Wow! Thanks again for all of your input. It is helping a lot. I really like Woodie's egg and potato casserole. If I do that, can I eliminate the potato salad? (As a little aside, I think I should add that I don't eat eggs. I hate them! However, I do accept that others enjoy them, they are easy to prepare, and are cheap. So, they really are great for entertaining. However, I do have a hard time envisioning them as part of a menu.) I think I will leave the veg dish up to DH. He claims he can do it, and his cousin (whose wife wore the fur coat in May) will be staying with us, and he is such a gem - will be a huge help, too. I can see the two of them outside, chopping vegetables and hanging out by the grill, and laughing it up! Or, maybe he wants to make life a little easier and make one of the marinated dishes posted here (they both sound yummy). As for his foot - he should be in a walking cast by that point. If he doesn't feel up to it, well... screw it. I'll call the market. I'm not going to get all stressed about it. Bread, bread, bread, everyone mentions bread. I thought I had too many starches as it is. Along with mini-rolls for the ham, should I pick up some bagels, too? At first I thought no, but now I think it might be a good idea, especially to fill up the kids. What do you guys say about the granola trifle? Keep it or cut it? I must admit that this brunch is something I kind of fell into. The cousin is getting married, and we are all thrilled. She is a terrific girl who had waited a long time for Mr. Right (she is 34). Anyway, she mentioned her mom was planning an after-wedding brunch, and DH and I offered for her to host it here. The aunt has a small house and yard, and we have a great place for entertaining, so it made sense. Then, SIL and I were discussing a shower for the cousin, and it would probably be at my house. Well, I realized that since I'm going to be getting the house ready for the brunch already, why don't we just do the brunch instead of the shower? It would be loads easier on the aunt this way. Sooo, I offered the brunch. At first the bride hesitated to accept our offer because they were planning on such a large guest list. I must admit that 120 invites was more than I was expecting. However, what could I say? "Forget it, that is too many people. Your mom can do it after all!"? So I assured her it was fine, and that is how I ended up looking like such a brave woman. I am very happy to do it, I love DH's family and they have always been wonderful to me. I just wish that I had an extra half day and a little healthier budget! But hey! I've got the CF, and that is going to help a lot! Thanks again, Nicole

I'm a big casserole fan for weekend overnight company or brunch - that way nobody has to get up too early - but especially for a shower like this where you'll be very busy just in general and want as much done in advance as possible. I would serve 2 main dishes - one sweet and one savory - and whatever extras you like - your plan of fruit salad and veggie platter sounds perfect to me. Will there be a cake or do you have to decide on a dessert? I love brunch recipes and I also have a couple of nice egg dishes that require minimal last minute attention and I'll post them too, just for your info or for another occasion! Phew - who knew I had so many brunch recipes in my files! I recently made this delicious granola - and a great big bowl on a buffet next to some of that delicious Greek yogurt would be different and nice, I think. I'm sorry to say that I don't know where I got this recipe - FearlessEm maybe??? MAPLE APRICOT GRANOLA Gourmet, February 2003 Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 hr serving size Makes about 10 cups. 1/4 cup flaxseeds (1 1/4 oz) 6 cups old-fashioned oats (18 oz) 2 cups sliced almonds (8 oz) 1 cup hulled (green) pumpkin seeds (not roasted; 5 oz) 1/2 cup hulled sunflower seeds (not roasted; 2 1/2 oz) 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup vegetable oil 3/4 cup pure maple syrup 1/3 cup crystallized ginger (2 1/2 oz; optional), finely chopped 2 cups dried apricots (11 oz), finely chopped Accompaniments: plain yogurt or milk; honey or maple syrup Special equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder preparation Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind flaxseeds in coffee/spice grinder, then stir together with oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, salt, oil, and syrup in a large bowl. Spread mixture evenly in 2 large shallow baking pans (1 inch deep) and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, stirring and switching position of pans halfway through baking, until golden brown, about 30 minutes total. Cool granola completely in pans on racks, then stir in ginger (if using) and apricots. Granola can be made 1 week ahead and kept in an airtight container at cool room temperature, or frozen 1 month. (Woodie's note - I omitted flaxseeds) BAKED OMELET Whip a dozen eggs with 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup cottage cheese & 2 Tbsp minced onion. Spray/oil 9x13 dish & cover bottom with 1 cup salsa. Sprinkle over that 2 cups shredded mozz. cheese & 2 cups shredded cheddar mixed together. Pour egg mixture over that & bake at 350° til done. The recipe didn't call for it, but I mixed in some cooked, crumbled bacon with the eggs. It was yummy! Think I'll try sausage next time. CRÈME BRULEE FRENCH TOAST (Courtesy of Arthur Schwartz, WOR Radio) 1 Stick Butter 1 Cup Brown Sugar 2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup 8-10 inch round country loaf, or 1 pound French bread or 1 Challah 5 eggs 1 1/2 cups half and half 1 teaspoon Vanilla 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier 1/4 teaspoon salt 1. Melt butter, sugar and corn syrup in saucepan over moderate heat. Pour into 9 X 13 pan. 2. Slice bread into 6 slices and place on top of the sauce in the 9 X 13 pan, press together to fit. 3. Whisk together eggs, half and half, Vanilla, Grand Marnier and salt. Pour over bread. 4. Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours. 5. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes, until puffy and brown. OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE 2 lbs. package frozen Hash Brown potatoes, thawed 1/4-1/2 cup chopped onions 1 lb. cooked, crumbled sausage (breakfast or Italian style - I use Italian) or cooked bacon or ham 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 8 -10 eggs 3 cups milk S & P to taste Spray 9 X 13 dish with cooking spray. Mix potatoes and onions, salt and pepper together and place in pan. Then spread sausage on top, then cheese. Beat eggs and milk (S & P) together and pour over other ingredients in pan, cover and set in refrigerator overnight. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour at 350*. Posted by cookingrvc (My Page) on Sat, Jul 31, 04 at 15:33 Inspired by some B&B recipes, I created this for our Wednesday morning 'grotto'. It was gone in a flash. HASH BROWN QUICHE -3 Cups (approx) loose-pack, frozen hash-brown potatoes, thawed (I used Oneida Southern Style) -1 small onion, diced -1/3 C butter, melted -1 cooked ham steak, diced 8 oz. swiss cheese, grated 8 oz muenster cheese, grated 2 ¼ C Milk or cream 6 Eggs Salt Preheat oven to 425° Mix together hash browns and onion. Press into 13 x 9 baking pan Drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 25 35 minutes, until starts to brown. Reduce oven temperature to 325° Toss together ham and cheeses and place in hot crust. Mix milk, eggs, and salt and pour into hot crust. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Sue CRUMB CAKE BY SUE (from Sue/Cookingrvc) 1. Make Crumb mixture 2. Make Cake mix 3. Bake cake half way 4. Top with crumbs 5. Bake rest of the way 6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar CRUMBS 1 lb butter or margarine 2 Tsps. Vanilla 4 Cups Flour 2 Tsps. Cinnamon 1 Cup White Sugar In a large pot on the stove, melt the butter and add the vanilla and then mix in the remainder of the ingredients. Spread out with a large spoon and/or a spatula on a cookie sheet to dry out a little. Then make the cake. 1 Box of yellow cake mix. Make according to recipe on the box. Put the cake in a pan 11.5 inches by 17 inches. Bake the cake half way through the baking time (according to the package directions - this will be about 15-20 minutes). Take the crumb mixture and, using a spatula, lift it off the cookie sheet in chunks and, using your hands, crumble it up into big crumbs and put the crumbs on the cake (this will be a little messy) and continue baking until the end of the baking time. Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a rack. Wait until the cake is completely cooled and dust generously with powdered sugar. Lots of powdered sugar! Posted by: sheshebop (My Page) on Thu, Oct 21, 04 at 9:55 Want an awesome oven-cooked bacon hors deouvres? Cut your bacon into about 3 chunks per slice. Put your bacon in the oven, and press brown sugar into into it. when browned and nice looking, turn over and press more brown sugar into it. Watch second side close as it can burn. These make the most wonderful appetizers. I can practically eat a pound of them they are so good. David, Lakeguy Here is another good one from Sarah Moulton's cooking live show. Wrap bread sticks with bacon, roll in chili powder and bake on rack until bacon is crisp. They didn't last long at my party. Lori's Dream Fruit Dip 12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup confectioners sugar, unsifted 7 oz. jar marshmallow crème 1 cup sour cream 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 teaspoons almond extract (or coconut) 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons cognac (optional) (or Grand Mariner) In small bowl, with electric mixer, cream the cheese until soft and smooth. Add the sugar and beat until well blended. Add the sour cream and the rest of the ingredients. Blend just until well-combined. Cover and chill several hours before serving. ******************* Scalloped Pineapple Posted by: DanaIN (My Page) on Sat, Oct 5, 02 at 13:34 ½ cup melted butter 4 cups fresh bread cubes 3 eggs ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup white sugar ½ cup Milnot canned milk (evaporated) 20 oz. crushed pineapple in juice; do not drain cinnamon Combine bread and butter, set aside. Combine eggs, sugar and Milnot; beat with mixer. Add bread mixture and pineapple, stir well and pour into lightly greased 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake uncovered at 350° for 1 hour or until set. Posted by: cookingrvc (My Page) on Sun, Nov 7, 04 at 12:49 Had a lot of eggs in the fridge, and a fair amount of cheese, so I put together a crustless quiche in a 13x9 pan. This one was good, I must say. They key is finding the perfect ratio of eggs to cream, which I think I've nailed. As long as there are 1 1/2 cups cream (I guess you can use milk, although I haven't used it straight yet) to 4 large eggs, it is foolproof... Measurements are approximate. I just make sure that the fillings substantially fill up the baking dish before the liquids are added. Can make ahead and refrigerate. Remove from fridge and let sit for 30 minutes before heating in 200° oven for 30 minutes. Large Quiche 4 1/2 Cups cream 12 Eggs Salt & Pepper 1 lb bacon - crisp 1/3 lb ham (I had sliced, but you can get the ham slabs and cut into cubes) 1 large onion - chopped 8 oz swiss - grated 4 oz. goat cheese - crumbled 5 oz. cheedar - shredded Preheat oven to 350° Mix eggs, cream, salt, and pepper - set aside Fill baking dish with fillings. Pour egg mixture over filling. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes, or until center is set.

I love to slice up fresh fruit and stir in some orange juice to keep the apples from turning brown. If you want to use bananas, they have to be added at the last minute. Sometimes I stir in shredded coconut, but some people don't like or tolerate coconut. Bacon can be baked in a large roasting pan the day before. You can warm it up to serve it in the microwave. You can have fun with coffee if you have a few different pots to brew various flavors, or a Keurig type maker with little cups of various coffees. Offer whipped cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa powder, fancy colored sugars, sugar substitute and regular cream. Maybe even offer some Irish whiskey to make Irish coffees, yummmmm. They are just a strongly flavored brew (I use French roast) sugar, a Tablespoon or two of Irish whiskey, and a big dollop of whipped cream.

I served something similar the Sunday morning after our wedding. We invited the bride's relatives, groom's parents, the single girlfriends, one couple from my college days from far across the country, and the wedding party and their dates/spouses. We kept it smaller at the bride's request for a quiet brunch. That turned out to be a wise decision as she needed some down time. I rented 3 large round tables (the size for 10) that filled the patio. Also rented chairs and tablecloths. The groom's mother had sent us home with several rehearsal dinner centerpieces, so we used them liberally. We invited a little over 30, all of them from out of town. I set up a catered buffet in the kitchen, and as it was August, we ate on the patio. I served mimosas, quiche, bagles, croisant, fruit, juice, coffee, iced tea, cheese plate, and sausage. If I were to do it over again, I would skip the bagles and croisants and cheese as almost all of them were untouched. Definitely serve mimosas--makes it seem festive. The bridesmaids and groomsmen were all flying out that afternoon, but it seemed the older guests were driving up the coast for additional vacation. So people left as they chose with the older guests leaving soonest. The bridal party were all checked out of the hotel, so we entertained them a few hours till time for them to leave for the airport. It had turned grey, in fact the sun never came out that day, but originally the bride and groom were going to take them down to the development pool to swim and relax till departure time. But everyone just relaxed for a couple of hours in our family room and kitchen and enjoyed the time to chat about the whole wedding weekend and laugh at some of the goings on. The honeymoon departure was hours later after everyone had left, so the groom relaxed and watched a game on TV while the bride took the last chance to do some laundry and packing before they left for tropical islands. Hope this recap of our post wedding brunch helps your planning.