I hosted a brunch for some girlfriends this weekend. I made way too much food (as usual) – and that was even after I scrapped two or three of the items on my original menu. In any event, although I found myself with more leftovers than I’d originally planned, I think everything turned out quite well. Here’s a shot of the partially completed table (I got busy and forgot to take a shot of the whole spread… bad blogger!):
The picture above showcases the cake pops that I made (with assistance from my sister). I was inspired by Bakerella. Her treats are definitely more ornate than mine, but I figured that the first time I made them I should probably keep it simple. Once decorated in yellow and pink, the cake pops (plus some mums) gave the whole table a nice springtime vibe. For this batch, I used Funfetti cake mix and rainbow chip icing. They were a bit rich – next time I may try to make red velvet or chocolate. Yum.
I love planning menus… it’s always fun to come up with a theme, find some new recipes to try, and pull a party together. I have never hosted a brunch before, so I brainstormed with a colleague at work and used my Google-fu to find some ideas. I’m pretty proud of this menu, if I do say so myself – I think it was a hit! If you’re interested, here’s the menu (recipes linked where available):
- Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze from Our Best Bites
- Cake Pops from Bakerella
- Raspberry Bars from Pioneer Woman
- Summer Spinach & Strawberry Salad from Tasty Kitchen
- Sausage Breakfast Casserole from Simply Recipes
- Hash Brown Casserole
- Fruit & dip
- Mini corn muffins
- Turkey bacon (made in the oven – so easy!)
- For drinks, I offered soda, juice, wine, an assortment of Italian sodas, and this yummy Sunrise Punch (from Our Best Bites).
To sum up, I love brunch. That is all.
