Need ideas for a ladies' brunch at church

[mom2angels]

Okay, I need some ideas for both decorating and something to take. On Jan. 28, my Sunday School class is hosting a brunch for the senior adult ladies class at our church. When the list was passed to me, no one had signed up to decorate, which I love to do, so I volunteered for that, and to bring a dish. I'd really like some suggestions on table centerpieces, colors, etc. for a January brunch. Can't do Christmas, can't do Spring, really want to not go with Valentines, not that early. I've got lots of silver, china, etc.

Also, can you share some recipes that might be good to take? They listed muffins, fruit, bagels, etc. as choices, but I'm the type of person who wants to do something different. Anything at all would be a great help!


Thanks, everyone!

Elizabeth

[Dandelion]

Elizabeth,

Brenda, Roses and I have been discussing gardening and most specifically herbs. Maybe you could do a gardening catalog theme. We are all going through them dreaming of summer.

You could offer herb tea or mulled cider. Egg dishes are fabulous with fresh or dried herbs. May be you could have someone making Omelets to order.

Place potporri on the tables for centerpieces. Maybe use seed packets to decorate. Small plants or flowering house plants. Offer door prizes of gardening tools, gloves or seeds. You could have a lot of fun with it. Good Luck!

Dandelion

[Roses]

I think the Herb theme is wonderful! If you don't have any on hand, most flower shops, and some green houses will sell dried herbs. They would look pretty on the tables in just about any kind of arrangement.The Pottporri is really nice also. I did something along the same line once for a womens meeting. At every place setting we made little bags of pottporri out of tulle and ribbon. Then all the ladies had something to take home that night. We also used candles on the tables. It was a really nice effect.
Or if you wanted something fun, you could do a snowmen/winter theme. You could buy small mittens. At each place setting put a mitten with the silverware in it. Then take felt strips, cut the ends to look like a frayed scarf, and tie or hot glue them around mugs and serve flavored coffee, mulled cider,hot cocoa, or spiced tea. Put blue cloths on the table, or just put a runner down the middle. You could buy tulle or fabric pretty cheap and just cut it in narrow strips. Then run fake snow, or snowflake confetti down the middle of it. You could then add little snowmen, pine, and cardinals. You can buy all of these things at a craft store. I just bought little cardinals a few weeks ago and they were reasonable. You could make up little tulle bags of birdseed for each lady. And for the door prize either a snowman, or birdhouse.
Something different.
Fruit With Yogurt Dip Yield: 1 cup
1 carton <8oz> vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice.
In a small bowl, combine yogurt, brown sugar and lemon juice. Serve with seasonal fruit.

[CulinaryJen]

You could make French Toast...with a twist. Like add some OJ and orange zest to the custard before placing the bread in there. Oranges are in season now, so that would make it a traditional dish with a seasonal twist.

Or you could make cranberry-orange scones. Again, those two fruits are in season...I have a recipe if you are interested.

Decorations? Unfortunately, that gift skipped me in my family! I got the cooking gene. I do like the gardening idea. And TRYING to help out, despite my lack of creativity, you could make a winter theme...decorate with snowflake decorations...I keep thinking icicles but I have no idea how you would find a decoration such as that! You could use the colors silver and white as those are wintery type colors.

[Brenda]

Oh my, I have TONS of brunch recipes!

Try http://seedsofknowledge.com/brunch.html

And I think at the end of that one I link to the
other ones.


Sure you can't do Valentine's type theme,
but make it more of God's love and our
love for each other rather than romantic
love?

Of course I love the herb ideas too!

[mom2angels]

I love the gardening theme, and the winter theme also. There are three other ladies who are in charge of the program for the brunch. I'm going to get with them to make sure that what I'm doing won't conflict, and then check on tableclothes, dishes, etc. and see what I can come up with. The ideas are wonderful! By the way, Brenda, your brunch menu was what brought me here, so even if our brunch is a bust, it's been wonderful already because I found The Parlor. Thank you all for your suggestions!

Elizabeth