This post is Part 2 of How to Cook for a Family Reunion. Read Part 1 here.

What is hosting a family reunion like? Well, think of the biggest, most elaborate birthday party you’ve every thrown for your kids. Think of the planning, the prep, and the big day. Then string ten of those birthday parties in a row – with all the guests sleeping over. That describes the work that goes into planning and executing a family reunion pretty accurately.

Not to worry, however! With proper planning, communication among family members, and following the suggestions from our first post, you, the host can enjoy the reunion just as much as your guests. Yep, that’s right, you’re not going to be chained to the stove the whole time, so you’d better bite the bullet and go swimsuit shopping–you’ll be poolside along with everyone else!

This post will highlight tips for success to feed a large group of people from your own kitchen. I think that if the kitchen is running in a smooth and orderly fashion, the family reunion is sure to be a triumph!

So grab a pen and paper and take notes for your own reunion… or even as preparation for hosting those out-of-town guests next weekend. [Read more…]

Flipping pancakes shoulder-to-shoulder with my brother; laughing to tears at the four-year-old’s water fight; playing board games until well past midnight; a stream of dirty -yet happy- children’s faces; and choruses of “Thank you, Auntie Aimée!” – these are but a few of my favorite memories from our recent family reunion.

You may recall I was keeping very busy last month making pancake mix, granola and other do-ahead breakfast food in preparation to host our family reunion. Now it’s come and gone, leaving behind some, oh, 10,000 photos, heaps of great memories, many stray articles of clothing, and a few lessons learned.

Be they large or small, planning a successful family reunion takes plenty of coordination to ensure everyone is comfortable, well-looked after and well-fed!

In this two-part series on hosting a family reunion from the kitchen, we will look at:

1. Get Ready, Get Set…: Essential planning and preparation.
2. Lessons learned from the Kitchen: How to feed everyone – simpler.

Here’s how to get started on planning your event and a few things to consider before everyone arrives. [Read more…]