Not Lunch, Not Breakfast...

My mother is a master hostess.  Her events are expertly organized, creatively orchestrated, and not to mention have delicious food.

She had a large drop-in brunch this morning for all those in our church who will be involved in our 2010 Christmas performance – singers, instrumentalists, sound &lights people – and all their families. My dad, being the worship pastor, has been working hard on this year’s cantata and this is just their way of starting off the rehearsal season with a bang!

Check out these charming utensil wraps, as I’m calling them:

She worked hard for a few weeks on preparing all the food for the event. Here are a few:

And here is the recipe of my favorite of all of these:

Tea Sandwiches

 

1 c. diced cooked deli ham

1 hard cooked egg, finely chopped

2 T. green onions, chopped

½ c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

½ c. unsalted finely ground pecans

2/3 c. sour cream

3” small croissants, sliced in half horizontally

·         Mix together the ham, egg, green onions, cheese, and pecans.

·         Add sour cream and mix together until well blended.

·         Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving (or overnight).

·         When ready to serve, let sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes.  This makes the mixture more spreadable.

·         Fill croissants with sandwich spread and place the top of the croissant back into place.

Note: You can also use slices of white bread (cutting the edges off, filling with sandwich spread, and cut into triangles) or serve the spread with crackers, too.

And, due to popular demand, here is the punch recipe that we also served:

Banana Brunch Punch

6 medium ripe bananas

1 can (12 oz.) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 can (6 oz.) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

3 cups warm water, divided

2 cups sugar, divided

1 can (46 oz.) pineapple juice

3 bottles (2 liters each) lemon-lime soda

Orange slices, optional

In a blender or food processor, blend bananas, orange juice and lemonade until smooth.  Remove half of the mixture and set aside.  Add 1 ½ cups of warm water and 1 cup sugar to mixture in blender; blend until smooth.  Place in a large freezer container.  Repeat with remaining banana mixture, water and sugar; add to container.  Cover and freeze until solid.  One hour before serving, take punch base out of freezer.  Just before serving, place in a large punch bowl.  Add pineapple juice and soda; stir until well blended.  Garnish with orange slices if desired.