Need to host Easter brunch but don't have a lot of time? Here are some quick and easy food and decor ideas to help you in your preparation.
1. Choose a simple menu with minimal ingredients. Brunch fare is always easy. Opt for eggs, omelets, breads, fruit, salad, spiral ham, fruit juice, mimosa, coffee and tea. Add a hint of flavor in your water pitcher with a side of cucumber slices, lemon or other cut fruit. For kids, go with crepes or pancakes with cut fruit and maple syrup. If you're especially creative, you can make pancakes into bunny rabbits and use fruit like blueberries or bananas as the eyes, nose and mouth.
2. Delegate food choices. Have guests contribute a side dish or dessert, such as veggie platter, pasta salad cake or cookies. If you have the food covered, maybe they may want to pitch in with the entertainment, like eggs for the Easter egg hunt.
3. Reuse and repurpose what you already have. If you have colorful paper plates, napkins and cups from previous occasions, and they have a spring pastel theme, reuse them. Opt for pinks, yellows, blues, greens, teal, etc. Reuse decor from kids' previous birthday if appropriate and don't have a character themed.
4. Reuse kids' Easter themed art work from school. If you have small kids, there's a good chance you have an overabundance of art work you don't know what to do with. Even if you don't have kids, you might have a friend, relative or coworker with kids who'd gladly lend or give away bunny rabbit themed crafts that could be reused for a center piece or accents throughout your living room or dining room.
5. Go simple on the decor. A vase of tulips, daffodils or sprig of plants from your yard or even herb plants might do. Try simple votives or lanterns with candles and spread throughout the house. Display colored eggs in bowls or baskets. Use shredded paper as the egg's nest or stuffing so you don't have to buy it.
6. Having kids over, what to do? If doing a traditional Easter egg hunt, purchase eggs with candy already inside them so you don't have to fill them up yourself. Egg hunts not your thing? Try a scavenger hunt inside and outside the house (depending on the weather). Give a gift card or prize to the winner. Want to go the crafty route? Have boiled eggs ready and have children decorate them into characters with markers, buttons and fabric scraps.
Preparation doesn't have to be stressful. With these six tips, entertaining for Easter should be a calm experience so you could enjoy more time with family and friends.