How to host a perfect brunch.

Recently, my friend L. just moved into her own place, and decided graciously to host a brunch. And it was phenomenal. Which got me thinking...

What makes a perfect brunch?

If you are too bored and dying to show off your home, here are some tips for you to consider:

1) Create a relaxing, inviting space.

Which means, no messy magazines on the table, no loud TV on, no foul smells in the toilet. Take the time to create an experience. Turn on the a/c to mute out the noise and to eliminate the crazy hot weather these days. Light a scented candle in your bathroom. Tidy up your living space. Light some more candles. Put on some relaxing music like jazz or some indie pop. Create a space that people would want to stay in.

2) Start off with a fruity concoction.

Ever wanted to be a bartender? You can show off your skills by making a simple sangria (aka cutting up fruits into little blocks and putting them in red or white wine) or something like a mixture of your favorite fruit juices with champagne. It really sets the mood for a party setting.

3) Set your table right.

The table setting adds to the whole experience. L.'s new pad is essentially all shades of purple, so she chose purple napkins and some animal prints to do a nice contrast. Elegant yet sassy (which is essentially what she is). Show your personality in the decorations!

4) Divide your brunch into courses.

For several reasons: You don't want all your food out at the same time. They will get cold and compete with each other for attention. If you divide them into three courses (which was exactly what L. did), it seems less of a food messtival and more of an experience. Plus, you get to focus on each course a little bit more, and to pace yourself as well.

First course: Homemade caprese salad, salmon rillette and toasted croissants. Everything was so yummy, and nothing like a warm croissant!

Second course: The savorys. Scrambled eggs with chives and herbs, and sausages in a home-made tomato sauce. Yummy!

5) Finish off with sweet pancakes.

I used to eat pancakes as the first course, then move on to savory items (okok I eat a lot), but I noticed that after the sweets, I'm often too full to enjoy the savory stuff. There's a reason why desserts are served last eh? After being stuffed with all the good salty stuff, there's nothing like a well-sized pancake to wash it down.

6) And... a bloody mary...or five.

The nutritional values and therapeutic values of bloody marys after a hangover has been more than aptly advertised. Hair of the dog you may say, but tomato juice is packed full with vitamins and good stuff, so says livestrong.com (http://www.livestrong.com/article/58091-tomato-juice-nutrition-information/) and after a full meal, the acidity is great for digestion.

Make sure you do it right though, which means, with the lemon and the celery and all the good stuff. Google "bloody mary" if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

7) If your friends are up for it, enforce a dress code!

There's always something really fun about a dress code. It makes pictures look better, and when people dress up, they look forward to the event more. And also, let's not forget the sense of belonging when people have something in common. L. didn't enforce a dress code, but everyone showed up in sunny dresses and the guys showed up in plaids and white pants (well, one of them).

So it still looks pretty good. :)

Or you can just be so in-sync, you just generally dress the same.

Oh, and last but not least...

8) Don't scrimp on the ingredients.

People can tell good ingredients from bad. Even for a non-foodie. They can't put a finger to it but they will know that it is good quality food. Same goes for the liquor. I get virtually no hangover with good liquor, but give me a smirnoff and I'm dying the next day. Essential for fond memories (good alcohol, not the bad)!

And be attentive at all times. Especially when people are running low on their drinks. L. was VERY good about that. Lol.

Hope that helps!

xoxo,
Keira