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Where do you serve from? Counter? Table??

R

rt49andellis

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At our home, we go to the counter & stove to fix our plates for dinner. Although, pretty much every where I visit, they have everything set on the table and they pass it around.

When I was in school, I learned that it's better for your weight to keep the serving dishes on a counter, server or the stove. The reason being that if it's right there in front of you and you don't have to get up to get 2nds, you'll go back for more. But if it's WAAAY over at the stove, you're less inclined to do so. So.... I keep dinner at the stove & countertop.

How do you serve dinner? Is everything kept at the stove or do you put everything on the dinner table? Do you pass the food around or everyone just reaches in and gets what they need??
 
We put everything ont he table if it's just us two. If we have company we may put the food on the counter since our table is small.
 
For generations our family has always believed in the food being placed on the table - no buffet-style dining. Those Italian men expected their food on the table, the kids clean at the table, the house clean, the food made perfectly, homemade bread made every day of the year and every one sat together. No one left the table until papa said. Mama did the clean up; papa would busy himself with something. No one walked in the kitchen when great gram cooked - unless you wanted it to be your last day alive. Gram was like that too. And mom. And me. Mothers and daughters will cook, can, and bake together - anyone else - OUT!!! Hair is to be pulled back and off the face or you don't sit and eat let alone try to enter the kitchen! No nailpolish allowed. If you had nailpolish on you couldn't even eat let alone touch a cup or glass of water. Papa would not let anyone wear lipstick - he didn't even believe in makeup. The old-fashioned Italian men were very strict - and so were the women. Grace was always said. But the memories will always be there. Big tables full of food and family enjoying it! In my opinion - that's the way it should be. (sorry I got long-winded - but I can be like Sophia.......)
 
If it's just hubby and I we eat on the couch in front of the tv. Bad... I know. lol..

If we have company and it's casual we serve from the counter ( our table is small) if it's formal we use the dinning room table and serve from there.
 
If it's just hubby and I we eat on the couch in front of the tv. Bad... I know. lol..

If we have company and it's casual we serve from the counter ( our table is small) if it's formal we use the dinning room table and serve from there.

:D Quite similar to what i do.
 
Most of our meals are eaten in front of the tv as well. But occassionally we do the table thing. Like if we're having a "real" meal. That's hard to explain, but some may know what I'm talkin about.

Good heavens Mama Mangia..... I can't imagine living that way. Although, when it's how you're raised, I'm sure it seems like there's no other way to do it. You do on occassion remind me of Sophia. LOL Where do you live???
 
We serve straight from the stove :). Tiny house, tiny kitchen, usually at that point the counter is full of dirty dishes so the stove it is!
 
It depends, if there is a lot of food we usually just get up and go back to the counter (never stops me from getting seconds..lol). If we have enough that will fit on the table so we can move comfortably, that's where it goes.

Though, might have to start just leaving it all on the counter because my daughter decided she likes the way the food tastes out of the bowels/dishes than on her own plate. :p
 
rt49 - sounds medevial doesn't it????

actually - it was normal for us all to eat together, stay together, enjoy each other - it was real family time - no TV, radio or phones - just family talk and it was nice - no one had to get up from the table until they were done -

Sophia - LOL - I feel older than her today though!

I'm in NY for now - where are you?
 
We always serve from the stove. It's just my wife and I so, we don't get too fancy. We do cook almost every day. I like fresh cooked foods. I eat leftovers for lunch, but I really like a fresh made meal for dinner.
 
When I was younger we NEVER did meals at the table, except holidays. I remember one time we tried some dinner at the table... *laughs* My brother was picking at his food and dad threw his pork chop up against the wall. Such a lovely memory. *laughs*

I'm from Illinois by the way. :)

I honestly hate dinner without background noise. I hate silverware clanging on a plate, knives scratching plates, listening to people chew and being able to hear myself chew. Just too much irritation to have a good time. I think that's why we prefer to sit on the couch.
 
My grandma's house was very much like what Mama described. No make-up allowed, only women were allowed in the kitchen when cooking was going on, unless you were just passing through from the back porch & den area to the bedrooms or bathroom. Grandma always put things on the table for us to eat, we weren't allowed to leave until granted permission & our plates had Better be clean or we weren't moving. Unless of course it was something new & we had eaten the required 3 bites before deciding we didn't like it.

My family now, I dish up everyone's plates from the stove. The kitchen table is used for schoolwork (we homeschool) and we usually eat in the living room.
 
We eat all over the house I try and make the kids eat at the table since they spill things more easy.
 
What's the deal with no make-up at the table? Is that some sort of sign of disrespect??
 
Nah, my grandpa just didn't like women to wear make-up. It was a quirk of his I suppose. My dad doesn't like lipstick, all other make-up is fine, he just hates lipstick. Maybe it's a generational thing too.... My grandpa was in his 70's when he passed away 2 years ago this Christmas. That probably has something to do with it.
 
Old timers felt that only a "hoe" (excuse me) would "paint her face, nails, toes". Cripe if my ancestors could only see all this body art with tatoos, low neck tops, belly buttons showing, pants worn down at the hair line, guys with their boxers showing past their butts and their pants 12 inches below their waist, etc. Still today - I believe a woman should be respectfully "covered" without showing things that should not be shown. Times have changed - but I'm still old-fashioned.
 
I agree Mama, I hate all the current fashion trends. Everytime I see a kid with his/her pants hanging down to their knees (my sister wears her pants like that for some reason), it makes me want to smack them upside their head & tell them to wear their pants properly. I don't though, lucky them.
 
Don't you wish there was a law allowing us elders to straighten out these kids today???? Their parents are oblivious - one thing I was never allowed to do was follow the crowd - and I'm glad!!!!
 
I was just thinking about this thread last night and one disadvantage of having everything on the table is that it is very easy to get more and eat too much. :eek:
 
I serve from anywhere. It just depends on my mood and my family's mood. Sometimes, it's from the table, sometimes it's from the counter and sometimes it's from the cookware itself.
 
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