Semi Homemade: A Producer's Guide to Faking It

This past weekend, we hosted Easter brunch for our family and it didn’t suck and it’s because I finally (FINALLY) learned to delegate. As Producers, we spend so much time trying to create the perfect experience that we often burn out before we have the chance to enjoy it. This year I finally wised up and recognized that my ambitions to cook every single dish from scratch, create personalized place cards, and serve a custom cocktail with artisan-quality ice cubes were NOT my gateway to success.

This year, I outsourced 80% of the cooking to a local, favorite woman-owned bakery near us. I trusted my gut when I saw our guestlist increasing and doubled down on the order. I minimized the drink menu to mimosas, beer, and sparkling water. When I realized we had broken 8 out of 12 of our (stupidly fragile) champagne flutes (thanks a lot Crate & Barrel), I resisted the urge to make the 40 minute roundtrip drive to our nearest C&B to replenish our collection. Instead - it was a mix of unmatched wine glasses and I tried to lean into the mix & match / Granny-chic vibe. It was not terribly Instagrammable, but I have a feeling people enjoyed the increased size of their mimosa buzz due to the wine-glass upgrade.

Menu-aside, I realized there was also this new expectation that I needed to create some very special experience for Avery’s first Easter. There was a version of this where I agonized about her perfect outfit, dragged her to a visit with some creepy Easter bunny, and insisted upon a family portrait in our adorable spring attire. Consciously, or due to a lack of advanced planning, this didn’t happen. I focused on her being comfortable in some really cute springy hand-me-downs, surrounded her with loved ones who adore her, and kept her on some sort of nap schedule.

As a producer, I’m proud because I feel like I’ve done my job - I’ve facilitated the delivery of joy…and I didn’t burn out doing it.?It's a gentle reminder that at the end of the day, our guests / clients hire us because they ultimately want to FEEL a certain way. And that's what they'll remember.

I'm grateful to be able to practice this new strategy with family. They're a lot more understanding when the quiche didn't quiiiiite reheat all the way. Oopsies.