Best Brunch Ever!

I know it's been a week since Easter but I still wanted to post about the feast! Last Sunday, a windy, stormy day, we had my sister and brother-in-law (Suzanne and Toby), and our friends Kanoa and Mariko over for an Easter celebration brunch. The food was totally inspired by this "Knockout Brunch" photo and recipe spread in Bon Appetit's April issue. When I saw all the lovely food pictures I knew we had to have a party!

The feast consisted of (pictured front to back):

1. Scrambled eggs with sour cream, onion, and asparagus

2. Homemade strawberry pop-tarts

3. Brown-sugar-glazed bacon

4. Bloody Marys

5. Fresh strawberries

Definitely the pop-tarts and the bacon were the hits of the meal! The pop-tarts dough was like exactly pie crust and then there is strawberry preserves in the middle with powdered sugar on top. I think I loved them so much particularly because mom never bought me "real" store pop-tarts when I was a kid. Now I can just make them - and they must be healthy since they are homemade!

Side note: Toby LOVES bacon and one of his co-workers had cut out this picture from the magazine for him to put above his desk. Lucky for him - we made the very same tray of bacon for brunch just 2 weeks later! And it was baked instead of fried in a pan - that must make it good for you, don't you think?

We were just about finished with brunch when Kanoa mentioned he had once had this drink made by adding a shot of espresso to a pint of Guinness. Obviously we had to try it! Suzanne and Toby walked up to the liquor store (and thankfully since we lived in a civilized state the liquor stores are open on Sunday) bought the Guinness. Boyd pulled the espresso shots, poured it into the Guinness AND then to top it off we added a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

WOW!

You've just gotta try it. And the pop-tarts. And then be ready for a major food coma.

After sitting around in front of the fire, the guys decided to actively fight the food coma with a game of windy bocci. It was a perfect holiday!

Happy Easter!