Baptism Brunch

Baptism Day
 February 12, 2012

We recently celebrated our daughter's baptism and it was a wonderful day, surrounded by family and good friends.  Following the baptism service at our church, we enjoyed a lovely Sunday morning brunch at our house that gave me the chance to show off some new recipes (and include some old favorites!)

Pink roses for Charlotte and the baptism robe given by our church.

One of the things that made the brunch possible was my friend Melanie, who volunteered to be my kitchen witch for the morning.  Now, I had never heard of the term "kitchen witch" before.  Basically, it is a friend who comes over to your house and takes care of all the details of a meal which you cannot do because you are attending the event directly before (or I suppose they might also come so that you could be a part of something you were hosting). In any case, Melanie came over while we were at church to put the egg bake in the oven, slice and display all of the breads, adding the finishing touches to the table, and in this case, brought the dessert.  It was so wonderful to come home and, instead of rushing to get the meal ready, simply grab a plate and begin.  It took a lot of the stress out of the morning and I was able to really enjoy the time with my family.

To make the brunch special, I used a combination of favorites and then classed it up with a couple of what I would consider to be luxe additions. 

The Brunch Spread

Menu

Egg Casserole with Sage Sausage

Lemon Poppy Seed, Pumpkin and Banana Breads

Spinach Salad

Mixed Fruit Salad

Crab Cheesecake

Citrusy Champagne Sangria

Chocolate Truffle and Strawberry Cupcakes

Pecan Torte Coffee

Now, I don't know about you, but crab cheesecake and Champagne sangria are not "normal" brunch items at our house.  Especially considering that the cheesecake is garnished with creme fraiche and caviar, but these were fantastic additions that really added to the menu. My sister introduced me to the egg bake recipe a couple of years ago, and it has become a favorite.  It is easy to prep/make ahead and comes together very easily.

Laura's Egg & Sausage Casserole

INGREDIENTS

    * 1 pound sage pork sausage

    * 1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent roll dough

    * 10 eggs, beaten

    * 3/4 cup milk

    * 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

    * 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

    * 1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning

DIRECTIONS

   1. Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.

   2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

   3. Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with crescent roll dough, and sprinkle with crumbled sausage. In a large bowl, mix beaten eggs, mozzarella, and Cheddar. Season the mixture with oregano, and pour over the sausage and crescent rolls.

   4. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, then lower to 325 and bake for 20 more minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serves 12

One of my  favorite moments of the day was when my husband and I gave Charlotte her baptism gift. 

Putting on Charlotte's little bracelet.

I wanted to get her something pretty, special, and symbolic.  So after a lengthy Internet search I decided on a bracelet from Tiny Blessings.   I loved how it has her name on it.  The pearls represent that she is a "pearl of great worth" and the tiny jewels symbolize that she was "bought at a price."  She doesn't wear it everyday, but I think that makes it even more special.  I am also excited that the company offers resizing at a very reasonable price so that as my baby girl grows, her jewels will always fit.

All in all, it was an incredible day that I will not soon forget.  Check other these links for some of the other brunch recipes.

Crab Cheesecake
(recipe is for Lobster, but reviews recommended both crab and shrimp as well)
Citrusy Champagne Sangria
(I used raspberries for the pomegranate--our grocery store didn't have them.)
Ginger Pumpkin Bread