INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

This month, Virginia Willis, the food stylist for "The Main
Ingredient," helps you create an elegant yet casual weekend gathering
of good friends and good food!  SPRING BRUNCH  Spring seems to make us
shed not only our winter coats but also our  tendency for cold-induced,
hermit-like behavior. Brunch, usually  served between 11:00 am and 3:00
pm, lends itself to casual yet very  social dining. Graduations,
Mother's Day, Father's Day and spring  weddings are all perfectly
wonderful reasons to host a Sunday brunch.  There's something rather
elegant (and decadent!) about hanging out  and sipping mimosas or
Bloody Marys at noon on Sunday.  PLAN AHEAD  Decide on the date, the
number of guests and a menu. Make a time chart  detailing what must be
done when. Remember that Sunday brunch  requires a lot of day-before
preparation.  INVITATIONS  Because spring seems to make us all more
social, send the invitations  out well enough in advance. Make sure to
include a phone number and  ask guests to RSVP, that way you'll know
how much food you'll need.  Most card and gift shops sell preprinted
invitations that you can  simply fill in.  Neatly handwritten
invitations look very clean and smart. Your  invitations should
indicate the degree of formality, or lack thereof,  of the brunch. If
it's a simple family affair you may want to make  arrangements over the
phone instead.  LOCATION  What will the weather be? Will you be able to
host the gathering  outside on the lawn or will you need to be ready to
accommodate  people inside? If you plan an outdoor party, make sure you
have an  indoor backup location. One idea: Have beverages outside, then
bring  everyone in to dine. Make sure the area you create for the
buffet is  conducive to having people walk through without creating a
traffic  jam. Be sure it's easy for you to set up and clean up. Many
people  set up the buffet on the kitchen counter top or table and have
guests  move to the dining room to eat.  DECORATIONS  Don't spend a
fortune on exotic flowers. Instead, take advantage of  local spring
blossoms. The makings for simple bouquets of daffodils  in glass vases
or an arrangement of azaleas or dogwood blossoms may  be available
right in your own front yard. Use crisp white or pastel  cotton or
linen tablecloths and napkins. Everything should be clean  and fresh.
Card tables can be transformed with a bit of decorative  flair.  Bring
out the silver and crystal if you have any and make the  occasion as
elegant as possible. Drape English ivy around the buffet  to accent the
table settings.  © 1998 Lifetime Entertainment Services. All rights
reserved.  MC formatted using MC buster by Barb at PK  Recipe by:
Virginia Willis  Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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