
with that. And like I said, there's no way we can get away with not going
there for dinner on somewhat regular occasions.

Comments, suggestions, and sympathy are welcome.

--
Donna

D.Currie wrote:
> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain person's
> house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's causing this
> intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but isn't as miserable as
> me. Same as last time.
>
> Unfortunately, there's no way we can get out of eating there again in the
> future. So I need to figure out what's making us sick so we can avoid it, or
> else plan on possibly being sick after meals there. Which isn't very
> appealing.
>
> The thing is, neither of us have food allergies that we know of, and we eat
> a very diverse range of foods at home and elsewhere. No problems with spicy
> foods, the cabbage family, onions, cukes, or anything else that people might
> complain about. The food we had last night seemed to be pretty benign. The
> things we ate in common were the ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, and
> store-bought pumpkin pie with some sort of cool-whip like substance on top.
> Bread and butter-like substance. I brought the bread, so I know what was in
> there.
>
> I'm thinking it may be the beans. I think there was some comment last time
> about them being "home-canned" but this person doesn't do any canning, so I
> have no idea what that comment meant. Beans tasted weird to me, but I
> attributed it to the bacon bits or whatever it was that they were cooked
> with.

If you ate beans both times and were sick both times, I'd bet on the
beans. However, one of the worst food poisonings I have ever had was
from ham which I cooked myself. To this day I have no idea what
happened - no one else got sick from it, but I did - extremely,
go-to-the-ER-and-get-3-bags-of-IV-fluids sick. I think food poisioning
is one of the worst feelings there is. You have my depest sympathy!
-L.

"-L." > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> D.Currie wrote:
>> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain person's
>> house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's causing this
>> intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but isn't as miserable
>> as
>> me. Same as last time.
>>
>> Unfortunately, there's no way we can get out of eating there again in the
>> future. So I need to figure out what's making us sick so we can avoid it,
>> or
>> else plan on possibly being sick after meals there. Which isn't very
>> appealing.
>>
>> The thing is, neither of us have food allergies that we know of, and we
>> eat
>> a very diverse range of foods at home and elsewhere. No problems with
>> spicy
>> foods, the cabbage family, onions, cukes, or anything else that people
>> might
>> complain about. The food we had last night seemed to be pretty benign.
>> The
>> things we ate in common were the ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, and
>> store-bought pumpkin pie with some sort of cool-whip like substance on
>> top.
>> Bread and butter-like substance. I brought the bread, so I know what was
>> in
>> there.
>>
>> I'm thinking it may be the beans. I think there was some comment last
>> time
>> about them being "home-canned" but this person doesn't do any canning, so
>> I
>> have no idea what that comment meant. Beans tasted weird to me, but I
>> attributed it to the bacon bits or whatever it was that they were cooked
>> with.
>
> If you ate beans both times and were sick both times, I'd bet on the
> beans. However, one of the worst food poisonings I have ever had was
> from ham which I cooked myself. To this day I have no idea what
> happened - no one else got sick from it, but I did - extremely,
> go-to-the-ER-and-get-3-bags-of-IV-fluids sick. I think food poisioning
> is one of the worst feelings there is. You have my depest sympathy!
> -L.
>

Beans are the usual veggie, but the "home-canned" thing was a new twist.
They're normally frozen ones. This time, I couldn't tell you what they were.
There was an odd taste, but I'm not a big fan of bacon-fakin-bits on
anything, so I figured that was what was I was tasting.

The ham there usually isn't cooked. It's sliced from the bone and
microwaved. Never sees the oven at all. But last time it wasn't ham that did
us in because that time we had some version of meatloaf. I don't remember
what was served with it, but mashed potatoes and green beans are pretty much
standard.

Donna

I hate to ask....but are they clean people? Are they good about washing
produce, and washing their hands thoroughly? All that good stuff?

Sorry about your tummy episode. Could it have been the whipped topping
on the dessert, by any chance?

Speaking for myself, if I had been the hostess, I would be disappointed
if my guest hadn't told me about it. Especially since this was the
second occurance. It might be something they could correct.

Anyway, cheers, and feel better soon.
Nancree

Could it be something in their water?
I have a friend that when we go to her house I can not drink the water. It
makes me sick.
It doesn't seem to bother their family, I guess they are used to what ever
is in there.
Did you have coffee? Creamer that you don't usually have. Dry creamer can
go bad and you can't tell by looking at it. (I don't use dry creamer, but
from the sound of it the ppl you are eating with may)


"D.Currie" > wrote in message
...
> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain person's
> house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's causing this
> intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but isn't as miserable
> as me. Same as last time.
>
> Unfortunately, there's no way we can get out of eating there again in the
> future. So I need to figure out what's making us sick so we can avoid it,
> or else plan on possibly being sick after meals there. Which isn't very
> appealing.
>
> The thing is, neither of us have food allergies that we know of, and we
> eat a very diverse range of foods at home and elsewhere. No problems with
> spicy foods, the cabbage family, onions, cukes, or anything else that
> people might complain about. The food we had last night seemed to be
> pretty benign. The things we ate in common were the ham, mashed potatoes,
> green beans, and store-bought pumpkin pie with some sort of cool-whip like
> substance on top. Bread and butter-like substance. I brought the bread, so
> I know what was in there.
>
> I'm thinking it may be the beans. I think there was some comment last time
> about them being "home-canned" but this person doesn't do any canning, so
> I have no idea what that comment meant. Beans tasted weird to me, but I
> attributed it to the bacon bits or whatever it was that they were cooked
> with.
>
> As I type, my stomach is making noises like I'm about to give birth to an
> alien being. It's not happy with something I fed it. I just wish I knew
> what it was.
>
> Last time, I joked about how I might bring my own food and explain that
> I'm on some sort of restricted diet, but I don't think I'd be able to get
> away with that. And like I said, there's no way we can get away with not
> going there for dinner on somewhat regular occasions.
>
> Comments, suggestions, and sympathy are welcome.
>
> --
> Donna
>

D.Currie wrote:
> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain person's
> house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's causing this
> intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but isn't as miserable as
> me. Same as last time.


My guess is the oil. People buy a big bottle of oil and continue using
it after it has gone rancid. But that doesn't explain why your hosts
don't get sick too. Perhaps they're using some sort of fake oil that's
supposed to be good for people on diets. Some people are sensitive to
it while others aren't. That could explain why you get it worst, your
husband a little, and your hosts not at all.


--Lia

In article >,
"D.Currie" > wrote:

> Comments, suggestions, and sympathy are welcome.

Lots of sympathy from me. An unhappy stomach because of something eaten
is truly the worst. Ok, maybe labor is the worst but this is a very
close second.

It seems that if you eat there often that you should know them well
enough to say something. Can't you just call and ask how they are
doing. If they are fine (or not) then you could comment that you and
husband aren't feeling well and thought it might have been something you
ate. And, I would ask about the beans.

Even if you really feel you can't say anything then I would at the least
skip the beans next time. Or, perhaps at the next invitation suggest
you meet at a restaurant or the weather is so lovely how about a picnic
and bring your own basket?

marcella

D.Currie wrote:
> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain person's
> house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's causing this
> intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but isn't as miserable as
> me. Same as last time.
>
> Unfortunately, there's no way we can get out of eating there again in the
> future. So I need to figure out what's making us sick so we can avoid it, or
> else plan on possibly being sick after meals there. Which isn't very
> appealing.
>
> The thing is, neither of us have food allergies that we know of, and we eat
> a very diverse range of foods at home and elsewhere. No problems with spicy
> foods, the cabbage family, onions, cukes, or anything else that people might
> complain about. The food we had last night seemed to be pretty benign. The
> things we ate in common were the ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, and
> store-bought pumpkin pie with some sort of cool-whip like substance on top.
> Bread and butter-like substance. I brought the bread, so I know what was in
> there.
>
> I'm thinking it may be the beans. I think there was some comment last time
> about them being "home-canned" but this person doesn't do any canning, so I
> have no idea what that comment meant. Beans tasted weird to me, but I
> attributed it to the bacon bits or whatever it was that they were cooked
> with.
>



Improperly home canned green beans can harbor botulism. That can kill
you, your husband and your hosts. I would not eat there again. At the
very least, ask them to get rid of all of their home canned green
beans.

Rusty

"D.Currie" > writes:

>For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain person's
>house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's causing this
>intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but isn't as miserable as
>me. Same as last time.

Can you just eat a very little food when there? Or ask if you could
bring something more than bread (i.e. a side or entree) and fill up on
it? If there's other people there you might want to ask them if they
had tummy problems after eating at the person's house.
I hate to say it, but they may have some cleanliness issues. Or their
water might be the problem, I used to work in an old building with water
that made me ill.
Good luck, hope you get better.

Stacia

Rusty wrote:
> D.Currie wrote:
>> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain person's
>> house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's causing this
>> intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but isn't as miserable as
>> me. Same as last time.
>>
>> Unfortunately, there's no way we can get out of eating there again in the
>> future. So I need to figure out what's making us sick so we can avoid it, or
>> else plan on possibly being sick after meals there. Which isn't very
>> appealing.
>>
>> The thing is, neither of us have food allergies that we know of, and we eat
>> a very diverse range of foods at home and elsewhere. No problems with spicy
>> foods, the cabbage family, onions, cukes, or anything else that people might
>> complain about. The food we had last night seemed to be pretty benign. The
>> things we ate in common were the ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, and
>> store-bought pumpkin pie with some sort of cool-whip like substance on top.
>> Bread and butter-like substance. I brought the bread, so I know what was in
>> there.
>>
>> I'm thinking it may be the beans. I think there was some comment last time
>> about them being "home-canned" but this person doesn't do any canning, so I
>> have no idea what that comment meant. Beans tasted weird to me, but I
>> attributed it to the bacon bits or whatever it was that they were cooked
>> with.
>>
>
>
>
> Improperly home canned green beans can harbor botulism. That can kill
> you, your husband and your hosts. I would not eat there again. At the
> very least, ask them to get rid of all of their home canned green
> beans.
>
> Rusty
>


Why? They obviously did *not* get botulism. The symptoms are all wrong.

Best regards,
Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
> Rusty wrote:
> > D.Currie wrote:
> >> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain person's
> >> house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's causing this
> >> intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but isn't as miserable as
> >> me. Same as last time.
> >>
> >> Unfortunately, there's no way we can get out of eating there again in the
> >> future. So I need to figure out what's making us sick so we can avoid it, or
> >> else plan on possibly being sick after meals there. Which isn't very
> >> appealing.
> >>
> >> The thing is, neither of us have food allergies that we know of, and we eat
> >> a very diverse range of foods at home and elsewhere. No problems with spicy
> >> foods, the cabbage family, onions, cukes, or anything else that people might
> >> complain about. The food we had last night seemed to be pretty benign. The
> >> things we ate in common were the ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, and
> >> store-bought pumpkin pie with some sort of cool-whip like substance on top.
> >> Bread and butter-like substance. I brought the bread, so I know what was in
> >> there.
> >>
> >> I'm thinking it may be the beans. I think there was some comment last time
> >> about them being "home-canned" but this person doesn't do any canning, so I
> >> have no idea what that comment meant. Beans tasted weird to me, but I
> >> attributed it to the bacon bits or whatever it was that they were cooked
> >> with.
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > Improperly home canned green beans can harbor botulism. That can kill
> > you, your husband and your hosts. I would not eat there again. At the
> > very least, ask them to get rid of all of their home canned green
> > beans.
> >
> > Rusty
> >
>
>
> Why? They obviously did *not* get botulism. The symptoms are all wrong.
>

Right. They got "lucky" and it was just food poisoning. What's in the
next jar? Why play russian roulette?

Rusty

"Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 8 May 2006 19:47:36 -0600, D.Currie wrote:
>
>> The ham there usually isn't cooked. It's sliced from the bone and
>> microwaved. Never sees the oven at all.
>
> Oh. My. God.
>
> Not that it's very dangerous - I eat raw (ready to cook) ham all
> the time, but this is hardly a way to cook for guests.
>

The lack of interest in cooking there is legendary. Guests or no guests.

Donna

"nancree" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Sorry about your tummy episode. Could it have been the whipped topping
> on the dessert, by any chance?
>
> Speaking for myself, if I had been the hostess, I would be disappointed
> if my guest hadn't told me about it. Especially since this was the
> second occurance. It might be something they could correct.

I'm trying to figure out a way to broach the topic.

>
> Anyway, cheers, and feel better soon.
> Nancree
>

Thanks. I'm better than last night, so I have high hopes for tomorrow.

Donna

"Jude" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I hate to ask....but are they clean people? Are they good about washing
> produce, and washing their hands thoroughly? All that good stuff?
>

The house is clean. Cleaner than mine, most days. As far as washing things,
I don't know for sure. She like to have almost everything plated well ahead
of guests' arrivals, and then she just microwaves what needs to be hot.

I'm really hoping it's one thing that I can avoid in the future, because if
it's a cleanliness issue, I'm doomed for sure.

Donna

"Knit Chic" > wrote in message
. com...
> Could it be something in their water?
> I have a friend that when we go to her house I can not drink the water.
> It makes me sick.
> It doesn't seem to bother their family, I guess they are used to what ever
> is in there.
> Did you have coffee? Creamer that you don't usually have. Dry creamer
> can go bad and you can't tell by looking at it. (I don't use dry creamer,
> but from the sound of it the ppl you are eating with may)


They live in the same town we do, so it's the same water. They use dry
creamer by the ton, so they probably go through it fast enough for it not to
spoil. But I had coffee and DH didn't.

Donna

>
>
> "D.Currie" > wrote in message
> ...
>> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain person's
>> house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's causing this
>> intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but isn't as miserable
>> as me. Same as last time.
>>
>> Unfortunately, there's no way we can get out of eating there again in the
>> future. So I need to figure out what's making us sick so we can avoid it,
>> or else plan on possibly being sick after meals there. Which isn't very
>> appealing.
>>
>> The thing is, neither of us have food allergies that we know of, and we
>> eat a very diverse range of foods at home and elsewhere. No problems with
>> spicy foods, the cabbage family, onions, cukes, or anything else that
>> people might complain about. The food we had last night seemed to be
>> pretty benign. The things we ate in common were the ham, mashed potatoes,
>> green beans, and store-bought pumpkin pie with some sort of cool-whip
>> like substance on top. Bread and butter-like substance. I brought the
>> bread, so I know what was in there.
>>
>> I'm thinking it may be the beans. I think there was some comment last
>> time about them being "home-canned" but this person doesn't do any
>> canning, so I have no idea what that comment meant. Beans tasted weird to
>> me, but I attributed it to the bacon bits or whatever it was that they
>> were cooked with.
>>
>> As I type, my stomach is making noises like I'm about to give birth to an
>> alien being. It's not happy with something I fed it. I just wish I knew
>> what it was.
>>
>> Last time, I joked about how I might bring my own food and explain that
>> I'm on some sort of restricted diet, but I don't think I'd be able to get
>> away with that. And like I said, there's no way we can get away with not
>> going there for dinner on somewhat regular occasions.
>>
>> Comments, suggestions, and sympathy are welcome.
>>
>> --
>> Donna
>>
>
>

"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
...
> D.Currie wrote:
>> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain person's
>> house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's causing this
>> intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but isn't as miserable
>> as me. Same as last time.
>
>
> My guess is the oil. People buy a big bottle of oil and continue using it
> after it has gone rancid. But that doesn't explain why your hosts don't
> get sick too. Perhaps they're using some sort of fake oil that's supposed
> to be good for people on diets. Some people are sensitive to it while
> others aren't. That could explain why you get it worst, your husband a
> little, and your hosts not at all.
>

Rancid oil is nasty for sure. But unless it was in the green beans, I can't
think of anywhere she would have used oil. Maybe butter gone bad, though. Or
margarine. I put some of her margarine concoction on my bread.

I know they got sick twice during lent when they had fish, but I don't know
if there's any connection there. And it was something like fish sticks,
baked.

Donna

"Marcella Peek" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "D.Currie" > wrote:
>
>> Comments, suggestions, and sympathy are welcome.
>
> Lots of sympathy from me. An unhappy stomach because of something eaten
> is truly the worst. Ok, maybe labor is the worst but this is a very
> close second.
>
> It seems that if you eat there often that you should know them well
> enough to say something. Can't you just call and ask how they are
> doing. If they are fine (or not) then you could comment that you and
> husband aren't feeling well and thought it might have been something you
> ate. And, I would ask about the beans.

I'm going to let DH broach the topic. He'll see them before I do, probably.


> Even if you really feel you can't say anything then I would at the least
> skip the beans next time. Or, perhaps at the next invitation suggest
> you meet at a restaurant or the weather is so lovely how about a picnic
> and bring your own basket?

No matter how many restaurants or picnics or times they eat here, there's no
way to avoid going there. And these end up being the type of invitations
where if this weekend isn't, then how about next weekend? The one after?
There's no way to get out of it completely.

But yeah, I'll be avoiding the green beans. Right now, the thought of them
makes me a little queasy.

Donna

"Rusty" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> D.Currie wrote:
>> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain person's
>> house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's causing this
>> intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but isn't as miserable
>> as
>> me. Same as last time.
>>
>> Unfortunately, there's no way we can get out of eating there again in the
>> future. So I need to figure out what's making us sick so we can avoid it,
>> or
>> else plan on possibly being sick after meals there. Which isn't very
>> appealing.
>>
>> The thing is, neither of us have food allergies that we know of, and we
>> eat
>> a very diverse range of foods at home and elsewhere. No problems with
>> spicy
>> foods, the cabbage family, onions, cukes, or anything else that people
>> might
>> complain about. The food we had last night seemed to be pretty benign.
>> The
>> things we ate in common were the ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, and
>> store-bought pumpkin pie with some sort of cool-whip like substance on
>> top.
>> Bread and butter-like substance. I brought the bread, so I know what was
>> in
>> there.
>>
>> I'm thinking it may be the beans. I think there was some comment last
>> time
>> about them being "home-canned" but this person doesn't do any canning, so
>> I
>> have no idea what that comment meant. Beans tasted weird to me, but I
>> attributed it to the bacon bits or whatever it was that they were cooked
>> with.
>>
>
>
>
> Improperly home canned green beans can harbor botulism. That can kill
> you, your husband and your hosts. I would not eat there again. At the
> very least, ask them to get rid of all of their home canned green
> beans.
>
> Rusty
>

She can't have too many of them in stock. She must have gotten them from
someone else, I'm darned sure she didn't can them herself. And for all I
know, she might have meant that she bought fresh beans instead of frozen.
She's not always precise about cooking terms. But I'll find out, for sure.
I'd like to blame it on something specific that I can avoid in the future
rather than being afraid of eating there every time. And there's no way to
avoid eating going over there.

I may just go the easy route and join some religion and/or cult with strict
dietary restrictions that would preclude eating anything she cooks. Or maybe
one with a lot of fasting. Sure, I'll come for dinner. Bread (that I made)
and water, please.

Donna

zxcvbob > writes:


> Why? They obviously did *not* get botulism. The symptoms are all wrong.

Yes, but salmonella is also a possibility.

nb

On Mon, 8 May 2006 23:38:07 -0600, "D.Currie"
> wrote:

>
>"Jude" > wrote in message
roups.com...
>>I hate to ask....but are they clean people? Are they good about washing
>> produce, and washing their hands thoroughly? All that good stuff?
>>
>
>The house is clean. Cleaner than mine, most days. As far as washing things,
>I don't know for sure. She like to have almost everything plated well ahead
>of guests' arrivals, and then she just microwaves what needs to be hot.

Yuck. She's not a foodie, huh.
Hope you recover soon. And if I were you, I'd ask about the beans.

Nathalie in Switzerland

"D.Currie" > wrote in
:

> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain
> person's house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's
> causing this intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but
> isn't as miserable as me. Same as last time.


Donna,

Doesn't matter who a certain person is, sister, Mom, the boss' wife.
Where your health is concerned, it's absurd to claim you can't opt-out of
eating there.

Plated dinners in advance of your arrival??? Who does that??? Sounds
disgusting. That's not cooking, that's TV-Dinnering. Could be sitting on
the kitchen counter all day for all you know.

ICK!

Feel better fast!

Andy

D.Currie wrote:

> The house is clean. Cleaner than mine, most days. As far as washing things,
> I don't know for sure. She like to have almost everything plated well ahead
> of guests' arrivals, and then she just microwaves what needs to be hot.


There do exist people who keep spotlessly clean homes and spotlessly
clean kitchens who just don't think it is important to wash their hands
after using the bathroom. Sometimes it is someone who used to wash
their hands but now has arthritis in their fingers such that it makes
holding soap or scrubbing fingernails difficult and painful.


The mystery here is what could be causing one person to get sick and not
others. Cleanliness issues would get to everyone. That's why I keep
going back to an artificial ingredient, maybe a sugar substitute. I'm
recalling a time when I was in elementary school. Dad came home with
some sort of lo-cal candy. We all ate it. Dad, my brother and I got
sick to our stomachs. Mom was fine.


But really, the etiquette question is the more interesting one. I doubt
that someone who likes you well enough to invite you over often wants
you to get sick. Could you explain the problem in neutral terms, say
that you're sensitive to an ingredient and ask about what it might be?
You wouldn't have to implicate your host's cooking or cleanliness, just
ask about recipes and procedures to try to spot the culprit.


--Lia

D.Currie wrote:
> "Rusty" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>>
>> D.Currie wrote:
>>> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain
>>> person's house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's
>>> causing this intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but
>>> isn't as miserable as
>>> me. Same as last time.
>>>
>> Improperly home canned green beans can harbor botulism. That can kill
>> you, your husband and your hosts. I would not eat there again. At the
>> very least, ask them to get rid of all of their home canned green
>> beans.
>>
>> Rusty
>>
>
> I'll find out, for sure. I'd like to blame it on something specific
> that I can avoid in the future rather than being afraid of eating
> there every time. And there's no way to avoid eating going over there.
>
>Donna

You keep saying there is no way to avoid eating at their home. May I ask
why?

Jill

writes:

>She can't have too many of them in stock. She must have gotten them from
>someone else, I'm darned sure she didn't can them herself. And for all I
>know, she might have meant that she bought fresh beans instead of frozen.
>She's not always precise about cooking terms. But I'll find out, for sure.
>I'd like to blame it on something specific that I can avoid in the future
>rather than being afraid of eating there every time. And there's no way to
>avoid eating going over there.
>
>I may just go the easy route and join some religion and/or cult with strict
>dietary restrictions that would preclude eating anything she cooks. Or maybe
>one with a lot of fasting. Sure, I'll come for dinner. Bread (that I made)
>and water, please.

The problem here as you probably know is that you can't do a proper
investigation without all the data. I'm curious why you think it's so
hard to tell them their food makes you sick. If I were them I'd want
to know just as badly as you do what caused it. And if they get all
defensive and hurt feelings when you tell them their food made you sick,
and not care that they're wreaking havoc on their guests' guts due to
incompetence, well, ****em. But you better make sure you have a good
case. Make sure it wasn't something else.

Steve Wertz wrote:
> On Mon, 8 May 2006 19:47:36 -0600, D.Currie wrote:
>
> > The ham there usually isn't cooked. It's sliced from the bone and
> > microwaved. Never sees the oven at all.
>
> Oh. My. God.
>
> Not that it's very dangerous - I eat raw (ready to cook) ham all
> the time, but this is hardly a way to cook for guests.
>
> -sw

Most hams sold today (unless you ask for something different) are fully
cooked and/or fully cured. There is nothing wrong with eating it as
is. Raw ham is just raw pork.

The hams you buy, even with the leg bone in, just need to be heated to
be ready - they've already been cooked.

I would think it was the beans or the ham - it could be that the ham
had been heated before or had not been handled properly (gotten too
un-chilled and bacteria grew).

N.

"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
...
> D.Currie wrote:
>
>> The house is clean. Cleaner than mine, most days. As far as washing
>> things, I don't know for sure. She like to have almost everything plated
>> well ahead of guests' arrivals, and then she just microwaves what needs
>> to be hot.
>
>
> There do exist people who keep spotlessly clean homes and spotlessly clean
> kitchens who just don't think it is important to wash their hands after
> using the bathroom. Sometimes it is someone who used to wash their hands
> but now has arthritis in their fingers such that it makes holding soap or
> scrubbing fingernails difficult and painful.

I'm hoping it's not an overall cleanliness issue, because that would mean
anything we eat there is suspect.

>
>
> The mystery here is what could be causing one person to get sick and not
> others. Cleanliness issues would get to everyone. That's why I keep
> going back to an artificial ingredient, maybe a sugar substitute. I'm
> recalling a time when I was in elementary school. Dad came home with some
> sort of lo-cal candy. We all ate it. Dad, my brother and I got sick to
> our stomachs. Mom was fine.

She tends not to use a whole lot of ingredients, and they tend to repeat
endlessly. She uses no spices except some store-brand mix that I've seen her
sprinkle in such small quanities as to be insignificant. No lo-cal anything,
no fake fats, unless you count her mystery margarine, which is her own
concoction of margarine (I think) and something sweet like corn syrup.

I think it might be more of a storage issue, where something was kept beyond
its prime. She doesn't like to throw anything away. Coffee for example. They
don't brew coffee for themselves, they use instant. When they have company
(not us, we're not company, we're related) she brews coffee. She then takes
whatever is left over, stores it in a jar in the fridge, and then mixes it
with hot water and serves that as coffee later.

I don't know if she cleans out the margarine container when she mixes a new
batch, and there are probably other things that get recycled.

> But really, the etiquette question is the more interesting one. I doubt
> that someone who likes you well enough to invite you over often wants you
> to get sick. Could you explain the problem in neutral terms, say that
> you're sensitive to an ingredient and ask about what it might be? You
> wouldn't have to implicate your host's cooking or cleanliness, just ask
> about recipes and procedures to try to spot the culprit.
>

I'll let DH handle the interrogation. The whole "ingredient" thing is
unlikely, though, because she doesn't really use a lot of stuff. My bet is
either that it was the beans (or whatever brown bits she cooked with them --
old bacon?) or maybe something she added to the mashed potatoes. I saw a
package of cream cheese on the counter, and that probably went into the
potatoes. Maybe the cheese was bad.

I'm feeling better today, but still not 100 percent.

Thanks everyone...

Donna

"Nathalie Chiva" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 8 May 2006 23:38:07 -0600, "D.Currie"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>"Jude" > wrote in message
groups.com...
>>>I hate to ask....but are they clean people? Are they good about washing
>>> produce, and washing their hands thoroughly? All that good stuff?
>>>
>>
>>The house is clean. Cleaner than mine, most days. As far as washing
>>things,
>>I don't know for sure. She like to have almost everything plated well
>>ahead
>>of guests' arrivals, and then she just microwaves what needs to be hot.
>
> Yuck. She's not a foodie, huh.

That may be the understatement of the year. For dessert, she usually makes
this cake concoction that to me always seems the same, but she calls them
different things. Fruit cocktail cake, apple cake, pineapple cake...I always
decline, because it's really not that good. And it's easy to say, "No
dessert, I'm full."

One time, I was in the kitchen, ready to bring the desserts to the table.
She's dishing out large hunks of the latest cake creation and she tells me
that it's a new recipe that someone gave her, and she already tried a little
bit of it earlier, and it's not very good. It's pretty bad, actually. And
she's saying this while she's dishing it out to serve.

I was amazed. If I made something that I thought wasn't good, I'd be feeding
it to the birds, the dogs, or the garbage can, depending on what it was. I
certainly wouldn't be handing out huge hunks of it to unwary guests. But
that's how she is. It doesn't have to taste good, it just has to be edible.

> Hope you recover soon. And if I were you, I'd ask about the beans.
>
> Nathalie in Switzerland
>

I'm better today. Not completely well, but better. The beans and I are going
to stay far away from each other. Honestly, just the thought of her green
beans makes me a little green. I don't think I'll be eating them at her
house, no matter what the source.

"Steve Wertz" > wrote in message
news
> On Mon, 8 May 2006 23:43:52 -0600, D.Currie wrote:
>
>> "Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> D.Currie wrote:
>>>> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain
>>>> person's
>>>> house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's causing this
>>>> intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but isn't as
>>>> miserable
>>>> as me. Same as last time.
>>>
>>>
>>> My guess is the oil. People buy a big bottle of oil and continue using
>>> it
>>> after it has gone rancid. But that doesn't explain why your hosts don't
>>> get sick too. Perhaps they're using some sort of fake oil that's
>>> supposed
>>> to be good for people on diets. Some people are sensitive to it while
>>> others aren't. That could explain why you get it worst, your husband a
>>> little, and your hosts not at all.
>>>
>>
>> Rancid oil is nasty for sure. But unless it was in the green beans, I
>> can't
>> think of anywhere she would have used oil. Maybe butter gone bad, though.
>> Or
>> margarine. I put some of her margarine concoction on my bread.
>>
>> I know they got sick twice during lent when they had fish, but I don't
>> know
>> if there's any connection there. And it was something like fish sticks,
>> baked.
>
> Have you been in the house and not eaten (and not gotten sick)?
> Maybe it's the house itself (or the people themselves that you
> just don't care for ;-)
>
> -sw

I've been there a lot of times and eaten or not, and not gotten sick. The
last two times, though, when we ate there, we were unwell afterwards. We
actually had a fun time. They had another couple over and they were quite
entertaining.

Two times in a row is what worries me. Once, I could say it was an
accidental occurrence. Some bad meat or something. Twice makes me worry
about future meals.

Donna

I'm sorry you are ill, Donna. Since this only happens at that particualr
house, it might be a hygiene question, in the kitchen, or the bathroom, too.
One way or another, I hop both you and your husband will feel better soon.

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
. ..
> D.Currie wrote:
>> "Rusty" > wrote in message
>> ups.com...
>>>
>>> D.Currie wrote:
>>>> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain
>>>> person's house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's
>>>> causing this intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but
>>>> isn't as miserable as
>>>> me. Same as last time.
>>>>
>>> Improperly home canned green beans can harbor botulism. That can kill
>>> you, your husband and your hosts. I would not eat there again. At the
>>> very least, ask them to get rid of all of their home canned green
>>> beans.
>>>
>>> Rusty
>>>
>>
>> I'll find out, for sure. I'd like to blame it on something specific
>> that I can avoid in the future rather than being afraid of eating
>> there every time. And there's no way to avoid eating going over there.
>>
>>Donna
>
> You keep saying there is no way to avoid eating at their home. May I ask
> why?
>
> Jill
>

It's a close relative, and they live less than 6 blocks away. And we're the
only family within 900 miles.

Donna

D.Currie wrote:
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> . ..
>> D.Currie wrote:
>>> "Rusty" > wrote in message
>>> ups.com...
>>>>
>>>> D.Currie wrote:
>>>>> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain
>>>>> person's house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's
>>>>> causing this intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but
>>>>> isn't as miserable as
>>>>> me. Same as last time.
>>>>>
>>>> Improperly home canned green beans can harbor botulism. That can
>>>> kill you, your husband and your hosts. I would not eat there
>>>> again. At the very least, ask them to get rid of all of their home
>>>> canned green beans.
>>>>
>>>> Rusty
>>>>
>>>
>>> I'll find out, for sure. I'd like to blame it on something specific
>>> that I can avoid in the future rather than being afraid of eating
>>> there every time. And there's no way to avoid eating going over
>>> there.
>>>
>>> Donna
>>
>> You keep saying there is no way to avoid eating at their home. May
>> I ask why?
>>
>> Jill
>>
>
> It's a close relative, and they live less than 6 blocks away. And
> we're the only family within 900 miles.
>
> Donna

Ah, well I don't have the same qualms that you do. I haven't seen my oldest
brother in close to 3 years. Just because he lives here and is related to
me doesn't mean I have to share meals with him.

And even if it didn't make you ill, it doesn't sound like these relatives
serve you particularly delicious food. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they
enjoy the company and perhaps you do, too. I don't know. Maybe you should
show her a copy of the RFC Cookbook

Jill
Jill

"tert in seattle" > wrote in message
...
> writes:
>
>>She can't have too many of them in stock. She must have gotten them from
>>someone else, I'm darned sure she didn't can them herself. And for all I
>>know, she might have meant that she bought fresh beans instead of frozen.
>>She's not always precise about cooking terms. But I'll find out, for sure.
>>I'd like to blame it on something specific that I can avoid in the future
>>rather than being afraid of eating there every time. And there's no way to
>>avoid eating going over there.
>>
>>I may just go the easy route and join some religion and/or cult with
>>strict
>>dietary restrictions that would preclude eating anything she cooks. Or
>>maybe
>>one with a lot of fasting. Sure, I'll come for dinner. Bread (that I made)
>>and water, please.
>
> The problem here as you probably know is that you can't do a proper
> investigation without all the data. I'm curious why you think it's so
> hard to tell them their food makes you sick.

Some people aren't going to handle that sort of news very well. Or, they
aren't going to believe it, and it's just going to go nowhere.


If I were them I'd want
> to know just as badly as you do what caused it.

If it was me, I'd want to know, too. This is a situation that requires a
little more finesse in having the conversation because of who it is.


And if they get all
> defensive and hurt feelings when you tell them their food made you sick,
> and not care that they're wreaking havoc on their guests' guts due to
> incompetence, well, ****em.


If they were casual friends, avoiding dinners there would be easy enough.
But when it's a relative, the situation changes a bit.

But you better make sure you have a good
> case. Make sure it wasn't something else.
>

That's why we didn't say anything the first time. Now it's getting a little
suspicious. But we're still going to approach the subject carefully. It
could still be an odd coincidence.

Donna

"Andy" <q> wrote in message ...
> "D.Currie" > wrote in
> :
>
>> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain
>> person's house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's
>> causing this intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but
>> isn't as miserable as me. Same as last time.
>
>
> Donna,
>
> Doesn't matter who a certain person is, sister, Mom, the boss' wife.
> Where your health is concerned, it's absurd to claim you can't opt-out of
> eating there.

We can opt out for a while, or for specific dates, but there are birthdays,
holidays, etc. that come around with some regularity, and getting out of
eating there ever again becomes something of a challenge.

>
> Plated dinners in advance of your arrival??? Who does that??? Sounds
> disgusting. That's not cooking, that's TV-Dinnering. Could be sitting on
> the kitchen counter all day for all you know.

Maybe I phrased it wrong. Individual plates weren't prepared, but, for
example, the ham was sliced and on a plate and ready to be microwaved to
heat it up for serving.

>
> ICK!

It's not what I would do for company, but it's SOP over there. Until now, we
haven't had ill effects.

>
> Feel better fast!

Thanks.

"D.Currie" > wrote in message
...
>
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> . ..
>> D.Currie wrote:
>>> "Rusty" > wrote in message
>>> ups.com...
>>>>
>>>> D.Currie wrote:
>>>>> For the second time in a row, I'm ill after eating at a certain
>>>>> person's house. And trying to figure out exactly what it is that's
>>>>> causing this intestinal disaster. DH is also not feeling well, but
>>>>> isn't as miserable as
>>>>> me. Same as last time.
>>>>>
>>>> Improperly home canned green beans can harbor botulism. That can kill
>>>> you, your husband and your hosts. I would not eat there again. At the
>>>> very least, ask them to get rid of all of their home canned green
>>>> beans.
>>>>
>>>> Rusty
>>>>
>>>
>>> I'll find out, for sure. I'd like to blame it on something specific
>>> that I can avoid in the future rather than being afraid of eating
>>> there every time. And there's no way to avoid eating going over there.
>>>
>>>Donna
>>
>> You keep saying there is no way to avoid eating at their home. May I ask
>> why?
>>
>> Jill
>>
>
> It's a close relative, and they live less than 6 blocks away. And we're
> the only family within 900 miles.
>
> Donna

Yes, it sounds like you are double-doomed. What a problem. Perhaps you will
be doing all the cooking from now on?
I've not read every sentence of your postings; but want to ask, does the
family know that you've been sick twice after each meal, was it the last two
consecutive meals?
A family discussion might be in order?
Dee Dee

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
. ..
>>
>> It's a close relative, and they live less than 6 blocks away. And
>> we're the only family within 900 miles.
>>
>> Donna
>
> Ah, well I don't have the same qualms that you do. I haven't seen my
> oldest
> brother in close to 3 years. Just because he lives here and is related to
> me doesn't mean I have to share meals with him.
>
> And even if it didn't make you ill, it doesn't sound like these relatives
> serve you particularly delicious food. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they
> enjoy the company and perhaps you do, too. I don't know. Maybe you
> should
> show her a copy of the RFC Cookbook

This isn't a relative that we dislike. Her cooking skills were never good
and she doesn't care; food just has to be edible, nothing more. Taste is
irrelevant. We've resigned ourselves to the fact that the food there is
never going to be any different, and we go for the company. Some of the
meals are better than others. This is the first time we've had ill effects,
so I'm hoping it was something like the canned beans. She can't possibly
have a lot of those. Maybe I'll see if she has any more of them, and I can
talk her into giving them to me, and I can throw them away.

As far as the cookbook it's mine! MINE! MIIINE!!! bwa ha ha... :-)

"Dee Randall" > wrote in message
...
>>
>> It's a close relative, and they live less than 6 blocks away. And we're
>> the only family within 900 miles.
>>
>> Donna
>
> Yes, it sounds like you are double-doomed. What a problem. Perhaps you
> will be doing all the cooking from now on?

Nah. For every time I have them here, they'd feel a need to reciprocate.
We'd end up over there, no matter what.

> I've not read every sentence of your postings; but want to ask, does the
> family know that you've been sick twice after each meal, was it the last
> two consecutive meals?

Two different dinners there. We didn't say anything last time, but this time
somebody's going to have a chat. I think I'll have to suggest that we all go
out for Mother's Day.

> A family discussion might be in order?
> Dee Dee

Yup. Of some sort. At least to find out if she's been using anything weird
or different. It's sort of a difficult topic. She knows she's not a good
cook, but telling her that we've gotten sick is a whole other level of bad
cooking.

Donna

D.Currie wrote:
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> . ..
>>>
>>> It's a close relative, and they live less than 6 blocks away. And
>>> we're the only family within 900 miles.
>>>
>>> Donna
>>
>> Ah, well I don't have the same qualms that you do. I haven't seen my
>> oldest
>> brother in close to 3 years. Just because he lives here and is
>> related to me doesn't mean I have to share meals with him.
>>
>> Maybe you should show her a copy of the RFC Cookbook
>
> This isn't a relative that we dislike. Her cooking skills were never
> good and she doesn't care;

Lots of people are like that.

> company. Some of the meals are better than others. This is the first
> time we've had ill effects

No, it's the second LOL

> As far as the cookbook it's mine! MINE! MIIINE!!! bwa ha ha... :-)

I didn't say *give* it to her! LOL Sounds like she wouldn't be interested
in looking at it anyway.

I like the idea of you asking her about the beans. If they were truly
home-canned by someone else, you could just rave about them and ask if she'd
part with the last couple of jars and then, yes, you could toss them! Or
you could hope she doesn't have 12 jars of them and only gives you two. But
that would be two down, 10 to go!

Jill

John Leslie wrote:
> On Tue, 9 May 2006 08:57:50 -0500, jmcquown wrote:
>
>> You keep saying there is no way to avoid eating at their home. May
>> I ask why?
>
> I can think of ten reasons off the top of my head. Mostly
> because they're friends of some sort and it would obviously be
> awkward to decline.
>
If the food was making me ill, I wouldn't really hesitate to broach the
subject with whoever it is. Third time might be the charm, then it would be
proof positive (albeit unpleasantly so) it's something in that
household/food prep.

> Certainly your widdle head can come up with at least a few
> plausible reasons to satisfy your curiosity without having to get
> nosy, no?
>
Hey, Donna and I know each other well enough, if she didn't want to answer
the question she'd tell me so, no problem. I was actually thinking it might
be a work-related political type thing where the boss insisted they come
over for dinner after they'd had them over. I know that can be awkward.

> ObFood: Homemade beef and pork meatball sandwiches (on
> store-bought bolillos) with homegrown tomato marinara.
>
> -sw and jl

OB Food: Baked potato stuffed with broccoli and cheese.

Jill

"D.Currie" wrote:

>
>
> Last time, I joked about how I might bring my own food and explain that I'm
> on some sort of restricted diet, but I don't think I'd be able to get away
> with that. And like I said, there's no way we can get away with not going
> there for dinner on somewhat regular occasions.

Bitch and complain about the food. After each meal there, instead of suffering
in silence, phone her up and ask what the hell she gave you that made you so
ill. After a few calls like that you won't have to worry about declining
invitations. She won't invite you.
:-)