Also .... if you want to see some pretty pictures, check out some of the shots from my friend's upcoming Acadian cookbook! My kitchen makes an appearance at the end :) I'm very proud of him and the book is already getting great buzz (release in June).

http://www.lebook.com/creative/nimbus-publishing-pantry-and-palate-advertising-2017

Spring menus are so fun! I almost always include asparagus and citrus--they both equal spring to me.

I know this recommendation is getting tired but truly my favorite spring menu is quiche (asparagus, herb, ham, broccoli, whatever you like) and a bright citrusy salad (I make a salad with asparagus and orange). You could add to this pretty easily-- spicy shrimp kebobs, little biscuits with ham, broccoli and apple salad.. it's all very adaptable.

A little more adventurous-- but one of my all time favorites is breakfast arepas. I've never made them myself but I could track down a recipe if you are interested. My favorite is eggs, black beans cilantro, slow cooked pork and a little cheese. Omg. to die for! There are a latin breakfast dishes that are easier.. but the arepa packages it all so nicely.

I don't like deviled eggs OR ham but one of my friends is planning an easter brunch around them and an array of whole grain breads/rolls, fruits and salads.

Or maybe something with an array of small bites.. little pastries, pigs in a blanket, tea sandwiches?

I saw a great spring punch with strawberries and vodka.. but I am guessing you are avoiding alcohol?

There will be some kids there so my punch will likely be alcohol free in any event :)

No recipe ideas but your puppy is getting big! Cute <3

My formula for brunch is: egg dish, vegetable dish (could be potatoes or could be roasted tomatoes or roasted asparagus), a fruit dish (could be simple as just berries and grapes in a bowl to a more complicated fruit type salad) bread (if you're having 20, I'd do 3 different kinds -- like a good baguette, a "sweet" such as carrot bread or blueberry muffin, and a hearty bread like a rye or a dense white loaf. And it's brunch and the difference between brunch and breakfast is DESSERT! So I'd also have a dessert and since you said birthday, I'd do a big birthday cake!

Do you want recipes?

I did a brunch in March -- had quiche lorraine in a hash brown crust, roasted cherry tomatoes, Mark Bittman's citrus salad, carrot poppyseed bread and a lemon desert

Thanks! She was shockingly good with the kids this weekend, I was really surprised how much she enjoyed herself (they're good kids, too, but I was ready to step in if she looked stressed).

Even crawled into the backseat to hang out instead of staying up front with me.

What is a make ahead good egg dish that isn't quichey? Asking for a friend who doesn't like quiche. Also I like looking at recipes but I can also google them if you don't have a particular favorite.

One of my favorite go-to Spring recipes is my Chicken Salad, that I serve along side a basket of croissants. Some guests make sandwiches with them, some just eat them as a side. This salad can easily be made a day ahead of time. Served chilled or room temp, which makes it even easier. I never have any leftovers. You can break the pecans into smaller pieces without affecting the flavor, too. I can't recall where I originally got this recipe, but I've been making it for at least 25 years.

Lynn's Chicken Salad Supreme

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken breast meat (about 2 medium breast halves)
• 3/4 cup halved, seedless green grapes
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (Fage works best, as it's thick like good sour cream)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh peeled ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon (white) pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, grapes, celery and pecans.
2. In a small bowl, combine rest of ingredients. Blend well and stir gently into chicken mixture.
3. Cover and refrigerate one to two hours before serving.

That looks great! And healthy!!

I've made THIS salad from Southern Living several times and it's always a crowd favorite. It's a nice addition to a brunch table.

Have you ever made angel biscuits? Mini angel biscuits are wonderful for brunch, serve them along with slivered ham or turkey slices and an assortment of mustards, pepper jelly, etc.

Asparagus is the ultimate spring veggie....you've gotta serve something that showcases it! Quiche is an obvious choice, but I saw a recipe for an asparagus tart somewhere that sounded pretty darned good.

My favorite fruit tray will include watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, sliced peaches, grapes, orange slices, kiwi, etc. I combine good Greek yogurt with a bit of honey, and lemon juice/zest as a dip....not too sweet.

That salad looks lovely, too. I love mint in a salad. You all have convinced me and I WILL have an asparagus dish at my brunch!

Do you prefer fruit tray or fruit skewers?

those fruit skewers are adorable!! Granddaughter will love them -- thanks for posting!

Robo,

I had an Easter Brunch this past Sunday and posted last week for ideas. My daughter made this egg dish that amj0517 posted.It was very good and tasty and she says a breeze to make.

http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/slow-cooker-bacon-egg-hash-brown-casserole/

I served roasted potatoes along with Ham. I bought a Spinach Quiche. Served some fruit. Had cheddar ham muffins (but for some reason they did not turn out too well, I could taste the baking powder and they were dry) Had a big platter of Bacon, and for the fun served Monkey Bread. Not healthy but enjoyed by all.

Ok so my menu is starting to take shape...

Lynn's chicken salad

I'm thinking about an asparagus strata maybe (ps had never heard of the term strata before last week)

Fruit and cheese board

Green salad with citrus and citrus vinaigrette

The rainbow fruit skewers are lovely, but I have always thought they seemed unnecessarily difficult to eat. I did a rainbow fruit and vegetable platter for dd's birthday a couple of years ago and it was really pretty and surprisingly popular (IME, kids ignore the healthy food at birthday parties).

I have also done raspberries stuffed with a chocolate or white chocolate chip. A bit fiddly, but not hard. Better with good milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips rather than the semi-sweet, IMO. You can do them a few hours ahead.

Not healthy, but my favorite spring dessert is strawberry pie. My mom always made it by baking the pie crust separately. Then she whipped cream cheese and powdered sugar together and spread it in the bottom of the pie crust, layered in whole strawberries, and poured strawberry glaze on top. Then top with whipped cream.

I have also done the raspberries stuffed with chocolate chips. They've always been a hit and they look so sweet!

Robo, do I remember that it's your birthday? Mine is on Sunday and I seem to remember that yours was about the same time. If so, Happy Birthday!!! <3

I love lemon bars and am thinking of making some for this Sunday to have along with mini Strawberry shortcakes for our Easter dessert. They are nice to cut in small squares for a brunch. I'm not at home at the moment and need to dig out my recipe but if you are interested I will post.

My dad is the pie maker and he makes a beautiful strawberry rhubarb pie.

I would love the lemon bar recipe! I looooove lemon bars.

Funky-Happy birthday!! I'm on Tuesday

Hey, my birthday is tomorrow. Happy birthday to my fellow Aries!

Happy birthday everyone!

Robo, have you ever made Avocado Salad? If you're interested I can give you a simple and delicious recipe. There's a lot of them online though, but most are different. I found it goes great with Mexican food. :)

crl, my birthday was the 10th. Happy Birthday to you, too!

Happy birthday easter bunnies!

Thanks for the recipe and thanks for the birthday wishes! We are enjoying some sunny yet still a bit chilly weather.

Brunch happened today. I made anglophilia's cheese strata following every direction to the letter except the paper bag, and it was a huge hit. I suffered some angst because I did not test the recipe beforehand and I have never seen a strata before so I wasn't sure exactly how it should turn out. As you can tell, planning is not my forte.

I also provided a huge fruit tray, a cheese tray, and some other supporting dishes. A weakness in my menu was not enough vegetables and light fare, which I will rectify for next time.

It was a grand success and everyone stayed the planned three hours. I really enjoyed having an afternoon event so that my baby nephew and godchildren could attend. The puppy was predictably a little bit bad with food, OK pretty bad with food, but great with the guests and kids. She and my husband have been sleeping it off for a few hours now.

Glad it went so well.. and yeah, cheese egg dishes can be pretty rich. Veggies help cut it and lighten up the overall meal.