I have wonderful memories of visiting both of my grandmothers. In the best ways, their homes always felt the same. Part of what made the experiences so comforting was the food we had each time.
One of my grandmothers was an exceptional baker. All these decades later, I still dream of her country-style bread and cookies. Many of the food memories from my other grandmother revolve around the Thanksgiving buffets at her home.
Now, many years later, and as incredible as it seems, I’m the grandma, and my kids and their families come to visit. Of course, a fun part of us being together is also sharing meals and eating together.
I love the idea of creating memories around large, home-cooked meals with familiar foods, as my grandmothers did. Thankfully, there have been many times when it’s worked out to do this.
I really enjoy cooking for my family. However, as our meals evolve with our growing get-togethers, I want to make sure preparing a big meal doesn’t distract from what I’m aiming for: connection with my family.
So, I’ve slowly been incorporating some great advice from author Myquillin Smith in her book, Welcome Home.
She suggests keeping things simple when feeding others. “Hosting is about more than just cooking. You need to be in a place where you aren’t preoccupied with stirring, basting, timing, and simmering. Make two delicious things and allow the rest to be easy so you can be present.”
Specifically, she says this looks like limiting “…yourself to two foods maximum to make from scratch, with the rest being store bought or others brought.”
I like this because it allows for homemade dishes, but puts boundaries on how much time is spent in preparation. It also encourages more creativity and collaboration by welcoming others’ contributions to the meal.
Along with these thoughts, Smith has other great suggestions to make the meal feel more special. For example, she suggests setting up a seasonal drink bar where guests can customize drinks, such as iced coffee in the spring or lemonade in the summer.
To hear Myquillin Smith elaborate on these and other brilliant ideas, listen to her podcast episode, “Hosting Part One: The Mood & The Food.”
I’m looking forward to hearing about your experiences planning and serving meals, as we make meaningful memories with our families.