Happy 17th Birthday Jedidiah and Jeremiah!

[HarryPotterFan]

1 hour ago, calimojo said:

 

I can't believe I am going to defend these little twits but I personally see nothing wrong with not wanting to eat food that someone sent you without asking. In this day and age with food allergies and such it just makes sense to inquire with customer before sending out a free dish. Yes the thought us wonderful but I don't want snails I am probably  not going to eat them. I am an adventurous eater but I honestly dislike almost all fish. I have tried for years to learn go like and I can't. I start to feel nauseous as I chew it. If someone kindly sent me a free fish dish I would have to politely refuse it.  I like crab and lobster and calamari but not fish.  

Agreed. I can't believe I'm defending them either, but in addition to allergies, people have other dietary restrictions, such as religious or vegetarianism. I didn't see the episode, so I don't know how rude they were or weren't. I guess the trick is figuring out how to politely decline something, rather than saying, "Ewww!!!"

[SassyPants]

1 hour ago, calimojo said:

I don't think you are remembering the escargot incident correctly.  Ben was actually much more polite than Jessa was. Andcvi don't think he sent it back.   

 

I can't believe I am going to defend these little twits but I personally see nothing wrong with not wanting to eat food that someone sent you without asking. In this day and age with food allergies and such it just makes sense to inquire with customer before sending out a free dish. Yes the thought us wonderful but I don't want snails I am probably  not going to eat them. I am an adventurous eater but I honestly dislike almost all fish. I have tried for years to learn go like and I can't. I start to feel nauseous as I chew it. If someone kindly sent me a free fish dish I would have to politely refuse it.  I like crab and lobster and calamari but not fish.   

I suspect that the producers set up that whole escargot thing.  Ben and Jessa have no skill at being tactful so it came off as rude. But Ben did actually try it. And I think he said it wasn't bad 

 

I am very, very similar with the fish. In addition, I have a keen sense of smell and a hyperactive gag, so I do not try things that I generally do not eat or enjoy.

That being said, I do not eat FF, other than pizza.

I prefer fresh, local fare.

[calimojo]

Jessa declined and said her stomach was upset or that she had a touchy stomach. Ben tasted it. The camera showed Jessas face when took  bite and she did look a little grossed out but I thought Ben was fine. And I really don't like ben

[Cleopatra7]

1 hour ago, calimojo said:

I don't think you are remembering the escargot incident correctly.  Ben was actually much more polite than Jessa was. Andcvi don't think he sent it back.   

 

I can't believe I am going to defend these little twits but I personally see nothing wrong with not wanting to eat food that someone sent you without asking. In this day and age with food allergies and such it just makes sense to inquire with customer before sending out a free dish. Yes the thought us wonderful but I don't want snails I am probably  not going to eat them. I am an adventurous eater but I honestly dislike almost all fish. I have tried for years to learn go like and I can't. I start to feel nauseous as I chew it. If someone kindly sent me a free fish dish I would have to politely refuse it.  I like crab and lobster and calamari but not fish.   

I suspect that the producers set up that whole escargot thing.  Ben and Jessa have no skill at being tactful so it came off as rude. But Ben did actually try it. And I think he said it wasn't bad 

 

I'm vegetarian myself, so I'm well acquainted with declining a dish due to dietary restrictions. I also understand the importance of informing restaurants about food allergies. However,  to my knowledge the only Duggar with food allergies that we know of is Josie, who is lactose intolerant. One episode said that the Duggars don't eat pork, but that has been disputed. To me, their dislike of new foods is an extension of their smugness and lack of curiosity about the world, not the result of food allergies or other an aversion to certain tastes or foods. They go into a new restaurant already convinced that what they are going to eat is gross simply because it's going to be different. As with most things in life, there is a right way and a wrong way to deal with food that is unfamiliar or unappealing, and the Duggars do this the wrong way. 

[HarryPotterFan]

1 minute ago, SassyPants said:

I am very, very similar with the fish. In addition, I have a keen sense of smell and a hyperactive gag, so I do not try things that I generally do not eat or enjoy.

That being said, I do not eat FF, other than pizza.

I prefer fresh, local fare.

I'm trying to guess what FF is, because I'm pretty sure it's not @FundieFarmer.

[calimojo]

I do enjoy a good burger but when I travel I like to eat local.  I avoid chains when I travel. Unless the other options are just really bad.. 

[TeaGrannie]

I'm pretty confident FF is "fast food". That's how I'm reading it at least. 

[calimojo]

7 minutes ago, Cleopatra7 said:

I'm vegetarian myself, so I'm well acquainted with declining a dish due to dietary restrictions. I also understand the importance of informing restaurants about food allergies. However,  to my knowledge the only Duggar with food allergies that we know of is Josie, who is lactose intolerant. One episode said that the Duggars don't eat pork, but that has been disputed. To me, their dislike of new foods is an extension of their smugness and lack of curiosity about the world, not the result of food allergies or other an aversion to certain tastes or foods. They go into a new restaurant already convinced that what they are going to eat is gross simply because it's going to be different. As with most things in life, there is a right way and a wrong way to deal with food that is unfamiliar or unappealing, and the Duggars do this the wrong way. 

No doubt they could have handled it better but they weren't terrible just young and clumsy.  Jessa has been taughtvsunce birth to not be worldly. Do we really think she is going to shed that a few days after her wedding? It isn't her fsultvthat she was raised this way.    Hopefully she will  grow awasy from that but it won't happen soon

[SassyPants]

FF= fast food.

[CorruptionInc.]

Why do these kids always get those sh*tty banners?

[imokit]

7 hours ago, CorruptionInc. said:

Why do these kids always get those sh*tty banners?

Buy used and save the difference - or those shitty banners take 2 mins to make, cost pennies and can be used in a photo which can then be used to say - LOOK we celebrate you.  See how we made something for your birthday!

 

[Yes, TOTALLY]

10 hours ago, SassyPants said:

I am very, very similar with the fish. In addition, I have a keen sense of smell and a hyperactive gag, so I do not try things that I generally do not eat or enjoy.

That being said, I do not eat FF, other than pizza.

I prefer fresh, local fare.

I also do not care for fish (or most meats), because I can't stand the texture or the smell. Plus I have crohn's disease so I have a hair-trigger puking reflex and other digestive issues that means it's best I stick to foods that I am fairly sure will sit well. The crohn's is a pretty good excuse that most people accept if it's given in a polite and 'I wish I could eat this but...' kind of way. While I don't doubt that the Duggars (Bin included) would be rude if they were presented with unfamiliar food, I think this was likely set up by the producers or staged. Probably no feelings were hurt in the whole scenario! I worry more about Jill & Derek turning their nose up at meals that kind people may be offering them in 'Central America', as those people are likely genuine and may not have much.

[missegeno]

20 hours ago, Valerie3kids said:

They seem to be very picky/limited in their food choices. When in Nepal, JB could barely look at the food where Derrick had taken them to eat and I found it to be very short sighted and ignorant. He, of course thought he was being hilarious.  Jessa and Ben both about barfed when given escargot on their honeymoon and I found their reactions to be very rude as it was a gift from the restaurant as it was their honeymoon. I have also seen the littles hold their noses at times when an "unknown" food is brought out. It is their loss as they are missing some very good food. But, they are too ignorant to even realize there is something besides chickensketti and tator tot casserole out there. I find their actions in restaurants particularly out of the country to be horribly rude.

Also when they went to the UK or when they went to Japan. They made no efforts to hide their disgust and ignorance. And it's not like England had very different food from the US that would actually be that far from their usual palate (at least, not the things that the Duggars were eating - I didn't see them with any England-ized chicken tikka masala and did they even have any blood sausage?). It seemed to be more an issue of not wanting to eat something made of the same stuff but prepared slightly differently and called by different terms. It drives me crazy that they got to go into Stonehenge. They didn't deserve that trip at all. Thanks, Duggars, for perpetuating negative stereotypes of Americans abroad.

[IrishCarrie]

Can I just chip in and say that there is a McDonalds at the foot of the Spanish steps in Rome and it has THE best ice cream I've ever tasted anywhere!

A long counter with every flavour under the sun...believe me, when you've been walking around Rome for six hours in August heat, you won't turn your nose up at it! My dad used always say 'Hunger is the best sauce' and I suppose there might be an element of that going on in my fond recollection of Mickey D's in Rome, but still...I'd totally go back there!

[missegeno]

19 hours ago, Jucifer said:

When I traveled to England as a teen I went to a Mc Donald's in London once. I just couldn't resist. I wanted to see if it was different there. Not much, as I recall. But... Papa Johns?!

I like to at least look at the McDonald's menus when I travel because I think the ways that McD's adjusts their menus for their target audience provides a really interesting perspective on regional cuisine. Chicken chutney sandwich in England. Manchego wrap in Spain. It's really interesting, though I never actually eat there. I did get fries in England once because I  wanted to see if they tasted different without all the horrible and addictive chemicals that America lets them pump in. Turns out, they taste exactly the same and there is no reason for American McD's to add so much shit since it clearly doesn't need it for flavor. I also know some Americans living in England who love KFC in England but won't touch it in America, because the minimum meat standards in England make it so much better. They still haven't convinced me to try it though. I prefer the local fish and chip shops when looking for greasy fried flesh.

What I can't stand is Subway. Every Subway everywhere seems to smell the same and have the exact same menu. They are completely indistinguishable, in my experience. I always cringe when I notice one abroad.

[imokit]

As an English/American who goes between the two, the basic diet is similar.  The English have quirks like marmite, and custard, but most of it isn't exotic.  You could easily go to a normal English restaurant and find that everything there is food you could find in America.

Though Bangers & Mash and fish & chips are amazing (and not that American).

The proper English thing to do, would be to go to a country pub and eat there, but I'm not sure that the Duggars would cope with the idea of taking their kids somewhere which serves alcohol so casually.

My long winded point is that England and America are similar enough that you can visit and accidentally not eat food which is different from America.

Disclaimer - while some English pubs are places where no one should take their kids, many aren't.  Many are wonderful places (some of which have toys and things for children), and are fine to take your kids to in the day.  Some of my favourite times, were when my dad would take my brother and I out to a pub in country for lunch.  We'd order food, he'd sit at picnic table in the garden with a beer and my brother and I would play on the children's play set - me on the swings, him on the broken tractors.

[Bad Wolf]

1 hour ago, imokit said:

As an English/American who goes between the two, the basic diet is similar.  The English have quirks like marmite, and custard, but most of it isn't exotic.  You could easily go to a normal English restaurant and find that everything there is food you could find in America.

Though Bangers & Mash and fish & chips are amazing (and not that American).

The proper English thing to do, would be to go to a country pub and eat there, but I'm not sure that the Duggars would cope with the idea of taking their kids somewhere which serves alcohol so casually.

My long winded point is that England and America are similar enough that you can visit and accidentally not eat food which is different from America.

Disclaimer - while some English pubs are places where no one should take their kids, many aren't.  Many are wonderful places (some of which have toys and things for children), and are fine to take your kids to in the day.  Some of my favourite times, were when my dad would take my brother and I out to a pub in country for lunch.  We'd order food, he'd sit at picnic table in the garden with a beer and my brother and I would play on the children's play set - me on the swings, him on the broken tractors.

Marmite and custard. Yum. You forgot toad in the hole.

[missegeno]

1 hour ago, imokit said:

As an English/American who goes between the two, the basic diet is similar.  The English have quirks like marmite, and custard, but most of it isn't exotic.  You could easily go to a normal English restaurant and find that everything there is food you could find in America.

Though Bangers & Mash and fish & chips are amazing (and not that American).

The proper English thing to do, would be to go to a country pub and eat there, but I'm not sure that the Duggars would cope with the idea of taking their kids somewhere which serves alcohol so casually.

My long winded point is that England and America are similar enough that you can visit and accidentally not eat food which is different from America.

Disclaimer - while some English pubs are places where no one should take their kids, many aren't.  Many are wonderful places (some of which have toys and things for children), and are fine to take your kids to in the day.  Some of my favourite times, were when my dad would take my brother and I out to a pub in country for lunch.  We'd order food, he'd sit at picnic table in the garden with a beer and my brother and I would play on the children's play set - me on the swings, him on the broken tractors.

 

That's my point exactly! Even Bangers and mash are the same basic foods that the Duggars eat all the time, just prepared differently (ie. mashed instead of tater'd) and called by a different name. If even those aspects are different. But the Duggars acted like it was so weird, without even giving a try to the more adventurous (from an American perspective) options like blood sausage or marmite. I am an American who lives in England, and I know exactly the pubs you are talking about! Some of them even has coloring books for kids because they're more of a Sunday roast restaurant rather than a dirty dark bar. And there's also a lot of amazing Indian food in England that they made no mention of. I would guess they aren't huge on spicy food, so it's probably good they spared the Indian restaurants their buffoonery.

Oh, and while we are on the topic of England foods that the US doesn't do so much, I just have to say:

OMIGOD DOUBLE CREAM! How is double cream so amazing and how can we make it be available in the US? I don't know if I can go back to whipped cream and peppercorn sauce made with US heavy cream.

[Funwithfundies]

I have a 17 year old son.  He is having a blast during his senior year, and just finished applying to colleges.  As a parent, it has been such a joy for me to watch him become the person he was meant to be, following his interests, etc.  My heart goes out to Jed and Jer - the road is not wide open ahead of them, as it should be at that age.  I wonder if they even have an inkling about all that they are not experiencing?

[MatthewDuggar]

6 hours ago, imokit said:

 

The proper English thing to do, would be to go to a country pub and eat there, but I'm not sure that the Duggars would cope with the idea of taking their kids somewhere which serves alcohol so casually.

 

It seemed to me they were in a pub when they went to England.  Jana said Bangers and Mash wrong as it was written a bit illegibly on a menu chalkboard.

[AlysonRR]

My husband and I met at grad school, in Montana (I was studying hot springs bacteria at Yellowstone; he was studying the viruses of cows) and we decided to marry in England, since he had a large family who wouldn't be able to all come to the US, whereas my family is small and could go to England.

My fundie-lite niece, who is 4 years younger than me, reminded me that I said she could be my bridesmaid, so I said "sure, but you have to come to England". She did, and my parents and brother travelled a bit in England with her, but it was quite an experience for a 22yo young woman who had never been away from home, had never flown in an airplane, had never seen a play (her first was at Stratford-upon-Avon), had only ever eaten "American" food, etc.

We took her to an Indian restaurant where she refused to eat anything but plain rice. She said no to ghee even when we explained that it was just clarified butter.

She spoiled my mother's evening by refusing to go to the combined hen/stag party because it was at a pub and she couldn't go to bars (mom felt obliged to stay with her in the hotel instead), etc.

Then, funnily enough, when she got home she was all about the experience, telling everyone what a great time she'd had. She even decided to hyphenate her name, like I did, when she got married a year later.

So anyway, all this to say, I can totally see complete innocents like the Duggars not wanting to eat "strange" food - it goes with the territory when you have no exposure to other cultures. And despite visiting other countries, they sure seem set upon keeping themselves insulated from the "other" in the world...

[MatthewDuggar]

Did anyone really expect that the Duggars would go anywhere in the world and rave about the food?  I'm sure each of the restaurant situations were half set up TLC and half their own personal lifestyle, so it makes sense.   I can recall my parents as well as teachers recounting cuisines from other countries, I doubt the dining room table wisdom bookets touch on that.  Had M&J even been outside of the US before TLC?

I've also met many people from other countries visiting the US turn their noses up at things like biscuits and gravy, grits, or anything else specific to the US.   

[Bad Wolf]

When my kids were in middle school they did a unit on the culture of other countries and finished by cooking different foods and inviting the parents. Don't think that's in the Wisdom booklets.

[Marissap]

13 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

When my kids were in middle school they did a unit on the culture of other countries and finished by cooking different foods and inviting the parents. Don't think that's in the Wisdom booklets.

My son just did this for school before winter break. His school is very diverse so they celebrated many holidays (Christmas not being one of them) and the parents made and brought in food representative of that holiday. We can not get him to try things at home but he did in that setting and loved much of it!  I loved that he got to discover this!

 

ETA he's in first grade.  He has more "culture " in his short life than most of the duggars probably do!

[CorruptionInc.]

Here in Australia I am so grateful for the amazing amount of choices we have when it comes to food! God forbid should the Duggars come here, but if they do- they better not complain!