Mom's Birthday Brunch

This weekend was my mom's birthday! She is a really awesome person, and deserving of a wonderful birthday party! Family schedules had us settling on a Sunday brunch, which we hosted here at our house. That makes for a happy me... I love to cook for happy eaters.

Here's the whole spread - Polenta with Butternut Squash and Fresh Corn, Fat Free Vegan's Pineapple Coffee Cake, FFV's mini crustless tofu quiches, a big bowl of strawberries, raisin nut rye bread from our local bakery, homemade crepes with jam or maple syrup, fresh apple slices, OJ & sparkling water. YUM! What a feast.

Here are the mini quiches. Oh YUM. They're so good. I also added some rehydrated sundried tomatoes. You can see that there is one missing already - I think my grandma snagged one before I could take the pick! I had all the food put out - and ready to photograph - when my batteries died. Ugh. So, Musty grabbed me his little camera, which did the trick (even if the photos are a bit dark and uninspired). It's hard to take nice pictures when the whole family is holding their plates and breathing down your camera lens! ha ha.

I really like this dish, I've blogged about it once, long before... (there's a recipe there too) It's polenta with butternut squash puree, sauteed onions with a little Marsala wine, and fresh corn kernals. Mmmm. It's a nice combination of flavors.

Here's a substandard photo of an amazing recipe: Susan V's Pineapple Coffee Cake. Back when she very first blogged this recipe, it caught my eye & I haven't forgotten it. I finally got around to making it - and I definitely won't wait so long again. It's really an easy and delicious treat.

Here's my plate (at least the first time around- hee hee) - a crepe filled with apricot jam, a couple of mini quiches, a slice of bread, some polenta and berries.

I think the crepes were the big hit of the party, although everything was polished off! I basically use Isa's Savory Crepe recipe from VWAV, except I've taken it down from 1 tsp of salt to 1/4 tsp. Everyone at the party loved these babies & many people had seconds! They're easy to make ahead and keep warm in a big stack. I love crepes so much, it is a bit weird. Even my dad, who was originally overcome with fear at the mere mention of vegan food, loved these babies and asked for seconds. YEAH - a vegan victory!

Here's everyone, chowing down! It was an exceptionally beautiful and sunny day - which made the brunch feel all the more perfect. My mom had a bit of a cold, but I think she had a great birthday party. I love you Mom! :)

For dinner that night, I had some leftover of the polenta, with beans & salsa, a big mess of steamed spinach, and leftover slice of bell pepper. mmmm.