Mothers way A thought for moms when it comes to the meal on their special day: Sometimes, its just as nice to give as to receive.

For many years, I hosted Mother's Day festivities for the women in my family: my mother, mother-in-law, sisters, and sister-in-law. The meal was either brunch or supper, and all of us younger women contributed.

That ritual came to a halt, however, after my sisters and I had children and didn't feel like working on our own holiday. Instead, we decided to meet up with Mom for dinner at a restaurant.

Lately, though, I've wanted to start cooking again.

I miss doing something special for my mother. And since we kids all live within 20 minutes of Mom (that tells you something right there), it's easy to convene at my house.

But I've got a selfish motive (and a confession to make), too: It makes me crazy leaving my "special day" solely in the hands of my loved ones.

When I was in charge of the day, I knew exactly what I could expect. I'd get some quiet time alone in the kitchen, preparing food that I liked for people who liked it, too.

When my husband and two kids (who are now 9 and 12) took over, it didn't always go so well.

Take last year, for example. The three of them brought me coffee in bed, plus two very thoughtful gifts: A moisture-wicking shirt and a quick-dry pair of shorts that are perfect for kayaking, one of my favorite outdoor activities. But their thought process ended there. How we spent the day was left to me to decide, which I begrudgingly did. I chose to go kayaking. Why not? I had the clothes.

Somehow, though, that simple request morphed into a monstrous plan - to bike-ride, have lunch and kayak, all before we met my extended family for Chinese food at 5:30 p.m.

Needless to say, I never got to the river. Instead, I spent the entire ride to the restaurant planning this year's Mother's Day - for my mom.

So this Sunday, for the first time in years, the gathering will be held at my house. We'll all meet around 5, as usual, so we can have the earlier part of the day to spend with our own families.

The trick for me has been to find easy, low-maintenance dishes that I can largely prepare the day before. My choice of vegetable is a no-brainer: Ina Garten's irresistible Sugar Snap Peas With Sesame, from the original Barefoot Contessa cookbook. There's not much cooking involved; you just steam the peas and toss them with sesame oil and black sesame seeds, refrigerate, and serve at room temperature the next day.