My wife has a particular issue with food touching on a plate. Nothing catastrophic where she freaks out, but I recognize she does not like it when I put a steak in front of her and and the juices run into her potatoes. I noticed it early on in our relationship but really never said anything and honestly did not think about ( I should have, I know).
She never complains, but I see her push her fork against each serving and try and keep a divide. So, over the years I tried to serve her things and keep them separate. Finally, one day I asked her and she said she prefer to have her items separated, especially meat dishes and side dishes, so juices do not run into each other. To her, it just grosses her out.
The poor thing must go nuts when she see my plate at Thanksgiving So, i tried to divide my plate up a little to, but I am the kinda guy that LOVES to mix food. MMMMMM, gravy, mashed potatoes and stuffing… any who…
I am wondering, do any of you know of a very nice dinnerware company that specializes in divided plates? I have looked around and tend to see mostly kids stuff or plastic or tacky stuff.
But, what I want to give her for our 20th wedding anniversary is a set of nice divided plates. Not necessarily china, but durable ceramic or some other ware that is both presentable and microwave safe. This way, we can use them for dinner parties and such and she, and any other person who likes to keep their food separate, can eat from one of them and not feel like they are any different.
It is just a gift I would like to get her to let her know I care about her and watch and understand the little things she goes through in life, just like all of us.
Look around for a local potter … you didn’t mention money … and I agree, she’d be worth every cent you’d pay to have custom plates made. Get that VISA card out, she deserves a complete set of new dishes, custom thrown, designed to her satisfaction.
The both of you deserve something really special …
I’m certainly not a shrink, but in my completely uninformed opinion, I’d guess your wife is “on the spectrum”. Is she picky about the fabric her clothes are made of, have trouble with words that have two definitions, poor eyesight/hearing? Does she have a relative narrow band of interests? The bad news is that she’ll not be able to get SSI, but the good news is that she’s probably very intelligent, you’re lucky to have her in your life … so get the custom dishes for her alright !!!
Ha ha, same here, and my wife is more like the OP’s, but not quite as extreme. When I grill steaks I usually let them rest on a plate under foil for 5-10 minutes then put hers on a new plate and I use the resting plate with all the juices
Thank you for the idea. I did look for a local crafter but was unable to find a very good one. I think some of the ideas herein are great.
No, I do not think she is on the spectrum. Well maybe she is, but she does not worry about any of the other things you mentioned. I have life insurance out the wazoo so I know she will always be cared for, so I am not concerned about SSI.
But, in the end, it does not matter to me if she is on some spectrum. It has been the greatest 20 years of my life, she is my best friend and greatest ally.
You all were incredibly helpful. I am a little ashamed I could not find these while searching on the internet, but I kept finding crappy stuff. I probably should have just looked more before I asked you all.
Thank you very much for taking the extra time to search online better than I.
It would help to know her style. You could try something like this if you are looking for a set.
Also, if you want to be spendy, maybe consider fiestaware (you could probably make up a set in cobalt or ivory or mix and match colors).
So, i tried to divide my plate up a little to, but I am the kinda guy that LOVES to mix food. MMMMMM, gravy, mashed potatoes and stuffing… any who…
That one for the sterling Ohio plate is a single item. Man, that is what I want though. Sterling China in Ohio is out of business though.