Tuesday Thought: Breakfast by the Barn

Cock-a-doodle-doooooooooooooooooo darlings ;-)  It's time to rise and shine!  Now that's a way to start the day, no?  Hehe.

I know, usually my Tuesday Shoesday post comes first on Tuesdays and not my Tuesday Thought...however, with a title like Breakfast by the Barn I figured this one just had to come first...no question about it like the whole chicken or the egg debate!

Anyhoo, how I would love to eat breakfast here every morning...

Such a simple and sweet breakfast table.  I adore the place mats, and the eggs.  Did you see how they used twine tied in loose knots to hold the eggs?  Fabulous idea!  And all this inspiration got me thinking...and not about a breakfast reception ;-)

So here is your Tuesday Thought for today:  Host a morning after breakfast for your guests!  I know not an original thought - but one definitely worth repeating ;-)  When I got married 11 years ago, we did this for our guests since just about every single person came from out of town.  (It was mentioned in the Elegant Bride spread posted yestereday.) It doesn't have to be anything elaborate - bagels, muffins, donuts, fruit, coffee, etc... 

But let me tell you - it was so FABULOUS spending time with our guests after the wedding.  I got to hear all about the events that I missed...like at the cigar and cognac bar...were every guy and girl just about was smoking a cigar!  Where was I? Or the fact that our caterer ran out of beer...I warned her about this...and having to make a late night run to the grocery store...in our town of 9,000, she was lucky the grocery store was still open!  And lots and lots of other stories. 

Granted, we had all the guests back to the house after the reception (I know call me crazy)...I had beer bottles along every single inch of my wrap around porch to prove it ;-)...but we were too busy still celebrating to talk about all the happenings of the day and night.  It wasn't until the next morning when we actually got to hear all the stories, and were able to relax with our guests.  The breakfast was one of the best decisions I made!  I wouldn't have wanted it any other way ;-)  And neither will you!

Just an early morning thought for you darlings.  Now...who wants a mimosa?

~ Ciao

...images via design sponge

Who Says

...you can't have an omelet bar at your wedding?

I am love, love, loving this idea my dears!  And it's perfect for a mid-morning reception. 

My omelet bar would most definitely include all that's on the list above...plus fresh salsa, cilantro and chorizo with homestyle fries on the side!  What would your omelet bar include?

~ Ciao

...photography by jill thomas

Homemade: Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

Happy Thursday my dears!  Today's 'Homemade' post is a bit different....still homemade, but this time it is homemade food.  I am sure you know by now that I am a huge fan of late night snacks at weddings (hint:  my late night snack posts that I do every so often)...so when I ran across these donuts and the recipe I thought they would make a fabulous homemade post!  Tell me these don't look yummy?

Baked cinnamon sugar donuts, yes please!  Plus, I love the fact that they are baked (in about 5-8 minutes) versus being fried.  While I have said time and time again that I am not a big sweets person, there are some things that are sweet that I love...soft and fluffy donuts being one of them.  I can't tell you the last time I actually had one, but that doesn't mean that I don't want one or two or ...

Anyhoo, I would serve the donuts with some hot chocolate, tea, lattes, or coffee...or even cute bottles of milk with a straw.  A perfect way to end the night...on a sweet note!  You can get the recipe right here for these yummy homemade treats.  Happy baking!

P.S. - There are lots of other delicious recipes on Hannah's blog,  Honey & Jam (darling name, no?), so be sure to head over and have a look-see (I am quite sure you will stay a while) at all the goodness she makes, and the fabulous pictures she takes!  Hehe...I rhymed ;-)

~ Ciao

...images and recipe via honey and jam

Late Night Snack: Mini Waffles with Butter and Honey

Okay, so by now I think you know that I am a HUGE fan of serving a late night snack to guests at weddings.  And if you didn't already know, now you do!  I mean, why send your guests home hungry?  And after a night of dancing, and one or two (or more) cocktails a late night snack is just what they need!

So how about serving up some of these as a late night snack option...

Mini waffles with butter and honey - yes please!!!  I'm sure that you guests will go home happy and full.  Such a sweet way to the end the night, no?

Have an amazing weekend my dears!  Hope you are doing something fun.  Me - I am heading to the Oakland White Elephant Sale on Saturday to see if I can score any fabulous finds.  Wish me luck ;-)  See you back here on Sunday for some sweetness.

~ Ciao

...image via mowielicious

~ homemade: bagel bar ~

Good morning my dears!  Hope your morning is off to a great start.  Mine is not to bad so far.  So this Thursday's homemade post was inspired by who I called the "Bagel Man".

Let me tell you a quick little story.  When I was in college (in a small Southern Illinois town), we used to head down to the strip (the street with all the bars on it) on Friday and Saturday nights.  Well, sometimes Thursday too.  Anyway, each night on the main corner of the strip was the Bagel Man.  Man, did we love this guy!  Even more so after a night of drinking and dancing.  He was always there with his charcoal Weber grill and an little stand that attached to the side of it with bagels for sale.  And not just any bagels - oh no - these were bagels that were thrown on the grill and topped with just about anything you could imagine.  One of my faves was a bagel with cream cheese, fresh chives, cucumber slices and sunflower seeds.  Makes me sound so healthy...not so much anymore.  To this day, I want to open a bagel cart!  What a money maker it would be - in the mornings head into the corporate area, and in the evenings to the bars.  I have even tried to talk Mr. Big into it...who knows, maybe one day I'll be on the corner selling bagels (hehe).

So this is where my inspiration came from!  While my little set up is inside, with no Weber grill in site, it still is a bagel bar.  How perfect would this be at the end of a wedding?  Or on the morning of the big day for the bridal party.  Or for an after the wedding brunch the next day...you get the picture. 

Here is a little example that I literally through together very quickly late last night.  I spent too much time on twitter yesterday and other things, that by the time I got home from dinner at Aunt Millie's last night I still had to put it together and take pictures...poor scheduling on my part.  It isn't the best, but it does get the idea across. 

I included some butter, cream cheese, lettuce, fresh veggies, basil, chives and sunflower seeds.

Of course I had to make my fave...

Looks yummy, no?

There are just so many options to top bagels with...another fave of mine is cream cheese, tomato slices and some fresh basil.

Simple and delicious!

I always like to make sure I have at least one more option when serving food, just in case someone really doesn't like bagels.   These croissants stuffed with swiss cheese and ham and spinach and bacon looked so yummy that I couldn't resist.  

And a little fresh fruit is always good.

So there you have it...

...a bagel bar!  Even though mine was quite simple, I would go bigger for a real event, and include bacon, pancetta, fresh mozarella, scramble eggs, ham, and more...and of course the bagels would be grilled!

Hope you enjoyed this Thursday's homemade post!  I wanted to let you know that since next Thursday is Thanksgiving and I will be out of town - there will not be a homemade post.  But there will one again on December 2. 

~ Ciao

...concept, design, styling & photography all by me

~ perfect pancake party ~

Happy Friday lovelies!  So if you have been following my blog for awhile now, you might remember that I was once married.  At the time I lived in a small town in Iowa (long story), and since everyone was coming from afar for the wedding and having to stay in a hotel, I decided that the morning after the wedding that I'd host a big breakfast at my house for all of the out of town guests!  I wanted to thank them for all coming to take part in my big day, and send them off with a full belly!  I think back now and ask myself:  "What were you thinking asking 50+ people to the house the following morning?"  But I have to tell you...it really was one of the best things I did!  It was so fun to have everyone together to talk about the wedding and details...things that I am sure I would have never heard about if it wasn't for the breakfast.  So you can imagine when I saw this pancake breakfast photo shoot I was head over heels in love...

Granted my day after breakfast did have some decorations...like flowers from the wedding, but what fun it would be to actually have a theme and decorate for this event!  And these decorations are so sweet in my book.

Nothing to over done here.  Simple flowers, fun colors and retro touches...all under a tree (you know how I feel about being under a tree after yesterdays post), in a park is the perfect way to thank your guests!  And how adorable are these flags in the mini pancakes...

I love the fun touches of the syrup dispenser with the pink lid!

And nothing like a pink retro radio to add to the decor.

A variety of flavored syrups, shows the attention to the details that was put into this breakfast.

Super cute, don't you think?  Granted you don't have to have all the guests (or 50+ like me).  You could have just the bridal party, and a couple of other important family members!  And if you love the idea, but don't want another task added to your list...see if a family member or one of your bridesmaids would be up to the task of setting it up (note - not paying for it).  I know that if I was ever asked, I would say:  "Absolutely!" 

P.S. - If you would like to see more pictures of this pancake breakfast click here! 

~ Ciao

...images via design*sponge