We hosted our 3rd Annual Cox-Fitz Egghunt & Brunch this year!
Like the wreath? So did about 7 people at the Farmer’s Market. I think they assumed it was artisanally made or somethin’ because they kept asking me where I bought it.
TJMaxx. That’s where I bought it. HAHAHAA!!!
This is our third year having a yard and our third year hosting Easter. The kids were barely ambulatory when we started this so I’ve had to adjust every year. It’s really the most fun holiday for me, a non-religious person. I love it because:
a. It’s warm & sunny out.
b. You can decorate in pastels without receiving too much criticism.
c. Little girls in pastel dresses are soooooo cute no matter how anti-princess I am.
d. There are flowers everywhere.
e. The kids have a ball!
On Saturday night I was up till 2:00AM cooking & prepping. I woke up at 5:30AM (thanks a LOT, Bea!) and decided to stay up and let everyone else sleep. Around 6 I heard some tiny footsteps and an “Ohhhhhh WOW!!!!”
She had that bunny unwrapped and an ear bitten off quicker than I could say “April Valley.”
Then Bea woke up.
I distinctly heard Maddie exclaim, “This is REALLY GOOD!” while she looked through her basket.
Pure joy!
These pix were all taken with my phone and are a tad blurry. But still capture that golden halo of baby hair.
Meanwhile, I was cooking!
The Menu:
1. Sunshine Dazzler
2. Orange juice
3. Coffee
4. Cheese Grits
5. Summer Vegetable Torta (gluten free)
6. Coffee cake
7. Asparagus gruyere puff pastry (forgot to make until half the guest were gone & I’d had too many Sunshine Dazzlers.)
8. Fruit Salad (two kinds)
9. Lemon-Blueberry scones (scrapped these as I decided to have fun instead of keep cooking!)
10. Earth Wind & Fire Salad
Brooke brought cupcakes & Lyn brought some brussel sprout/walnut salad. YUM!!
This torta was really pretty and amazing!!! It’s gluten-free as well (not that I’m on a gluten free diet but just thought you’d be interested…) Here’s a link to the recipe.
These roasted potatoes look better than they were. I made some EXCELLENT ones this past week that were part of a broccoli gribiche recipe, soon to be shared. So if you come over again & see these, they’ll be WAY better!!
The kids’ fruit salad.
The adults’ Kir Royale Fruit Salad.
I quartered these for the Sunshine Dazzler cocktail. Love those blood oranges!!! Btw: I somehow neglected to take pix of the Sunshine Dazzler AND the Earth Wind & Fire Salad again. I got busy.
Suffice it to say, the Sunshine Dazzler
(photo from blog.teroforma.com)
is a VERY easy, excellent brunch beverage. It totally beats a screwdriver or a mimosa in my opinion. Though it actually is a sort of combined mimosa/screwdriver with some mango juice. And you can make a big pitcher of it and just let guests get their own ice. YUM! Very pretty with sliced citrus floating on top.
Here’s the table in the early morning – still missing a few dishes but you can see the Earth, Wind & Fire Salad, the Sunshine Dazzler is in the glass pitcher way in the back and there was the most excellent coffee cake in the world under the foil. However, I made that around 1AM and I totally forgot a minor ingredient, baking powder. So I had to add it late and it was too late. Enough said, this wasn’t the best coffee cake in the world but here is the link to the BEST Coffee Cake in the WORLD.
Oh, there are the cheese grits too.
Lovely Lyn & Maddie pre-egghunt.
Guests melting in the hot driveway as the backyard was still verboten at this time.
LET THE EGGHUNT BEGIN!!
Bea’s first “walking” egg hunt. Lyn served as her butler.
Ava:
Frog Pillow oversaw the hunt:
This egg was empty.
I really don’t think I look like Mama Cass in real life. Or do I?
M’s basket at the end of the hunt. She is so non-competitive.
We only have good-looking friends.
Love. My own children don’t hug me this much.
My friend made these adorable cupcakes with rainbows & clouds on top. Email me if you want the “how to” and I’ll get it for you. I think the rainbow is some candy and the clouds are white frosting. Soooo cute!!!
We had so much fun and loved having our friends over!
