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#Post#: 13110--------------------------------------------------
Re: Use of disposable ware at parties - your thoughts
By: Pattycake Date: September 5, 2018, 7:09 pm
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[quote author=caroled link=topic=634.msg13099#msg13099
date=1536185794]
We bought some really pretty Chinette brand plates, they are
pale cream in color with a rippled edge and gold colored trim.
They are very sturdy. I only use them for parties and dinners
that don't involve needing a knife so as not to leave cut marks
on them. So far I have had them about 5 years and used them no
less than a dozen times. After use I hand wash and dry and then
stand in a plate rack in the cabinet. I've only had to toss out
3 and they somehow ended up with a crack in the outer edge, and
those I washed as usual and put them in the recycle bin.
I see nothing wrong with "disposable wares" and there will be
sometimes in life and events that just warrant their use. As
with everything else I handle, I recycle as I can.
[/quote]
I don't see the point in having disposable ware if you're going
to wash and dry them, and then store them again. I would just as
soon buy some extra inexpensive dishes if I was going to do
that, then they could be put in the dish washer (if you have
one, I don't.)
But when I have a bunch of people over and not enough dishes, I
do use disposables. That also helps stop people from insisting
on helping with the dishes, which I would rather just do on my
own when everyone is gone! And it happens so rarely that I do
not feel badly about doing it.
#Post#: 13116--------------------------------------------------
Re: Use of disposable ware at parties - your thoughts
By: caroled Date: September 5, 2018, 8:16 pm
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Pattycake, I thought the issue of washing disposables would
come up. If you could see the tiny kitchen I have, you'd
understand the reason for not buying real dishes that have to be
stored. I can stack 3 dozen of the Chinettes in probably 6" or
less, it would take the entire bottom shelf of my cabinet+ for
that many real plates. I also don't often need that many at one
time very often and just don't want the hassle of storing
something I wont use more than a couple times a year.
For a reasonable amount of guests, we use real dishes / our
real china, depending on the event...my grandmother's china is a
perfect pattern for fall, we have what my mom calls chop plates,
with handles on the side, in pastels for spring/Easter, there
are some really nice deep earth /aqua toned Melmac for everyday
usage. We have a china cabinet full, but they aren't always
appropriate to the event (Not carrying the china outside for a
barbeque)
Also I don't have a dishwasher, and washing that many real by
hand is just too much of a chore( I know it seems like it would
be the same to wash real as opposed to plastic. With the
plastic, I can wash all and stand them in my drainboard to start
drying while I finish cleaning up, then dry. With real plates
I'd have to stop after the first dozen or so and dry to get them
out of the way and do it in stages. With some health issues
and not being able to stand for too long due to bone on bone in
the knees, this is just an easier alternative.
#Post#: 13119--------------------------------------------------
Re: Use of disposable ware at parties - your thoughts
By: VorFemme Date: September 5, 2018, 9:22 pm
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I used to have 17 regular stoneware plates that coordinated (not
all of them matched exactly). It was nice to be able to sit ten
or more people (table for six, table for four, built in desk in
the kitchen, and everyone else in the living room or squeezing
in on a spare chair from the office at the dining table - it
will sit 8 if they didn't mind being a little closer).
But that was over ten years ago and a few chipped plates have
been discarded. I do still have about two dozen glass plates in
a smaller "luncheon" or "appetizer" size than a standard dinner
plate. Possibly a dessert plate, if you're sitting there with a
cookie, a brownie, a small slice of pie or cake, and whatever at
a family dinner with a lot of different things to sample. They
were bought at the Salvation Army or the Goodwill - bought a box
& pulled out two dozen that matched, passed the box to Lil Sis
who pulled out a couple of dozen for her annual parties, and
then offered the leftovers to whoever wanted them...there were a
lot of plates in that box. I understand that they came from an
airline (name of the airline was on the box & there were two
dozen boxes stacked at the thrift store - I bought a box once
they marked the last couple of them down - as well as several
stacks of plates on a shelf for people to pick up "just a few"
instead of a large box full).
They've come in handy at parties, they go through the washing
machine, and they were cheap enough that I could discard them
into the recycling or the trash at some point. I used to help
VorGuy set up parties for his work and it was easier to arrange
for disposables when you're serving 80 or 100 plus people - the
venue was set up with a dishwasher, but we had no way to store
that many plates from event to event. It was easier to buy
disposables or even to arrange for the caterer to include the
plates & plastic tableware as part of their package.
I did have to arrange to have some serving pieces washed and
stored from event to event (averaged two to three a year) and it
was hard enough to arrange storage for the serving spoons, meat
forks, and a punch ladle or three - we rapidly replaced the
punch bowls & ladles with beverage dispensers (rental place)
then got sports dispensers & I made fabric covers to "dress
them" for more formal events.
#Post#: 13123--------------------------------------------------
Re: Use of disposable ware at parties - your thoughts
By: Pattycake Date: September 5, 2018, 10:46 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=caroled link=topic=634.msg13116#msg13116
date=1536196566]
Pattycake, I thought the issue of washing disposables would
come up. If you could see the tiny kitchen I have, you'd
understand the reason for not buying real dishes that have to be
stored. I can stack 3 dozen of the Chinettes in probably 6" or
less, it would take the entire bottom shelf of my cabinet+ for
that many real plates. I also don't often need that many at one
time very often and just don't want the hassle of storing
something I wont use more than a couple times a year.
For a reasonable amount of guests, we use real dishes / our
real china, depending on the event...my grandmother's china is a
perfect pattern for fall, we have what my mom calls chop plates,
with handles on the side, in pastels for spring/Easter, there
are some really nice deep earth /aqua toned Melmac for everyday
usage. We have a china cabinet full, but they aren't always
appropriate to the event (Not carrying the china outside for a
barbeque)
Also I don't have a dishwasher, and washing that many real by
hand is just too much of a chore( I know it seems like it would
be the same to wash real as opposed to plastic. With the
plastic, I can wash all and stand them in my drainboard to start
drying while I finish cleaning up, then dry. With real plates
I'd have to stop after the first dozen or so and dry to get them
out of the way and do it in stages. With some health issues
and not being able to stand for too long due to bone on bone in
the knees, this is just an easier alternative.
[/quote]
Yes, I can understand doing it that way for those reasons! I do
have kitchen space, so that wouldn't be an issue for me, but I
really can understand the knee thing! (I am working with a
doctor to find a balance between pain killers that work and also
don't destroy kidney function after a while.)
#Post#: 13138--------------------------------------------------
Re: Use of disposable ware at parties - your thoughts
By: Rose Red Date: September 6, 2018, 8:48 am
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I can understand having hardier disposable stuff rather than
just real dollar store plates. They are hardy (and pretty!)
enough to wash and reuse, but I don't feel bad if they get
scratched or messed up enough to throw away.
As for parties, not all weddings or get-togethers are fancy. I
think disposable is fine for casual type buffets. A coworker
served fried chicken and sides for her wedding reception. My
cousin put out Chinese food. People just milled around and
mingled. No ripped jeans but still casual dress.
#Post#: 13222--------------------------------------------------
Re: Use of disposable ware at parties - your thoughts
By: happychick Date: September 6, 2018, 9:17 pm
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My cousin did Chinet plates a few years ago for Thanksgiving.
Also disposable cups. I think we used real silverware though.
She had about 20 people for dinner. Her mom (my aunt-88) wasn't
too happy about it, but she wasn't doing the dishes. :)
#Post#: 13737--------------------------------------------------
Re: Use of disposable ware at parties - your thoughts
By: Girlie Date: September 14, 2018, 8:59 am
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I don't host many parties throughout the year because I don't
have a big house and because of the fact that my DH and I live
"in the middle of nowhere" compared to many of our family and
friends. We don't mind it, but they seem to. Anyway, we tend to
average 1-2 parties a year, and unless it's a small dinner party
with six people or fewer, we ALWAYS use disposable plates and
dinnerware.
No one that I would invite to my home would complain about this,
but if they did, they'd likely never receive an invite again.
#Post#: 13810--------------------------------------------------
Re: Use of disposable ware at parties - your thoughts
By: browzer11 Date: September 14, 2018, 11:03 pm
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"My cousin did Chinet plates a few years ago for Thanksgiving.
Also disposable cups.".
No offense, but paper plates and plastic/paper cups for a formal
Thanksgiving dinner?
#Post#: 13812--------------------------------------------------
Re: Use of disposable ware at parties - your thoughts
By: Aleko Date: September 15, 2018, 4:40 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote]"My cousin did Chinet plates a few years ago for
Thanksgiving. Also disposable cups.".
No offense, but paper plates and plastic/paper cups for a formal
Thanksgiving dinner?
[/quote]
I'm English, so this is a real question, not rhetorical: how
'formal' is a Thanksgiving dinner? How formal can it be, given
that even small children take part in it? I suspect that we're
dealing with different understandings of the word formal, and
this is confusing the issue somewhat. I do know people who
normally eat TV dinners and so rarely sit down at a fully-laid
table for a meal of several courses that that for them is a
'formal meal'; but for me a 'formal dinner' or 'dinner party' is
one for adults, who know to come dressed in formal rather than
festive smart clothes*. And I think it's the dress code that is
key. If I've gone to the trouble, in honour of the occasion, to
put on the dress that is going to have to be expensively dry
cleaned and the lovely shoes that pinch my feet, I do kind of
expect the dinner table to do the equivalent. But for a
Christmas or family birthday dinner, where I go dressed
festively but not formally, I certainly wouldn't blink at
plastic plates, mismatched plates, or whatever.
*That said, the formal dinner party has pretty much died out in
private socialising on this side of the pond; I can't remember
the last time I gave or was asked to a 'dinner party' as opposed
to 'coming for supper'.
#Post#: 13825--------------------------------------------------
Re: Use of disposable ware at parties - your thoughts
By: OnyxBird Date: September 15, 2018, 12:04 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=browzer11 link=topic=634.msg13810#msg13810
date=1536984206]
"My cousin did Chinet plates a few years ago for Thanksgiving.
Also disposable cups.".
No offense, but paper plates and plastic/paper cups for a formal
Thanksgiving dinner?
[/quote]
Can you clarify, then, what exactly you are trying to ask?
Whether or not the dinner was formal? The specific material of
the Chinet/disposable dishes?
What you quoted stated quite clearly that disposable plates and
cups were used for Thanksgiving, so I'm having a hard time
seeing what the purpose of this question is. My inclination
would be to read it as a way to gratuitously criticize the
poster's cousin's choice, which would be...rather offensive.
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