<great big grin and happy dance from the friend.
>
I think cooking too much food is genetic, to a degree. Altho' it's just me and my guy, I always cook with leftovers in mind. My mother cooked for an army, holidays were just a regular food fest and everyone took home a little sumthin' sumthin' to savor later on. I remember calling a cousin the day after a holiday and asked what was she doing. Her response was "tapping my foot and humming while sitting at the table eating a bowl of your mama's gumbo." Mama's seafood gumbo made us sing.
I think it is very difficult to get the food amounts just right.
eBeth - for salads, I often put all the non-lettuce veggies and the dressing together, and then add the lettuce separately. That way, the lettuce doesn't get soggy, and the other veggies marinate nicely if kept over for a few days.
I always prefer having too much food over too little food. One of my worst party memories is the time my mother-in-law and husband controlled how much food I bought for a party, and we ran out!!! I felt terrible, and I'm sure everyone thought, as I was the official woman of the house, that it was my doing.
I think there are formulas for cooking food for people - like 1/4 lb of meat per person, and so forth.
Just read through this thread and got some good ideas. Especially from those living alone like myself.
I don't mind cooking so much, it's the cleaning up I hate.
I ALWAYS cook too much! Then have stacks of left-overs stashed in the fridge for "some other time" - which never eventuates. Then feel guilty when I throw it out later ...
I think it's a hang-over from my migrant/refuge childhood ... For the 4 of us, my mother cooked for about 8, I reckon. Food was so important! It was drummed into us, how terrible hunger is. I was too young to experience the actual hunger myself, but was taught to eat BIG helpings! No rejecting anything! Amazing that I didn't become a roly poly person, really ...
Oh yes. The "clean your plate" club. My father made me a member many, many years ago, when I was ten years old and weighed about 60 lbs., and it wasn't until recently that I realized how that affects my eating today. I don't eat until I'm full but until my plate is clean.
Trying to cancel my membership...
Eoe, I know exactly what you are talking about. And I am very proud of myself whenever I manage to stop eating because I'm full and there is still something left on my plate. I was successful today. I made spaghetti for myself only - BigDice is working tonight. Does anybody know much (or maybe many?) spaghetti you need your one person??? I can never get it right. So now I have dinner for tomorrow night :-)
I amazed a visiting US friend a while back. I decided to serve lamb, as an Australian specialty. So I cooked 2 legs of lamb, and a whole oven-width tray of vegetables roasted! For 4 people!
I was expecting at least 2 more, but could have fed a dozen.
But I've seen that much food just disappear for 8 people, once. My friends love a good roast lamb dinner!
