Happy Sunday! Hope your’e having a relaxing weekend. Today I’d like to share with you pics of a wonderful brunch we had last Sunday with our good friends Jo and Oliver.

New Year’s Brunch

I don’t know how or why, but coincidentally we always somehow manage to meet our friends Jo and Oliver at the beginning of the New Year. Sometimes it’s on January 1st, sometimes in the second week, or the third week, but most always it’s in the new year.

We do meet at other times, but somehow we always manage to see each other in the New Year as well. And every new year tea, brunch or dinner is as special and entertaining as all our previous gatherings. Getting together with Jo and Oliver is always a fun time.

Relaxing January Afternoon

This new year we met at our place and had a relaxing brunch with.good food, good friends, lots of conversation and lots of laughter. Here is a look at our New Year’s brunch with friends Jo and Oliver.

Our Menu

I decided to keep our menu on the lighter side. I mean, it’s the start of a new year and we’re all trying to eat healthier. I asked Oliver to bring an egg dish like a quiche or a strata which is a savory egg based bread pudding. Oliver brought a delicious strata with spinach, onions, artichokes, gruyere and fontina. It was scrumptious!

I made a very healthy soup with green peas, zucchini, asparagus, broccoli and potato. It was creamy and delicious with just a touch of white cheddar.

I also made a salad with Italian dressing.

For dessert I decided to keep it simple and made one of my top recipes on my blog – Fresh apple ginger cake. I served it with berries and whipped cream – yumm!!

Light, Healthy, Delicious No Fuss Brunch Menu

Really can’t tell you what an awesome menu this is. Not only is it light and healthy, it’s all really delicious. The best part of this menu is that I made my soup the night before and just warmed it for brunch. The cake I made the night before too. It tastes much better the next day after it has had time to sit and absorb all the fresh ginger and apple flavors. Even Oliver’s strata tastes better when you prep itthe night before. This gives the bread time to soak in the milk and egg mixture, then right before brunch all you do is bake.

New Year’s Brunch Menu

Salad with tomatoes, onions and Shaved Parmesan with Italian dressing
Green pea, asparagus, zucchini, broccoli potato soup
Spinach, onion, artichoke, gruyere and fontina strata – made by Oliver
Fresh apple ginger cake with whipped cream and berries
Coffee

Brunch at the dining table. Why not? 😃

Lets eat 😋

Dessert time!

Coffee and Conversation 😄😄

Last minute pics before heading home 😘

Recipes

Oliver’s strata also called savory bread pudding was outstanding! So too was my soup and fresh apple ginger cake – if I do so myself LOL. Oliver shared the strata recipe with this feedback “Here’s the base recipe – you can add all sorts of things to the filling (I added marinated artichokes) and use any kind of bread made primarily with white flour.” The recipe is from smittenkitchen. Recipe for my soup coming soon. Fresh apple ginger cake recipe is below.

Have a relaxing Sunday everyone!