Let’s Brunch!

My parents called me a few days ago and asked if they could come up from Virginia and visit us in Baltimore for the day; and of course I said “Yes!” My parents are welcome any time!  They are so much fun and always a pleasure to have around, but honestly, I wasn’t prepared to host a brunch on such short notice.

So, I started brainstorming and thinking about what types of food were already in the house to cook. I devised a quick menu for 7 people based on what I had, and then made a quick trip to the local market to grab a few items I didn’t have like: Champagne for the MIMOSAS!

Mimosa Recipe: Equal Parts Orange Juice & champagne.  ( I used Simply Orange: No Pulp & Andre’ Dry Champagne)

Brunch was scheduled to start at 12PM Saturday morning. After looking through my refrigerator/freezer I determined that salmon and steak were definitely going on the menu for brunch. Basically, that decision was made because that’s all we had! LOL! I pulled the salmon and steak out of the freezer Friday night so that everything would be thawed completely by morning. I woke up around 6:30 to begin preparing for the day. I cleaned the house first so that would be done and out of the way. Then I pulled all the plates & platters from the cabinets that were going to be used for brunch. After that was completed, it was time to run a few errands.

Get prepared early!

Clean House

Errands:

Cross Street Market:  I suggests having fresh flowers around your house, especially if you are hosting at your home. Flowers really do make a BIG difference! I buy my fresh flowers from ” The Flower Shop.”

Flower Shop- Cross Street Market

Love this place! I purchased fresh flowers each week from here.

Cross St Market- Federal Hill, Baltimore

Local Market: Purchased champagne and a few ingredients I needed for the preparation of the food.

Once I got home, I started preparing the food.

Menu:

Grilled Salmon and Steak

Grilled Asparagus

Bacon, Potato & Egg Casserole :       http://www.thekitchn.com/hosting-brunch-without-the-stress-196982

Don’t worry, I didn’t forget the sweets! Fresh pastries, muffins & fruit. Also, I put almonds, spicy chez mix, & pretzels out for our guest to nibble on before the main dishes.

I had everything prepared before our guest arrived. It was a good feeling not having to rush!

I kept it simple, and you should too! My family seemed to enjoy the food. Best of all, we were all together at one table. We don’t get to eat family meals together as often as we would like, so it was nice to be together.

My Tips for Hosting a Last Minute Brunch :

1.) Prepare as much food as possible the day before. Anything that can be thawed, cooked, or baked, DO IT EARLY!

2.) Wake up early.

3.) Clean your house first! Better to clean early than rush right before everyone arrives.

4.) Prepare your cocktails ahead of time. Make sure your wine, champagne, & juice are chilled. Nothing worse than a warm cocktail!

5.) If you don’t have serving platters/ matching plates, you should invest in a set. Target has classic, affordable serving and plate sets.

6.) Fresh flowers are a must for the occasion.

7.) Dont stress! This should be a fun experience. If you start early it will cut down on stress. Granteed!

My mom & Sister

Until Next Time,

xoxo

Alysha

@discovercharmcity