drool-worthy

Fair warning: You're going to need a napkin or tissue for this one. And not for tears. For drool. And there's not even going to be a picture of Ryan Gosling involved, if you can imagine that. I know...who even am I?

So today my friend Kristin and I (okay, it was mostly Kristin's idea/preparation/house, but she graciously called me a co-hostess)  had a little potluck brunch with some girlfriends of ours. We basically needed an excuse to make a few of the recipes we've been drooling over on Pinterest, so this seemed as good a reason as any. Plus...food, ladies, a beautiful Saturday morning/afternoon...I mean, brunches are just what it's all about, if you think about it. I've been looking forward to it for weeks! Kristin and I have been sending around a thousand emails a day talking about food and plans, so I was happy to finally have the day roll around.

So the day started out rather early, with me apparently spending all of my time staring at recipes with a confused/concerned look on my face that Matt found very photo-worthy.

 But all of that confusion was worth it in the end when I had THIS to show for it:

 That would be Bacon-Cheddar Scones and they were delicious and worth every bit of trouble (which honestly wasn't that much...it was just my first time ever making a scone and I was being extra-cautious). We'll chalk these up on the list of Pinterest Things I've Actually Made and give them extra points for a) going exactly the way the recipe said they would go, and b) being super delicious. Give 'em a try sometime!!

 I clipped some flowers to make a little table centerpiece-- all of these are from my own yard (except the one blue hydrangea which is from somewhere else)! There is a really pretty miniature sunflower behind the hydrangeas that you can't see...my sunflowers are finally all blooming and looking faaaab if I do say so myself.

 And then I made coffee punch. And it was awesome, as always. And because I know your little hearts and tummies are dying to try it, I took step by step pictures (which are completely unnecessary because it basically involves dumping 5 things in a bowl) and will post a recipe and pictures tomorrow. So hold on to your hats and get ready to hit that "Pin It!" button tomorrow, okay?

And then I had about 97 cups of coffee punch and also a few regular cups of (hot) coffee and that is my excuse for why the rest of these pictures are poorly-focused. Oops. Caffeine, right? Not because I can't operate in manual...

 Mollie made savory muffins with veggies and Canadian bacon and a melted butter-honey dipping sauce.

 Kristin made banana crepe cake which was to die for and I'm sure will soon be receiving a well-deserved post on her own baking blog!

 Catherine made chocolate babka from Smitten Kitchen. YUM.

 Rachel made these cute and yummy little egg/hashbrown 'muffin' thingies (from Pinterest, of course). 


And somehow I failed to get a picture of a few more amazing things: Kristin's cookies with raspberry curd and Stephanie's bacon-egg-and-cheese casserole. With a side of bacon.


Basically, we did not starve.


In addition to our tiny, lady-like, diet-friendly plates of food (HAHAHAHAHAHA), we enjoyed a few hours of conversation and laughter. And talked about the time Kristin walked in on her pet turtles (in a tank) having sex. And the fact that turtles apparently have penises. The males, anyway. Who knew, right??

Overall, it was a splendid and perfect June Saturday morning. We didn't think to take a group picture (which I managed to SERIOUSLY complicate with my self-timer and inability to figure out how to turn the camera display screen on) until after Mollie had left, but here are the rest of us: Back row L-R- Rachel, Kristin, and me; Front row- Stephanie, Catherine.

 Now that you are sufficiently a) jealous of my day and my friends' cooking skillz and b) hungry, I shall leave you to your own devices. Don't forget to come back tomorrow to enjoy one last drool over the coffee punch!!