Thankful for Brunch!

"BRUNCH - Breakfast without an alarm clock."

I love brunch.  

And really, what's not to love?  It's all the deliciousness of breakfast, but later in the morning!  

However, because I have two small children who don't let me sleep past 6:30 a.m., I rarely get to enjoy a true brunch.  You know- a morning meal that doesn't take place at 6:31 a.m.

But I recently had a visit from out-of-state family which spurred me on to actually make brunch at "brunch time".  (I also took advantage of the opportunity to use some cool new Doodlekins products for my brunch!)

I began by stirring up the anticipation with Le Menu...  

OK, I have to stop for a moment and tell you that this Doodlekins Family Dry Erase Easel is sweeeet.  It comes with six different cards which display six different messages (of your choosing), and a dry erase marker that wipes off perfectly with even just a finger.  (More info at http://www.doodlekins.com/personalized-dry-erase-easel/) 
My Kindergarten son is in love with it too, writing notes to us constantly as he proudly checks off his name at the top.  So I just couldn't resist using this adorable easel as a menu display for my special brunch!

My little daughter enjoyed preparing the main brunch dish with me the night before.  We made French Toast Casserole!  I rarely bake this dish because it makes a ton of food.  And the leftovers are then staring at me in the refrigerator for the next several days, tempting me to eat them for every meal until they're gone.  But if I've got extra people to feed, I jump at the chance to make this sweet excellence.

I probably have the biggest sweet tooth of anyone you've ever met, which is probably why I love the French Toast Casserole so much.  But I also know that sweet should be balanced with salty in a brunch menu, so I cooked up some turkey sausages and eggs for my family too.  Add some fresh fruits to the menu, and there were only empty plates with full bellies at the end of our big brunch!

Ah, I see you're admiring my Doodlekins glasses on the brunch spread too!  Aren't they adorable?  And no one fights over their glasses anymore!  (More info at http://www.doodlekins.com/gifts-home-decor/)  
My two year old daughter has fun playing with these sturdy acrylic family glasses in her dollhouse as well, which is just so hilariously cute!  But really- who can blame her?   ;)

And of course with any special meal, you need a little table decor to match the occasion.  My children and I had collected pinecones from a local park, and we displayed our pumpkin patch treasures with them too.  Yes- those were the perfect finishing touches for our post-Halloween/pre-Thanksgiving brunch, and will be easily altered for winter holiday brunches too!

So I have a question for YOU now...

You've learned about my insatiable sweet tooth, but what is YOUR favorite brunch dish to make?  In anticipation of the upcoming holiday season and more brunches for more family, I would love to learn about a few new brunch dishes that are "tried and true" for you!

Until next time, enjoy sweet dreams of breakfast and lunch marrying into one delicious meal called BRUNCH.  

And I hope you don't wake from that dream until 8:00 a.m.  At the very earliest....