Well, here we are right in the thick of celebrations!! Graduations are over and now we are having bridal showers, baby showers, birthday parties and everything else in between.
Friends ask me quite frequently how I keep up with everything and honestly, the answer is THIS:
KEEP IT SWEET AND SIMPLE, SWEETIE!!
That means, delegate things out, keep paper products on hand...and there is nothing wrong with the dollar store. :}
Those days of doing everything by myself are way over and doing things up ahead of time will save you time, energy and looking like those stress pencils from the 70's!!
I will be the first to admit that I rely on my freezer space BIG TIME. If things are sealed well, it will save you a trip to the bakery or the grocery store on "the day of".
For this bridal shower, I skipped the decorations and kept it super sweet and simple. The bride and groom were planning on honeymooning in France, so I decided to use the tablecloth I had along with my FRENCH hydrangeas...and candles, of course. That was it. No streamers, balloons, and other spendy things that usually get tossed after a party.
I had a frame for the bride and the groom's engagement picture that was a gift and a sign that was also a gift...but I am telling you it was so relaxed and FUN!
Keeping the Brunch easy peasy was the BEST!!
I bought the bagels fresh earlier in the week and cut them into quarters, wrapped them in individual cello bags, tied them with a string, put them all in a bag and froze them. It does take a bit of time, but it beats dried out bread, and as mentioned before, there is no running to the bakery that day. It's a win.win. The leftovers have been great for grab and go this week.
For the condiments, I put out a large block of cream cheese early in the morning so it would soften. COLD CREAM CHEESE is impossible to spread and doesn't taste good, in my opinion.
For the condiments:
I had everything washed, chilled and ready to go on the tray which saved tons of time. Purchasing prepared jars of things saves time, too. It took minutes to arrange on the platter.
This is what I included:
red onion
green olives
fresh chives, chopped on the side and on the platter for the "pretty factor"
red leaf lettuce for decoration and as a healthy addition
thinly sliced cucumbers
radishes
sliced Provolone cheese
sliced Swiss cheese
sliced cheddar cheese
thinly sliced tomatoes
capers
roasted red and yellow peppers
fresh rosemary sprigs
avocado slices...which I forgot to put out
So, if you are wanting to host an easy celebration, this is definitely a fun way to brunch...it is also a great thing to take as a meal for someone in need...or a morning picnic at the beach.
Have a very HAPPY 4th of July!!
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