Getting

together with far-flung relatives for the annual family

reunion can be fun and frenetic if you happen to be the

designated cook.

"You

fear your dish may not stand up to Aunt Mabel's time

tested family favorite, or that someone will forget to

bring the plates," said Belinda Ellis of The White

Lily Foods Company. "Whether your reunion is large

or small, the important thing is for all to have fun and

long remember the experience," she added.

Planning is

crucial to a successful reunion celebration. "First,

you've got to decide whom to invite. Then based on how

many people you believe will attend, you'll need to

decide where to have your get-together. Easy if you have

a homeplace, but if not, a few phone calls or an internet

search will help. There are hundreds of hotels, meeting

places and parks that will have helpful reunion

ideas," Ellis explained.

But the

paramount question is how to feed a crowd. "Most of

us have trouble getting our own family's dinner on the

table, not to mention thinking of ways to feed a crowd.

No one wants to be frantically cooking for days. YOU want

to have fun too," Ellis said. She suggests making

the food preparation a fun activity and part of the

gathering.

One

suggestion is to share the family's food traditions by

having each family member bring a traditional dish,

complete with recipe. Compile all the recipes in a

scrapbook that can be copied and distributed to family

members attending.

Some

reunions may take place over several days and require a

number of planned meals. White Lily's kitchen experts

recommend making as many dishes ahead of time as

possible. Additional suggestions include:

Plan the menu well in

advance

Make cooking together part

of the fun by asking the barbecue experts to demonstrate

their skills; have a chili cook-off; bring a pot luck

meal.

Delegate. Don't try to do

everything yourself.

Set a price for the food

agreeable to all and budget the meals accordingly.

Plan some activities for

the kids.

"You

can get creative when you bake a cake for the reunion.

Get all the children involved in this project,"

Ellis suggested.

Using the

recipe that follows, make one layer for every six people

you are serving, using different fillings to make each

cake unique. "Everyone will find their favorite when

you make a variety of these delicious filled cakes,"

she added. "And don't forget to bake a batch of

everyone's favorite - sugar cookies."

The

culinary experts suggest using gingerbread boys and girls

for shapes. Supply plenty of decorating tools, such as

frosting tubes, colored sugar and other decorating aids,

like colored candies and chocolate bits. Allow each child

to decorate and sign his or her name on a special cookie.

Finally,

stand the cookies up around the perimeter of your family

reunion cake. This also makes a great centerpiece.

"This makes a great icebreaker for children who may

not know the other children well," Ellis said.