Daily Desserts

I am powerless in a household of boys who love desserts—just anything sweet—they are not discerning most of the time. They are this way because of Hubs, I’m sure. He has to have something sweet to eat at night. It seems whenever we go out to eat, before we get home he mentions how he needs some dessert. I think that 98% of the time after eating out we don’t go home until we’ve walked through the grocery store for cookies or ice cream (see, it does not have to be special—just dessert).

Let’s back up to how we were each raised. When I was growing up there was not dessert every night of the week, nor was it served as part of the meal. If we were having a regular dinner or a special holiday meal, we would clear away the dishes and then leave the dining area and relax for a long time before venturing back to get dessert. Or—and this is a key detail—if there was a box of cookies it would last. Or if there was pudding my brother and I would know which ramekin was ours—it would remain in the fridge for a couple days till we ate our own.

On the other hand my Hubs is the youngest of 6 kids. Dessert was made and brought out EVERY night, immediately after dinner. And everyone would eat it then and there on top of dinner, because if you waited till later it would be gone. I have been a daughter-in-law for 22 years and this still amazes me. No sooner is the last bite of dinner swallowed and my mother-in-law brings out more dishes and silverware and three different varieties of dessert to the table. I am always asked what I want for dessert and I always reply, “I am too stuffed now but maybe later, thanks!” And I’ll chat of course and help clean of course but I just can’t enjoy dessert until I have digested dinner.

Have I mentioned I was really slim when I got married? There I’d go to the grocery store and buy a week’s worth of groceries including dessert stuff. And Hubs would proceed to dig into it, within an hour back from the store, completely clashing with my concept of making food last a week.

And eventually we had our three boys and like clones they are dessert lovers too, asking about it just about every night. Many times I say good-naturedly, “Wait—do we need to have a dessert EVERY night?” (and Hubs will say, "And the problem would be????") and we all laugh. It’s only when we eat dinner on the late side and there’s only time for showers and bedtime that no one is looking for dessert.

Except this past week, no one asked me about dessert. The Breyer's chocolare chip ice cream has been untouched in the freezer. And here is the trash can that is located next to just one boy's bed:
Halloween candy gives me a week off of keeping the cupboards stocked with dessert!