The BOY and I hosted our families for a Mother’s Day/End of the school year BBQ yesterday. 

 

 

It was nice to be able to host everyone and dedicate an entire afternoon to catching up!

 

 

We are so lucky to have family that lives in town, but it still hard to find a day to get EVERYONE together!

 

 

I emailed everyone the date for the BBQ in January (yes, I have some OCD).  And the BOY and I have been talking about the menu for weeks.  I was excited to try out some new recipes and the BOY was excited to show off his new grill.  Hummus is my GoTo appetizer and everyone seemed to enjoy this Garlic Hummus and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.

 

 

 

Except for the fact that my $1 festive table cloth started dying people’s elbows red.  Opps!  The BOY had his ribs on the grill early this morning and they were looking pretty good by the time I made it home from yoga.

 

  

 

He was feeling a little stressed about the timing…

 

 

PS Don’t tell him that I posted this picture that he doesn’t know that I took!

Ok, so you all saw my recipe yesterday for Blackberry Cornbread.  Well, I finally got to taste a bite …

 

 

 

And it is GOOD!!!  You will definitely want to serve this at your next BBQ!

 

 

 

You will also want to check out this recipe for Key Lime Cheesecake Bars!

 

 

And something green…this Sweet and Crispy Salad always hit the spot!

 

 

Looking for another BBQ friendly side dish, you HAVE to make this Ramen Coleslaw. 

 

 

Combined with some awesome food from our guests…

 

 

 

We had quite the impressive spread.  With so many fun and colorful options, I don’t think anyone walked away hungry.  The weather was HOT, but we were able to sit outside before the rain came.  And there was plenty to watch on TV between the Cubs/Sox game and the NATO riots.  By the time dessert came out, we all found our way back to the kitchen to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the BOY’s aunt. 

 

 

Don’t worry…Double Layer Cookie Cake recipe coming SOON!

 

Between spending all morning prepping and all afternoon entertaining, the BOY and I were exhausted by the end of the day.  We heated up some leftovers for dinner and sat down to have a cocktail.  I think we are both still recovering today…that might be from the cocktails though.  I can’t wait to host everyone again for Mother’s Day next year.  Is it too early to start the email chain?!