Brunch. The best thing between Breafast and Lunch

So I love everything about Brunch.  The fact that it's later in the morning than regular breakfast means you can sleep in.  The fact that it's in between breakfast and lunch means that it can be a bigger meal, but still be breakfast foods.  And, the thing about brunch is that it is usually shared with friends.  How can you beat all of that? 

These past few weeks I have been making a whole lot of brunches it feels like, and they have been spectacular :)  There is just something awesome about having such a good and beautiful meal and not having to pay the check after it's all said and done.  All you have to do is load the dishwasher.  Here is a picture of one of my brunches with a friend on our balcony.  I almost felt like we were at some French cafe.  It was just a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs with basil and cheese, toast, strawberries, oranges and watermelon balls, and of course some whipped cream and cinnamon to adorn the coffee with utter fluffy perfection.  It completely matters how a meal is presented, because just a few extra minutes turn a (oh i just threw it on a plate and while it tastes good-it doesn't look anything special- to an amazing, beautiful meal with a friend on your balcony.) 

One of my good friends got married this last weekend, and everything about it was absolutely beautiful.  I hope they are having a wonderful time in Jamaica!  The day before the wedding I made brunch for the bride and some of her bridesmaids.  She requested something "light and easy."  Well, as some of you may be thinking.... "cereal is easy.  pop-tarts are easy."  When  you have something as special as a wedding happening, having a special meal just adds to the whole experience and memory of the weekend as being a little bit more special.  So, while this meal really didn't take more than about an hour and a half to prepare for 8 girls, it was completely worth it.  I made 3 things, and will explain each of them here.  These are 3 things you can make easily too!  And they all tasted and looked fabulous.   

Green eggs and ham- Rachael Ray (picture by Meredith Miller)

 

The first picture you see here is of "Green eggs and ham" by Rachael Ray.    You can find the recipe here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/green-eggs-and-ham-recipe/index.html 
I followed it exactly, except I added About 5-6 medium sized leaves of fresh basil (chopped finely)  and some Parmesan cheese and added them both in with the spinach mixture.  These may look difficult, but they really were very easy and SO good!  I could eat these everyday.  Really what you do is when line the muffin pan with ham slices and then fill it with a spinach/cheese/green onion mixture and crack an egg on top and bake it.  So as it bakes the ham keeps it's form and comes out as these cute little ham/egg bowls. 

Yogurt parfait  (picture by Meredith Miller)

I really wanted something light at this meal. Something refreshing. And when I think of light- I think of citrus.  Lemon, limes, oranges, they just make "refreshing" part of your day.  And did you know that the oils in citrus wake you up and help you focus?  Just one more reason to eat them in the morning.  Many of you probably like yogurt.  I love it.  I periodically add fresh berries to mine if I have them on hand, and sometimes some nuts and/or granola.  But when you layer berries and yogurt-you have yourself a parfait!  For this one, I chose Yoplait's whipped lemon yogurt (which is fluffy and fantastic) and layered it with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and sliced strawberries.  I then topped it off with whipped cream and some sliced almonds and cinnamon.  Talk about delicious. 

WHIPPED CREAM SIDE NOTE:  As you noticed I said "whipped cream," and not cool whip.  That is because 99% of the time I use real whipped cream.  Most of the time I make it myself.  How do you do this? You may ask.  Well, you go to the dairy section in the grocery store by the milk and look for a little carton that says "heavy (or light) whipping cream."  Grab that and you are good to go.  You can add in a variety of things to it, but all you have to do is pour the whipping cream in a bowl and beat it with a hand mixer until it is thick (like whipped cream).  I usually add in a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and either some powdered sugar, brown sugar, honey or stevia until it is sweet as you like it.  Just start off with a little bit and add more as you think you need it.  If you are adding whipped cream to some very sweet thing, you may not need to make it quite so sweet.  You can also add in a little bit of cinnamon, or instant coffee to make coffee whipped cream (which is out of this world).  The only thing about real whipped cream is that although it tastes 100 times better than cool whip (and is healthier), it doesn't keep as long and it doesn't hold it's shape as well.  Once you make it, I suggest using it in the next few hours and keeping it in the fridge while you wait.  Once it gets warm or sits in the fridge for a few days it starts getting soupy.  It still tastes as good but looses its fluffiness.

Mini Cinnamon rolls- picture by Meredith Miller

The last thing I made for the brunch was mini cinnamon rolls.  I saw these someplace (and I apologize to whoever created them because I don't remember where I saw them to give you credit.  But it was a great idea!)  If you have ever made cinnamon rolls from scratch (like making the dough and everything), you know that the result is well worth it, but it's not something you can do if you are in a rush.  These take about 25-30 minutes total (baking time and everything). 

You will need:
1 can of biscuit dough with 10 biscuits (makes about 50 tiny cinnamon rolls-each person will eat several)
1/2 stick of softened butter
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Cream cheese frosting

Take a can of biscuit dough and roll them out flat. Spread a thin layer of butter on the dough (but don't go to the very edge, otherwise it won't stick to itself when you roll it up), and then sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar.  Then roll them up and slice them so they look like tiny cinnamon rolls (about the size of a quarter).  Place them on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper or foil so they don't stick) at 375 degrees and cook for about 10-15 min.  Until they are slightly golden on top.  Once they have cooled for a minute, take them off and pile them on a plate.  Heat up the frosting in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds until pourable.  Take a spoon and drizzle the frosting over the whole plate of them and eat them when they are still hot!

I hope you have many great brunches in the years to come, with great food and great friends to share it with!