[trisham]

We follow the United States guidelines for fasting and abstinence, even the babies, but our focus, food-wise, will be on the needs of our one son who has a real weight problem. We will exclude foods that he is prone to overeat and purchase those he should eat, even if nobody else likes it. This will, I believe, provide adequate penance for those who need it, along with a positive health outcome.

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I understand completely.

I hate fish sticks, by the way. My mother almost always cooked them until they were black on the bottom and stuck to the cookie sheet. The entire back side would remain with the pan when the top was pulled off.

[wagglebee]

Do fish sticks even have fish in them?

I used to love McDonald's Filet-o-Fish sandwiches when I was a kid, but they are horrible now. McDonald's used to steam the bun and the sandwich was put in a styrofoam container (this helped the cheese really melt right), now the buns are toasted and they are in a paper wrapper. The taste completely changed.

[Tax-chick]

My kids like fish sticks. I can’t stand the grease.

For me, it’s a bigger penance to put on the big, meatless meal ... fish, pasta, sauce, salad, bread ... that my husband considers “penitential” than it would be to have toast and water. I’m a former anorexic, so I can turn the switch in my head and just stop eating, if I want to, but the results aren’t the best thing for my family, no matter how much I’d like to be so thin I have to stand twice in the same place to cast a shadow.