How Lisa Childs, Mom of Two, Celebrates Mother's Day in Utah

We caught up with the Allrecipes Allstar to talk about fresh flowers, sheet cake, and the one drink to serve at warm-weather parties.

The party always makes its way to Lisa Childs’ house, no matter how big or small. It could be an epic Korean barbecue feast with extended family or a spontaneous weeknight pizza dinner with neighbors down the street—Childs is equally exuberant to host both.

Creating an inviting space for family and friends was something that she and her husband, Brett, had prioritized when moving into their current Salt Lake City, Utah house.

“The way that we picked and designed our home, we specifically wanted it to be a place to gather,” says Childs, a cookbook author and founder of Tried, Tested & True.

Those who have followed the mom-of-two through her journey from an Instant Pot newbie posting iPhone photos on Instagram to thriving blogger and YouTube personality know that the kitchen is at the heart of all she does. Her goal, as a party host or a video host, is to share the joy she finds in cooking. As the Allrecipes Allstar warmly says, “Food is my love language.”

With celebration season coming up, we caught up with Childs to talk Mother’s Day, hosting tips, and her go-to party recipes.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Entertaining season is here, which means a lot of hosting is happening in the next few months. What’s your top tip for those of us who will be throwing parties?

People love to help, especially our families, who are so kind and generous. So I'll ask them to bring something simple like flowers for the table or cutlery or their favorite drinks. I don't like to impose on my guests, especially if I'm asking them to come to my home, but they always want to contribute.

What do you do to set the party vibe?

I don’t like to go overboard on decorations, but I love fresh flowers. I'll buy a couple of bunches and just put them in small groupings of Mason jars and put those on the tables around the food. I also love lighting my favorite candle—it just makes the house smell so inviting and so wonderful.

Do you have a favorite playlist or party songs?

I’m musically challenged, so all music gets deferred to my husband. He always has music playing in our home. We love Michael Bublé and jazz. Usually, the kids will ask to play something obnoxious and laugh with their cousins and do silly dances and stuff like that, too.

Speaking of kids, Mother’s Day is right around the corner. What are your plans?

That weekend we have two dance recitals, a final soccer match, swim lessons, all that end of year stuff. It's also the weekend of our anniversary, so I think it's just gonna be kind of a wild day. We have the grandparents coming on Saturday and we're gonna have a lunch party at our house. I’m starting to plan the food for that and what type of decoration, little touches that I can add to celebrate both my kids because they're ending the school year.

And yourself—what are you most excited to do?

My son is doing a special Mother's Day program in his class. His teacher does something every year and apparently, it’s legendary. My friends in the neighborhood who have had their kids in her class said it’s going to be amazing. I'm looking forward to that.

Food is obviously a big part of every celebration. So we want to know what your go-to recipes are for warm-weather gatherings.

The party app you know everyone will love:

It's my black bean and corn salsa. In the summer, when we have so many incredible seasonal ingredients, I’ll have fresh corn, peppers, garden tomatoes, and cilantro, then I add this incredible vinaigrette. It has lime, cumin, and lemons and just the best flavor. I've been known to make a giant bowl and it's gone in days because my husband will sometimes just eat it with a spoon.

A dessert that’ll have everyone going back for seconds:

I’m not a huge sweets person, but I have a Texas sheet cake recipe that is absolutely phenomenal. The thing I love about this cake is that it tastes better the day after you make it, so I always bake it the night before. There's a stovetop frosting that you put on the warm cake and it seals in all of the moisture. Everyone loves it. Even my husband's grandmother asked me for this recipe and she makes it for family gatherings, which I take as a huge compliment!

The one drink you always serve at a warm-weather gathering:

It's my pineapple ginger lemonade. It has fresh pineapple and fresh ginger and you blend them all up together, then you add some lemon juice, water, and sugar. It's kind of unexpected because it’s sweet and a little spicy. It’s so refreshing with anything that’s grilled or salads. Kids and adults alike just devour it.