Pluggers by Rick McKee for February 13, 2024

In my kitchen the plaque over the stove reads, “Many have eaten here, few have died.”

Well…how about cheecken instead?

My wife, son, daughter, and I are good cooks. I’ve never had to choose “leave it”.

When one is their own head cook that never happens ;-)

That’s how to raise your children to eat what they’re given and not be picky.

There’s always White Castle.

Does the “Poor starving children in China (or India or Africa) would love to have this food” gambit still work on kids?

And for a Plugger, the later is rarely if ever selected and never when at home.

Neither of them look like they have missed many, if at all.

If you choose not to take it (or chose to leave), … but still want something to eat … you may be told “Then make your own.”

Given the size of these Pluggers, cue Dave Brubeck Quartet: ♪ Take Five ♪ .

That was the way I was brought up ….. of course I never would have even considered ……… to leave it …… :)

There are folks in Albania that are starving. Plugger feels some guilt.

It looks like he’ll take it.

“Both, I’ll take the meat and potatoes but leave the peas!”

From today’s Comics Curmudgeon:

Wow, I feel like the backstory that lead up to today’s Pluggers is even grimmer than usual. Chicken-lady is thrusting this inoffensive but uninspiring plate at her husband, her facial expression seemingly indicating that she’s drunk or angry or confused or maybe all three, belligerently telling him he can shove it up his [redacted] if he doesn’t like it; dog-man’s eyes are wide with shock, as he gingerly reaches out to grab the plate before she erupts. The way they’re both standing in the middle of this room implies that he’s going to take the plate somewhere else, as they retreat to different corners of the house to have dinner in wounded silence. Take it or leave it! Ha ha!

You can keep the peas.

The only time I’ve sd no to her cooking is when I am so sick, I can’t eat anything, then she’ll make me congee.

Apparently I started out married life as a plugger! 50+ years and the other option is “Well, dear, what if we go to …” But that option requires pre-planning, as it is not a welcome option at meal delivery time!

Growing up there was a meal for dinner. We all ate that meal and if ever there was an item we didn’t (think) we like, we were given a “No Thank You Helping”. One tablespoon of the offending dish, to be eaten. Though it took years of choking down lima beans and brussels sprouts, I managed to survive.

I still dislike lima beans.

As a bachelor, I don’t have anyone else to blame for not liking my meal.

Not to mention “seconds”.

I have always allowed the choice of what I will make for dinner – I tell him what I have and then cook what he chooses. If it is something that raw meat etc for cannot be defrosted in an hour or so he has to let me know in advance. Since I am the bane of mothers – a picky eater – I often cook 2 separate dinners – one for him and something I eat for me.

I used to be a much better cook than I am now – it has been a lot dinners over 40 plus years even with eating out up to 3 times a week and more eating out when on vacation.

The hard meals to cook are those that involve religious holidays which overlap as I am Jewish and he is Catholic – Nothing like figuring out dinner when a Passover Seder is the same night as Ash Wednesday, Good Friday or Easter Sunday.