Easy Easter Entertaining

Entertaining and Easter... two of my favourite E's! I love getting together with a few friends over good eats, treats and just celebrating the little things. A little springtime Easter inspired gathering?! Right up my alley! This past weekend I did just that and had a pre-Easter brunch with some of my closest. 

I've said it before, you don't need to go crazy hosting! A few little details are all it takes to put together something special. If you're short on time or want to throw something together last minute I have you covered. Some of my favourite local eateries were so eager to be a part of the brunch and supplied some seriously amazing eats to make the day go off without a hitch! One thing I've come to realize after hosting quite a few affairs is that it's okay to take off some of the pressure and not do everything yourself! I used to let myself get so stressed trying to curate the perfect menu. But, really it's so important to remember why you are having the get together in the first place-- to spend time with those who matter. After the eats were taken care off, I threw in a few little DIY details and the event was complete. It really is that simple! Let's break it down, shall we?!

F O O D

What could be more fitting than pastel coloured eats?! We served up The Burger Pawty's "Dream Burger"-- a delicious chickpea/corn patty sandwiched between perfectly pastel lavender coloured waffles. Add in the cilantro-lime sauce, sprouts and pickled pineapple and you have one seriously tasty slider! The Burger Pawty was founded by Louise Mangalino for her love of burgers, and girl power! She was reviewing burger joints on her blog and was inspired to create something new, fun, and girly around her love of burgers. I can't get over the aesthetic. One look at her Instagram and you'll see why. With names such as The Barbie Burger and The Dream Burger which feature pink and purple waffles as the buns, this is definitely not your run-of-the-mill caterer! Louise even made sure the waffles were gluten-free for me! So accommodating. They cater to all kinds of events. Definitely look her up if you're looking for something totally different and fun (and delicious)!

N I B B L E S

Light bites are a brunch essential and since fruit is the perfect nibbling snack I knew I wanted to serve up all the colours of the fruit rainbow. The Fix + Co is my just my jam. They are my go-to spot for any sort of healthy eats, juices and smoothies. Now that they do platters and catering, life is complete! The ladies put together such an amazing holiday inspired spread for my Christmas gathering, so I knew they would knock it out of the park with this one for spring. We went with a refreshing fruit platter that was also stacked with nuts, dried coconut and fruit, and their amazing cashew nut cheese which was served alongside crackers. Check out this interview I did with Adrianna and Tamara, or their 3 wellness tips to learn just what they are about!

S I P S

This time around I wanted to try something totally unconventional and fun. Enter in the homemade blueberry-blue latte. Pink lattes have become all the rage, so I took the lavender spin on this one to match the waffle bun sliders. I started my muddling some blueberries in a pot on the stove with a touch of maple syrup and water. Using a fresh cold pressed juice from The Fix + Co (I used On The Mend -- a blend of beets, celery, apple, swiss chard, and carrots) I mixed it with fresh blueberry syrup and 1/2 cup of almond milk on the stovetop. I then frothed up some almond milk with the beet juice and topped it off with some edible flowers. A subtly sweet drink and pretty to look at!

T R E A T S

No brunch is ever complete without dessert! Kelly's Bake Shoppe is my go-to spot for all things dessert... always! They do everything to gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, nut-free perfection (as you've seen here, and here). They come out with seasonal menus and I knew their Easter features would be too good to pass up! They were so kind to give me a sneak peak of their menu before it's release this Easter weekend, and sure enough, everything was divine! We went with the Bugs Bunny cupcake (carrot cake topped with cream cheese buttercream and a toasted coconut birds nest), and the Lemon cupcake (lemon cupcake, filled with lemon sauce and topped with an adorable lemon buttercream chick). Sprinkle donuts and sugar cookies fit in perfectly with the pastel brunch spread. Kelly's cookies are seriously my weakness, I think I ate all of these sprinkled cuties! Owners Kelly and Erinn and two seriously inspiring ladies and their cookbook, 'Made With Love' divulges some of the famous recipes of their bakery and restaurant in Burlington, ON. In light of the book's one year anniversary I'm going to have some exciting news next week, so stay tuned!

D I Y / D E C O R 

I kept the party decorations to a minimum this time around to keep things fresh. A table backdrop doesn't need to be intimidating to make or time consuming! Some fresh flowers, a DIY backdrop, and some floral-crowned eggs adored the tablescape to create a simplistic but playful Easter vibe.

The DIY backdrop was inspired by Tiffany Pratt's latest book 'This Can Be Beautiful' where she has instructions for creating coffee filter rosettes. All you need is some white coffee filters, a little dab of paint and some string to hang! Voila! I scrunched about 3 filters together and twisted the backs of them to keep them bunched. I chose colours like lavender, pink, orange and gold and just went to town painting until I felt they looked pretty. No method at all! I used some raffia and washi tape and got to hanging the rosettes above the tablescape. So easy, but adds such a nice touch! You can also use the filters to wrap the treats/sliders in, use as coasters, or just place around the table! Confession-- the backdrop is still hanging... I just can't take it down yet! Too pretty!

The little white eggs I got from Dollerama, along with the mini rosettes. It took no time at all to glue the roses to the top of the eggs and place them on the table. A few minutes and you have yourself some homemade touches!

Delicious eats, simple sips and a little creativity are all it takes to elevate your get-togethers with friends. Keeping it simple is sometimes best! I hope you found this inspiring enough to throw a little Easter or spring time brunch together for your nearest and dearest! I can't thank The Burger Pawty, The Fix + Co, and Kelly's Bake Shoppe for helping me bring my Easter vision to life! They are seriously some of my favourite local shops to work with for their kindess, generousity and all around amazing eats!