Deep breath...

I try not to be surprised anymore by what I see, especially on television, but something has been stuck in my craw for awhile now, and I simply have to get it off my chest. It involves The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills- yes, those wack-a-doo creatures who collectively represent the 90210 (although I DO have a little thing for Lisa VanderPump, who is fabulous!).

I know, I know- just don't watch, but like the proverbial train wreck, I just have to look. I was in the middle of one of my slack-jaw marathons, and all of a sudden, Adrienne Maloof (and by the way, what IS she selling on her website?) is being maternal- out of the blue! She is busy making a PBJ for one of her children while bickering with her husband (I love the multi-tasking of these ladies!). Clearly, she isn't too versed in the "how to" of this process, but at least she IS doing it herself. After destroying the poor bread (yes, people actually still buy WonderBread!?) slathering on the sweetened, processed peanut butter (and apparently, people are still buying this, too!) and hacking it in half, she tosses it on a paper plate... A PAPER PLATE! Now, when I was a kid, paper plates meant picnics at the beach, but Adrienne and her husband weren't at the beach, they were in their kitchen in the midst of their 12,000+ square foot home on a perch high in the hills of Beverly Park- the uber-exclusive community of of uber-large mansions.

Now, I get lots of things, and convenience and practicality are two of them, but really. What is the message being sent via the vehicle for this sandwich? That it's not really worth being on a plate? That the person receiving the sandwich isn't worth using a plate? That they might not be responsible using "breakable things"? Even if this sandwich were to be eaten outside, there are many other choices that could have been made- and not because she has the resources to make a different choice, because I honestly believe it has nothing to do with the cost of what goes on the table.

Buy some plates- plain glass from an import store, some old stoneware from a consignment shop- heck even plastic has come a long way- but it shows that you are going to be around for a minute, as my mom would say, "stay awhile!" It also shows that whoever you are serving is worth using something that won't be thrown away. If it's about washing, then teach your kids how to load a dishwasher or wash a dish by hand- it's actually good for them.

So, here's to "The Real Plates of Every Home in Every City"- and our landfills say, "Thank you!"