{"id":10751,"date":"2025-11-21T16:22:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T22:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/?p=10751"},"modified":"2026-08-24T17:28:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T22:28:54","slug":"if-you-ever-wondered-what-it-was-like-at-mealtime-in-a-big-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2025\/11\/21\/if-you-ever-wondered-what-it-was-like-at-mealtime-in-a-big-family\/","title":{"rendered":"If You Ever Wondered What It Was Like at Mealtime in a Big Family"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you ever wondered what it was like at mealtime in a big family, let me tell you. There were thirteen of us altogether (eleven kids and two parents) and yes, we all belonged to the same mother and father. That alone was remarkable. One family, one rhythm, and two tables to make it all work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meals weren\u2019t about favorites. They were about eating what was given. The rules were unwritten but clear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Don\u2019t be last.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don\u2019t be picky.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eat what\u2019s there\u2014or don\u2019t eat at all.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We grew our own vegetables. We raised our own animals. Nothing was wasted. Chickens gave us eggs in the morning and Sunday dinner by evening. Zucchini showed up in every form imaginable, fried, boiled, baked, disguised in casseroles. And biscuits? Well, sometimes they came out with a little extra charcoal. We didn\u2019t complain.  We scraped them off with a knife and ate them anyway. Some of us even joked they were hockey pucks. But you wouldn\u2019t dare tell Mom her food wasn\u2019t good. If you did, you\u2019d \u201csee tomorrow today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And leftovers? Forget it. Leftovers were a myth, like unicorns. Food didn\u2019t go into the fridge.  It went into us. If you wanted seconds, you had to be faster than your siblings. I can still remember arms reaching over my head, sometimes for seconds, sometimes for firsts if the sibling didn\u2019t arrive on time. Plates were cleaned, pots scraped, and if you blinked, your favorite food became your sibling\u2019s favorite instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So what was our favorite meal? Truth is, it wasn\u2019t about the food itself. It was about the moment. The bench that held us shoulder to shoulder. The arms that reached. The laughter that followed. The garden harvest that kept us fed. The biscuits that made us laugh even when they were tough. Our favorite meal was whatever Mom cooked, whatever Dad provided, and whatever brought us together &#8211; two tables, thirteen plates, no leftovers, and a whole lot of love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those were the joys of life. Imperfect meals, shared laughter, and the steady love of parents who gave us everything they had.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you ever wondered what mealtime was like in a big family, picture thirteen plates, two tables, a homemade bench packed shoulder to shoulder, and arms reaching overhead for food that vanished faster than unicorn leftovers. Our favorite meal wasn\u2019t about the food\u2014it was about the love, laughter, and chaos that held us together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132804860,"featured_media":10755,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1561551,5411,34537],"tags":[137542819,785751015,116305918,759385187,9227,785750966,1822834,785750959,39451370,785750978,785750988,785750974],"class_list":["post-10751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-lore","category-gratitude","category-personal-stories","tag-big-family-life","tag-childhood-memories","tag-dailyprompt","tag-dailyprompt-2129","tag-diet","tag-food","tag-food-traditions","tag-health","tag-humor-in-everyday-life","tag-nutrition","tag-recipes","tag-storytelling"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9vUsN-2Np","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17487,"url":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2026\/10\/05\/a-quiet-yes-in-a-cherry-tree\/","url_meta":{"origin":10751,"position":0},"title":"A Quiet Yes in a Cherry Tree","author":"myallaboutyou","date":"October 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"At seventeen, Robert Goddard climbed a cherry tree to trim dead branches and came down knowing what his life was for. Some of the biggest moments are the quietest.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Character&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Character","link":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/category\/character\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A teenage boy in 1890s clothes sits high in an autumn cherry tree behind a barn, gazing across golden fields at a soft evening sky.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Quiet-afternoon-in-the-cherry-tree.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Quiet-afternoon-in-the-cherry-tree.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Quiet-afternoon-in-the-cherry-tree.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Quiet-afternoon-in-the-cherry-tree.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Quiet-afternoon-in-the-cherry-tree.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17489,"url":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2026\/10\/04\/brother-sun-sister-water-a-song-of-thanks-for-ordinary-things\/","url_meta":{"origin":10751,"position":1},"title":"Brother Sun, Sister Water: A Song of Thanks for Ordinary Things","author":"myallaboutyou","date":"October 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On the feast date of Saint Francis, a quiet look at the song he wrote while nearly blind, and at the humble, precious things he taught us to thank God for.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Catholic Faith &amp; Reflection&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Catholic Faith &amp; Reflection","link":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/category\/catholic\/catholic-faith-reflection\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A painting of a humble friar in a brown habit kneeling in a sunlit Italian meadow at dawn, with birds and a lamb nearby.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Saint-Francis-giving-thanks-at-dawn.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Saint-Francis-giving-thanks-at-dawn.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Saint-Francis-giving-thanks-at-dawn.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Saint-Francis-giving-thanks-at-dawn.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Saint-Francis-giving-thanks-at-dawn.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17482,"url":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2026\/10\/10\/the-brewer-who-looked-up\/","url_meta":{"origin":10751,"position":2},"title":"The Brewer Who Looked Up","author":"myallaboutyou","date":"October 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"William Lassell brewed beer for a living and built telescopes for love. On October 10, 1846, he found a moon at the edge of the solar system.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Daily Reflections&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Daily Reflections","link":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/category\/daily-reflections\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A long wooden telescope in a Victorian garden at dusk, pointed at a blue sky beside a brick brewery, with a lantern glowing on a workbench.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Lassells-Telescope-at-Dusk.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Lassells-Telescope-at-Dusk.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Lassells-Telescope-at-Dusk.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Lassells-Telescope-at-Dusk.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Lassells-Telescope-at-Dusk.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17488,"url":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2026\/10\/06\/the-gift-of-a-good-stop\/","url_meta":{"origin":10751,"position":3},"title":"The Gift of a Good Stop","author":"myallaboutyou","date":"October 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"George Westinghouse built a train brake that stops the train when something goes wrong. A gentle thought on why slowing down is a gift.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Daily Reflections&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Daily Reflections","link":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/category\/daily-reflections\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A vintage steam train easing to a gentle stop at a quiet country station in warm golden morning light.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/The-Gift-of-a-Good-Stop.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/The-Gift-of-a-Good-Stop.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/The-Gift-of-a-Good-Stop.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/The-Gift-of-a-Good-Stop.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/The-Gift-of-a-Good-Stop.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17480,"url":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2026\/10\/09\/the-joke-he-hid-and-the-swan-he-shared\/","url_meta":{"origin":10751,"position":4},"title":"The Joke He Hid, and the Swan He Shared","author":"myallaboutyou","date":"October 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Camille Saint-Sa\u00ebns wrote a funny little suite about animals, then kept it hidden for the rest of his life. Here is what that gentle joke can teach us.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Art &amp; Creativity&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Art &amp; Creativity","link":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/category\/art-creativity\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Friends in a warm Paris parlor gathered around a piano and cello, wearing playful animal masks by candlelight","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Carnival-of-the-Animals-parlor-scene.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Carnival-of-the-Animals-parlor-scene.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Carnival-of-the-Animals-parlor-scene.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Carnival-of-the-Animals-parlor-scene.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Carnival-of-the-Animals-parlor-scene.png?fit=1184%2C864&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15888,"url":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/2026\/08\/03\/you-gotta-want-it\/","url_meta":{"origin":10751,"position":5},"title":"You Gotta Want It","author":"myallaboutyou","date":"August 3, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Some songs do more than entertain us. They remind us to keep climbing, keep fighting, and keep looking for what is possible. Sometimes the first step toward a better life is simply deciding that you want it enough to begin.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Inspiration&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Inspiration","link":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/category\/inspiration\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A woman with a backpack walks down an empty road toward a glowing sunrise over distant mountains.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Walking-Toward-the-Sunrise.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Walking-Toward-the-Sunrise.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Walking-Toward-the-Sunrise.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Walking-Toward-the-Sunrise.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Walking-Toward-the-Sunrise.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/my-all-about-you.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/a-rustic-family-kitchen.png?fit=1536%2C1024&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/132804860"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10751"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10756,"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10751\/revisions\/10756"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my-all-about-you.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}