When the weather starts to warm up, I feel like I am a bear coming out of her cave from a long winters nap. I don't know about you guys, but through the winter months, I am what people refer to as a "party pooper". However, the other day, the sun started shining, the birds a' singing, and a little bloom appeared on the oak tree in the front yard.

With all the excitement, I felt like I needed a little celebration, so I invited my girlfriends over and had a brunch. It was a success!

When throwing a party, it is pertinent to plan ahead!!! I had almost all the recipes prepared to simply stick in the oven, coffee was in the coffee maker ready to be turned on (like me), and all the plates/cups/serving dishes on the table. I used my Sitti's (grandmother) antique blue and gold "King Tut" china, and I always try to serve on white dishes. It makes the food pop. Always end with a nice bouquet of fresh flowers, they just make everything a little prettier!

Here are some of the recipes I served:

Hashed Browns

Ingredients
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and 1/2-inch diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons minced scallions (white and green parts)
Directions
Melt the butter in a large (10 to 12-inch) sauté pan. Add the potatoes, onions, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally with a flat spatula, until the potatoes are evenly browned and cooked through. (Allow the potatoes to cook for 5 minutes before turning.) Turn off the heat and add the parsley and scallions. Serve hot.

Sausage and Cheddar Cheese Strata

1 ½ lbs. ground breakfast sausage (12 oz. of hot, 12 oz. of regular)
4 eggs, beaten
2 ½ cups half and half
1 tsp dried sage
¾ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
6 potato bread or other soft white bread slices, crusts removed
2 Cups (6 oz.) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tbls chopped fresh chives, flat-leaf parsley, or green onion, both white and green parts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Put the sausage in the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is thoroughly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, sage, kosher salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Layer the bread in the prepared baking dish and top with sausage. Pour the egg mixture over the sausage and top with the cheese. Bake until the strata is set in the middle, about 30 minutes. Do not overcook. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with the chives just before serving.
Enjoy!

Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 half-pints fresh blueberries, picked through for stems

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 16 paper liners in muffin pans.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a cake tester comes out clean.

Fruit with Honey Yogurt Sauce

2 cups plain yogurt
2 tablespoons good honey
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean, optional
1/2 orange, juiced
1 banana, sliced
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half
1 bunch seedless green grapes, halved

Crushded walnuts for topping (optional)

Combine the yogurt, honey, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds in a bowl and set aside. Combine the orange juice and banana slices in a separate bowl. Add the berries and grapes and gently mix the fruit mixture together. Spoon the fruit into serving bowls and top with the yogurt.