Buffets...

Buffets are not my favorite....especially with a handfull of little kids. It is just too hard and not very relaxing or enjoyable.

A couple of years ago we thought that we'd give the new "Sweet Tomatoes" that opened by us a try....and I had a coupon. I knew we were in trouble when we walked in and immediately found ourselves in line (a very long line) for their salad bar. I didn't even know that "Sweet Tomatoes" was a buffet. It was terrible. We weren't in the restaurant for 2 minutes when Charlie cracked his head on the metal tray shelf thing. We should have taken that as a sign and LEFT, but we didn't. We forged our way through the salad bar with a very upset toddler and 3 kindergarteners that pointed out everything that they didn't like on the salad bar...."Mom, I dooon't like lettuce", "Mom, I dooon't like green food", blah, blah, blah. After finally making it through the salad bar, we paid and had to hunt down a table for 6 people in the very crowded restaurant, while carrying food and drinks for 6 people ...one of which was extremely grumpy and the other 5 were getting there. The experience was totally not my idea of a relaxing dinner out so, over the last few years, we have tried to avoid buffets, whenever possible.

I recently discovered that the boys LOVE buffets. We have had a couple of team outings at a local, "kid friendly" pizza buffet. They think it is the coolest thing in the world. I totally took advantage of that a few weeks ago when I cleaned out my refridgerator and made a "buffet" for dinner. They ate everything because I called it a buffet. If I would have just loaded it on their plates, they would have whined and complained about the junky dinner. But, because it was a "BUFFET", it was "the best dinner ever Mom!!".

While we were preparing for our trip to Disney, we figured that a trip to the buffet at Hollywood Studios would be enjoyed by all.


Of course the "big boys" reminded us that they were too cool to be excited about the Little Einsteins and JoJo's Circus, but they forgot the "coolness" factor when they saw all of that food.

And, what do you think Drew's plate looked like after hitting the biggest kid-friendly buffet that he has ever seen???

Yup, that's 4 pieces of cantaloupe and FOURTEEN chicken nuggets...(YUCK!)

Me, I loaded up my plate with the yummy seasoned sirloin steak and chocolate mousse. I guess I missed the chicken nuggets portion of the buffet...or maybe there were none left. :)