I love to entertain — it’s kind of funny because I’m super introverted and am exhausted by having people in my space, but I really enjoy meal planning and cooking for a crowd. Acts of Service is my love language communicated and so my parents’ visit over Christmas left me feeling stressed that I was unable to really plan and prepare adequately for their visit. (See previous post re: pneumonia, the Christmas gift that makes you miserable.)

Fortunately for me, I’m married to a good man who was able to pick up my slack. He went on a 3-hour grocery shopping trip for the holiday meal and the brunches and dinners to follow. (He was sick too, so I appreciate the effort to take one for the team.)

When our kitchen was under construction, we bought a few new cookbooks. My husband combed through Chrissy Teigan’s, Cravings and Kristin Cavallari’s True Roots. My parents were only in town for the weekend and we planned dinner at the local hibachi one night, so we really only needed three primary meals:

Brunch: CT’s cheeseless cheesy eggs with blistered tomatoes & garlicky bacon; orange juice; berries; cinnamon rolls (gluten & yeast free); and coffee/tea.

This menu was a hit! The eggs were really creamy and the heavy cream made them taste cheesy without the heaviness. The meal with a big hit with my parents, my brother, all three kids, and the two of us! Yes!

Dinner: CT’s scalloped potatoes and a vegetable tray my mom prepared. We subbed out whole milk for almond milk and the the scalloped potatoes were amazing — 5 pounds of potatoes, ham & bacon — it was definitely not the healthiest of meals but it felt fancy and it satisfied everyone’s hunger.

On Saturday, we went with KC’s breakfast sandwiches, which are a favorite lazy weekend breakfast item of ours: Ezekiel bread, prosciutto, eggs, micro-greens, avocado, tomato, and hot sauce — we devoured a dozen eggs and nearly a whole loaf of bread! We added juice, coffee/tea, and berries for a nice, well-rounded meal.

Overall, these meal ideas worked really well for our family! We balanced healthy meals with rich ones and we were all pleased with how everything turned out. Because I was still sick, my husband did most of the cooking and I was his (barely there) sous chef.

Do you have any go-to brunch items that you enjoy?