On the Australia Day weekend, we caught up with our old neighbours for a long overdue breakfast at our place.

I love a good breakfast. So much so, I celebrated both my 21st and my 30th with a breakfast/brunch do.

Nevertheless, it’s been a while since we had friends over for breakfast. We used to do it more often when our children were younger. Back then, our attempted early dinners with friends and all our children were short, hard going and often ended with tears and tantrums.

In contrast, morning seemed to be a time when the children were at their best, the baby could still have his morning sleep and it was all done and dusted before rest time in the middle of the day. And oh, how l love rest time.

I can also set the table and prepare some of the food the night before and it is easier to keep the house tidy before guests arrive. Easier but not easy of course!

Breakfasts are also a good option in summer as you can use the BBQ for bacon, eggs and all the other necessary items for a decent fry up and you can catch up before the heat of the day really hits.

Over time we have developed a reasonable repertoire of breakfast dishes. The menu below has a few of our faves.

The Menu

Berry salad (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)

Donna Hay Bircher Muesli (made the night before, not online but this is similar)

Baked Eggs with Cheddar and Spinach with Breakfast BLT salad (adults)

BBQ Egg and Bacon rolls with BBQ sauce (kids)

Pastries and Croissants (from the bakery)

Fresh Orange Juice, Champagne, Coffee and Tea

The baked eggs are a cinch and I use frozen spinach to make them even easier (defrost the night before). When they just come out of the oven, they puff up a bit more too.

My favourite Bircher Muesli recipe is from Donna Hay Magazine’s very first edition if you have it (it is not online unfortunately).

The BLT salad is a little fiddly but I roast the cherry tomatoes before the guests arrive and you could use store bought Aioli instead of making your own.

Other summer favourites include corn fritters, french toast and pancakes. I usually bake some muffins, banana bread or a fruit loaf but our friends kindly offered to bring pastries which were perfect and meant less prep and dishes on the morning for me.

In winter our favourites include poached fruit, home made baked beans, Spanish baked eggs and a baked fruit loaf or muffins.

Styling Notes

Table cloth, plates, coasters and placemats all from IKEA; Pink Melamine Bowl available at Lark; Cereal bowls, salad platter and mugs from Country Road; Salad Servers from Victoriana Rose; Glasses from Cath Kidston; Milk bottle and sugar glass vessel from markets; Green gate ceramic spoons and cups; Enamel baking dishes from The General Trader; and the metal sugar tea spoon was part of a set from Cambodia, given as a wedding gift.

Which meal do you usually share with friends or family? If you’ve hosted a breakfast, what are your signature dishes?