One of My Favorite Photos With My Mom

This weekend is Mother’s Day, and a chance to celebrate “Mom” in your life, whether in person, via zoom, or in the spiritual sense. This year I am celebrating Mother’s Day with my Mom, and it is such a treat. So I raise a glass and toast to all the Mom’s, and you this weekend!

Here is a suggested Mother’s Day Brunch Menu I put together for you, surely to please all of those gathered for your Mother’s Day Celebration! The strata and crumb cake can be made a day ahead. Shop for your fresh fruit, juices, smoked salmon, cream cheese, balsamic glaze, and asparagus a few days before. Maybe someone in your crowd can run out for bagels Sunday morning, or for ease purchase them the day before.

“Mother’s Day Brunch Menu”

Goat Cheese, Artichoke and Smoked Ham Strata (Bon Appétit 1997)

Bagels and Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese

Grilled or Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Glaze

Fresh Seasonal Fruit Salad, Blood Orange Juice, or Tangerine Juice

Chocolate Banana Crumb Cake (Ina Garten’s cookbook, Make It Ahead 2014)

Champagne, Mimosas, or Sparkling Wine

French Roast Coffee

Mother’s Day Brunch Directions:

1) Put your pre-made strata in oven to bake for about an hour before serving.

2) Unwrap your room temperature cake and slice.

3) Wash, trim, and toss asparagus with a combination of a little extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice to coat. Add a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast at 400 degrees F. for 25 minutes or grill until soft. Drizzle with Balsamic Glaze before serving.

4) Make your fresh fruit salad, or pour glasses of desired juice.

5) Have your coffee ready to go, and champagne or sparkling wine chilled.

Don’t forget to plan ahead for fresh flowers for the table, either from your garden, or your favorite local florist. Take lots of photos, embrace the moment, and the preciousness of this very special occasion.

Make Your Table Special for Mother’s Day

Bon Appétit, Bon Weekend, and Happy Mother’s Day! ….Bonnie

Look  for all of your tucked away garden trugs,  and use them for entertaining, like this one re-purposed for a fall buffet.

A vintage garden trug, dated 1962, and purchased at a flea market a few years ago, adds "oohs" and "aahs" when guests start serving themselves to a little morning brunch. Turned upside down, and strategically placed on the table, this trug gives a special occasion dish added height, interest and character. Clipped branches of bay laurel leaves garnish the corners.

Garden trugs are traditionally a shallow basket usually made out of strips of wood, intended to hold cut flowers or fresh produce. They can be re-purposed for many uses, from garden to home.

Goat Cheese, Smoked Ham, and Artichoke Strata, Bon Appetit 1997, is the dish highlighted on the vintage trug. This recipe is supreme for any special occasion from Christmas morning to Easter Brunch. This recipe is a favorite among my garden friends, and my first introduction to it.

It requires quite a few different ingredients, and time assembling, but well worth it at the first bite. To help a hostess further,  it can be made a day ahead and chilled. For vegetarians, smoked ham can be replaced with fresh spinach.

Please share how you use your garden trugs. Please comment on your favorite trug.

VintageGardenGal Tidbit Thyme....

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Celebrating the release of Concrete Garden Projects, Timber Press is hosting a two-week long giveaway from October 11-21, 2011, where entrants can win a copy of the book, a $25 gift certificate to Home Depot, and a set of molds. Readers can enter by submitting their email address at, Concrete Garden Projects. Good luck!