Spring Brunch Basics

It finally seems to be warm enough around the country for Spring Al-Fresco Brunch! (About time right?!) And with Mother's Day coming up this weekend I wanted to share with you my guide for a low-fuss spring brunch. My guide is the bare necessities and can be thrown together quickly (for those of us that are bad at planning ahead). For a more complete party check out the ProFlower's Spring Brunch Checklist! (Theirs includes a very handy brunch bar essentials list)

Especially on a day like Mother's Day, the goal of any spring brunch is to enjoy the company of your guests and the weather. To minimize the time you spend in the kitchen the only things that needed to be "cooked" for this brunch was the coffee and the strawberry rhubarb reduction (recipe below). I purchased the angel food cake and chocolate hazelnut biscotti from Trader Joes! These dishes, along with fresh fruit are better served at room temperature which means you can make them ahead of time and not have to fret over an egg dish getting cold.

  

For decoration I think it is best to keep it clean and simple. Since we don't have a lot of storage for linens and extra place settings my parties usually feature a mix! I've paired a tea-cup and saucer with a mug but they "go" together because of the floral theme used to decorate both. I've got a few napkins that are water-colored in blue, green and purple. Then all of my serving dishes are white which will go with any decoration you put together for a party! 

To compliment spring and bring a bit of it tot he table I scattered some purple carnations from the grocery store around to add a pop of color (and to compliment my watercolor napkins). I prefer small or no center pieces for outdoor parties. One, the focus stays on your guests and your environment at large. Two, if it is windy you don't risk them blowing away. Three, your guests could take home the flower at their place setting if they'd like!

Strawberry Rhubarb Reduction (to top angel food cakes or use as a pie filling)
Ingredients
- 2 rhubarb stalks, washed and cut into 1/4 inch wide pieces
- 1 cup strawberries, rinsed and hulled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp cane sugar
- 1/2 tbsp corn starch

Process
In a sauce pan combine all the ingredients. Heat over medium-low heat until fruit begins to break down and sauce becomes thick (5-10 minutes).

Drizzle over cake and serve!