I love these pictures of a Sunday brunch that was featured on Canadian House and Home. You will not have to wake up at 5 in the morning to set up this stylish tabletop. Whether you have a brunch with friends or family and kids, everyone will feel welcome with a navy and white tabletop.

The egg recipe is perfect since it enables the host to cook them in one shot. I typically make eggs in ramekins but the baked eggs florentine are as easy to make. Plus who can resist a sunny and tasty citrus fruit salad.

+ photos by Michael Graydon for Canadian House and Home – January 2010 edition

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I composed this menu for people who are tired of eating roasted turkey at Thanksgiving. Instead, I favor dishes that I associate with a family dinner. This is simple menu suitable for autumn without going to the obvious pumpkins and root vegetable recipes.

+ The meal starts with a Rustic Mushroom and Cream Cheese Tart that you could serve in the living room with a nice red wine. It is the right time to catch up on what happening with everyone. Via Ginger Rose.

+ Once you move to the dining table, serve a Potato and Leek Soup with a warm rustic bread. You can try to bake a no-knead bread. Via Food Network.

+ The movie Julie and Julia certainly revived the Boeuf Bourguignon. I could not be happier since a boeuf bourguignon is an practical main dish to serve a large crowd. Via She Eat Bears.

+ Try the Green Bean Salad with Roasted Almonds and Shallot Dressing as a side dish. Via Our Chocolate Shavings.

+ For dessert, make the Toffee Apple Upside Down Cake that I saw on Inn Cuisine

More Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

If this menu does not inspire you, check out my previous Thanksgiving menu suggestions.

• Menu and inspirations for a Thanksgiving dinner party
• 2007 Thanksgiving Menu
• Thanksgiving Menu and Tabletop Ideas
• Side Dish Recipes for Thanksgiving
• Back to Basics Thanksgiving Menu

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We all looked for easy dinner recipes. Sunset magazine prepared 20 fall dinner recipes that are colorful and look tasty. My favorite ready in 30 minutes recipes are:

+ Quick Scallops with Peppers and Corn – photo by Paule Hible
+ Chicken, Bacon, and Blue-Cheese Sandwiches – photo by Leo Gong, Randy Mon
+ Chicken with Tomatoes, Apricots, and Chickpeas – photo by Iain Bagwell and food styling by Dan Becker
+ Almond-crusted Chicken – photo by Annabelle Breakey  and food styling by Dan Becker

Chick here more recipes ready in about 30 minutes on the Web site of Sunset.

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For the start of the weekend, I wish to inspire you to organize an easy get-together with your friends.  This is a time to have fun, have great conversations and laughs. You will find for each picture, the recipes on Martha’s site.

+ If you are planning a picnic style, go for the Chicken Sandwich Menu made of Heirloom Tomato Salad with Garlic Oil, Grilled Potato Slices with Salt and Vinegar and Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Mustard. Serve a Peach-and-Basil Crumbles for dessert.

+ Explore a hint of Spanish culture with the Tortilla Espanola Menu proposed a a saffron-infused potato omelet, asparagus with sherry vinegar. The meal starts with roasted piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese.

+ The Wine Mussels Menu starts with Flageolet Bean and Frisee Salad, Mussels in White Wine and Garlic served with french fries and Blueberry Upside-Down Cake for dessert

+ Opt for Mexican ingredients with Grilled Shrimp and Chorizo on Skewers for the main dish, Cabbage-and-Herb Slaw with Oranges and Grilled Corn with Cilantro Salt for the side, Tequila-Soaked Watermelon Wedges for dessert

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As you know, home cooked meals are in fashion. And there is no better way to finish a summer meal than with home made ice cream sandwiches. It is a dessert that please kids and adults. I know my husband will crave for these.

Helen, the author of the fantastic pastry blog Tartelette, makes her creations look so elegant. I imagine serving these lovely lemon ice cream sandwiches at a Sunday brunch, at a kid birthday or to conclude an alfresco dinner. They would also fit in at a garden wedding party.

You can do everything from scratch or skip one step and buy premium lemon ice cream. But take the time to bake the snickerdoodle cookies. I adore the look of these little packets of the ice cream sandwiches. To be ready for impromptu entertaining, stock an assortment of strings and make sure to always have parchment paper on hand.

You will find the recipe for her Snickerdoodle Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches at the end of her post.

Tartelette’s Photos available on Etsy

Besides food photography, she also sells her favorite still life pictures on etsy. I want to change the 5 photo series I hanged on my kitchen wall. I hope that she will add her ice cream sandwich pictures to her etsy shop.

SOURCING:
+ Snickerdoodle Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches
+ Baking 8×12 photo by Tartelette $30 USD
+ At The Flower Shop 8×12 photo by Tartelette $30 USD

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It is easy to forget that simple pleasure brings us happiness. Setting up a nice table for breakfast on the patio is one of these divine moments where you can relax and enjoy the company of your family. It only takes a few minutes to add details using craft supplies and accessories that you keep in the house. The idea is to improvise to make the breakfast feels a little bit special.

Last Saturday, my friend Nathalie asked me if I wanted to visit the Finnegan’s Market in Hudson. We went and took advantage that you can buy home made treats. I bought delicious apple strudel from Tutti Gourmet. I also bought two breads from the Ethiopian woman. I forgot to ask her card. She is a regular so you should not have trouble finding her stand if you go. Her breads are delicious.

I brought home her apple bread and her zuicchini bread. We ate them with the less sugar, more fruit jam and jelly of Treasa Kenny of We-b-jammin. I bought several kinds. I started with her Strawberry Lavender Spread. My husband opted for the Cherry Pie Jelly.

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These pancake molds should be a hit at your next family brunch or the morning after a sleepover birthday party. They may need a little practice so make sure to try them out a few times before you use them for a crowd.

Make sure to brush with oil or butter the griddle and molds. You could use a spray but I am not a fan of cooking spray. You can mix the two sets for more variety. Both cost $18 USD for a set of 3 assorted molds at Williams-Sonoma.

+ Make pancakes in the shape of a snail, a ladybug and a butterfly with Garden Creatures Pancake Molds
+ Get flapjacks shaped like monkey, lion and elephant faces with the Jungle Pancake Molds
+ Delight them with Caterpillar Cakelet Pan & Decorating Kit $36 for the cakelet pan, $16 for the decorating kit

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Whenever you do a picnic or an other event when you wish to add a vintage vibe, you are that wooden utensils will set the right tone. The beautifully crafted wooden utensils of Paper+Cup are available at Anthropologie. Think of reusing the red and white strings on your party accessories.

If you wish a custom message for your event, order directly from Paper+Cup. You need to order a minimum of 50 pieces. It starts at $87.50 USD.

If you are aware of this fact, Anthropologie opened two weeks ago their first Canadian store in Toronto. Lucky Torontorians! For the rest of us in Canada, we can still rely on Anthropologie’s online shopping.

SOURCING:
+ Wooden Ice Cream Scoops $14.95 USD for 24
+ Wooden Utensils for 8 $22.09 USD for 8 knife, fork and spoon settings
+ Canadian store is located at Shops at Don Mills 1090 Don Mills Rd. (at Lawrence Blvd)
+ Find directions to an Anthropologie store near you

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When I did earlier my series on Habitat, the small fishing boat scene cut my eyes. It taught it would be great for pirate theme party for kid.

A few days after, my nephew had his birthday. My sister in law M. made the party around a pirate theme. Then, I started working on my board.

Temporary tattoos are easy to find at toy store. M. got her pirate tattoo kits at Toys R Us. Kids and adults like the idea. Most people put more than one. The tattoo was our entrance ticket if we want to go swimming. All guys grab the skull heads; so make sure to stock well.

Every party starts with the invitations. If you can, try to send the invitations by mail. I found these coaster shape invites at Aliroo, a UK stationary company. Their designs are very cool. The invites are printed on genuine 94mm diameter coaster stock. They are sold in set of 8 invitations with matching envelops. Aliroo carries a vast selection of grown up invitations; check out their entire selection for inspiration.

My board was designed for 2 age groups of small kids. Most of time, kids of different ages will attend the same birthday party so it is best to be prepared for more than one age group.

For the younger kids, I suggest a soft air-filled pirate boat. I select the Pirate Ship Play Center by Little Tikes (only $39.99 CAD at Toys R Us); it is well-priced and it looks fun for kids. The idea is to create a scenario behind your party theme. I decide that the youngest will be the pirates and the rest of the kids will play the shipwrecked people.

For the other kids, creating a realistic wrecked lifeboat required a few easy steps. Start with a little fishing boat. Make sure to include a buoy with a cord. If you can find one or if you do not mind the extra expense, a broken oar seems more realistic. Maybe, you can try a marine boat shop or a marina to see if they do not have a broken one to spare.

Any handyman should be able to secure a pole to the lifeboat. Hang on the pole a bed sheet sail or a white canvas on which you draw a watercolor or better yet, a wash down pattern. Draw something else than a pirate inspired sketch on the lifeboat sail. You can simply write down Help! on the sheet.

For a theatrical effect, try to rest the wrecked lifeboat near the sandbox or create a beach spot with sand. Putting a large rock or a large damp stump creates a dramatic set up.

My lifeboat inspiration was taken from 2007 summer mini-catalogue of the UK store Habitat. They use BEAM kid bed linen, £39 a single set. Instead of a triangular flag, Habitat stylist team hangs FASHION Monster by Christian Lacroix, the fashionista will be impressed.

You can put on the top any stuffed teddy bear or plush monkey that you like. The patched textile of the FASHION Monster reaffirms the idea of a wrecked ship. It is something to keep in mind.

Update: Fabric stuffed animals are the latest trend according to Nesting blog: Inside Cookie. Why not put a stuffed on top of your sail? And your kid will thank for this gift. I like Reddy sold for $29.95 USD or Ollie the dotted owl at $39.95. Both are available at Orange Button. The orange and aqua Zeke the Alien Giraffe from the neverenoughhours shop at etsy is just adorable. You may want to review all her collection before making your choice but be warned that it can complicate the selection process.

The parrot is a must for a pirate theme. This place is a Zoo sells realistic stuff animals, a lot are jungle animals. I select the Realistic Blue Parrot, an affordable option at $24 USD.

FISHING from Habitat and even HELLE, a rubber kid swinging loop, are fun outdoor kid toys. The 12-inch high treasure chest pinata is from Plum Party. I also spot a set of 6 child’s felt pirate hat for $24 USD at Plum Party.

The pirate Bandana and the pirate Telescope come from the Amazon.com Web site. Some pirates can wear a red bandana or a plain black bandana. Give to the wrecked team tropical patterned bandanas but make sure to mix and match the look and style to be more authentic.

Finally, I want to point out this adorable homemade pirate ship cake that I found on flickr. One thing that I particularly like about this cake is the realistic sail. The writing and the burned spot are well executed. I salute the appropriate choice of the character font.

This homemade birthday cake was made by the parents for the third anniversary of a boy named Kade. It shows that with a little bit of imagination and skills, you can make a more interesting kid birthday cake than the typical models from the big chain stores. Kyleroth shares more details about the pirate cake on flickr.

I think you got enough stuff to start thinking about your pirate theme for a kid birthday party.

Sourcing:
Buy online: Coaster-style pirate invitation cards and matching envelops at Aliroo
Buy online: Pirate Ship Play Center by Little Tikes at Toys R Us
Buy online: BEAM Kid bed linen, FASHION Monster and FISHING toy at Habitat
Buy online: Treasure chest pinata at Plum Party
Buy online: Child’s felt pirate hat at Plum Party
Buy online: Pirate Bandana and Pirate Telescope at Amazon.com
Buy online: Realistic Blue Parrot at This Place is a Zoo
More cake photos: Pirate ship cake in kyleroth’s photostream on flickr
Read more: Trend Watch: Fabric Stuffed Animals on Nesting blog: Inside Cookie

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