Do You Serve From the Stove..

[portocall]

I make just enough for everyone. I serve from the stove and we then sit down at the table. No one eats until we are all there and seated. Company and Holiday's are the only time I worry about dragging out my serving dishes. I just don't like extra dishes. Anyone who wants seconds can go get them. I only serve the first time.

 

[Carly_Roach]

We eat in our kitchen...the stove burners are on an island literally just feet from the kitchen table... Maybe it would be different if we ate in the dining room or our kitchen eating area was further from the stove top...

Y'know what? I bet that makes a huge difference. We don't have an eat-in kitchen so we use our D/R for eating. Maybe the sense of formality makes us subconciously want to use bowls and serving trays?

I wonder how many stove people are those who also have eat-in kitchens?

 

[mhsjax]

Y'know what? I bet that makes a huge difference. We don't have an eat-in kitchen so we use our D/R for eating. Maybe the sense of formality makes us subconciously want to use bowls and serving trays?

I wonder how many stove people are those who also have eat-in kitchens?

MIne isn't an eat in kitchen. We do have a nook, but it is outside of the kitchen. We also have a formal dining room. I think it is just personal preference. Yes it looks nicer and yes to me there is more of an old fashioned homey, family feel to it. but frankly, by the time I cook for everyone, I am done and just yell come and get it. I am too tired to care if you eat or not. lol

 

[MIGrandma]

98% of the time it's just myself and DH, so we serve ourselves from the pans/pots on the stove.

On the rare occasion we have family or friends over to eat I will put it all on the table in serving dishes. Or if it's buffet style, like at Christmas, everything is on the counter and things from the oven go up on the burners of the stove for everyone to serve themselves.

 

[TanyaLovesPooh]

I serve from the island and then everyone fixes a plate and then we all sit at the table together and eat....most of the time. Sometimes we all go to our own corners.

 

[Jennasis]

Hmmm...when we cook (usually DH), whomever is cooking plates the meal for both of us right at the stove/counter and then brings the full plate to the table (which is a lift-top style coffee table in the living room. We eat while watching tv and snuggling on the couch...everyday for almost 10 years!)

 

[DebD4T]

The only time we eat "buffet style" is when we have tacos. Then all the fixings are put on my butcher block island and we fix our dishes there.

The rest of the time I put all the food on serving plates and bring them to the table. Then we each make our own plate at the table.

 

[dislaney]

Depends what I am cooking. We do both!

 

[smb6]

I serve from the stove with very few exceptions.... All 5 kids line up, I make their plates and they carry their plates to the table. All except the youngest serve their self seconds...

 

[snapppyd]

From the stove, everything gets cold too fast if I transfer to a bowl first (it's just me and DH - if we had company I would serve in separate bowls).

 

[disykat]

I find it easiest to put the dish it cooked in right on the table. If it's a big mess, or more formal, I use serving dishes - but that's rarely. I have several trivets with handles that can accomodate anything from a sauce pot to a 3X13 casserole dish.

When the kids were little, I had an eat in kitchen and we got the kids situated at the table, said grace and THEN passed them their already filled plates.

When we moved, the kids were a little older and I wanted them to be able to dish up their own servings. However, at that point there was carpet between the stove and where the table was. No way were they carrying their own plates! DH and I carried the stuff to the table. Also, it was too many people in the kitchen. Now, they're older and our routine is the kids set the table and set out the food, we all sit down, say grace, then dish up.

We dish more often from the stove if there are less of us home to eat. I'm guessing dh and I will dish from the stove again when the kids are gone.

I think whatever is easier varies with the age of the family, the set up of the kitchen, etc.

 

[sparks19]

if it's a large group and a special event then I serve at the table

but if it's just our little family we just grab from the stove

 

[princesshannahsmom]

From the stove! That way I can make sure everyone gets a fair portion and nobody gets left out.

Of course, then we all take our plates into the living room and eat them on trays (or our knees) while we watch the evening news, with a lot of pausing the TV and family discussion going on at the same time.

Apparently, this makes us bad, neglectful parents.

Well, then, count me in as a neglectful parent! We serve ourselves from the stove, take our plates to the sofa and eat and talk and watch whatever happens to be on at the time!

When my grandma found out we did that she looked at me like I had three heads! Hey, what can I say, it works for us and we don't really have room for a dining set anyhow!

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I'm June Cleaver's worst nightmare. I make the plates up in the kitchen and serve like that. Even worse, I use paper plates!!! Muahahaha! Even crazier, we watch/play Jeopardy! while we eat--- in the living room!

You may be wondering what I do when we have company. I take out!

 

[Liberty Belle]

We usually just dish out our own from the stove (though I'll usually put bread and salad, if we have it, on the table), but if I make a nice dinner and definitely if we have company, I bring serving dishes to the table.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

It depends on the situation. If we have guests over, we put everything in serving bowls or trays. If we are serving tacos or fajitas or some other kind of "build your own" meal, we put everything in bowls or trays. But generally, we serve from the stove.

 

[mumto3girls]

I put everything on the table in the pot or pan that it was cooked or baked in...unless it's a sauce or something like a special garnish that needs its own bowl or plate. I don't get the idea of serving from the stove? It is so much easier to put it all on the table and get your helpings from there.

I think this may be a bit lazy and unsophisticated, but it is the way that I do it as well. I put the trivets on the table with the pot/casserole dish right on it--less dishes and as someone else posted, if I left it all on the stove I'd be running back and forth constantly with three small(ish) kids.

 

[LBIJim]

Whoever prepares the meal that night (myself, my wife, step-daughter, or daughter when she's home from college) makes up all the plates from the stove and brings them to the table. If anyone wants leftovers they get up themselves and get it from the pots/baking dishes still on the stove. Only when the girls were under 10 or so did we get them seconds if they wanted. After that, get it yourself. Bread or rolls/butter are probably the only things already on the table.

Only on taco/fajitas night do we put out the ingredients in small bowls on the table and everyone then builds their own meal.

If company is over, food is placed in bowls/dishes, but served buffet style from the kitchen island. No serving plates on the table. My grandparents/parents never served "family style", passing around plates, and neither do we.

Jim

 

[charming23]

If it is just mom and I we serve ourselves right from the stove and either eat at the table or go in the living room with tv trays.

When we have company we put everything in bowls/platters and have a create your own plate at the table.

 

[kellyg403]

Yes I do. I also do what the PP said that sometimes I do put it in containers that I am going to store it in if I have time.

Now I do know big families that do not serve from the stove however they NEVER have leftovers. I could see if you have big eaters serving from the stove would not work out so well.

Between the his/mine when dh and I got together, we normally had 8 children at the table every night..most weekends it could be 10 or 12 depending on friends staying over etc. I always put the food on the table, like you said, no leftovers at our house back then.

I am now down to 3 kids in the house, all teens. Honestly, unless its a holiday I don't use 'real' dishes, mostly paperplates, and never put food on the table. It had gotten to the point where I only had 5 kids left at home but I hadn't figured out how to cook for 5 yet. So, I was having thirds some nights and gained about 25 lbs. Now, I leave at the stove and just eat a serving. I am getting better at cooking less.

Kelly