via making it lovely
Showing posts with label brunch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brunch. Show all posts
Bunny Scones for Easter
4.04.2012
It’s Michele from Cakewalk Baking and I’m back to share with you one of my favorite Easter traditions – making bunny scones. One of my first college roommates introduced me to the idea (Thanks, Nicole!) and I have been making them ever since. I love having little traditions that my son looks forward to each holiday and this recipe is so simple we can make them together.
I like to serve these cuties with homemade jam and lemon curd and I think I may even attempt making clotted cream this year. It’s best to eat them the day they are baked, but you can reheat them for a few seconds in the microwave (if you have any left over!).
I like to serve these cuties with homemade jam and lemon curd and I think I may even attempt making clotted cream this year. It’s best to eat them the day they are baked, but you can reheat them for a few seconds in the microwave (if you have any left over!).
photos © cakewalk baking
Bunny Scones
Ingredients
2” - 3” bunny cookie cutter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions
Cut the butter into ½” and keep in the freezer until needed. Combine all of the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter a few pieces at a time and pulse until it resembles a coarse meal. Add the egg and cream and pulse just until it comes together.
Transfer on to a floured surface and knead the dough together gently. Pat into a circle 1/2” thick. Dip your cookie cutter flour and cut out bunny shapes. Place them 2” apart on a parchment covered baking sheet. Combine the left over dough and cut out your bunnies (only re-roll the dough once as it will get too tough). Brush the tops of the scones lightly with cream. Bake at 425° for 12 – 15 minutes until lightly browned.
A Brunch Picnic
2.23.2012
Hello again from Caroline of Coeur De La! Going on a picnic is one of my favorite past times. I love filling up my basket with an assortment of delicious foods and heading out for a relaxing afternoon. Well, it also just so happens that I love to picnic when the weather is cool and crisp, and a wool blanket is not only a must have for sitting on but to snuggle up and keep warm. Lucky for you, February and March happen to be some of the best months for a winter picnic.
Now when most people think of picnic foods they think along the lines of lunch, but I am going to change your way of thinking and entice you to plan a picnic brunch. Brunch foods are perfect for a winter picnic as they involve coffee, scones, and breakfast sandwiches that will keep you nice and warm while you picnic outside.
The Perfect Picnic Brunch Menu
Scones
I planned our picnic brunch menu around seasonal ingredients and what I love to bake at the cafe I work at. I found a cute box to line with parchment paper for my box of scones. My scone of choice right now is a maple date walnut scone that is perfectly sweet, warm, and all together perfect for a chilly afternoon. The morning of our picnic I woke up early, mixed my dough, and stored half the dough in the freezer for another day, and baked a half dozen maple date walnut scones. I love the way my kitchen smells while baking scones. Even when these scones cool they still have the ability to keep you warm, and when served with a piping cup of coffee, you will never want to leave your picnic blanket.
Greek Yogurt Parfaits with Granola
I love making simple yogurt parfaits in mason jars as they are easy to transport, look cute, and are a great alternative to scones. I found some tasty granola at the Davis Co-Op (you can easily make your own granola), layered a mason jar with granola and yogurt, capped my mason jar, and had the simplest and tastiest yogurt parfaits for our picnic.
Breakfast Baguette Sandwiches
with smoked bacon, chevre, fried egg and arugula
I love having a fresh sandwich on a picnic and even though it was a brunch picnic, I knew a breakfast sandwich would be easy to transport, filling, and satisfying. My husband and I love breakfast sandwiches, so when we unwrapped our parchment paper and took our first bite into our sandwich, warm egg yolk dripped all over our hands while chevre, crispy bacon, and arugula popped with flavor ... we knew that these sandwiches would be a picnic brunch staple. You can easily adapt this recipe to your liking and make a just as tasty vegetarian option with sun dried tomatoes, chevre, and arugula.
Coffee or Tea
We filled a thermos with Guatemalan coffee (a gift from my husband's brother) and brought two mugs so we could enjoy coffee. For me, there is nothing quite like sitting on a blanket in the early hours of a crisp cool morning drinking a hot cup of coffee. If you like cream and sugar just pack two small mason jars with cream and sugar and you are set ... morning coffee perfection while you picnic.
Seasonal Fruit
To balance the meal out we chose to bring seasonal fruit for dessert. We brought several dates and deliciously sweet pears that capped off our morning picnic. We packaged our fruit in small brown bags and made sure to bring a knife for slicing.
There is nothing quite like savoring the last few sips of coffee, sitting outside on a crisp cool morning, and truly appreciating a good meal. A meal that transformed our winter afternoon and brought warmth to the rest of our week. So, the next time you are in a mood for a picnic, plan a picnic brunch with those you love.
photos © coeur de la
Breakfast Sandwiches on Baguettes
with chevre, arugula, bacon and fried egg
Ingredients
-one small package of chevre
-a bundle of arugula, no more than a handful
-4-6 strips of bacon
-2 farmers' market eggs (or any egg)
Directions
1. Beforehand, cook your bacon till nice and crisp, pat dry as bacon is greasy. Then fry two eggs till over medium in a small pan.
2. Slice a baguette into thirds ... use two for your sandwich and save the other to slice into pieces for jam. Toast your baguette ... we like to do so in our oven for several minutes
3. Slice your two baguette pieces in half and spread a thick layer of goat cheese, then add your arugula.
4. Place three strips of bacon on your open sandwich with the arugula and chevre. For the final touch, add your fried egg. Place the other piece of your baguette on top and wrap your sandwich with parchment paper and tie with twine.
You can adapt this sandwich to your liking, but have fun making a savory brunch sandwich as they go perfectly with a warm cup of coffee!
Now when most people think of picnic foods they think along the lines of lunch, but I am going to change your way of thinking and entice you to plan a picnic brunch. Brunch foods are perfect for a winter picnic as they involve coffee, scones, and breakfast sandwiches that will keep you nice and warm while you picnic outside.
The Perfect Picnic Brunch Menu
Scones
I planned our picnic brunch menu around seasonal ingredients and what I love to bake at the cafe I work at. I found a cute box to line with parchment paper for my box of scones. My scone of choice right now is a maple date walnut scone that is perfectly sweet, warm, and all together perfect for a chilly afternoon. The morning of our picnic I woke up early, mixed my dough, and stored half the dough in the freezer for another day, and baked a half dozen maple date walnut scones. I love the way my kitchen smells while baking scones. Even when these scones cool they still have the ability to keep you warm, and when served with a piping cup of coffee, you will never want to leave your picnic blanket.
Greek Yogurt Parfaits with Granola
I love making simple yogurt parfaits in mason jars as they are easy to transport, look cute, and are a great alternative to scones. I found some tasty granola at the Davis Co-Op (you can easily make your own granola), layered a mason jar with granola and yogurt, capped my mason jar, and had the simplest and tastiest yogurt parfaits for our picnic.
Breakfast Baguette Sandwiches
with smoked bacon, chevre, fried egg and arugula
I love having a fresh sandwich on a picnic and even though it was a brunch picnic, I knew a breakfast sandwich would be easy to transport, filling, and satisfying. My husband and I love breakfast sandwiches, so when we unwrapped our parchment paper and took our first bite into our sandwich, warm egg yolk dripped all over our hands while chevre, crispy bacon, and arugula popped with flavor ... we knew that these sandwiches would be a picnic brunch staple. You can easily adapt this recipe to your liking and make a just as tasty vegetarian option with sun dried tomatoes, chevre, and arugula.
Coffee or Tea
We filled a thermos with Guatemalan coffee (a gift from my husband's brother) and brought two mugs so we could enjoy coffee. For me, there is nothing quite like sitting on a blanket in the early hours of a crisp cool morning drinking a hot cup of coffee. If you like cream and sugar just pack two small mason jars with cream and sugar and you are set ... morning coffee perfection while you picnic.
Seasonal Fruit
To balance the meal out we chose to bring seasonal fruit for dessert. We brought several dates and deliciously sweet pears that capped off our morning picnic. We packaged our fruit in small brown bags and made sure to bring a knife for slicing.
There is nothing quite like savoring the last few sips of coffee, sitting outside on a crisp cool morning, and truly appreciating a good meal. A meal that transformed our winter afternoon and brought warmth to the rest of our week. So, the next time you are in a mood for a picnic, plan a picnic brunch with those you love.
Breakfast Sandwiches on Baguettes
with chevre, arugula, bacon and fried egg
Ingredients
-one small package of chevre
-a bundle of arugula, no more than a handful
-4-6 strips of bacon
-2 farmers' market eggs (or any egg)
Directions
1. Beforehand, cook your bacon till nice and crisp, pat dry as bacon is greasy. Then fry two eggs till over medium in a small pan.
2. Slice a baguette into thirds ... use two for your sandwich and save the other to slice into pieces for jam. Toast your baguette ... we like to do so in our oven for several minutes
3. Slice your two baguette pieces in half and spread a thick layer of goat cheese, then add your arugula.
4. Place three strips of bacon on your open sandwich with the arugula and chevre. For the final touch, add your fried egg. Place the other piece of your baguette on top and wrap your sandwich with parchment paper and tie with twine.
You can adapt this sandwich to your liking, but have fun making a savory brunch sandwich as they go perfectly with a warm cup of coffee!
A Rosé Inspired Valentine’s Day Luncheon
2.14.2012
Happy Valentine's Day from Kim of Geranium Lake Flowers! For this pretty party, we were inspired by the warm glow of sunlight {rare here in the Northwest!} and bottles of Rosé. We love the romantic look of them gathered down a table and couldn’t wait to invite our girlfriends over for a Valentine’s Day lunch!
We started by assembling a dozen or so bottles of various rose wines. Everything from the labels to the tones of the wine is appealing to us. So we went to work gathering various elements in the same color family to set our table.
To create a runner, we actually used a roll of wrapping paper that we had lying around to create of focal piece down the center of our table. Depending on the size of your table, you can customize the runner’s width by folding the edges under to create a crisp “seam”. We did this because, although we have a wide table, we wanted a narrow runner for contract against the wood.
Next it was time for the place settings. We used tea towels as napkins but sewed a pompom garland at the edge of each for a little whimsy.
Then it was time to create a centerpiece. We used a piece of milk glass that we already had and, of course, we stuck with all tones of red from bright strawberry to deep burgundy. Use what is in season and/or local from your florist or grocery store and gather a selection of flowers in this color palette.
The important part of this arrangement is the color. Remember: Rosé!
The final touches were tiny votives placed down the table for a little more ambiance and then our table was complete.
Our Valentine’s lunch was a hit and all of our friends left feeling loved {and maybe just a little buzzed}. All in all, an excellent way to spend this cupid’s day.
photos © erica ann photography
Want to see more from Geranium Lake Flowers? Click here.
We started by assembling a dozen or so bottles of various rose wines. Everything from the labels to the tones of the wine is appealing to us. So we went to work gathering various elements in the same color family to set our table.
To create a runner, we actually used a roll of wrapping paper that we had lying around to create of focal piece down the center of our table. Depending on the size of your table, you can customize the runner’s width by folding the edges under to create a crisp “seam”. We did this because, although we have a wide table, we wanted a narrow runner for contract against the wood.
Next it was time for the place settings. We used tea towels as napkins but sewed a pompom garland at the edge of each for a little whimsy.
Then it was time to create a centerpiece. We used a piece of milk glass that we already had and, of course, we stuck with all tones of red from bright strawberry to deep burgundy. Use what is in season and/or local from your florist or grocery store and gather a selection of flowers in this color palette.
The important part of this arrangement is the color. Remember: Rosé!
The final touches were tiny votives placed down the table for a little more ambiance and then our table was complete.
Our Valentine’s lunch was a hit and all of our friends left feeling loved {and maybe just a little buzzed}. All in all, an excellent way to spend this cupid’s day.
Want to see more from Geranium Lake Flowers? Click here.
A Modern Baby Shower Brunch
11.17.2011
Seri and Michelle of Little Miss Party in New York sent in this lovely modern baby shower designed for a friend. They used eye catching details like bold zinc letters and fresh flowers to pull together a color scheme of grey, white and yellow. I really love the thoughtful personal touches, like chocolate stars in honor of the mom-to-be's maiden name. Read on below for more...
photos © levi stolove photography
From Seri: LMP threw the most gorgeous baby shower… and all during the crazy October snow storm! From the beginning planning stages we knew it had to be off the charts classy, sophisticated and modern; just like the mom-to-be. Keeping the colors gender neutral we worked with crisp white, pinstripe gray and lemon yellow. We worked with Jennifer Owens at Blackberry Graphics to
create a pretty and sophisticated invite which set the tone for
Rachel’s shower. We used the invite as inspiration to design water
bottles, a gift sign and coffee station signs. Everything tied together
so beautifully making the shower feel modern yet baby chic. The menu was brunch and mostly vegetarian for our mother-to-be who does
not partake in eating meat…so we served up a menu that would be hearty
enough for a veg and satisfying enough for a crowd of mingling gals: Strawberry greens with a balsamic vinaigrette, Fruit salad skewers, Veggie & cheese frittatas, French toast bites, Bagels & Lox and Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins along with Sugar Sweet Sunshine yellow cake with buttercream frosting, mini cupcakes and Macarons from Maison du Macaron. As a guest giveaway we used poodles. Rachel loves poodles and grew up
with them in her home. So as a subtle way of adding this cute detail
into the shower we had Kristan at Kreated by Kristan make
poodle sugar cookies on sticks, individually wrapped and tied with a
yellow ribbon. We put them on display with a pretty sign directing
guests to take on their way out.
A Stylish + Sparkly Bookclub
10.18.2011
Speaking of glitter, did you catch this shiny happy book club over at The Glitter Guide? I've been cruising inspiration for my own in a few weeks and this one caught my eye. Gotta give some local love to these stylish San Francisco ladies...
photos © christine taylor
Photography: Christine Taylor
Photography: Christine Taylor
Styling & DiY Garland: Bustle Events
Blood Orange Bellini by Caitlin Flemming
Cake Pops: Sweet Lauren Cakes
A French Toast Birthday Brunch
9.22.2011
Carrie Rowe sent us this charming French Toast birthday brunch with so many mouthwatering details... can anyone say chocolate covered bacon? Love all the options for french toast toppings and sauce, not to mention the oranges as place cards. See below for more details...
photos © kelli trontel
From Carrie: Since the whole party was based off of the birthday girl's love for French toast we obviously had that, BUT we didn't make traditional French toast. Sara made French toast dippers and homemade syrup! We also provided a toppings bar, bacon, mini doughnuts and chocolate covered bacon (don't knock it till you try). For beverages we offered coffee, water and orange juice. The decor was very simple. We styled a beautiful table with light fabrics, individual place settings, cake stands, hand painted mustache cups and coffee pots with daffodils. Oranges were placed at each setting doubling as a place card and then used to make fresh squeeze OJ. We strung doilies from the ceiling and had a vintage window hanging on the wall. Party Favors- I made French Toast Cupcakes and placed "bacon and eggs" on top. The "bacon and eggs" was made from two pretzel sticks, white chocolate and a yellow M&M. We made cupcake boxes from craft paper and wrapped them in twine.
Event Styling: Carrie Rowe & Sara Trammel
Photographs: Kelli Trontel
Bacon and Eggs idea: Cakie
Fabrics: Joann Fabrics
From Carrie: Since the whole party was based off of the birthday girl's love for French toast we obviously had that, BUT we didn't make traditional French toast. Sara made French toast dippers and homemade syrup! We also provided a toppings bar, bacon, mini doughnuts and chocolate covered bacon (don't knock it till you try). For beverages we offered coffee, water and orange juice. The decor was very simple. We styled a beautiful table with light fabrics, individual place settings, cake stands, hand painted mustache cups and coffee pots with daffodils. Oranges were placed at each setting doubling as a place card and then used to make fresh squeeze OJ. We strung doilies from the ceiling and had a vintage window hanging on the wall. Party Favors- I made French Toast Cupcakes and placed "bacon and eggs" on top. The "bacon and eggs" was made from two pretzel sticks, white chocolate and a yellow M&M. We made cupcake boxes from craft paper and wrapped them in twine.
Event Styling: Carrie Rowe & Sara Trammel
Photographs: Kelli Trontel
Bacon and Eggs idea: Cakie
Fabrics: Joann Fabrics
