A new dining experience - the buffet.

Got a call from a friend yesterday. Her husband is away for a boy's football get away to NY and she was tired of cooking for herself and her two kids. First off, I'm not the one to commiserate with about a husband being away for a couple of nights. I'm probably going on night 180. Secondly, just how exhausting is it to whip up KD for 3 people? All that stirring and standing over the hot stove and all.



OK, in her defense, her husband does most of the cooking and since Dan has been away I have enjoyed quite a few of his home cooked meals so I didn't give her too hard of a time. I would like to get invited back again! Instead I supported her by agreeing to go out to dinner with her...and our combined total of 4 kids. Mind you, I did have some conditions - absolutely no McDonald's, Burger King, or any other place that serves a happy meal or has an indoor play park. Have you ever been in one of those restaurant play parks? They.are.very.very.GROSS! Signs in the play park area state that kids must have socks on to go in and some restaurants actually sell socks at the cash in case you are toting a sandal clad, and thus sockless, kid. I think they should provide some sort of disposable full body jump suit for the kids. Not that I've been climbing and sliding through the whole thing but I have had to make it up a level or two to rescue a kid in their younger days and have had to battle the slimy sludge that covers the entire play structure. And you just know that some kid has peed in there recently too! Thinking they may want to change their sock policy to a diaper policy.



Now, my kids have eaten out at restaurants a fair bit and generally order from the kid's menu but tonight was a brand new experience for them...Chinese buffet. It was great, if not really nutritious. For the low cost of $7 Erin managed to eat (and I am totally NOT exaggerating) 5 lemon squares, 3 helpings of Jello, a bowl of ice cream and one chicken ball. There were nibbles from all of the other desserts offered but I guess nothing compared to the lemon square. I think she has a thing for lemons - she also went back to the buffet at least three times to get lemon slices which she likes to suck on. Allie did try a few more of the buffet items but also really got her money's worth out of the dessert table. I gained about 5 pounds. Thankfully the restaurant was quite busy so no one was actually keeping track of the number of times I went back up to the trough - I mean - buffet. Oddly enough I did not have dessert at all. Strange - dessert and I usually have a love/hate relationship. I love to eat it and I hate what it does to my butt! I guess I took my cue from Erin and all her slightly nibbled cast-offs. If those cream puffs, wafer squares and almond cookies weren't good enough for her then my discerning palate would just avoid them too. That and the fact that my jeans (with stretch) were stretched to capacity.