Brunch!

The word ‘brunch’, according to Merriam-Webster is defined as “a meal usually taken late in the morning that combines a late breakfast and an early lunch." Essentially, brunch is usually a more relaxed meal than breakfast or lunch and can include anything you would eat for both meals. A typical brunch spread at a local restaurant consists of mini multiple courses including, but not limited to, appetizers or starters, breads, a more heavier entrée (typically an egg dish), and of course scrumptious desserts and coffee. Brunch can be as elegant and sophisticated as a multiple course meal at a fancy restaurant or hotel or as simple as flaky homemade buttermilk biscuits slathered with jam at home. This is what I love most about ‘brunching’, it is what you make it whatever your budget, time, or schedule and there really is no right or wrong way to enjoy it. 

I like to think that brunch is better than breakfast because it involves sleeping in! In the hustle and bustle of today’s world, sleeping in feels like a luxury that many of us cannot afford during the workweek. Of course there always are a million important things you could (or should) do in the morning, but every once in a while, it's nice to be able to turn off the alarm clock and just stay under the covers a little longer without having to feeling guilty about it.

So why have I chosen specifically to talk about brunch you may ask? Brunch for me is an example of true elegance. Few things are as relaxing and romantic as waking up on a lazy Sunday morning to steaming coffee, and a pretty brunch spread to nibble on leisurely. Treating myself to brunch is exactly that, a treat, and way to spoil myself (although having brunch before a spa day would be the ultimate spoiling treatment in my opinion!) and while we would all like to enjoy meals like this every day, because of our more hectic lifestyles sometimes the only thing we can manage for six days out of the week is to pour ourselves a cup of coffee before we rush to leave. It’s always nice to have one day a week where we can sleep in, slow down and enjoy good food in the process. For me personally, there is nothing I love more than sleeping in before enjoying a crab cake benedict and sipping on freshly brewed coffee, before topping it all off with some breakfast ‘desserts’…mmmm… just the thought of it makes me smile. It really is amazing how something so simple can feel so luxurious and start the day on a good note.

And although brunch is always surrounded with a lovely spread of good things to eat, it isn't only about the comfort food.  Brunch is also about sitting around the table with friends and family after a good night’s rest and taking a moment to share the simple pleasures of life. It’s about laughing, and joking, and catching up with loved ones on a lazy Sunday with a hot pot of freshly brewed coffee at arms’ reach. It’s about taking a step back from the hectic days of the week to unwind, relax and prepare for the week ahead. Sharing brunch together, like other meals, is about connecting, connecting with the food, connecting with each other, and even connecting with ourselves. As quoted from a fellow blogger, she says, "Good food even simply prepared takes on an aura of delight that can do more than just fill our stomachs. It can sustain our spirit."  I think that is what connecting over brunch can do, sustain our spirits.

Eat, drink and live well!
- Missy Sunshine