It’s always been a tradition with my immediate family to eat brunch after we’ve opened our gifts on Christmas morning. When we were younger, the brunch took place at a much earlier hour. Now that we’re grown, it’s at a more traditional brunch time. Mainly because we’ve probably been up much too late on Christmas Eve catching up, wrapping gifts, and drinking hot chocolate.

No matter what time we brunch, for as long as I can remember, my mom has always made, what we call a Bread Wreath. It is what it sounds like. A wreath of sweet bread (think cinnamon bun-like dough), topped with frosting (icing in my family), pumpkin seeds, and cranberries. It’s delicious eaten plain or with some cream cheese that’s been mixed with a bit of jam. We also often enjoy scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, and some sort of fruit. Add some coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and orange juice, and that’s our breakfast. It’s the best. Partly because it just tastes good, mostly because of who it’s shared with.

When it’s just Tim and I for Christmas, or if we’re having our Christmas morning on a different day due to travel, we might change things up a bit. I like to leave the baking to the experts if at all possible (although I’ve successfully baked enough this past year that I think I need to stop saying that I don’t bake). So, our brunch might consist of something more along these lines.

The Main Dish

I love to have something eggy as a main dish, so I tend to gravitate towards things like a Savory Baked French Toast, Sweet and Savory Cornmeal Pancakes, Fresh Fruit and Basil Stuffed French Toast, or a Winter Frittata.

The Sides

Any of those main dishes would go nicely with these sides. I like a Simple Orange Salad, because it’s an easy way to fancy up an orange. I love Paris Potatoes because they remind me of our time in Paris. I always want to remember those weeks, so incorporating Paris in as often as I can is a must.

The Drinks

Coffee, made in a French Press, is always my favorite breakfast drink. But, since I will have probably downed at least two cups during gift opening time, orange juice is a fun treat (especially if it’s freshly squeezed). If you wanted to make it extra extra fancy, you could add champagne or sparkling apple juice, to make mimosas. And of course there’s always tea and hot cocoa.

The Bread

If I’ve opted for something like a Frittata, and I’ve decided to bake something bready, I might like to serve Mom’s Cinnamon Buns. If it’s just the two of us, I might either share the extras with friends, or freeze them for another weekend brunch.

And now I’m hungry for all the foods.

Wishing you the best for this holiday season! And as always,

Happy Eating!