Tovolove: Birthday Brunch

I am a very fortunate person. I have a wonderful life. An amazing family. Great friends. A job I enjoy and that challenges me. I have had enough adversity to appreciate to good times and to know a good thing when I see it.

Yesterday, I was reminded of all of these things rolled up into an amazing potluck, birthday brunch. Good friends - the kind that can cook, bake, and appreciate a fine cocktail or two. Work- because my kitchen is a meeting ground of Tovolo tools old and new where when 5 women are all using the kitchen at once and no one has to use the same spatula, spoon, turner, or spreader. (Ok in fairness on this one, I am kitchen tool glutton. It would be really wrong if it wasn't actually part of my job. :) ) Everyone brought either a finished extravagance or ingredients to make a dish. We started off with a glass of prosecco and St. Germain as guests arrived and continued to eat for almost 3 leisurely hours.

It was a gorgeous day in Seattle! To have a day at the beginning of May sunny and in the mid-60's is a gift. There was not a cloud in the sky so we decided to move the whole party outside - dining table and all! It was like a scene out of Alice in Wonderland.

Thank you Birthday Fairy!

This is how to have a potluck brunch:

Gluten Free Coconut Waffles with fresh whipped cream and raspberries Cinnamon, cardamom rolls

Toast with French butter and fruit preserves

Triple Cream French cheese

Fruit salad with berries and sliced mango

Homemade Lemon Curd - epicurious.com recipe

Roasted strawberry, brown butter biscuits - modified Joy the Baker recipe

Arugula, goat cheese, and shallot frittata

Vanilla Bean Meringues

Huck Finn cocktails