Ordeal by Meal - Anna Glenn

For me, every visit to my grandmother's house is potentially an ordeal by meal. Within a few minutes of arriving, my grandma will be asking what she can get you to eat or drink. The question, however, is not IF you would like something, but WHAT will you choose to have. It is not acceptable to visit her home without allowing her to provide hospitality, which for grandma means feeding you.

My grandparents. <3 Note the bowl of jelly beans in the middle of the table.

If you arrive unexpectedly or between meals, you will be typically be offered tea/coffee, chips, cakes, and various other snack foods. If you are there for a meal, though, hold on to your hat! Even an ordinary mid-week family dinner (Not a holiday, that is a whole other matter!) at which kids or grandkids will be present is going to be huge. Typically there she makes a ham or roast, homemade mac-n-cheese, mashed potatoes, various cooked veggies, a raw fruit and veg platter, and a cake with iced cream for dessert. She will be extremely insulted if you refuse anything; she takes it as a personal insult and will be cranky about it for days. In fact, I always warn new visitors not to eat before arriving because their role, as my grandma sees it, is to eat and be provided for.