Are you a plater or a platterer?

[EssieTregowan]

With dinners etc?

Years of fussy arsehole children has taught me that plonking it all in dishes where they can serve themselves is the way forward. Basically if they've taken it there's an expectation that they'll actually eat it, and any leftovers can be kept because they're not all smooshed on a plate.

But I know plating up individually has its merits too. Fewer arguments over the last roastie and less chance of being stabbed with a fork in the general melee. Also easier on whoever is washing up.

I know this is a burning question for everyone. How do you (or whoever cooks) serve the food in your house?

Definitely in dishes for people to help themselves!

Everyone serves themselves/is served. Plating up is a bit common .

Haha at common. My mother would agree.

If as is usual it is just myself and the youngest DC I plate up as soon as anyone else is there for example one of the older DC I use platters and everyone helps themselves.

When my DC were small I'd plate up for them.

These days we all help ourselves.

Plater here for daily family dinners. No reason why really. The only thing it helps with is being able to tell if the kids had anything to eat or just picked at the food. Platterer for big dinners with several dishes (eg Christmas or when having guests).

Yeah mine taught me that. Along with sofa and loo. etc

So if you are having say fish, chip & peas do you put them all separately for folk to help themselves?

Depends what we are having for dinner, spag Bol plated, roast dinner all in the middle

Fish and chips? It's all quinoa here darling.

Fish chips n peas I'll plate the fish and then have the chips and peas in bowls on the table. Saves all the moaning about having too many or not enough.

Help yourself in my house. It's how I was brought up, it's a good social skill in itself imo (being able to judge portions & sharing food with others, only taking a fair share etc).

My DH was brought up opposite (always plated) & I found that stressful - his mum would always want to know how many potatoes you wanted or whatever while stood there with the serving spoon, and always underestimated what I'd want in an ideal world but felt greedy asking for more - because obviously she'd cooked the amount she thought was reasonable. My DH still struggles with portion size & can be a bit prone to taking a bit more than his fair share, and I'm sure it's related.

Plus, if you do serve yourself you can let kids/guests take just the bits they want (whilst still seeing & having opportunities to taste new stuff) so less pressure & waste all round.

I'm a just-fucking-eat-it,-it's-all-going-down-the-same-hole -er

Depends, if we're sitting at the table it's help yourself, if not I plate it up.

Just to clarify, my kid is doing my head in whinging about one food touching the other and it not being on the right plate. The red mist is kind of clouding my judgement right now. Plate, platter, straight from the wok, I don't care as long as he just EATS HIS FUCKING GOD DAMN DINNER! and breathe

Completely depends on what's being served

I plate.

Not least because we are common as muck, and we eat sitting on the sofa.

we do both, depending who is here, or if the vote is to eat like savages from plates on our laps.

mind when it's just me and dh, we SHALL be sitting at the table alllllll the time.

Regular dinner I plate up, saves arguing with DS1 about what/how much he's eating. DH's gets plated and stuck in the fridge for him to microwave when he gets home. I think the only time I don't plate up is if the ILs are over also the only time we use the dining table

Sometimes depends what it is but usually if we have people over for dinner/visiting parents we I will clear the random paperwork and other assorted crap of DP's that I keep threatening to throw away off the dining table and do individual serving dishes. If it's just us and we don't have to pretend to be civilised it's straight onto plates and eaten in the living room.