Back to School Brunch for Moms

This year I hosted a Back to School Brunch for moms in my neighborhood whose kids were either entering Kindergarten or going back to school. The goal/purpose was for moms to have someplace to go after they dropped off their kiddos at school. A place to converse with other moms and eat great food. A distraction, sort-of, on that first full day. We provided babysitting in the basement  for their younger kids so they could enjoy some adult conversation. I stocked up on Kleenexes but these girls were in good spirits. I don't think we used even one!  I asked my close friends to invite some of their friends and one of them in attendance also has to eat gluten free. (Just like me!) I was thrilled to say, "Yes, you can have everything here!" And not just the fruit, or coffee.

It was a lot of fun to plan and a good time had by all.  I learned a lot and hope to do it again next year. And I know I'll need the distraction myself of planning an event when Audrey starts Kindergarten herself in two years.

The Menu: 

Yes, everything was gluten free!

Appetizers: 

Savory Cheese Truffles

Maple Sausage and Apple Bites

Beverages: 

Coffee (Regular and decaf)

Orange juice

Water

Main Course: 

Sausage, Egg and Cheese Casserole

Farmers Omelet Casserole

Coffee Cake Muffins

Pumpkin Cake Bars

Fresh Fruit

Caramel Butterscotch Cheesecake Squares

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

I quickly, and I mean, quickly, took some pictures before everyone ate. Something I always wish I spent more time doing before the event starts! Sadly, these aren't magazine quality photos, but for documenting purposes, they work.

The invitation and coordinating papers were all from The TomKat Studio.

a sample of the invitation. Obviously mine had different words!

Our cute little dainty cups with orange slices on the rim. We used wine charms on the glasses so people would know which glass was theirs. I set up tables in the family room, covered them in table cloths and had my friend Lindsay put together some flower arrangements. At one point, we did have some classical music playing.

the cupcake toppers, that since I wasn't serving cupcakes, I used in the muffins. 

the cheese truffles fit nicely in these mini muffin liners that matched the color theme perfectly!

The layout was a little weak. The night before we decided not to bring up the big bar/table from the basement, therefore scratching all my designs of how I'd arrange the food. That part of an event has always stressed me out the most. 

one of the two casseroles. by far, the favorite. 

menu cards

an old family recipe: crispy chocolate, peanut butter goodies. 

it's hard to see here, but the plates we used were oval glass plates that had an indention for the cup. They too have been passed down for years in our family and are often used for baby and wedding showers. Luckily, they clean up nicely in the dishwasher.

the kids listening to my MIL read a book, while enjoying their snack.

the lovely table centerpieces

 The lemon verbena from our garden saves the day! The arrangements for the buffet table  that ended up
being the  flowers in the entryway, needed some fill. All summer I've been wondering what to do with that plant,
and it finally came in quite handy. And it smelled  heavenly too. 

Sarah