I have an uncle who likes store-bought
fruitcake, and he receives one or two of them
every year for Christmas. It's a family tradition,
watching Uncle Phil open his fruitcake and
hear him say "thank you" through clenched
teeth.

My mother-in-law does the hide-food-around-
the-house-and-forget-about-it thing. Although
she does it with a more natural selection of
sweets, no fruitcake.

My mother has done the same thing regarding
the stockpiling of food she thinks people like.
My sister's husband likes apple cider, but for
some reason my mom thinks that it's his
favorite beverage ever and tries to always
keep it on hand when she knows he'll be over.
She always makes mention of the fact that
she has apple cider for Dan when they're over,
and if she doesn't have any she apologizes for
it.