At our home, we go to the counter & stove to fix our plates for dinner. Although, pretty much every where I visit, they have everything set on the table and they pass it around.

When I was in school, I learned that it's better for your weight to keep the serving dishes on a counter, server or the stove. The reason being that if it's right there in front of you and you don't have to get up to get 2nds, you'll go back for more. But if it's WAAAY over at the stove, you're less inclined to do so. So.... I keep dinner at the stove & countertop.

How do you serve dinner? Is everything kept at the stove or do you put everything on the dinner table? Do you pass the food around or everyone just reaches in and gets what they need??

We put everything ont he table if it's just us two. If we have company we may put the food on the counter since our table is small.

For generations our family has always believed in the food being placed on the table - no buffet-style dining. Those Italian men expected their food on the table, the kids clean at the table, the house clean, the food made perfectly, homemade bread made every day of the year and every one sat together. No one left the table until papa said. Mama did the clean up; papa would busy himself with something. No one walked in the kitchen when great gram cooked - unless you wanted it to be your last day alive. Gram was like that too. And mom. And me. Mothers and daughters will cook, can, and bake together - anyone else - OUT!!! Hair is to be pulled back and off the face or you don't sit and eat let alone try to enter the kitchen! No nailpolish allowed. If you had nailpolish on you couldn't even eat let alone touch a cup or glass of water. Papa would not let anyone wear lipstick - he didn't even believe in makeup. The old-fashioned Italian men were very strict - and so were the women. Grace was always said. But the memories will always be there. Big tables full of food and family enjoying it! In my opinion - that's the way it should be. (sorry I got long-winded - but I can be like Sophia.......)

If it's just hubby and I we eat on the couch in front of the tv. Bad... I know. lol..

If we have company and it's casual we serve from the counter ( our table is small) if it's formal we use the dinning room table and serve from there.

Quite similar to what i do.