Spaghetti Day

KEG123 · #1 08-30-2011, 10:15 AM

So I secretly hate serving spaghetti. The kids love it, I love it, I just HATE the mess that it creates. Someone tell me I'm not alone! I'm pulling my hair out over here!!!!

jessrlee · #2 08-30-2011, 10:20 AM

I TOTALLY agree! I actually plan pasta or pizza for fridays because after nap I wash the sheets, bleach down all of the tables and chairs, and highchairs. It is such a mess!

SandeeAR · #3 08-30-2011, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jessrlee

I TOTALLY agree! I actually plan pasta or pizza for fridays because after nap I wash the sheets, bleach down all of the tables and chairs, and highchairs. It is such a mess!

Good idea!

KEG123 · #4 08-30-2011, 10:23 AM

lol that is a good idea. You should see one of the kids here now, she has it on her WHOLE face, eyebrows and forehead and everything. I took a picture to show her mom. Hilarious!

lilrugrats · #5 08-30-2011, 10:23 AM

You are not alone. I hate it and love it. I love it because then I eat WITH them, and enjoy it. I hate it because of the mess, BUT i have found that if i add sauce to each individual bowl then show them how to dip bread in the sauce, its less saucy. That and either take their shirts off, or put those large bibs on all of em!

MsMe · #6 08-30-2011, 10:23 AM

I used to hate it too

untill..........

i started making it with elbow macarroni noodles!!! No more cutting (except forth those just starting table food) and no more mess (I also use as little sause as possible)

SilverSabre25 · #7 08-30-2011, 10:24 AM

I'm with MsMe--if you use a chunky pasta there's less mess. I like rotini (it holds the sauce better...less splattering).

GretasLittleFriends · #8 08-30-2011, 10:43 AM

My family had spaghetti last night. Our sauce simmered all day yesterday, so it was pretty thick last night by the time we ate. Today for lunch I boiled up some elbow macaroni, then added the sauce to it and had spaghetti casserole (hotdish, goolash, whatever it's called). By today the sauce is extremely thick and the only mess is really from the 3 that don't use silverware well yet.

Michelle · #9 08-30-2011, 10:47 AM

that is so funny, I'm making spaghetti right now!
The youngest I have right now is 3 so, it's not really a problem.
Love the elbow mac idea!

Solandia · #10 08-30-2011, 11:03 AM

I use penne pasta, not spaghetti noodles b/c the little ones tend to gag on the spaghetti, don't chew well, or sneeze and it comes out the nose. Not to mention sticks everywhere on everything. Gross!

Solandia · #11 08-30-2011, 11:04 AM

I also hate rice, because it sticks to the floor and impossible to sweep. So we only do that one a week when know I have time to mop during nap time.

littlemommy · #12 08-30-2011, 11:12 AM

I was just thinking about this last week on spaghetti day. I used spiral egg noodles, and it was still super messy!

MsMe · #13 08-30-2011, 11:30 AM

I also forgot to addd that I have two dogs who do ALL the floor clean up for me

laundrymom · #14 08-30-2011, 11:30 AM

I use wheel pasta

KEG123 · #15 08-30-2011, 11:30 AM

Yes! Sprial noodles and other "forkable" noodles are WAY less messy than sketti noodles. It's just, go figure, all I had today was sketti noodles.

mom2many · #16 08-30-2011, 11:43 AM

I also dread the mess of spagetti and found it's much better with curly noodles or bow ties.

Last week we had a heat wave here, so I stripped the lil ones down to diapers and got them into their booster seats and let them dig in! They were all gooey messes, so afterward we went outside and splashed in the sprinklers that were set up in the shade to get cleaned off! They had a blast and it was a perfect solution to this meal time mess!!!!!

blessedmess8 · #17 08-30-2011, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mom2many

I also dread the mess of spagetti and found it's much better with curly noodles or bow ties.

Last week we had a heat wave here, so I stripped the lil ones down to diapers and got them into their booster seats and let them dig in! They were all gooey messes, so afterward we went outside and splashed in the sprinklers that were set up in the shade to get cleaned off! They had a blast and it was a perfect solution to this meal time mess!!!!!

That's always my solution in the Summer! Spaghetti outside and waterplay after! I like to put baby wash in the sensory table to make bubbles/help clean up!!

blessedmess8 · #18 08-30-2011, 11:51 AM

I'm loving the thicker noodle idea! Hey, I bet if we stir in cheese it would be even less mess!

WImom · #19 08-30-2011, 11:52 AM

Rotini noodles seems to work good here. I will occasionally still do the reg. spaghetti but not often.

Meyou · #20 08-31-2011, 02:49 AM

I cut the spaghetti into small pieces and give them bowls and spoons. I strip anyone under 2 to the waist and I've taught the rest to lean over their bowls. It's still messy but not so bad.

wdmmom · #21 08-31-2011, 06:06 AM

Funny! I don't mind it at all! It's one of the most liked meals and it's really not that bad.

I use a little less sauce than usual. Less sauce = Less mess!

I also serve it in a bowl rather than a place in an attempt to keep it on their plate.

I break the noodles into 4's to keep them small and easier to manage.

And, when all is said and done, I send the dog in to clean up the floor before I vacuum!

JenNJ · #22 08-31-2011, 07:06 AM

Ravioli, rotini, or penne here. And if you add Parmesan cheese to it, it helps it splatter less.

Zoe · #23 08-31-2011, 07:09 AM

I had an 18 month old who was a messy eater anyway, so spaghetti was AWFUL! He actually got it in his nose (the sauce) and his nose burned the rest of the day! It was terrible!

I have wipes ready nearby and do frequent clean-ups just because I hate messes like that.

bice99 · #24 08-31-2011, 09:08 AM

If I do spaghetti, I cut it with my kitchen scissors. But usually the kids prefer shapes that are easier to fork, rather than spoon. I do too. As for rice, I make "taco surprise" and throw in all of my left over taco stuff - meat, beans, cheese, sour cream - into the rice. A little water helps if it's too thick. Then they can spoon it and all of the rice stays stuck together instead of in separate little grains.

wdmmom · #25 08-31-2011, 09:37 AM

Also...if you mix the meat sauce into the spaghetti rather than leaving it on top, it makes less mess. Only use what you need.

jojosmommy · #26 08-31-2011, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdmmom

Funny! I don't mind it at all! It's one of the most liked meals and it's really not that bad.

I use a little less sauce than usual. Less sauce = Less mess!

I also serve it in a bowl rather than a place in an attempt to keep it on their plate.

I break the noodles into 4's to keep them small and easier to manage.

And, when all is said and done, I send the dog in to clean up the floor before I vacuum!

I agree! I make rigatoni in our crock pot all the time, add cheese, less sauce and one small dog and we have very little mess to clean up.

MamaJ · #27 08-31-2011, 12:28 PM

I just don't do spaghetti at all with my DCK's! that seems like more dinner food to me, and it's a huge mess...I'll leave it to their parents

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