Hair of the Dog

Happy New Year!

I love having a house full of people.  Today was our annual Hair of the Dog New Year's Day brunch, and the house was filled with family and friends - the perfect way to start off 2011!  I started prepping last night with 2 Eating Well recipes that could sit in the fridge overnight.  So yummm!

The first was Baked Apple-Cinnamon French Toast.  So delish - my cousin is adding it to her brunch menus, too!

The second was Arugula & Chicken Sausage Bread Pudding.  This was my favorite...  I used a maple apple chicken sausage from Trader Joes, which is my top choice flavor for chicken sausage.  It added just the touch of sweetness to the dish.

 Whatever the contents...leaving clear instructions on the item itself for morning prep is VERY important :)  That way, anyone who has a free second can do it!

I will say, with a house full of people, its hard to take as many photos as I'd like!  So I only captured early bits of the brunch today...but they were good bits!

 Katie and Mike starting with coffee...smart move.  Very smart move...

Same with Mary Beth and Sean...

 My cousin's wife, Coleen, totally showed up the Perfectionista with her spread...organic to boot.  

And seriously - check out the mini trees! 

Other items on today's table included my "Blueberry Breakfast Cookies" or scones, Beppo's Shrimp Scampi and his latkes...oh my, the latkes..., Sean's Apple Cake, veggies, dips, fruit salad a la Mary Beth, bagels and lox, Nonna's stuffed mushrooms, yogurt and granola, and more.  

I didn't get a picture of the whole spread...including Allyson's Christmas Tree O' Cupcakes and Larry's brioche!!!  Both of which, by the way, were favorites!  But...that means it was good enough for everyone to dig in right away...right?

I am looking forward to many more full houses this year!  

What should the next occasion be?