Pasta for dinner

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The friend is probably a spoonful of plain yogurt and 3 almonds kind of lunch-eater. Pasta with vodka sauce sounds good to me. There will be fruits and vegetables at the other meals of the day.

No. This friend is a pasta with vodka sauce, side of roasted chicken, veggie and mozzarella salad - kind of gal. Simple, uncomplicated meal that normal people eat.

Who eats pasta? The peasants? Then call it what it is. Poor people's subsistence meal.

If someone casually whipped that up for me after a trip to the park, I would think they were a try-hard weirdo.

The most important part of having mom friends when your kids are little is finding people you can just be casual and relaxed around. People who don’t care if you let some things go, because it’s hard enough as it is.

I would think they were a foodie. Some people really care about eating good food. And some people really care about being good hosts. This saying hasn't aged well given the current events, but jewish people used to joke "we cook for the entire Israeli Army, regardless of how many are coming over." We would never dream of giving barely enough. We would give lots of choices and lots of each choice.

I care about eating good food and trying to be a good host, but this only works if your fridge and pantry are fully stocked 100% of the time. That’s completely unrealistic and sometimes being flexible and spontaneous is the best way to go.

Every real chef I’ve ever known would absolutely support impromptu buttered noodles in a pinch. The company and the human gesture of sharing are more important than what’s on the plate.

[Anonymous]

OP is too busy cooking buttered noodles for her malnourished dd to be bothered with this thread anymore

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP is too busy cooking buttered noodles for her malnourished dd to be bothered with this thread anymore

She can invite me anytime!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I don't know... I love eating other people's food. A simple bowl of pasta warmly served to me, in good company, is just as good as any. It doesn't have to be a dietician's dream bowl of food.

I'm not going to eat other people's food just to prove a point. I might pick at it but that's as good as it will get. If the people cared that much about it they would probably solicit opinions first to find out what their guests like. OP didn't really care and just made what she and her kids wanted.

It was an impromptu lunch, not a planned in advance dinner party. It was literally one meal on one day. Is everyone truly so disordered with their eating that they couldn’t suck it up?

None of that is the point. Even OPs friend ate it, we're just saying on its face it's not a good lunch. It's not. If you want to count how many penne noodles I eat then you're a sucky friend too.

It actually is though. A nice hot tasty meal.

For you, others disagree. It's a subpar lunch devoid of basic nutrients. But that's normal for a lot of people.

Are you claiming that you eat a lunch everyday that has 100% of your basic nutrients?

[Anonymous]

How much time does it take to make this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know... I love eating other people's food. A simple bowl of pasta warmly served to me, in good company, is just as good as any. It doesn't have to be a dietician's dream bowl of food.

I'm not going to eat other people's food just to prove a point. I might pick at it but that's as good as it will get. If the people cared that much about it they would probably solicit opinions first to find out what their guests like. OP didn't really care and just made what she and her kids wanted.

It was an impromptu lunch, not a planned in advance dinner party. It was literally one meal on one day. Is everyone truly so disordered with their eating that they couldn’t suck it up?

None of that is the point. Even OPs friend ate it, we're just saying on its face it's not a good lunch. It's not. If you want to count how many penne noodles I eat then you're a sucky friend too.

It actually is though. A nice hot tasty meal.

For you, others disagree. It's a subpar lunch devoid of basic nutrients. But that's normal for a lot of people.

Are you claiming that you eat a lunch everyday that has 100% of your basic nutrients?

Funny that you're insisting it has to be 100% when the pasta lovers can't even tell us where the line between a good and bad meal is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I am the PP, and I think sandwiches would be equally fine, probably with the same sides (e.g. cucumbers and cutie oranges)

Or grilled cheese, or quick quesadillas, or chick fil a dupe nuggets or veggies and hummus, or frozen pizza.

Okay, so I'm judging your nuggets and frozen pizza a lot harder than a bowl of pasta. This just goes to show that what people think is "better" is completely subjective.

OP, please finagle an impromptu lunch invite to your guest's house next time, and see what she serves you. Feel free to raise your eyebrows expressively and give her a long, appraising look before you silently tuck into whatever the F she dishes out.

But why judge that's so rude! See how easy it is? But if you prefer your friends to blow smoke up your not knowing how to cook ass, then that is a personal choice.

It's not rude to judge, only to make apparent that the judging is happening.

Look, if every meal must optimize your protein/fat/carb ratios, then you cannnot accept random invitations to dine. You must decline graciously and go home to feed yourself. If you accept an invitation to dine, you must steel yourself to the fact that the offering is completely out of your control and to be a gracious guest you must eat what is placed before you without comment (unless complimentary), unless you have clearly told the host of your vegetarianism/nut allergy/other well-known, not made up dietary restriction. Christ, I've known this since I was 7, when I choked down tuna casserole at my friend's house even though I really wasn't fond of it. The fact that adults today cannot handle this and would rather let their preferences be rudely known shows a real drop in social etiquette. I think it comes from the rise of people eating out so much, where they get to choose exactly what they want. People are not used to eating at other people's houses anymore and it shows.

100%. It was a lovely gesture to make a pasta lunch. The rudeness and rigidity on this thread is depressing.

1000%. And this is one of the reasons why many people are hesitant to issue invitations and initiate social contacts.

[Anonymous]

Who eats pasta for lunch? Gtfoh OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the PP, and I think sandwiches would be equally fine, probably with the same sides (e.g. cucumbers and cutie oranges)

Or grilled cheese, or quick quesadillas, or chick fil a dupe nuggets or veggies and hummus, or frozen pizza.

Okay, so I'm judging your nuggets and frozen pizza a lot harder than a bowl of pasta. This just goes to show that what people think is "better" is completely subjective.

OP, please finagle an impromptu lunch invite to your guest's house next time, and see what she serves you. Feel free to raise your eyebrows expressively and give her a long, appraising look before you silently tuck into whatever the F she dishes out.

But why judge that's so rude! See how easy it is? But if you prefer your friends to blow smoke up your not knowing how to cook ass, then that is a personal choice.

It's not rude to judge, only to make apparent that the judging is happening.

Look, if every meal must optimize your protein/fat/carb ratios, then you cannnot accept random invitations to dine. You must decline graciously and go home to feed yourself. If you accept an invitation to dine, you must steel yourself to the fact that the offering is completely out of your control and to be a gracious guest you must eat what is placed before you without comment (unless complimentary), unless you have clearly told the host of your vegetarianism/nut allergy/other well-known, not made up dietary restriction. Christ, I've known this since I was 7, when I choked down tuna casserole at my friend's house even though I really wasn't fond of it. The fact that adults today cannot handle this and would rather let their preferences be rudely known shows a real drop in social etiquette. I think it comes from the rise of people eating out so much, where they get to choose exactly what they want. People are not used to eating at other people's houses anymore and it shows.

100%. It was a lovely gesture to make a pasta lunch. The rudeness and rigidity on this thread is depressing.

1000%. And this is one of the reasons why many people are hesitant to issue invitations and initiate social contacts.

Or maybe people on the fence could take the tips here and feel more confident about putting together a decent lunch.

[Anonymous]

Pre COVID my old work cafeteria sometimes had pasta bar for lunch. Penne with a choice of sauce, you could pick a protein (sausages meatball, meat substitute) and veggies (peppers onions mushrooms spinach tomato). It was glorious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who eats pasta for lunch? Gtfoh OP

Today, hundreds of millions of people on every continent, including a handful stationed in Antarctica, will have pasta or noodles for lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every time I go to a restaurant and see buttered noodles on the kids menu , I’m going to think of this thread now. I’m not sure if my kids were ever served vegetables with it.

Generally at restaurants kids are served what you order for them. I am willing to bet that the restaurant had vegetables on the menu, but you did not choose them.

Right, because a side dish of vegetables is not necessary with a bowl of pasta. Pasta with butter is a dish that children tend to eat. You can go to a restaurant and order pasta with butter or vodka sauce and be served that for lunch, because that is a meal. They'll throw in some free bread probably, but won't serve you vegetables and protein automatically.

You really don't have to bend over backwards defending this meal. It's low effort empty calories, it's nothing special even if OP is Italian. Will they starve, no, was it good? No.

If you're invited back to someone's house improptu following a meetup in the park, expect low effort. I really don't know what some of you are looking for. Treat it as a snack and go home and get your protein and veggie fill.

I hope nobody actually believes that these ridiculous posters actually eat protein, vegetables and fruit for every meal.

+1 half of them drink one of those bottled "health" shakes or juices, or a single almond.

[Anonymous]

I really want this thread to make it 30 pages like someone predicted

If I were to truly spur-of-the-moment invite someone with kids over for a homemade lunch, I could reliably offer:
- tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwiches
- PB&J or AB&J
- egg sandwiches on a bagel or bagel & cream cheese
- various vegetables & hummus/tzatziki
- apples/bananas/clementines/berries
- fruit smoothies with or without yogurt

I guess buttered noodles would also be on that list (or noodles + red sauce), but it wouldn't occur to me to offer that ahead of those other options. One of my two kids would devour a bowl of pasta, the other would only eat a few bites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The friend is probably a spoonful of plain yogurt and 3 almonds kind of lunch-eater. Pasta with vodka sauce sounds good to me. There will be fruits and vegetables at the other meals of the day.

No. This friend is a pasta with vodka sauce, side of roasted chicken, veggie and mozzarella salad - kind of gal. Simple, uncomplicated meal that normal people eat.

Who eats pasta? The peasants? Then call it what it is. Poor people's subsistence meal.

If someone casually whipped that up for me after a trip to the park, I would think they were a try-hard weirdo.

The most important part of having mom friends when your kids are little is finding people you can just be casual and relaxed around. People who don’t care if you let some things go, because it’s hard enough as it is.

I would think they were a foodie. Some people really care about eating good food. And some people really care about being good hosts. This saying hasn't aged well given the current events, but jewish people used to joke "we cook for the entire Israeli Army, regardless of how many are coming over." We would never dream of giving barely enough. We would give lots of choices and lots of each choice.

I care about eating good food and trying to be a good host, but this only works if your fridge and pantry are fully stocked 100% of the time. That’s completely unrealistic and sometimes being flexible and spontaneous is the best way to go.

Every real chef I’ve ever known would absolutely support impromptu buttered noodles in a pinch. The company and the human gesture of sharing are more important than what’s on the plate.

Disagree. I don’t think there has ever been an occasion where I have absolutely no other food in the house and have to resort to buttered noodles. It’s literally dumping a box of noodles in boiling water. Making a PB&J requires more effort than this. Besides, this wasn’t the case of OP not having food available due to the impromptu nature. She said that is their usual lunch. No, I would not serve this to someone. If I were there, I would have politely declined and just drank some coffee or tea instead. Just like I wouldn’t serve someone a bowl of plain rice or a buttered potato and call it lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every time I go to a restaurant and see buttered noodles on the kids menu , I’m going to think of this thread now. I’m not sure if my kids were ever served vegetables with it.

Generally at restaurants kids are served what you order for them. I am willing to bet that the restaurant had vegetables on the menu, but you did not choose them.

Right, because a side dish of vegetables is not necessary with a bowl of pasta. Pasta with butter is a dish that children tend to eat. You can go to a restaurant and order pasta with butter or vodka sauce and be served that for lunch, because that is a meal. They'll throw in some free bread probably, but won't serve you vegetables and protein automatically.

You really don't have to bend over backwards defending this meal. It's low effort empty calories, it's nothing special even if OP is Italian. Will they starve, no, was it good? No.

If you're invited back to someone's house improptu following a meetup in the park, expect low effort. I really don't know what some of you are looking for. Treat it as a snack and go home and get your protein and veggie fill.

I hope nobody actually believes that these ridiculous posters actually eat protein, vegetables and fruit for every meal.

+1 half of them drink one of those bottled "health" shakes or juices, or a single almond.

Aw, I love how proud the bad cooks with a poor diet are. We know how most Americans eat, the proof is in our overall health and decreasing life expectancy. But it's very on point to beat your chest about it.