Last night my son Christopher had a friend stay the night. He arrived in time to have dinner with us.

Scrumptious, it was. Pan-fried chicken, baked in the oven with a slice of ham and cheddar cheese on top. Accompanied by french fries, sweet-potato fries, and a mixture of  sautéed zucchini, onions, and mushrooms. And salad. Usual fare, more or less, for us … nothing out of the usual rotation, though I don’t make it often. Another time Nathan was our guest, I fixed meatloaf, which he positively gobbled.

And so, I was unsurprised when he made up his plate and proceeded to eat just about everything. And when he was done, what was the high praise I received?

“I like eating over here. I don’t have to pretend I like the food.”