Share with Aunt Bessie’s why family gatherings are the best - chance to win £300 NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We all know family gatherings can sometimes be a bit stressful but that in the main they are a great way to catch up with loved ones. The team at Aunt Bessie’s would love to hear how you make your family get togethers work for everyone - from the youngest member to the oldest. What role does food play in your gatherings - who does the prep (and who washes up)? What about location, do you like to visit your MILs or do you like hosting yourselves? How often do you get a family gathering on the go - once a year at Christmas or every week?

What’s the best thing which has happened in your family gathering and what memories do you have of gatherings when you were a child? Do you have any traditions you have stuck with or new habits you have come to enjoy?

Aunt Bessie’s say “a proper family gathering is about more than just food – it’s the shared experiences and the bringing together of loved ones that turn a simple meal into something truly special. So we’d love to hear your stories and traditions!”

Add your story for great family gatherings below and you will be entered into a prize draw where one person will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ
Standard Insight T and Cs apply

[MerryMarigold]

We have very large family gatherings for dh's very large family, probably around 10x per year (usually birthdays/ anniversaries/ engagements)! We tend to take it in turns to host. It used to be the elders hosting, but now they have grandkids, it tends to be their kids (the ones with families/ homes) who host nowadays. Occasionally we will take over most of a restaurant, but I think the food and atmosphere is better in a home. The kids can chill out, you're not worried about them having to sit still, you can eat at your own pace, the way we do it (self service when you fancy).

The food varies a lot, depending on who's hosting - and is one of the best bits for me! I love the variety you get in different homes. One lady has Italian heritage and just is a brilliant cook so she tends to make 'European' food (sometimes Lasagne, sometimes Roast Pork, Salmon etc.), but it's always delicious and a choice of several dishes. Another family have Caribbean heritage so we get lots of BBQ and jerk etc. When we have it in our house, I tend to order some traditional food from my husband's country, and cook some food myself - partly because I have a miniscule oven/ a hob which does not function that well, and partly because I am not great at cooking the traditional stuff from his country. I usually supplement the ordered food with milder dishes and things which the kids like. I cook a lot beforehand and then use slow cookers and rice cookers (borrowed from friends)/ a hot plate to keep the food warm so people can help themselves when they want to eat. The whole eating process is usually around 3 hours. We keep the table free, so around 8 people can sit down and eat at a time, whoever is hungry or after seconds. It's just 'organic' who ends up eating together, but anyway, there is plenty of time to chill and chat apart from that.

[FoofFighter]

I don't find family gatherings stressful at all, I love to plan, to host, to cook. I get a real buzz from it :) I just wish we had more opportunities though, my partner and I don't live together (yet) and each have a child who obviously we don't have each weekend, so it's rare for us all to be together. I like to push the boat out a bit when we are :)

[Winningbeauty]

I am the eldest of five children and thus big family gatherings Are the norm. My dad was one of 11 and my mum was one of five and getting together is always fun.

Historically this has always been at someone's house, lots of food, lots of talking and we usually settle towards the end of the day over sofas carpets anywhere where we can watch TV and be in the same room at the same time.

Family is very important to me and I wouldn't have it any other way.

When going out it is always a loud and fun affair. Roasts with traditional Yorkshire pudding is always a good shout or Chinese barbecue duck in soho London.

Now that we are all grown up and starting Our own families I look forward to the next stage of shared life.

[maclinks]

Boxing day is my families get together 4 siblings mother and lots of children 6-18 years old . We all go to my sisters house (she has the biggest house) and between us 4 siblings and our we all bring a course. My sister usually the main as it is her house. one of does a starter, one does the puddings...always more than one. Then the last sibling organises a late morning dog walk/ramble does the return nibbles /champagne / cocktails and then after dinner organises a treasure hunt for the children and some party games to finish the evening off. It is always more fun and relaxed than Christmas day at the in laws.

[onemorecakeplease]

Gatherings at my in laws are the best
No stress, great food, mil bustling around looking after everyone and the kids all having a laugh with each other and their aunties.
Christmas is great fun there, can’t wait for this year.

So different to my own childhood Christmas which was very regimented, no TV, everyone taking turns to open presents etc!

[ButterflyOfFreedom]

Our main family gatherings are to celebrate birthdays & Chrustmas. More often than not we do some sort of buffet just to make it easier and so we don't all have to squeeze around a formal dining table (not enough chairs!!). So lots of food, drink & chat! Usually good fun though for the host (usually me!) it is hard work and quite full on ensuring every one is fed, watered and happy! I do love it though!!!

[Theimpossiblegirl]

Extended family gatherings are few and far between but when we manage them, they're great. I usually host and am happy to cook a big roast. It's chaotic but fabulous. I do my own potatoes (sorry Aunt Bessie) but will use your Yorkies. My nephew is 8 and vegetarian, so I put cheddar cheese in a couple of Yorkies for him and let it melt for a minute before serving.

[fivekidsonemum]

All my family work so hard (aunts,13cousins,sisters,partners) so every single one of us only get together on Boxing Day & special birthdays at my aunties house (because she's the best cook ever) so it's always a great time. She does a huge buffet with hot & cold food so there's something everyone likes, my 5 kids get the toys out, me & my cousins sit and joke about having a laugh, my aunts enjoy a tipple while chatting away while my uncles normally go the pub to escape the music & giggling. It's the best time ever and can go on till 2-3am because no one wants it to end!! When I'm old these family parties will be the highlights I'll remember most because they show no matter how busy or hard life is family

[rackhampearl]

I love hosting family gatherings with DH, plenty of food, drink, music...
Sometimes some card games. My favourite part is when we go off together to get everyone’s drinks or replenish the nibbles and we have a little wrestle or mess about and be our complete natural selves who we are when nobody is around then we rejoin the party feeling even happier.

[GetKnitted]

the best bits are the unexpected joys!

[purplepandas]

Agree about making sure good is simple. I am far from a natural host so find this helps to alleviate my stress and make things simple.

[purplepandas]

Food . Agh, sorry.

[carolineandbaby]

Absolutely love a family gathering and nothing beats your mums roast. She does go all out and includes all the little extra trimmings. I normally get tasked with Yorkshire pudding duty, Dad gets his electrics knife out and does the meat carving and my hubby tidies around everyone bless him. X

[Thesqueezermustghost]

The long shared histories, and remembrances of those lost, make it especially intimate and soulful. Lovely to bring newer generations into the traditions, which largely consist if slumping with nuts and chocolate in front of Dr Who.

[UpOnDown]

Preparing veg the night before makes it easier

[Carriecakes80]

I don't find family gatherings stressful, mainly because we only really get to see our family (both me and my partner) at Christmas or a very special occasion as we live so far from all our relatives.
We have four children and a very small 2 bed house but we make the front room as empty as possible, get every board game we can find out, cook all evening the day before, get out the comfy floor cushions and get so over excited that we're finally going to see family, not one bit of it counts as stress.
In fact the only real stress we have is when all the kids are getting grouchy and tired and we're only 4 hours into Monopoly.....lol

[colleenw]

My favorite memory is a christmas day gathering when my sister was showing us her best cart wheel in the front room (she was 30) and knocked the tree over and the lights broke.....mum and dad thought it was hilarious and thanked her for giving them a reason to finally get rid of the 20 year old tree and buy new lights! I love when me, my sisters and our families and parents are altogether, we have the best laughs!

[voyager50]

When I was little the extended family would all go to my aunt's B&B in the country and have amazing Christmases - we all played games and laughed lots . It has never been the same for the older generations in my family since as my aunt died in a car accident just before Christmas aged just 36.

However, we have carried on the fun and laugher for the younger generation.

[Mummychoochoo3]

I love big family gatherings. Usually birthdays and Christmas. Sometimes we just happen to all be around my mums at the same time. Food is a huge part. Whether it be a takeaway or a meal cooked from scratch. It's usually at mine as we have 3 young kids or at my mums and everyone chips in an helps. As a kid is was mum, dad and brother and sister. No extended family at the time were around. Now grandkids, cousins uncles and aunts are all welcome anytime. We often fall asleep on sofa and stay the night.

[nemno]

For years I have been the main cook and host for larger family gatherings. It brings me great pleasure and pride that my (now adult) children and their partners now rally round and can take on any aspect of the preparation or hosting. We all still gather at my house but there is now no stress involved. I love huge family get togethers.

[Gazelda]

I love family gatherings.
There’s no pressure to serve anything fancy, but I enjoy trying new recipes. There’s hustle and bustle.
I don’t drink at home usually, because DH doesn’t drink and it seems a waste to open a bottle. But I crack one open when my sis and her family visits.
We catch up on news, laugh lots and have no awkwardness.

[Larnipoo]

I always keep it simple when it comes to feeding a gathering of family. Cold cooked joints served with an array of different salads and some yummy bread caters for all. If doing a big roast dinner quick fixes like frozen roast poatatoes/parsnips/Yorkshire puddings/stuffing balls are an absolute godsend

[georgedawes]

There are certain members of our family that make gatherings stressful, so we stick to having the ones over that don't! I don't like it to be formal, but more an opportunity for us all to catch up, eat some nice food and enjoy spending time together.

[sarah861421]

I love big gatherings. I'm a lousy cook so I use loads of pre prepped stuff and distract them with loads of choice. we usually play a game afterwards

[Ferryfairy]

With six adult children, 5 partners and 3 grandchildren (so far) it’s getting increasingly difficult to accommodate everyone, so much so that we have booked a Manor House fir Christmas 2019! I’m sure that will present its own problems , but we can’t wait!