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    Home » Recipes » Celebrate

    Friends Who Fête || How to Host a So Cal Inspired Brunch

    Aida Mollenkamp, Kate Ramos, and Meg van der Kruik sitting at the brunch table.
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    brunch table with flowers, sangria, strawberries, and bacon

    There are a lot of things that the fine folks of Southern California do well, but #1 on the list of foodie things that impressed this little southern transplant when I moved here was that So Cal natives have brunch figured out. They just know how to host a brunch party. To be honest, I think they might just do it better than we do it in the south! Today the Friends Who Fête girls, Aida Mollenkamp, Kate Ramos, and I are teaming up again to show you how we host a So Cal inspired brunch and I'm pretty sure you are going to want to know how to host a brunch party yourself asap, no matter where you live.

    The Eats || Brunch should be easy with lots of dishes that you can make ahead. We believe that you should have the luxury of sleeping in and still be able to leisurely pull everything together before your friends arrive and this menu does just that. While we definitely included a few savory items in our menu the bulk of it was very fruit-forward since it was inspired by all of the amazing produce that grows here in Southern California like citrus, berries, grapes, and almonds.

    Almond Ricotta & Roasted Rosemary Grape Tartines || This Mess Is Ours
    Tequila Brown Sugar Bacon || ¡Hola Jalapenõ!
    Pistachio Spiced Coconut Carrot Muffins || Salt & Wind
    Winter Fruit Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing and Pistachios || ¡Hola Jalapenõ!
    Spinach and Onion Quiche with Hash Brown Crust || This Mess Is Ours
    Pitcher and glasses of Blood Orange Ginger Sangria with fresh oranges, strawberries, raspberries and kumquats
    The Sips || A good brunch needs a cocktail and while mimosas's seem to be the staple boozy sip for most brunch settings Aida likes to swap it up by serving an unexpected white wine sangria loaded with fresh seasonal citrus like blood oranges, kumquats, and Cara Cara oranges. She also added freshly picked strawberries and raspberries from the farmer's market. You will want to also offer non-alcoholic sips at your So Cal inspired brunch like sparkling water and fresh pressed juice.
    Blood Orange Ginger Sangria || Salt & Wind
    Strawberry Lime Chia Jam with croissants, and Balsamic Blueberry Breakfast Parfaits
     Extra's for the table || While we each created a few recipes for brunch we also plated up croissants from the bakery and a few dishes from our friend's Sonja and Alex of A Couple Cook's new cookbook, Pretty Simple Cooking to celebrate their Pretty Simple Dinner Party.
    Chia Lime Jam || A Couple Cook's cookbook Pretty Simple Cooking
    Roasted Balsamic Blueberry Yogurt Parfaits || A Couple Cook's cookbook Pretty Simple Cooking
    table setting inspired by Southern California - with succulents, roses, and greenery along with a mix of new and vintage place settings.
    The Table Setting || We used an eclectic mix of new and old items to prop our So Cal brunch table along with local native plants like olive branches, eucalyptus, succulents, and roses. All in all it was a beautiful afternoon filled with good friends, delicious food, and a virtually stress free set up! There were a few of our props that are stoppable so I will link those here in case you feel like replicating the look of our brunch!
    Weck jars || Rustic Twig Cheese Knife || Large Himalayan Salt Plate as a server || Gray handmade berry bowl || Flora Poste Shibori Essex Linen Napkins || Organic Gold Rimmed Dinnerware || Juliska Petal Pink Tumbler || Isabella Martini Pitcher
    Want to be a part of our online community outside of the blog? It’s easy!! All you have to do is follow @THISMESSISOURS on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, or PINTEREST to see cooking demos and peeks into our day to day life.

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    « Almond Ricotta & Roasted Rosemary Grape Tartines
    Spinach and Onion Quiche with Hash Brown Crust »

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    1. Linda in Asheville says

      November 07, 2018 at 7:17 pm

      I am truly & instantly, deeply in love with your website & info. Many thanks.

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    About Meg

    Individual Strawberry Crisps

    Life can get pretty complicated, especially around dinner time. Whether you’ve got picky eaters, or bonafide allergy concerns, we’ve got some inspiration that’ll get you excited to bring all of those wants, needs and like-to-have’s around your family table. I’ve put together a couple of quick articles and guides to help you get started on your journey, or maybe just to help you get to know us a little better. So dig in and see what we’re all about. Just don’t judge – because we’re a total mess! More About Us

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