Dining with the Stovall/Metzger Clan

We are just your typical family--sort of.

We love to dine...out or in!

Each of us, however, has a little something that

makes us special...

one might call them idiosyncrasies.

When we arrange ourselves at the table,

 there are just two stipulations.

The half deaf one--that would be me--
must be positioned with my "good" ear toward
the majority at the table.
And the lefty in our group--Jay--
must have plenty of clearance for his elbow!

Since we're discussing Jay, I shall start

with him.

Jay likes for his food to be hot.

If we're dining in,

he may disappear from the table for a moment, 

go to the kitchen, and microwave his plate. 

I have no idea where he got that!

(Actually I do--from me.)

Terri is our ketchup or salsa girl.

She puts it on almost everything.

My face was probably a sight to see the first

time I watched her put salsa
 on my fresh, slow cooked, perfectly seasoned
 New Year's blackeyed peas!

They are only the best in the world, and

that girl added salsa!

(She even had to bring her own.)

Rob is the master preparer/fixer of his plate.

Everyone else may be halfway through eating,

and he is still salting, fresh ground peppering,

condimenting, cutting, and arranging his food.

Seriously--it takes forever!

And then there's Susan.  Oh my!

That girl hardly takes one bite from her own plate

before she starts scouting everyone else's

food and wanting "a bite."

One year Jay and Terri gave her a fork with

a l-o-n-g extending handle for Christmas to make

her reach to the other plates easier!

And what about me?

I might as well tell you, because the family would.

I will always, always be the last one finished.

I savor my food.

However many times one is supposed to chew

a bite, I probably chew more!

No matter how long it takes Rob to get

started, he will be finished before I am.

No matter if Jay does reheat his food--twice--

he will be finished before I am.

Maddie and Susie are still in the very early

stages of idiosyncrasy development.

(They are, after all, just about perfect you know.)

Except that they are very willing participants

in the "bite sharing" program initiated

by their mother!

They will often order different things, 

with the agreement that bites will be shared

generously.

It can be quite spectacular!

One hint:

If we are dining out, one would be wise to

wait and see what Jay orders.

If one doesn't, one will likely wish he or she

had ordered what he gets!

Bon Appetit!