Spring Brunch and Baked French Toast

Hello, fellow foodies and tablescapers! Recently, I invited a few friends over for a spring brunch. Initially, I had everything set up in my dining room, but the weather was so beautiful that I had to move it out to the front porch.
The flowers were blooming and the birds were singing. We even had our annual pair of robins building their nest at one corner of the porch.
Each guest had a small terracotta pot of verbena to take home as a keepsake.





I purchased these pewter bunny napkin rings from a yard sale. I'm so glad to finally use them.


Our brunch menu consisted of a ham and potato casserole, quiche, polish sausages, baked blueberry and pecan french toast, sliced tomatoes, fresh fruit, coffee, tea, and orange juice. Yes, we were a hungry crowd!
I'll be sharing the recipe for the baked french toast at the end of this post.

It was a lovely morning filled with food, friends, fellowship, and the beauty of a perfect spring day.

Thank you for stopping by for brunch! Please make sure to visit our gracious hostesses, Susan @ BNOTP for Tablescape Thursday and Michael @ Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday participants.

I hope you give the baked french toast a try, it's a winner recipe!

Till next time,




Baked French Toast with Blueberries and Pecans

Ingredients

• 12 slices of day-old French bread cut into 1 1/2 inch thickness
  
• 5 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

1. Arrange bread in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. You may have to squeeze them in tight or use a larger pan. Deeper lasagna pans work well. In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, 3/4 cup brown sugar, vanilla and nutmeg; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. *Note: I've also used Splenda brand brown sugar if you're watching your sugar intake. Just follow Splenda directions (use 1/2 the amount of Splenda)
   
2. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle pecans over egg mixture. Combine butter and remaining sugar; drizzle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with blueberries. Bake 10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Bible Study Tea

Hello, dear bloggers! Today is my first time joining Lady Katherine's Tea Time Tuesday and Terri @ Artful Affirmations Tea Time Tuesday with Friends. What a great way to meet fellow tea aficionados in blogland! I am blessed to belong to a Ladies' Bible Study Tea Group started by a good friend of mine. Each month we take turns hosting the Bible study and tea in our homes. This was at my home a few months back. I have since hosted again and will share that tea with you next week.







These swan cream puffs, mini tarts, and cake were purchased from a local bakery.



I did, however, make the scones, mock devonshire cream, and an assortment of cookies.






Thank you for stopping by. You're always welcome to the Lace and Ivy Cottage for a cream tea!



Till next time,

Tablescapers Anonymous

Hi, my name is Lorna and I'm a dishaholic. Yes folks, it's Tablescape Thursday again and time to show our support for fellow tablescapers around blogland.

I've had a setback, friends. My habit with tablescaping has escaped the confines of my own home and I've taken it to a whole new level. No, not my front porch, or even my back porch, but about 10 miles from my own haven to my friend's lovely home!

Oh, for shame! Her husband greeted me at the door with raised eyebrows as I stood there with a box of the goods in hand! Am I actually pushing the habit to an unsuspecting friend?
You bet I am!
It was actually her 5oth birthday, and I wanted to do something out of the ordinary for her. So what to do? Give her a tablescape, of course, and it was a surprise to boot!
It didn't take much to set an attractive table. She already has such beautiful furnishings and accessories.

I used some of her Christmas ornaments, candles, and a tiered serving dish to accessorize. I even used her silverware that was a wedding gift over 20 years ago. I think this may have been the first time it's been out of the box!

She liked the brown and blue color scheme, so I bought a runner, napkins, plates, goblets, and a vase. I made the napkin rings from a spool of wired ribbon.

She was both surprised and delighted. And me? Well, I selfishly got my fix!

Thanks to Susan at BNOTP for hosting our weekly Meeting!

Till next time,

Pineapple Glazed Ham

With Easter quickly approaching, I thought I'd share with you my recipe for a glazed whole ham. It's always a crowd pleaser and quite impressive when garnished and set on a silver platter.

I always make a whole ham, but you could adjust the recipe for a half ham.

First, score the fat on a diagonal with a very sharp knife. I've also trimmed off the tough skin being careful not to remove the fat. You can see where I've done this on the right side of the ham in the above picture.

Next, pierce each diamond with a whole clove.

Bake, tented with foil, at 325 degrees for 11 to 14 minutes per pound. At the last 20-30 minutes, spoon glaze over ham and continue roasting uncovered. Continue basting ham with more glaze every 5-7 minutes until it becomes golden brown. Reserve remaining glaze and serve alongside your ham. Your family is guaranteed to love it! Happy Easter and Bon Appetit!


Pineapple Glaze

2 cups packed brown sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/2 t salt
2 cans crushed pineapple undrained or plain pineapple juice
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T mustard

Mix brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt in sucepan. Stir in crushed pineapple(undrained) or pineapple juice, lemon juice, and mustard. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.




Till next time,