Paris Brunch

 

Paris Brunch

If you follow this blog, you know that I love all things Paris.

Here is a link to our Paris guest room bed and bath - 

We'll Always Have PARIS

Friends will be visiting Paris for the first time soon and wanted to get together to talk about our experiences...the metro, restaurants, and such.  We invited them for brunch and I decided to make it Paris themed.

I used a mirror from Dollar Tree as a base for the centerpiece, added some faux roses that I have had forever, some candles ( rechargeable and I love them!) and an Eiffel Tower cookie cutter.

The chargers are several years old, from Ross...and they are a deep cobalt blue.  They look very blue on a white table cloth, but I wanted to use these placemats to match the roses.  The china is our wedding china, as well as the flatware.

The napkins had a floral pattern and the colors worked.  I usually put the napkins folded like this in wine glasses, but since I was setting up a mimosa bar, I thought this worked and looked cute!

Water glasses were a wedding gift...and I love them.  One broke over the years, but I still have seven...and am trying to figure out how to remove that fog from the glasses.  Yes, I put them in the dishwasher over the past 47 years, but I did not realize this would happen.  

Once I have ice, water, and lemon in the glasses you don't notice the fogging...but I wish I could get rid of it.   I have tried Barkeeper's Friend, Magic Erasers, vinegar and baking soda....nothing works.  If you have had this problem and know of a trick, please leave a comment!

A mimosa bar - and I found some great Parisian cocktail napkins, also at Ross.

The menu - and I forgot to take photos of it all - was French Toast (of course!), Spinach/Artichoke Quiche, Bacon, and Fruit Salad.  Because of the bready French Toast I did not serve muffins or scones.  I did put out some Archway Lemon Cookies - they are light and yummy - as well as some Peanut M&Ms and mints.

Here is the recipe for the French Toast that I make all the time...

This is the French Toast before I popped it into the oven.  I forgot to take photos of the process, but it is SUPER easy.

I have the recipe for years...in 1973 there was  book called 

The Total Woman. It was a "how to be a good wife" book and it was a hoot to read.  But...the author, Maribel Morgan, wrote another called The Total Woman Cookbook in 1980.  I was working in a library at the time and saw the book...and this recipe.  Been making it ever since!

French Toast Casserole  Serves 6  to 8
1 loaf of French or Italian bread
8 large eggs
3 cups milk ( I use milk and that sugar free sweet Italian creamer)
4 teaspoons of sugar ( when I use the creamer I do not use sugar)
3/4 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces
Cinnamon
Grease a 13x9 pan.  Cut bread into 1 inch thick pieces and arrange in one layer on bottom of pan.  I cut as many as I can and try to squeeze them in without squeezing too much. Beat eggs with remaining ingredients except butter and cinnamon.  Pour over bread in pan.    Dot the top of each piece with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Cover with foil and refrigerate 4 - 36 hours.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until puffy and light brown.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.   Top with hot maple syrup and serve with bacon or sausage.

We always have music playing, and for this occasion we pulled out our Paris CDs.  It added such a nice touch to the day !

I even tried to dress Parisian....and I did not get a great photo, but I also used a RED lipstick.

We had a lovely time...and it made us want to return to Paris soon. We have other trips planned for next month and the future...but you know what Audrey Hepburn said...

"Paris is always a good idea!"

Do you like to entertain with a theme ?

Are you a dinner or brunch person when you have guests?

Have you been to Paris...what do you love ( or hate ) about the city?

Leave a comment below - and if you have a trick for fixing my water glasses please let me know.  I love reading your comments and enjoy all the blog friends I have made.

Thanks for stopping by Our New Vista!!!