The Brunch Cookbook: simple & scrumptious recipes to rise and shine to!

Brunch Entertaining

One of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to entertain is by hosting friends and family for brunch. Brunch is casual, relaxed, informal and the perfect choice for entertaining. There are few rules and lots of room for spur-of-the-moment changes. As an additional bonus, most of the recipes and a majority of the table-setting preparations can be done the day before. Follow our handy-dandy hints to hosting the best brunch gathering.

The easiest and most user-friendly way to host the first meal of the day is by having a buffet. When setting up a buffet, remember to make it easy for the guests to serve themselves. Here are some other pointers:

• Transform a counter or table into a brunch buffet.

• Line the table with a bright, cheery tablecloth.

• Wrap the cutlery in a napkin and either place directly on the table or in a basket on the buffet table.

• Place a stack of plates, bowls or any other needed dishes in the beginning of the buffet line.

• Serve the food on platters and bowls arranged on the buffet line – make sure to set out serving utensils.

• Have a small bar set up where guests can serve themselves from pitchers of various juices, pots of coffee (regular and decaf), an assortment of teas, and/or pre-made morning cocktails. Make sure to include proper accessories, spoons, sugars, creamers, lemon wedges, glasses, cups and saucers.

Whether you seat your guests at the formal dining room, kitchen island, or outdoor patio table, there are a couple of entertaining touches that will set the scene:

• At the table, mark each guest’s place with casual, unique place cards.

• Place centerpieces of seasonal flowers, baskets of fresh fruit, or natural materials (Spanish moss, ferns, eucalyptus).

• Have several salt and pepper shakers well placed at the table.

• Put the cd player on rotate and enjoy.

Liquid Wake-Up Call

Iced Green Tea

Sip on this delicious blend of sweet tea, refreshing mint, and fresh lemon juice.