Do you serve dinner (supper) in sequential courses?

[Stacia]

Similar to Jane & Pam. We regularly have sit-down dinners as a family. Sometimes we do courses (more likely on weekends). Always cloth napkins & placemats + a nicely set table. Food is either plated ahead of time or is served in dishes on the table. Tablecloths for special dinners.

 

At my in-laws, however, it is always courses, tablecloth, full place settings, etc.... They have a very nice bar in their family room & always serve drinks & appetizers there. Then, we move upstairs to the dining room for (usually) 2-3 more courses (soup, dinner, dessert/coffee). The kids will often go over once a week for dinner w/ the grandparents & it is the same routine then too. (How cool is that?) The nice thing about the kids growing up this way is that they're not flummoxed by fancy place settings, or which utensils to use, or anything like that. So, when presented with a fancy dining environment, they feel perfectly comfortable. You're not overeating because the portion sizes are small & reasonable, not the standard super-size portion you get at many restaurants. My in-laws (esp. my fil) are true foodies & dining with them is a beautiful, wonderful, & fun experience.

 

I've really come to enjoy this style. I grew up eating lots of boxed meals/tv dinners w/out placemats. Dh thought we were barbarians when he first met me. :lol:  The funny thing is that this thread is also reminding me of my first 'real' job after graduating from college -- one thing they gave all new employees was a handbook that included guidelines for etiquette, including rules for dining at a fancy restaurant (explaining all the silverware, glassware, proper positioning of the napkin in your lap, etc....)

 

ETA: When the kids (mine + my niece & nephews) were young & we were at my in-laws, they were routinely allowed to get up between courses. They usually finished their course & wanted to play, while the adults tended to linger longer having conversation during each course. Even though the kids are all in the preteen/teen age ranges now, sometimes they will still ask to be excused between courses, but sometimes not. Of course, it's always Oma's prerogative to determine if they can be excused from the table or not. Lol.

[Kerileanne99]

Similar to Jane & Pam. We regularly have sit-down dinners as a family. Sometimes we do courses (more likely on weekends). Always cloth napkins & placemats + a nicely set table. Food is either plated ahead of time or is served in dishes on the table. Tablecloths for special dinners.

 

At my in-laws, however, it is always courses, tablecloth, full place settings, etc.... They have a very nice bar in their family room & always serve drinks & appetizers there. Then, we move upstairs to the dining room for (usually) 2-3 more courses (soup, dinner, dessert/coffee). The kids will often go over once a week for dinner w/ the grandparents & it is the same routine then too. (How cool is that?) The nice thing about the kids growing up this way is that they're not flummoxed by fancy place settings, or which utensils to use, or anything like that. So, when presented with a fancy dining environment, they feel perfectly comfortable. You're not overeating because the portion sizes are small & reasonable, not the standard super-size portion you get at many restaurants. My in-laws (esp. my fil) are true foodies & dining with them is a beautiful, wonderful, & fun experience.

 

I've really come to enjoy this style. I grew up eating lots of boxed meals/tv dinners w/out placemats. Dh thought we were barbarians when he first met me. :lol: The funny thing is that this thread is also reminding me of my first 'real' job after graduating from college -- one thing they gave all new employees was a handbook that included guidelines for etiquette, including rules for dining at a fancy restaurant (explaining all the silverware, glassware, proper positioning of the napkin in your lap, etc....)

 

ETA: When the kids (mine + my niece & nephews) were young & we were at my in-laws, they were routinely allowed to get up between courses. They usually finished their course & wanted to play, while the adults tended to linger longer having conversation during each course. Even though the kids are all in the preteen/teen age ranges now, sometimes they will still ask to be excused between courses, but sometimes not. Of course, it's always Oma's prerogative to determine if they can be excused from the table or not. Lol.

Yes, I have to say that I did NOT grow up with family dinners, much less proper ones. But when I was in High School I dated a wonderful LDS boy. As part of Wed youth group activities, every couple of months the parents got together and cooked a 4/5 course meal. All of the kids sat down at a formal table and the parents acted as waiters, everyone dressed in semi-formal attire or business casual depending upon the night. It was a lot of fun, and it has served me tremendously-well over the years.

I could easily see that as something fun to adapt for homeschoolers even if it isn't the norm to do more formal meals at home. Very useful:)

[medawyn]

OK, I'm with Quill, though.  For those of you who either serve in courses or have family that do, how does this work logistically?  I'm usually finishing up the main course and sides at the same time and then plating immediately.  How does one finish up the main course if one is serving courses?

 

I can imagine having soup and/or salad prepared ahead of time, but it's the second course that challenges me.  I often pop dessert in just before we sit down to dinner, so I've got the chocolate part covered!

 

An example, to illustrate my dilemma.  A favorite dinner here is prosciutto-wrapped chicken stuffed with Manchego cheese.  It cooks quickly and there is a pan sauce to be made.  I often serve it with couscous and a steamed green vegetable.  All of these are finished cooking at the same time, and neither the chicken nor steamed veggies stand up to waiting a long time before I serve them.  So how do I accomplish a first course?  Many meals in this house follow a similar pattern.  In the summer we grill frequently.  Are the kids sitting down to the first course while my husband tends the grill and I finish side dishes?

 

Please help my logistics-challenged brain!  The idea of a Sunday dinner in four courses is lovely, but I just can't get there in reality.

[texasmama]

:lol:

 

I'm dying at this, only because it's not too far off from our house most days.  Here's to, um, a *casual* home...  :cheers2:

Yep.  Dressing for dinner means that the boys cannot appear shirtless. :lol:

 

No Martha Stewarts here!

[rebbyribs]

I serve "courses" when I haven't managed to get all of dinner ready to eat at the same time.  Does that count?  :-)

 

If we're having a salad or a dessert with dinner, I will often serve that separately from the main course.

[creekland]

I've been able to think of two times that we do courses.

 

The most common is when hubby has decided to cook something he normally doesn't and things aren't all ready at the same time - and the difference isn't just a few minutes.  Our courses are usually preceded by an "oops I didn't realize..."

 

The second is when we've eaten and decide to watch a TV show and someone says, "Hey, you want some popcorn or ice cream?"

 

We do ALWAYS eat together for supper.  When the kids or hubby have something going on we just adjust our time that we eat to accommodate.  If the kids are going to eat somewhere else, that's different, but hubby and I will still eat together.

 

Lunch is together if we're all home, but often I'm working or hubby might be out on a job site.

 

Breakfast is always on our own with rare exceptions.

[Amy in NH]

Real meals served at family table every night

Cloth napkins, but no table cloth

Table set only with the flatware actually needed for the menu

Buffet style, no courses

[The Girls' Mom]

We do set the table most nights, but nothing fancy.  Plate, fork, glass of water.  Sometimes we have a tablecloth, sometimes not...depending on the state of the laundry.  No cloth napkins excepts on the holidays. (unless you count dh grabbing a dish towel to mop up stray sauce or something).  All the food is put on the table, most often in the pot/pan/skillet it was cooked in.  We serve ourselves.  Desert, if we have it, is usually eaten in the living room after dinner.  

[The Girls' Mom]

I wanted to add, teen guests are often highly amused (in a good way) that we actually eat together at the table.  It seems to be a rare thing any more.  They usually enjoy it a lot, especially since we are often a bit rowdy and laugh a lot at dinner time.

[Seasider]

For family meals? No, although we always have cloth napkins (which I taught my dc to actually, you know, put in their laps and use), and when the dc were home, I put everything in serving bowls and we ate at the table. Today, with just Mr. Ellie and me, I will usually plate the food at the stove/oven and put it at our places. I think that even when it's just the two of us there should be some modicum of formality, lol.

 

Now, when I invite guests to my home for dinner, yes, there are courses. I almost never serve salad (which is not supposed to be the first course, anyway); instead it's usually soup, then the main course, then dessert. Sometimes, just for the heck of it, I also have us retire to the living room where I serve demitasse. :-) (No on in my family has ever even heard of demitasse, but I think it's fun, and it gives me another opportunity to use kewl dishes and whatnot).

I have demitasse cups and saucers. My French grandmother served us cafe au lait in them from a wee age.

 

Now people just call everything that size espresso cups.

[YaelAldrich]

We do courses (four to be exact) on our Sabbath meals (Friday night dinner, Saturday lunch) and holiday meals (two each day).  If I had the time I would dig back in the forum to find the listing for what I cook for a typical Sabbath/holiday meal, but I am preparing a Bible test! :)  You can search for Yael, Shabbos meals, and challah.  We use cloth tablecloths and napkins, but oftentimes paper plates/cups/bowls but with real silverware(!).  Can't run a dishwasher on our Sabbath and I certainly don't want to spend precious time on washing dishes for 10-12 guests twice on my day of rest.  :leaving:

[TrixieB]

I think the only "course" meals I've ever eaten have been at restaurants.  I certainly have never served one.

[Zinnia]

I serve courses about half the time.  Mostly salad prior to the main dish.  Sometimes I will plate the main dish prior to serving the salad.  Most of the stuff I cook isn't going to be ruined by the 7 minute wait for us to eat our salads. :)

 

We always use cloth napkins, always eat together at the table, use placemats because of the laundry issue, and always set the table before supper.  I usually plate the food, restaurant style.  I want to move towards family style, but my littles are 2 and 4, and they make me crazy with it, so it's a year or two out still.

[Tsuga]

 

 

Also ds who is Autistic Spectrum had some significant food issues when he was little and salad dressing could never touch the rest of his food.

 

Well I can't have that either. Gross!  :laugh:  But in our home it's served at the same time, with separate plates. I completely understand. Who wants mashed potatoes on his salad? Blech. Nobody in our family would go for that.

[EmilyGF]

Doesn't she talk about at least occasionally ironing sheets?

 

E

[Joker]

I don't get courses. Restaurants that serve courses cause me to be full before the entree and I don't enjoy them. I always have salad stuff and/or raw veggies on the table with dinner. Those that are hungry will snack on that while I prepare dinner. Once dinner is served, we usually all eat the main part and salad/sides at the same time. I do make my dds have salad/veggies before having seconds (or thirds, fourths, etc.).

[SKL]

I used to serve things one at a time to maximize the nutrition my picky eater got.  :P  Sometimes I still do this.  But we are extreeemely informal here.

 

Even at Thanksgiving my family never did "courses."

[Mergath]

I think of Home Comforts sort of like Pinterest.  It's inspiring, and fun to look through, but no way in hell am I actually doing all that stuff. ;)

[KungFuPanda]

I think that's a swell idea for the people being served, but not so great for MOM. Sheesh. We do enough.

 

Actually, we DO have courses.

 

1. Veggie - me tarting salad veggies while prepping

2. Taster - DH coming through and 'tasting' what's on the stove while I finish cooking

3. Bread - people stealing bread once the basket hits the table

4. Main meal - first round of stuff on the table

5 Extra side- whatever side I forgot in the oven/microwave/steamer before I sat down

6 Drinks - when the family realizes I'm not getting up for drinks and it's on them to get them to the table

7 Dessert - if we have it, we're too full after dinner and have to come back later for it

 

SEVEN courses. We're fancy!

[Rosie_0801]

Um. Sometimes. But only because our plates are too small to fit all the dinner on. We can't have serving dishes on the table to avoid that problem because we haven't a table. 

[Carol in Cal.]

Re how to do it--at big family holiday meals, there are pauses and changes of venue.

 

So you have appetizers in the living room or outside, maybe with some champagne, and then the main course and main sides cook(s) discreetly leaves to get the main course ready.  The table is set in advance, and the serving dishes for each dish are out, with utensils at the ready.  First the soup or shrimp cocktail is put at each place setting, then all are called in to the dining room.  

While that is eaten the main course food is sitting in the dishes.  It's immediately brought out to the table to be served as the soup or shrimp dishes are being removed.

 

If the main dish is a roast, it has to rest for 15 minutes out of the oven before being carved.  So that is when you make the gravy and mash the potatoes if you're having those--I usually don't because I don't like to do a lot of last minute stuff, so I tend to make roasted potatoes which are more elegant anyway.  

 

If there is a separate salad, it is washed and crisping before the guests arrive.  The last thing you do is pour the dressing over it and bring it out after the main course plates have been removed.  That is also the time to pop any hot desserts into the oven--they can bake for 30 minutes while you're having the salad.  And you also start the pre-prepped coffee makers at that point.  

 

Then there might be a little break where someone serves tiny cordials, and there is some ceremony with that, a selection of several to choose from, each guest picking theirs and having it poured.  Coffee is also poured then.  When that is done chances are the desserts are ready to be brought to the table in great state, and served onto little plates.

If there was no salad course, there would have been a little walk or a short separate time for ping pong or chatting.  

[Mom in High Heels]

Nope.  Sometimes, if I'm waiting for something to finish cooking, like a casserole or whatever, we might have salad, or more likely a veggie tray, and then whatever was cooking, but beyond that, no.  I would be up and down too much to enjoy it.  Usually if we have soup or salad, we have it with the meal, or it IS the meal.  My boys ask for salad AS the meal at least once or twice a week.  Han Solo went 3 days a week or so ago, where other than breakfast, he wouldn't eat anything but salad for lunch or dinner.

 

We eat at the table every night, and do use cloth napkins for every meal, but no table cloths.  If something fell on it, Han Solo would completely freak out.  If something drops on the table, it MUST be wiped up immediately, or he can't eat.  Sheesh.  Indy sets the silverware and napkins on the table, and gets the drinks (water for all), and I plate the meals in the kitchen, then James Bond or Indy carry them to the table, while I finish plating.  I plate Han Solo's first, and James Bond cools it, then sets it on the table, for HS to start.  He's a SLOW eater (being 3, and all), so we let him start eating ASAP, otherwise we'll all be at the table forever.  Unless there is something going on that Indy has to get to (Scouts, fencing), we stay at the table until every one is finished.  When Han Solo is done, Indy takes him upstairs and gives him a bath, while James Bond and I sit and enjoy the few moments of quiet, and chat before we clear the table and clean the kitchen.

 

[Guest]

Well I can't have that either. Gross! :laugh: But in our home it's served at the same time, with separate plates. I completely understand. Who wants mashed potatoes on his salad? Blech. Nobody in our family would go for that.

Ha! That's what I thought! I don't like sauces to contaminate other foods. It is not rare for me to have some part of my meal in a little pudding dish on the side. Also, I sometimes use my knife as a prop for my plate to keep a sauce on the downhill side of the plate. I'm thinking that would not pass with people who are picky about how far the drape on a tablecloth falls by which meal is being served.

[Guest]

Doesn't she talk about at least occasionally ironing sheets?

 

E

I think, but I'm not on that chapter yet. :)

[Guest]

I think that's a swell idea for the people being served, but not so great for MOM. Sheesh. We do enough.

 

Actually, we DO have courses.

 

1. Veggie - me tarting salad veggies while prepping

2. Taster - DH coming through and 'tasting' what's on the stove while I finish cooking

3. Bread - people stealing bread once the basket hits the table

4. Main meal - first round of stuff on the table

5 Extra side- whatever side I forgot in the oven/microwave/steamer before I sat down

6 Drinks - when the family realizes I'm not getting up for drinks and it's on them to get them to the table

7 Dessert - if we have it, we're too full after dinner and have to come back later for it

 

SEVEN courses. We're fancy!

ROFL! I can relate! And people eating outta my pots while I finish drives me batty, but DH and DS15 do it daily. Barbarians!

[Orthodox6]

This is what I was thinking - how does the cook ever get to come enjoy the meal?

The cook eats downstairs, away from the family. Upstairs, Downstairs.

[Orthodox6]

Doesn't she talk about at least occasionally ironing sheets?

 

E

My mother made me iron the pillowcases and my father's handkerchiefs as a weekly chore.

[Orthodox6]

We do use a tablecloth because that is one of my small "anti-waste" measures. Washing several tablecloths at once makes only one load among the week's laundry. Cloth ones, for vinyl looks cruddy and tends to clump up with continued use.

 

We serve from the kitchen and carry our plates to the adjacent dining room. Sometimes place "extras" such as bread and condiments on the dining table for ease of use.

 

I never thought of it as a "course"; however, we do serve dessert, when existing, as the terminal "course" most of the time.

[YaelAldrich]

It's funny how many of you say that holiday meals are the ones that have courses.  For me the Jewish holidays do but for our purely American holidays (Thanksgiving, 4th of July, New Year's) it is just the main meal and then a dessert which to me is like a regular day meal.  The meal itself is more fancy than the protein, starch, veggie I normally make, but it never turns into the Sabbath/Jewish Holiday courses (5-8 appetizers/fish, soup, main/side/2 vegetables/multiple (3-4) desserts.

[Baseball mom]

Home cooked meals -- most nights

Meals eaten at table as a family -- most nights,,  Sometimes we eat in the living room or wherever you want to eat

Cloth napkins -- yes just because we like them.  Are they fancy and match, heck no 

Table cloth -- nope but I have used them before, the ones that are flannel on back and vinyl on top -- real fancy ;)

Course -- No way.  Most time I sit everything on the table (sometimes in the pots :eek: )  sometimes it is left on the stove and you fix your plate buffet style

Dressing for dinner -- must have on clothes of some sort and a shirt   

 

Extended family meals are always buffet style.

 

Ironing sheets :rofl:  :rofl:  :rofl:   what is this iron you speak of???

 

[Katy]

Home cooked meals, sometimes at the table and sometimes in the family room on the sectional.

Cloth napkins frequently. 

Table clothes always for meals, the table is antique.

Frequently do salad, dinner, and dessert as separate courses but I don't think I've ever separated all the dinner courses up onto separate plates.  Who has that much china or wants to expose it to their kids if they have it?  I've only ever known one family who did that, and they were from France.

Dressing for dinner- unless we're having company they can wear the same clothes they've had on all day.  We rarely do pajama days unless more than one of us is sick.

 

Ironing sheets- bwahahahahahahahaha  This kind of crap is for OCD tyrants with full time servants and who only care about making sure their maids skip their favorite telenovelas  (I may have spent too much time watching Jeff Lewis on Flipping Out).

[Zinnia]

I still iron pillowcases, especially for myself.  Love that feel as I get into bed at night.

[barnwife]

We do use a tablecloth because that is one of my small "anti-waste" measures. Washing several tablecloths at once makes only one load among the week's laundry. 

I've never understood this. How is it anti-waste? If you have no tablecloth, you use a dishcloth to wipe the table. A dishcloth, even several, is much smaller than a tablecloth. So I have never been able to wrap my mind around tablecloths as anti-waste. Enlighten me?

 

As far as courses, ditto many pp who say that courses around here are the food the kids snitch as I am cooking, the side I forgot in the oven, etc...

 

[Orthodox6]

I've never understood this. How is it anti-waste? If you have no tablecloth, you use a dishcloth to wipe the table. A dishcloth, even several, is much smaller than a tablecloth. So I have never been able to wrap my mind around tablecloths as anti-waste. Enlighten me?

 

As far as courses, ditto many pp who say that courses around here are the food the kids snitch as I am cooking, the side I forgot in the oven, etc...

 

 

I concede that I may have selected a word that is less-than-perfect.  Rather a small error to commit (in this context).

 

I would rather wash a tablecloth than have tomato-based, grape juice-based, or other hard-to-clean stains on a wooden tabletop.  In that scenario, I would have wasted an entire table!   :001_smile:

[ThursdayNext]

How does that work, though? I'm genuinely curious. There's always a thing or two I'm fixing up at the last few minutes, so then, either everyone would have to eat the salad while I make mashed potatoes, or else everyone would be waiting for me to make the potatoes after they have finished the salad.

This is why I don't do courses. That and we aren't fancy, with guests or just family.

This does remind me that I want to serve more veggie variety though. I could toss a veggie plate on the table for little fingers to dig in while they wait, and everyone would already be sitting eating when I bring out the main course. Sometimes everyone is hungry and underfoot when I'm cooking, and sometimes the food gets cold while I call and call and call them. And if it's just finger food, I could eat a little while I cook.

 

And tonight I'm inspired to serve a steamed artichoke appetizer (with melted butter).

[ThursdayNext]

Dressing for dinner -- must have on clothes of some sort and a shirt.

 

At our house, not even always that.

Spaghetti night, or coming in from playing shirtless in the heat, we know the boys are going straight to the bathtub anyway. No sense staining a shirt.

 

My husband has eaten in boxers and a shirt a few times, with me in my very short swim shorts (worse than yoga pants!)

[Sherry in OH]

At large family gatherings, we sometimes serve in sequential seatings.  The food is served buffet style.

 

At home, meals are eaten at the table.  Adults sometimes snack in the kitchen.  Children eat their snacks at the table.  We do not eat in any other room of the house.  We use cloth napkins most of the time.  We rarely use table cloths.  Most of the time we use vinyl placemats of the educational variety.  These have been known to be whipped from under plates to prove a point.  Clothing, including shirts, are required for those over age 3.  (Three and under may dine wearing just diapers.)

 

Everyday meals are usually plated from the stove.  For holidays and other special occasions serving bowls/platters are placed in the center of the table.  The only time we have courses is if I seriously misjudge the cooking time for something and people are starving.  Then they eat what is ready and come back later for the rest. 

[celticmom]

Does it count if the vegetables are accidentally on purpose ready first and served to hungry family members so that they will eat them without griping?

[lynn]

I cook most nights and some nights it's family style, other nights I put food on the plates and bring them to the table. Courses no, maybe salad first if dinner was started late.

[MeghansMom]

Unless we have a salad ahead of time, we eat our meat, side dish, veggies and beans at one time. We would have dessert later in the evening if we were going to have it.

 

The exception might be holidays or a special occasion.

 

Funny side note. We took Meg to Disney for almost two weeks when she was little. It was back when the meal plan still included appetizer and dessert, tip too.  When we came back, she kept asking where was her appetizer?

lol :)

[HS Mom in NC]

Courses? Not me or anyone I know IRL.

 

Placemats?  Always for regular meals. I have a tiled dining room and placemats muffle a bit of sound to take the edge off.

 

Tablecloths?  Just for large gatherings with company or my extended relatives for more formal holiday occasions.

 

Napkins? Cloth with tablecloth, disposable paper with placemats.

 

Buffet style?  Always with company.  My relatives on my mom's side easily number between 20 and 30 depending on who's bringing extra friends.

 

If there are dishes in the sink and the dishwasher is running, I use disposable plates and cups with the immediate family for dinner and always for lunch.  Sometimes I do with relatives when they're over for board games or family events with a lot of activities going on like for Easter.

 

[ikslo]

Courses - yep, often.  DH loves to cook, and will often make fancy salads and appetizers, and I love to bake.

 

Before you think us all hoity-toity and all that, though, DH works nights, so I'm reheating leftovers from their gourmet lunches when he is working, DS is usually in his underwear, and our kitchen table is pushed up against the wall so the TV at the end of it doesn't get pushed off.  So, yeah.  But we still enjoy our meals together. :)

[athomeontheprairie]

The ONLY time we serve courses is to the 3yo. His first course is veggies. Then his second course is everything else. Otherwise this child wouldn't eat the veggies. I don't love it, but it is what it is.

[Desert Strawberry]

I like to do a soup course first. It helps take the edge off of bottomless tummies. Usually just a broth with a handful of rice or pasta or something like that. It's warm and satisfying. 
I like the idea of a veggie tray or dinner salad first. I often make a large salad at the beginning of the week and eat from it for days. Placing it on the table would add to our meals substantially. 
We don't eat meat. Our meals are usually a casserole or a stew or something of that type. I have gradually added more to it as my kids grow. We almost have cooked foods over rice or potatoes, and now I am adding a cooked veggie on the side. 
If I'm on top of it, a meal might look like this:
A bowl of soup or salad.
A bowl of stew with rice or chowder with a baked potato, roasted carrots or steamed peas on the side. 
We rarely have dessert, but if we did, it would be served after dinner. 

I have found that the more different foods are offered, the more satisfied my family is. 

Everyone pitches in. One kids sets the napkins, another fills the glasses, a third lays out silverware, mom and dad both serve, etc.

We disagree on table cloths. I like them, D doesn't. 
We use hand knit cloth napkins (cotton dishtowels).

The food stays in the kitchen. I serve the plates. Then each of us refills our own. Older people help the little kids. 
A meal with courses is more leisurely and lasts a bit longer than a more grab-and-go family style meal.  There's less rush and more conversation. 

 

[Butter]

My family is lucky if I manage to have a side dish.  I definitely prefer to cook on pot/dish meals because for some reason I can't remember side dishes.  We've never done a meal - including holiday ones - in courses.  We do have sit down family dinners 6-7 days a weeks.

[Teachin'Mine]

Course 1 - Food

Course 2 - Dishes

[SamanthaCarter]

This thread is so interesting! And oddly enough I'm finding in it the desire to go to serving already plated food. We typically do "family style" where I just put all of the food out on the table and we plate at the table. Our way could do with some improvement.

 

1. If I plated food, I wouldn't have to deal with the whining for more of the preferred dish and refusal to eat the rest. Out of sight, no reminder that there's more of the favorite, right? 

2. If I plated food, there's less to clear from the table. 

3. I have always insisted that if I am preparing dinner, I shouldn't have to set the table. But in 11 years of marriage, DH still hasn't learned how (we are either missing drinks or silverware and never a thought to napkins). I guess no need for plates might make it easier? <snicker>

[FaithManor]

Course 1 - Food

Course 2 - Dishes

Yes, this.

[texasmama]

This thread is so interesting! And oddly enough I'm finding in it the desire to go to serving already plated food. We typically do "family style" where I just put all of the food out on the table and people serve themselves. Our way could do with some improvement.

 

1. If I plated food, I wouldn't have to deal with the whining for more of the preferred dish and refusal to eat the rest. Out of sight, no reminder that there's more of the favorite, right? 

2. If I plated food, theres' less to clear from the table. 

3. I have always insisted that if I am preparing dinner, I shouldn't have to set the table. But in 11 years of marriage, DH still hasn't learned how (we are either missing drinks or silverware and never a thought to napkins). I guess no need for plates might make it easier? <snicker>

I plate food mostly because that is the only way that the kids will get a balanced meal and appropriate serving sizes.  Otherwise, my 14 year old would have a huge plate of meat only, and my 9 year old would pile as much as her older brothers eat.  The 12 year old would have a carbfest.  It would be anarchy at the dinner table.  lol

[Desert Strawberry]

This thread is so interesting! And oddly enough I'm finding in it the desire to go to serving already plated food. We typically do "family style" where I just put all of the food out on the table and we plate at the table. Our way could do with some improvement.

 

1. If I plated food, I wouldn't have to deal with the whining for more of the preferred dish and refusal to eat the rest. Out of sight, no reminder that there's more of the favorite, right? 

2. If I plated food, there's less to clear from the table. 

3. I have always insisted that if I am preparing dinner, I shouldn't have to set the table. But in 11 years of marriage, DH still hasn't learned how (we are either missing drinks or silverware and never a thought to napkins). I guess no need for plates might make it easier? <snicker>

1. Yeah, no. That doesn't change. Maybe it's less, but they still whine. 

2. This is true. If you are using serving dishes, there is less to wash as well. It's a less cluttered table. D originally asked to do it this way ( I grew up family style, he didn't) because he found he would overeat if the food was on the table. If it's there in front of him, he will eat it till it's gone. If he has to get up and walk into the kitchen to make another plate, he's more conscious of that decision. 

3. It's still odd to me that we set the table without plates. What has been happening here is that I pass the dishes with utensils and there is no actual setting of the table. No drinks, no napkins. I need to do better about having kids each take a task while I finish up cooking.