Every summer, my side of the family gets together for a big family reunion! I come from a family of 12, you read that, 12 kids! Growing up in a large family was a crazy experience, but now with everyone grown, things are only better! We have the most amazing time together – relaxing, cooking, fishing, swimming and enjoying the warm weather!

This year, our family chose a beautiful location on Flathead Lake in Polson, Montana! If you haven’t been to this incredible place, you’re missing out! Flathead lake is HUGE and very similar to Lake Tahoe in California! The waters are crystal clear, the mountains with endless peaks and forests! We had so much fun this year and I wanted to share a little more about our stay: what to do and where to stay if you want to come and check out this stunning location!

All the Best Food!

I love food so much, I always get put in charge of coming up with the menu for our stay, organizing the shopping, cooking and cleaning! I start planning the menu a few weeks before the trip, writing down everyone’s dietary restrictions and plan accordingly. I don’t like to waste food so I count out exactly how many breakfasts, lunches and dinners we will be having.

Breakfast

Here are some of the breakfast recipes we enjoy during our stays. We always have coffee, juice, mimosa and fruit on hand!

• Classic Breakfast Bar: eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, toast, fresh veggies (+avocado!!)
• Breakfast Sandwich Bar: english muffins, bagels, eggs, bacon, ham, smoked salmon, cheese, spreads, veggies
• Pancake Breakfast: fresh buttermilk pancakes with fixings, berries, sausage, bacon

I loved enjoying my morning cup of coffee with this incredible view of the lake!

Lunches

We keep lunches super simple and easy to enjoy on the go! With everyone swimming and enjoying the lake, it’s about sandwiches, burges and hot dogs!

• Classic Cheeseburgers with bacon – fry up some patties and toast the buns, then add all your favorite toppings!
• Salmon Avocado Burgers – I get my salmon patties at Costco! Enjoy them havarti cheese, guacamole, lettuce and fixings!
• Hot Dogs – grab a few different sausage flavors to make things more interesting! We love cheddar sausage, pineapple sausage and Polish kielbasa! Don’t forget to grab your favorite toppings!

Dinners

Time for some grilled meats! We love grilled chicken, beef or seafood with veggies!

• Cedar Plank Salmon – this recipe is especially delicious with freshly-caught seafood!
• Grilled Veggie Salad – all the best veggies dressed with a zesty garlic dressing! This recipe will work with any grilled meats!
• Chicken Kabobs – I have my favorite recipe for kabobs in my cookbook, but you can check out my ‘Chicken Veggie Kabobs’, too!
• Grilled Lamb Chops – the juiciest and most delicious lamb chops. Plus, they’re so easy to make!
• Grilled Chimichurri Chicken – you’ll love the zesty and juicy chicken! Marinate the chicken the night before for even more flavor!

Cities by Flathead Lake

If you’re planning a trip to Montana and want to stay at Flathead Lake, here are some recommendations:

• Polson, MT – this quiet and picturesque community sits right above the southern tip of the lake. The views from the newer family homes overlook the most peaceful scene! This town was just 15 minutes from our home and it had everything we needed and more! Polson has Safeway, Walmart and several other stores where you can stock up on groceries and accesories before you hit the lake, or whenever you run out! We went to town several times for more supplies!
• Kalispell, MT – This small city sits on the northe