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13 Recipes for My First Big Family Get-Together

... and Recipe #365 🎉🍴

July 20, 2025

I hit 365 recipes on June 25—before we even made it halfway through the year. 🎉
That same week was a big one. H and I hosted my entire family for the first time to celebrate my twin and my birthday. It meant cooking for 12 people, which I’d never done before. I was nervous, but it went so much better than I expected. My family has big appetites, so I wanted to make sure there was plenty of food—enough for lunch and dinner. I'd always rather have too much than leave anyone hungry.

I stocked up at H Mart (my current grocery store obsession) and visited our local Japanese market for the rest. I planned a mix of trusted favorites and a few first-timers. What made me most anxious was cooking a full savory meal for my parents—for some reason, I’d only ever made them sweets before.

I made a big list and focused on two things: making enough food, and including something for everyone, especially my mom. Once things got going and I had help from my mom and twin, I started to relax. Watching everyone enjoy the food made it all worth it. I didn’t get to take many photos (I was in the kitchen all day), but here’s the rundown of what I made:

Appetizers

All solid hits that disappeared fast.

Main Meal

Dessert

Evening Cooking

I also tried:

By the end of the night, I was exhausted—but my heart was full. Cooking for my parents, who are the reason I love food in the first place, felt like a milestone. They’ve always set a high standard and showed me how food brings people together.

Here’s to more family meals and sharing recipes that bring us together. 🥂🍽️💛

Recipes Made So Far This Year:

Goal: To try seven new recipes each week 🗓️, aiming for 365 this year!

Number of Recipes Made This Week: 17 (Week 26) & 9 (Week 27)

Number of New Recipes Tested as of 7/6: 385

Weeks Achieving Seven or More New Recipes: 27 out of 27

This Week’s Recipe Test Summary

Impress Someone🌟

Nothing this week.

Would Make Again 👍

CAVA Honey Harissa Chicken – What Molly Made 🍗
It didn’t taste exactly like CAVA’s honey harissa chicken, but H still really enjoyed it.

Gyoza (Japanese Potstickers) – Just One Cookbook 🥟
My family ate every single one. Not a single potsticker left behind.

Shrimp Potstickers – America’s Test Kitchen 🍤
This was the second-best potsticker of the day—but still a winner. My mom says she can’t decide which was better between the two.

Spicy Edamame – RecipeTin Eats 🌶️
I’ve made these three times now: first for my family, then taught my mom, and then again for my in-laws. Everyone’s loved them. They come together in minutes and are super easy.

Homemade Strawberry Gummies – maple + mango 🍓
I’ve been making lots of healthier gummy recipes for my niece and nephew lately, and this is one I’ll definitely keep in the rotation.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries – All Recipes 🍫🍓
My mom brought home some perfect strawberries, and since H and I were heading to our friends’ place for pizza, I made a small batch to take along. H loved them—and he’s not a dessert person.

Chocolate-Sour Cream Pound Cake – Sweet Enough by Alison Roman 🧁
I made this one for my siblings, and my sister enjoyed this one.

Granola – The Cookie that Changed My Life by Nancy Silverton 🍪
This felt like a fancier twist on classic granola. I gifted some to my aunt, and later got a photo from my cousin saying she was obsessed—couldn’t stop eating it.

Would Not Make Again 👎

These didn’t hit the mark for me, but recipe testing is super subjective. Some were just okay, some were good but not memorable, and a few I didn’t enjoy at all. Rather than breaking each one down, I’m just listing them here.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, or any recipe requests you might have. Just respond directly to this email.

See you next week. Keep cooking! 👋 

Vale from ValeCooks

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