I discovered the incredible joys of brunch when I started dating my husband. It is his favorite thing to do on the weekends, and his family celebrates most of their special occasions with big, wonderful brunches. There is nothing like lingering over your third cup of coffee, (or Bloody Mary!) stuffed with delicious warm pastries or savory eggs and bagels with lox.

Similar to throwing a lunch, a breakfast or brunch is a great, no-pressure way to invite friends over for great food. Don’t feel limited to preparing standard “breakfast food”. I love to make a chilled tomato gazpacho in the summer, or a savory bread in the spring. Use your imagination, and just go with what sounds good., and doesn’t take too much time the day of. One of the hardest things is to serve eggs without being a slave to the stove. Solutions like fritatta, quiches and other baked dishes are a definite short cut.

The table setting for this brunch was super easy. I just used simple, rustic white ceramics, and threw some splashes of color in with the coffee cups and a small arrangement of yellow daffodils.

My best advice is to do what you can to prepare the night before. My other tip would be that no matter what, make sure you have lots of fresh, hot coffee! When all is said and done, you want to focus your energy where you want it – on friends and family.