My Mom's Table
My mom has me beat hands-down when it comes to real food, and she sets a fine table, too!
Here are the ways she blows me out of the water:
Mom: Puts each food in a serving dish and passes it around. Puts all the serving bowls on a tray near the dining table, and passes them around again later.
Me: Puts a serving of every food onto each plate and brings it to the table. Usually doesn’t make enough for leftovers – or wants to save it for a second meal!
Mom: Makes mashed potatoes and THREE vegetables
Me: Makes white or brown rice; potatoes occasionally; one vegetable at a time – two is a splurge!
Mom: Puts homemade pickles and relishes into glass dishes and places them on the table. Serves olives in another dish. Puts the remainder back in the bottles after every meal.
Me: Buys pickled cucumbers and beets, puts bottles on table.
Mom: Makes roasted meats with gravy for Sunday dinners; serves with applesauce (pork), pineapple or raisin sauce (ham) or cranberries (chicken and turkey).
Me: Doesn’t like gravy so doesn’t make it; prepares cranberries only for holiday meals; applesauce once in blue moon
Mom: Makes bread, rolls or tea biscuits and gives each person a side plate for their bread and butter
Me: Bread is for toast and sandwiches
Mom: Uses a colourful, seasonal table cloth, and lights candles
Me: Uses plastic place mats and CFLs đŸ™‚
Mom: Has coffee ready to pour immediately after meal
Me: At our house, we each make a different tea in a cup and bring it to another room to drink
Mom: As the piece-de-resistance, makes homemade desserts such as pies, squares, gingerbread or carrot cake
Me: Doesn’t
Mom, you sure know how to feed people right. You rock!
Mom lighting the candles. Note that even the ketchup is in glass dishes. You can spot a Nova Scotia tradition: a container of molasses to pour on your bread! (This is for Dessert #2)
An Exacting Life 
Love it! My mother-in-law does all of that too. She’s so sweet & always makes a meal seem so special. My husband didn’t see the point and wants to know why I put something in a serving bowl as he wants to limit the number of dirty dishes. After our kids left home we got really informal! Sometimes we each fill our own plates from the stove. For holiday meals we go the old-fashioned route & I think it makes the meals feel more special.
Hi Maggie, The two of us sit and eat together at the kitchen table, at least, instead of in front of our computers or the TV. Like you, for holidays and gatherings, I follow Mom’s example! My parents eat more casually when they don’t have guests, but I still don’t think Mom would ever put a pickle jar on the table!
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