Pasta for dinner

[Anonymous]

Husband and I are both Italian. His parents “are off the boat”. My grandparents were too and my parents were born in this country.

We have always had pasta for lunch or dinner.

I was with my kids (girl age 6 and boy 4) and a friend and her kids at a park. I invited them back to our house for lunch.

I made pasta-penne with butter for the kids and vodka sauce for myself and my friend.

She looked at it and said “is this lunch? A bowl of pasta?”

I said yes this is what we usually have. She looked at me oddly and didn’t say anything else and ate.

But what a weird response.

[Anonymous]

It’s weird to not offer a salad or vegetable or fruit.

[Anonymous]

Sounds tasty! Maybe she is one of those people brainwashed into believing you have to have animal protein with every meal. Maybe she expected vegetables or fruit to be served with it. I'm one of those people who feels a meal should have a fresh vegetable or fruit even though I'm sometimes too lazy to do it. We all need to keep an open mind about what a decent meal is.

[Anonymous]

She is rude. You don't need to choose a friend who is rude.

[Anonymous]

It was rude, but seems like a heavy meal for lunch.

[Anonymous]

In my head Jeff Foxworthy is saying 'You might be an almond mom if...' you complain about a home cooked meal of pasta.

[Anonymous]

I am also Italian (well, half), and my Italian family pretty much never has *just* pasta - as in, noodles and a plain sauce - as a meal. There's usually a protein and/or veg involved, OP. Even in Italy, pasta is traditionally its own dinner course...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am also Italian (well, half), and my Italian family pretty much never has *just* pasta - as in, noodles and a plain sauce - as a meal. There's usually a protein and/or veg involved, OP. Even in Italy, pasta is traditionally its own dinner course...

We eat protein with it as well- loads of cheese!!

[Anonymous]

Kids are often surprised by things that they assume is normal because of what happens at their house. I’ve never served just pasta. It often has a protein (even a vegetarian one like beans or tofu) and always a vegetable. Nothing wrong with your way—it’s just how we do it at my house so maybe my kids would be surprised too? But I hope they wouldn’t say it to the host.

When other kids seem rude to me, I don’t get upset, I just use it as a learning experience for my kids. Remind them that they can compliment the food or say “no thank you”, but other comments are unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids are often surprised by things that they assume is normal because of what happens at their house. I’ve never served just pasta. It often has a protein (even a vegetarian one like beans or tofu) and always a vegetable. Nothing wrong with your way—it’s just how we do it at my house so maybe my kids would be surprised too? But I hope they wouldn’t say it to the host.

When other kids seem rude to me, I don’t get upset, I just use it as a learning experience for my kids. Remind them that they can compliment the food or say “no thank you”, but other comments are unnecessary.

I think it was the mother that said it- not the kid....

[Anonymous]

That is very normal Italian meal. Your "friend" is incredibly rude.

My sister lives in Italy and is married to an Italian. That's pretty much what they have for lunch.

[Anonymous]

I think it sounds delicious and sounds like your friend was envious- she probably serves up goldfish, Dino nuggets, and fruit snacks for lunch at home.

[Anonymous]

We eat pasta for lunch all the time. Totally normal in our house.

[Anonymous]

She probably is just perplexed how you can eat such a carby lunch on the regular, and still look so cute!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids are often surprised by things that they assume is normal because of what happens at their house. I’ve never served just pasta. It often has a protein (even a vegetarian one like beans or tofu) and always a vegetable. Nothing wrong with your way—it’s just how we do it at my house so maybe my kids would be surprised too? But I hope they wouldn’t say it to the host.

When other kids seem rude to me, I don’t get upset, I just use it as a learning experience for my kids. Remind them that they can compliment the food or say “no thank you”, but other comments are unnecessary.

I think it was the mother that said it- not the kid....

Ohhh I definitely missed that!

Yeah that’s a weird comment from an adult. She’s probably carb-a-phobic don’t take it personally