Have you ever been in one of those family lunches where there are way too many desserts? Well, that happens often to me and I bring cakes and other desserts home that last me for a week, sometimes in the garbage or other times I just bring them to work. So the question is, why do people make so many desserts, any logic in that?
If there's dessert, it's a celebration! I'm guilty of this one. Desserts are fun to make. I also like to watch people enjoy desserts. While a salad is delicious, and certainly makes me happy, people in a get-together are typically celebrating something and homemade desserts are not something people enjoy every day. Also, I don't like to admit this, but cost is a factor. It is so much cheaper to make desserts for a large group than to prepare healthy food. I used to bring fruit salads to the office pot lucks. Then, it started to be expected of me. We would have two potlucks on average each month, and I was spending almost thirty dollars each time! I could make a cake or cupcakes for under five dollars.
I think a majority of the logic is that if you spend time making something elaborate for an event, many people won't like it. Our tastes are too different. The one thing we can all agree on, is that desserts are awesome! Everybody loves pies and cakes, and they're pretty easy and cheap to make.
Desserts seem to hold up better than do savory dishes. Maybe that is not true for biscuits or bread. But when it comes to most savory snacks they get soggy or cold very fast. There are many desserts out there such as cookies, cakes, and candies that do not need refrigeration and can last under mild heat. I think this is the reason so many prefer to bring a dessert to a party. Also, the host of a party often has a menu plan in mind and I am always worried if I bring a side dish it could conflict with what they had planned. Desserts seem to be something that goes with everything and you don't need to worry that there will be duplicates. How many of us say, 'Oh I wish there were less brownies here?' No, rather we say, 'Oh good, there are lots of brownies here, I can eat as much as I like.' Well, that's what some of us might say anyway.
When I go to family gatherings, I notice this as well. I think it's because desserts are not too difficult to prepare. I mean there are cakes that you can just buy on your way to the party. Anyway, I just prefer to cook and bring other meals because I don't really like sweets.
I'd say probably because it is really easy and quick to put together something sweet and delicious, whereas main dishes and appetizers often take a lot more time to prepare. I think saving the desserts and taking them to a shelter for the homeless or to a soup kitchen, might be really appreciated. Here, where I currently live, in Latin America, nothing gets ever wasted, especially not food.
It's pretty much ironic because many days I am at home craving for something sweet and other days I have a table with more sweet stuff than I can handle haha. Just today I still have at home sweets I've brought from Sunday and to be honest it will be hard to finish them all, I still have too much sugar in my blood.
As others have said, it's more a matter of cost and convenience to bring a desert to a potluck or party like the one you're talking about. Also, with any house family event that I've had, I've always prepared the main course, like Burgers, tri-tip, etc and everyone else just brings a side-dish of some sort or a desert. I'd think that'd be the case for most other people as well who have hosted or been to that kind of party.
Just yesterday I had an evening snack, opened the refrigerator and I could choose between a whole sort of cakes. Man, they still taste good, but certainly it's not something healthy, I was better of with a piece of fruit before going to bed rather than some chocolate cake, but what can I do, I am not throwing away am I?
That does happen a lot with me too, specially at work when we do collective breakfast in our department. I guess buying a cake at the supermarket is really easy, and it's also easier to bake something at home instead of doing something not sweet. Plus, I Think people want to please, and sweets are more pleasant to bring to a party!
Desserts are easier to make and usually cheaper. I also think people are less picky when eating dessert. You also don't have to worry about the temperature or letting it sit for a while. An easy dish to bring to a family potluck is a casserole or slow cooker dish. They travel well and just need to be heated up quickly.
That is so true, when there is family reunion people always prefer to take desserts than salty dishes because they are easier to do, they are cheaper and if you don't have the time you can always buy a cake or something similar, while if you are responsible for the main dish that is not so easy. Either cases, I am glad to see so many desserts ahah.
It's probably because they are way easier to transport and they are less smelly. Bringing savory dishes often entails having to deal with sauces and the chance of it smelling up your car, but with desserts, even if it does end up being odorous, the smell is at least sweet and probably won't stick to your car interior as strongly. Also, as I've mentioned, it's way easier to transport a few tarts or cupcakes than a stew.
That is a fact DrRipley, but usually the people who cook the main meals are the one that are hosting and those who are visitors carry the desserts, like it happens with me so many times. This happens mostly because I have a small flat and I can't receive many people, so usually I carry a dessert and bring home a lot more than I took.
I think people make desserts way more than needed simply because they know that most people enjoy eating sweets. And maybe because preparing them is their expertise. Either way, it doesn't hurt to go home with too much desserts, since you can always eat them whenever you want.
Exactly, it's just a matter of controlling our eating desire, it's a matter of habituation. When I was younger I never had chocolates and other sweets in the house, guess why? I ate them all when I had them, it was something out of control. Now I have sweets around the house all the time, I just eat them from time to time.
