Easy as 1-2-3

Here's some news I heard on NPR while shaving:

A Oregon man named Jacob Chandler took a bowl of alphabet soup, drained all the but the letters, and successfully arranged "A" through "Z" in 2 minutes and 8.6 seconds. He did it to show his son that anything is possible.

"Morning Edition" host Steve Inskeep said this means it's ok to play with your food.

I once tried to spell Mark and Peggy with individual Scrabble Cheez-Its® but there weren't enough g's in an entire box. I tried to use blank Cheez-Its® but the judge said they were not acceptable.

I'm not even sure where Mr Chandler got his noodles. There is no product known as Campbell's Alphabet Soup. From time to time, you will see Campbell's Vegetable Soup or Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable Soup with a little yellow bubble proclaiming it as "The Alphabet Soup" but that's not for sure all the time. 

Or they call it "Tomato A to Zs" but I don't think I see that anymore either, and I am in the soup aisle a lot. Campbell's used to make a Chicken Alphabet soup in their "Healthy Kids" line, but it must not have appealed to any kind of kid, healthy or otherwise. Hint: they want Tomato. Sprinkle a little Italian Seasoning on top and some grated Parmesan cheese and it's great! Serve it with a grilled cheese sammy and suddenly, it's Friday lunch all over again!

And, Mr Inskeep, speaking of playing with your food, I see the no-plate dinner is gaining in popularity across the nation. It started with the communal taco dinner, where the table was covered with a plastic tarpaulin and the taco fillings were dumped on it. Then everyone got their hard or soft shells and went at it, avidly scraping meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa and whatever else right off the dining room table.

Now I see there is an Italian version of this shared chow. Table Spaghetti is all the rage in families all over. Someone boils a pot of pasta and runs it through a colander before dumping it on the table, then someone plops a pan of sauce and sausage all over it. To dine, just grab a forkful and go to town.

Just not our town! This idea got the big thumb down from our Minister of Grace and Elegance, who merely looked at me with one upraised eyebrow and went back to her book.