Shakin & Bakin Foodie Blog

Guest Post written by Shelly Garcia

For the past few weekends, I have been inviting my brother-in-law and his wife over for Sunday dinner. They have eight kids ranging in age from two to eleven. How they raise them and keep their sanity is beyond me. I know it gets stressful for them- that's why I invite them over.

They can have adult conversations without the sound of little feet running around. They can relax and not have to worry about cooking, cleaning up, or washing dishes. They usually try to help, but I stand my ground and tell them to get out of my kitchen. My husband and his brother will talk for hours and hours about sports; who made it to the
playoffs, who didn't, who got traded, who didn't. Although I do LOVE sports, I just like to let the brothers have a bonding session. They lost their father a few years ago, and since my husband is older, he is considered the "father figure". He tries to help him out as much as possible. My husband tends to give really good advice, but it is up to his brother to listen to him. His wife and I usually talk about purses, shoes, clothes, hair, nails... all of the "girly stuff".

I'm not sure if they are able to come over this weekend or not but I like to plan (or at least try to plan) what I will cook. I am thinking about a nice mixed green salad with grilled chicken. Sometimes I get creative and make my own dressings but I don't think I will do that this weekend. As far as desserts go, I am not sure. Maybe a nice lemon cake or a lemon cheesecake. Something really light. My husband and I have been trying to cut back on our fat intake, so we don't want anything really heavy. Even though a big piece of chocolate cake sounds yummy, I will fight the urge to make it and stick with something healthier.