Summer is {finally} officially here, and that alone is cause for celebration! We celebrated the season alongside a couple of birthdays this weekend with a colorful simple summer brunch for friends.
The celebration was for three of us that have been friends since our young adult days commuting together into the city from the wilds of the northwest suburbs. We were known as “Eddie’s Angels” as there were three of us and Eddie was our beloved train conductor :)
Over the intervening years we each left the commute behind to work elsewhere and raise families, but we still got together every Saturday morning for breakfast at the local diner. Nowadays we get together for coffee at my house instead, but the weekly Saturday tradition remains thirty something years later.
And this Saturday we leveled it up with a pretty brunch to toast the beginning of summer and celebrate two of our birthdays - mine was Friday, and Nancy’s was Sunday.
Decor and Tablesetting
I chose armloads of flowers from Trader Joe’s to make a giant pitcher and 3 place setting mini bouquets of blooms in a riot of summer colors.
The table was set with some of my favorites - featuring, of course, and abundance of scallops.
Scalloped round embroidered placemats from Brazil gifted to me by another dear friend,
scalloped celery green charger plates collected long ago,
decades old scalloped pierced luncheon plates,
a scalloped china pitcher for maple syrup
and scalloped crotchet-edged cotton napkins.
Teacups in pink green and purple floral designs were plucked from my collection.
And parfait glasses to serve as the holders for virgin mimosas.
A huge pitcher was filled with gerbera, carnations, daisies, asters, eucalyptus and sundry other stems. A pretty birdhouse teapot stood sentry.
Brunch Menu
The menu was simple - just kaiserschmarrn (shredded caramelized souffle pancakes) topped with fresh berries and creme anglaise (and warm maple syrup in case anyone needed it…no one did).
Mochaccinos from my new espresso maker and proprietary homemade cocoa mix - I’ve finally mastered the milk steaming step, but my latte art leaves something to be desired as yet LOL.
And for toasting, virgin mimosas with fresh squeezed OJ and sparkling cider and garnished with orange slice wedges.
Logistics and Timing
The timing was relatively easy - the table was set way ahead and the florals arranged the night before.
Berries were prepared ahead, the pancakes were made in the morning before the guests arrived and kept warm, and mimosas were poured.
The creme anglaise was prepared alongside the pancakes and I confess I let it simmer at too high a heat and it got a bit lumpy - which I solved by passing it through a strainer.
Once the guests had arrived, I finished with the shredding and caramelizing of the pancakes and assembled the plates.
Last, I made the mochaccinos as guests were sitting down - they cool off far to quickly to be made ahead - the only drawback to the whole enterprise.
We had a great time - we always do no matter what, but it was fun to spoil my friends a little with a pretty table and some decadent food!
Hope YOU are celebrating summer in style too!
