If offered, do you eat the party food??

I am a bit of a nut when it comes to this subject. I don't trust strangers, so I don't accept food or drinks, unless it's an unopened bottle of water.
Too many crazy people in the world.
Call me a skeptic.

99.9% of the time I politely decline because I think it's unprofessional and I don't need to eat cake. The one time I accepted was to take a plate home of home-made Indian food because they were so insistent and you just cannot get great Indian food in my city!
And yes, it was SO DELICIOUS.

Ultimate sharing.. Wonderful color combination...

I think it totally depends on the Party/situation.
Normally i say no thanks unless it's just a water or cupcake.
I had one event where i ate a plate and had an alc drink. It was an x mas party for adults and they were all getting lit, it was an all laughs party and they were very persistent i don't drink at all as a general rule, other that the 1 or 2 times a year i might go out. So i opted for a small class of iced..kaluha i think.. Something i could sip on that would appease them, but not intoxicate me. I also stayed for a plate of supper with that one. It was my chiropractor , so i knew her and the secretaries even one of them i knew from a previous job..
Had i not not known any of them.. i would have refused both food and drink other than a glass of water

I'm asked at parties too. I'll always take a drink (non-alcoholic) or a coffee. Every once in a while I accept the food (sometimes they just come bring me a plate or cake without asking me if I even want it), but usually it sits getting cold while I paint. I NEVER take a break to eat it. I usually eat it when I'm totally done, if I have it at all. Every once in a blue moon, they have something I LOVE and can't resist, so I'll say yes to that, lol. But it's usually at the end. I find that within an hour of a private party, it's like the face painter becomes everybody's "best friend", so it just doesn't feel that weird to me, by the end of the party, to have a piece of cake or something!

I would usually eat before any parties i go to so i dont usually feel the need to eat any party food and when offered i can explain to them that im fine for now because i just ate. And im not a fan of the same old cheerios, party pies, sausage rolls or fairy bread.

BUT...

If i turn up to a filipino family birthday or gathering(lots of families in my town) they feel the need for me to eat before i start and i will explain to the i will definately have some but after my painting is done. They tend to cook for three days before the event it seems and i usually get take home packs and it is the most delicous food EVER!!!

At a recent birthday party I declined the offer of food with the (valid) excuse that I never stop to eat while I'm painting, it might spill and also it wouldn't be fair to kids to have to wait to be painted while I eat. When the party was over and as I was packing up, the husband brought me a huge plate brimming over with goodies and said "you have no excuse now, so please stop for a moment and join us while we take a break and eat something as well." I sat down with them and had a great meal and a nice chat.

In the past, there are families I've had NO offers from and then there are those families who prepare me a plate, complete with disposable bowls of delicious food to take home with me.

Once we painted at a restaurant where the owner had tables of wonderful food and he had repeatedly asked us to stop and eat. When we were finished with the party, he asked us again only to find out all the food was gone. He had the kitchen make two full entrees of Chicken Schawarma to take with us and it was WONDERFUL.

My hubby likes going with me to a certain company's yearly crawfish boil picnic hosted for their employees. After he helps me set up my tent, etc., he's invited to join in the picnic while I paint. I always get a NICE take-home treat of fantastic crawfish & fixin's and hubby is also happy and full, lol.

Guess it boils down to "I don't expect it, am flattered if offered, not offended if not offered, eat if I'm able, and happy to bring home something if it's fixed for me."