I love serving brunch.  I love the time of day and the food for a brunch is always good and easy.  Oh and of course the mimosas!  Here are a couple of ideas for a New Year's Day Brunch…

A Sparkling Centerpiece

These sugared lemons were created by taking artificial lemons and spraying them with adhesive then rolling them in clear glitter.  Use a few leftover silver Christmas ornaments for even more shine.  Omit the silver balls and you've got a great centerpiece for Easter also!  I'm thinking of creating this centerpiece for my table for everyday use.    Martha also tells you how to create the leaves here.

For the main dish I would serve this fabulous breakfast casserole:

You will need:

2 lbs sausage

1 can golden mushroom soup

1 cup of shredded cheddar

1/2 to 1 cup of milk

8 eggs

2 cans of crescent rolls

Cook your sausage, drain and set aside.  Set crescent rolls out for 20 minutes to be at room temp.  Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with Pam.  Combine eggs, soup, milk and salt and pepper to taste in a separate bowl.  Line baking dish with one can of crescent rolls (unroll into a sheet, not triangles).  Top with 1/2 of your sausage and 1/2 cheese, then 1/2 of your egg mixture.  Layer the other can of crescent rolls and repeat as before.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

This was served at my bridal brunch and I also served it at a baby shower brunch I threw.  It is always a big hit!

For your drink, here is a spin on the traditional mimosa:

Grapefruit Mimosa

Use equal parts champagne and pink grapefruit juice instead of orange juice for this beautifully colored cocktail.

Cheers to the new year!

(photos from marthastewart.com)