The threads regarding guests bringing food reminded me of my late MIL, who always brought unsolicited food when she and FIL were invited guests. These were not hostess gifts.
The premise usually was: my parents, who lived 1200 miles away from me, would be visiting DH and I. We'd invite MIL/FIL for a dinner, prepared entirely by me. I'd have everything, including a dessert made from scratch or a high-quality bakery item (my mom esp. loved petit fours).
MIL would inevitably breeze in, carrying a dessert. She'd announce that it was "better than what I'd planned," and tell me to put mine away for another time. She'd go on and on about her dessert and would fish for compliments. Yes, she was an attention hog. My parents, being polite, played along. So did DH or FIL (they'd long since tuned her out, unfortunately).
To my credit I did serve my dessert as well as hers, and for the sake of peace I didn't tell her exactly what I thought of her actions.
In retrospect, should I have had more backbone? I believe so, but I'm a stronger person now. Have other ehellions experienced this, and how did you handle it?