Family Brunch Success!

My brain is in vacation de-fragmentation mode, so apologies for the lack of Wholesome Wednesday. I'm back in Austin: low 90s, no rain in sight, with a happily growing garden. Much weeding was done upon my return and i'm watering in some new seeds and transplants i planted yesterday. My pansy seeds just weren't coming up, and the calendula i planted from seed was growing too slowly for my taste so i picked some transplants ($30 worth, ugh) at The Great Outdoors. At least pansies are on sale this month!

Tomorrow and Friday I'll be posting some of the recipes i cooked up for the big family brunch on Sunday. I had SUCH a great time cooking for my loved ones, especially the birthday lady (Grandma Vivian turned 90!) I'm the only daughter of an only daughter of an only daughter - so cooking up something special for my special grandma was a joy. My husband made a great soux chef, and between the two of us and the lovely help with the dishes from uncles and aunts - Sunday was a marvellous afternoon. Complete with lovely sunshine and breeze from the sea!

I tried to source as many ingredients locally as i could. I stopped at a local farm stand on Long Island for:

• broccoli
• cauliflower
• potatoes
• onions

The farm stand keeper and i shared musings over her beautiful mature broccolis and my baby just-growing broccolis back in Austin. It was a brisk day in the low 50s with quite the wind: i was glad to have some good outerwear with me: i may be a northerner by birth, but i've been living the softy life in the south for a good 6 years between Austin and Savannah. Not as hardy as i once was!

The rest of the ingredients were sourced from the local grocer- not all were local ingredients, but i tried. And i also brought garlic, tomatoes, herbs and spices from my house and garden as well as the muffin mix. No berries to be found in New York at this time so i bought frozen, but my cousin brought down a bushel of Maccoun apples (my favorite!) from upstate and a delicious sauce was greatly enjoyed from their flesh.

Recipes to follow, here are some pictures:

Fritatta with tomatoes, onions, garlic, broccoli, cheddar and herbs

Muffins, applesauce and fruit salad

How i long for local apples! Soon i'll be back north. Soon.

Me and the birthday girl.

Do you enjoy cooking for a crowd? Do you still cook from scratch or do you rely on easy, pre-prepared dishes?