---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When my mother had to get dinner for 8…"
description: "\"When my mother had to get dinner for 8 she'd just make enough for 16 and only serve half.\" — Gracie Allen"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/gracie-allen-14263_dinner_when-my-mother-had-to-get-dinner-for-8-s_1709961.jpg"
---

#  When my mother had to get dinner for 8 she'd just make…

![“When my mother had to get dinner for 8 she'd just make enough for 16 and only serve half.” quote by Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/gracie-allen-14263_dinner_when-my-mother-had-to-get-dinner-for-8-s_1709961.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/gracie-allen-14263_dinner_when-my-mother-had-to-get-dinner-for-8-s_1709961.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/gracie-allen-14263_dinner_when-my-mother-had-to-get-dinner-for-8-s_1709961.jpg)

> “When my mother had to get dinner for 8 she'd just make enough for 16 and only serve half.”

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

She humorously describes her mother’s generous cooking, doubling portions and serving only half.

**In simple terms:** Mother over-prepares food, serving less than made.

Key Takeaway

Recognize generosity in everyday actions.

Themes

family generosity humor

Mood

lighthearted witty

Type

anecdotal humorous

When to use this quote

- family meals
- budgeting
- hosting events

Key Concepts

overabundance resource management

Questions to Reflect On

- What does this say about expectations of abundance?
- How do you handle excess in daily life?

A Different Perspective

The anecdote may exaggerate for comedic effect.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[16 Serve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/16-serve-1235436/) [Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/) [Dinner Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner-just-1235437/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Make 16](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-16-1235438/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mother Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-dinner-818460/) [Mother-s-day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-s-day-2/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Serve Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serve-half-1235435/)

## Related quotes

> [I did want a boy child because I had this romantic idea that a boy child when he's 16 takes his mother out for dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-saunders/i-did-want-a-boy-child-because-i-had-this-romantic-idea-that-a-boy/)

[Jennifer Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-saunders/)

> [There’s no question in my mind: not only am I going to be able to make it through 16 games, I’ll make it through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-romo/there-s-no-question-in-my-mind-not-only-am-i-going-to-be-able-to-make/)

[Tony Romo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-romo/)

> [I have moong for breakfast with tea, and dal, chawal and sabzi for lunch. For dinner, I just have milk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shehnaaz-gill/i-have-moong-for-breakfast-with-tea-and-dal-chawal-and-sabzi-for/)

[Shehnaaz Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shehnaaz-gill/)

> [If I have friends in town visiting, we'll go get dinner, but if I'm just by myself, I'm at the house, watching random TV…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bam-adebayo/if-i-have-friends-in-town-visiting-we-ll-go-get-dinner-but-if-i-m/)

[Bam Adebayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bam-adebayo/)

> [Michael Clarke Duncan and I met at a music festival that was honoring films, and we happened to be seated next to each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-blonsky/michael-clarke-duncan-and-i-met-at-a-music-festival-that-was-honoring/)

[Nikki Blonsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-blonsky/)

> [My ultimate cheat meal, and my last meal if I was on death row, would be a roast dinner. I'm just such a Sunday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rochelle-humes/my-ultimate-cheat-meal-and-my-last-meal-if-i-was-on-death-row-would/)

[Rochelle Humes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rochelle-humes/)

> [It doesn't matter if it's cards, doesn't matter if I am racing home from dinner or something, I just want to be the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-mariota/it-doesn-t-matter-if-it-s-cards-doesn-t-matter-if-i-am-racing-home/)

[Marcus Mariota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-mariota/)

> [My husband and I are really trying to be good about date night. So once a week we get a babysitter and we go,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-hannigan/my-husband-and-i-are-really-trying-to-be-good-about-date-night-so/)

[Alyson Hannigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-hannigan/)

> [We don't have to talk about faith and family at dinner-we just show it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/we-don-t-have-to-talk-about-faith-and-family-at-dinner-we-just-show-it/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [Rod always dresses for dinner - even if I just want to wear tracksuit bottoms, he dresses up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-lancaster/rod-always-dresses-for-dinner-even-if-i-just-want-to-wear-tracksuit/)

[Penny Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-lancaster/)

> [“Well it’s good to have a car like that, once in a while somebody’ll say, ‘why don’t you come over for dinner?’ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/well-it-s-good-to-have-a-car-like-that-once-in-a-while-somebody-ll/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [Over the years, I learned so much from mom. She taught me about the importance of home and history and family and tradition. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stewart/over-the-years-i-learned-so-much-from-mom-she-taught-me-about-the/)

[Martha Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stewart/)

> [My mother never warned me not to do this or that for fear of being hurt. Of course I got hurt, but I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-stinson/my-mother-never-warned-me-not-to-do-this-or-that-for-fear-of-being/)

[Katherine Stinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-stinson/)

> [Unpleasant questions are being raised about Mother's Day. Is this day necessary? . . . Isn't it bad public policy? . . . No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/unpleasant-questions-are-being-raised-about-mother-s-day-is-this-day/)

[Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/)

> [I gave birth to most of them MC's... So when it comes around to the month of May, Send me your royalty check for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxanne-shante/i-gave-birth-to-most-of-them-mc-s-so-when-it-comes-around-to-the/)

[Roxanne Shante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxanne-shante/)

## More by Gracie Allen

> [It's foolish to bet on a horse without talking to him first. I know it seems silly to ask a horse who's going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/it-s-foolish-to-bet-on-a-horse-without-talking-to-him-first-i-know-it/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

> [Gracie: "Don't give up, Blanche. Women don't do that. Look at Betsy Ross, Martha Washington-they didn't give up. Look at Nina Jones." Blanche Morton:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/gracie-don-t-give-up-blanche-women-don-t-do-that-look-at-betsy-ross/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

> [The on-stage Gracie may look poised, but the real Gracie is shy, a little self-conscious, and, before every performance of my life, panicky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/the-on-stage-gracie-may-look-poised-but-the-real-gracie-is-shy-a/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

> [“Never place a period in your life where God only meant to place a comma.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/never-place-a-period-in-your-life-where-god-only-meant-to-place-a/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

> [This country needs room to grow and expand. In all my own newspapers I read frightful tales of the shameful atrocities being perpetrated on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/this-country-needs-room-to-grow-and-expand-in-all-my-own-newspapers-i/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

> [A friend asked her doctor if a woman should have children after thirty-five. I said, "Thirty-five children is enough for any woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/a-friend-asked-her-doctor-if-a-woman-should-have-children-after/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

> [I often put boiling water in the freezer. Then whenever I need boiling water,I simply defrost it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/i-often-put-boiling-water-in-the-freezer-then-whenever-i-need-boiling/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

> [As a well-known great man would have said if he had thought of it, "Don't go around offending people just because it can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/as-a-well-known-great-man-would-have-said-if-he-had-thought-of-it-don/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

> [When I was born I was so surprised I didn't talk for a year and a half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/when-i-was-born-i-was-so-surprised-i-didn-t-talk-for-a-year-and-a-half/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

> [The Senate is the only show in the world where the cash customers have to sit in the balcony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/the-senate-is-the-only-show-in-the-world-where-the-cash-customers/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

> [Never place a period where God has placed a comma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/never-place-a-period-where-god-has-placed-a-comma/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

> [A young boy shouldn't be given up for hopeless just because he's lazy, surly, and good for nothing. Don't be discouraged by those things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/a-young-boy-shouldn-t-be-given-up-for-hopeless-just-because-he-s-lazy/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

> [They laughed at Joan of Arc, but she went right ahead and built it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/they-laughed-at-joan-of-arc-but-she-went-right-ahead-and-built-it/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

> [It's a game everybody plays. If you see a man with a beard and holler "Beaver!" it's five points. And if you see a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/it-s-a-game-everybody-plays-if-you-see-a-man-with-a-beard-and-holler/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

> [This used to be a government of checks and balances. Now it's all checks and no balances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/this-used-to-be-a-government-of-checks-and-balances-now-it-s-all/)

[Gracie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

[Explore all 47 Gracie Allen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/)

## More Dinner quotes

> [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/)

[S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/)

> [My dinners have never interfered with my business. They have been my recreation. . . A public banquet, if eaten with thought and care,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chauncey-depew/my-dinners-have-never-interfered-with-my-business-they-have-been-my/)

[Chauncey Depew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chauncey-depew/)

> [Anybody can be Prince Charming one day a year, with the dinner and the flowers and all that. But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/)

[Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/)

> [“We just went out for dinner. We didn't participate in a Roman orgy, I swear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-dahl/we-just-went-out-for-dinner-we-didn-t-participate-in-a-roman-orgy-i/)

[Victoria Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-dahl/)

> [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/)

[Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/)

> [ Music \[is\] the third rail of life. You grabbed it to shock yourself out of the dull drag of hours. To feel something. To… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/music-is-the-third-rail-of-life-you-grabbed-it-to-shock-yourself-out/)

[Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/)

> [Sonny Von Bulow, who said to her husband Claus on their honeymoon, Stop needling me. Never got a dinner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-buttons/sonny-von-bulow-who-said-to-her-husband-claus-on-their-honeymoon-stop/)

[Red Buttons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-buttons/)

> [Remember, sex is like a Chinese dinner. It ain't over 'til you both get your cookie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-baldwin/remember-sex-is-like-a-chinese-dinner-it-ain-t-over-til-you-both-get/)

[Alec Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-baldwin/)

> [I have no social life. There is no time for one. Once in a while I may go to dinner with a friend but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-halliday/i-have-no-social-life-there-is-no-time-for-one-once-in-a-while-i-may/)

[Liz Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-halliday/)

> [I'm not a person who would get up at 5 A.M. to write, but I could sacrifice my Friday night and just order in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-weisberger/i-m-not-a-person-who-would-get-up-at-5-a-m-to-write-but-i-could/)

[Lauren Weisberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-weisberger/)

> [Challenging is good, like good conversation, yes? Who wants to have dinner with the same old easy listening music sounding friends all the time?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/challenging-is-good-like-good-conversation-yes-who-wants-to-have/)

[Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/)

> [Once, as an experiment, I travelled around the world with a single suit. Before I left, I went to a tailor in Savile Row…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hamilton/once-as-an-experiment-i-travelled-around-the-world-with-a-single-suit/)

[George Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hamilton/)

> [I like to be bought flowers and taken out for dinner. I like a man to be a gentleman. I don't like to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/i-like-to-be-bought-flowers-and-taken-out-for-dinner-i-like-a-man-to/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [Why should the Marquis de Cussy wage war on soup? I cannot understand a dinner without it. I hold soup to be the well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-antoine-careme/why-should-the-marquis-de-cussy-wage-war-on-soup-i-cannot-understand/)

[Marie-Antoine Careme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-antoine-careme/)

> [Helvetica is the jeans, and Univers the dinner jacket. Helvetica is here to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-frutiger/helvetica-is-the-jeans-and-univers-the-dinner-jacket-helvetica-is/)

[Adrian Frutiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-frutiger/)

[Browse all 2,901 Dinner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When my mother had to get dinner for 8 she'd just make enough for 16 and only serve half.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gracie Allen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/when-my-mother-had-to-get-dinner-for-8-she-d-just-make-enough-for-16/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Dinner"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/when-my-mother-had-to-get-dinner-for-8-she-d-just-make-enough-for-16/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/gracie-allen-14263_dinner_when-my-mother-had-to-get-dinner-for-8-s_1709961.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/gracie-allen-14263_dinner_when-my-mother-had-to-get-dinner-for-8-s_1709961.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/gracie-allen-14263_dinner_when-my-mother-had-to-get-dinner-for-8-s_1709961.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When my mother had to get dinner for 8 she'd just make enough for 16 and only serve half.” — Gracie Allen",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Gracie Allen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-allen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When my mother had to get...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/when-my-mother-had-to-get-dinner-for-8-she-d-just-make-enough-for-16/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-allen/when-my-mother-had-to-get-dinner-for-8-she-d-just-make-enough-for-16/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
