Brunch for my sister

A couple of weeks ago (before I decided to break my ankle), my sister rang and asked if we'd be interested in going out for brunch to meet her new man. Of course I jumped at the offer and was bursting to finally get a geezer, but I had to insist they came to us.
"Phew!" said Tarsh, I was hoping you'd say that. After all, I knew the history here and wanted to pull out all the stops for this brunch.
She told me they will be arriving around 11am so all was fine.

The week before I made cinnamon muffins for our Sunday breakfast which we hadn't had for quite a while. Nic thought they would be great for brunch and I agreed but thought I should do waffles to begin seeing as they are not something you'd find that often in an Aussie home. Because it was brunch I needed a savoury element to the meal and I was a little stuck on what way to go. I tossed around the idea of a heartily Caesar salad with poached egg, Nic thought that was a little....odd.

Odd?

I couldn't understand why he thought it was odd and that bothered me. I don't know about you, but when I plan a brunch, lunch or dinner in my head it always sounds fabulous and when someone throws the word odd into the equation, I kinda get a bit defensive.
It took a couple of days of me twisting ideas before turning to Nic and saying 'I don't care if you think it is odd, I have an idea in my head and from all my angles it rocks, so I'm doing it!'
The look on Nic's face was priceless- I think he had actually forgotten the previous conversation, and when I blurted all of this out he had to scramble in his mind as to what the heck I was talking about. Poor man, having to live with someone so food obsessed.

Actually on a total side note. Max was going off to sleep last night when Nic heard him calling out. Nic went in and told him to go to sleep but then Max asked him about tuna fish and can he have that on his sandwich tomorrow? Nic came out totally amazed that his son was thinking about tuna sandwiches before sleeping. From where I was sitting, it sounded like a pretty normal thought before bed...you have to get these things straight before having a restful nights sleep, after all he is my son.

So, day of brunch I decided to go for a quick run around the park before starting on the meal. I was feeling good and had energy so went a bit further than I intended (I'm telling you this so you understand my outburst later on).
Nic cleaned the house until it was spotless while I whipped up some lemon curd that I was going to fold through cream for a little sweet treat after our main feast. The waffle mix was made, I'd plated up a beautiful fruit plate for everyone to pick from while piling their waffles with passion fruit yogurt and maple syrup. I then started to char some bacon for my Caesar salad. By this stage my tummy was rumbling and I was starting to feel hungry along with the boys. Of course we all had a little bowl of cereal while we waited until 11am to rock around (you know these guys don't have kids when they expect you to wait until 11am to eat!)
By 10.45am I was close to gnawing my arm off and the boys were whimpering for more food.
NO, was my answer, we can just wait a few more minutes and then go nuts.
11.05am rolled around and my doorbell wasn't ringing- where the heck were they, what was my sister thinking, bringing a new sweet, lovely person to meet part of her family when she knows I turn into a crazy woman when hungry??? Why did I go for a long run?

Now I didn't do all this complaining on the inside people, no I was spitting out these complaints while watching the clock tick further and further away from 11am. Nic being totally practical said I should just eat something, where I answered NO, I MADE ALL THIS FOOD.......WHERE ARE THEY!
I got a text from my sister at 11.10am saying they are close (I think she was getting nervous in the back of the taxi, wondering what state I'd be in because she KNOWS what I'm like when I'm hungry).

She was not close people, 11.25 and I was deranged- this was when they rang my door bell. This poor, delightful young man was greeted by his new girlfriends sister by me opening the front door and giving them both a tongue lashing of huge proportions saying to hell with niceties, your late now let's eat and talk later!
By 11.45 I polished off a waffle, half the plattered fruit and the biggest dollop of yogurt you have ever seem. Because of my distressed start I had no time for photographs of this course which I realised AFTER we had finished so poor D-man had to put up with more of my crazy antics. It was only when I was half way through my Caesar salad that I remembered the camera (to which Nic then welcomed D-man to the family and said this is what usually happens.....no eating until the picture is taken).

Your probably all thinking thank god she made the lemon curd for the sweet treat because it sounds like she needed to offer something without drama.....and you'd be correct. We were all stuffed to the gills at this point but who could refuse these?

Long, long story short, we loved the D-man and especially love how happy my big sister is. Despite Nic's thoughts, everyone loved my big brekky Caesar salad (especially Nic) and I'll be doing that one again for sure.

Brunch Caesar salad
2 eggs
1 mini coz lettuce bunch
2 rashes of bacon
1/4 cup of Caesar dressing
2 slices of Turkish bread
shaved parmesan
salt and pepper

In a frying pan or BBQ, cook rashers of bacon until crispy, place on paper towel to drain excess fat and then cut into chunky pieces.
Rip coz lettuce into small pieces, add salad dressing and lightly toss to coat the leaves.
Just before serving, poach two eggs and while they are poaching toast bread.
when bread is toasted, rub toast with a little raw garlic then place the coz lettuce on top.
Sprinkle on bacon pieces and half the parmesan.
Place a poached egg on top of each salad, sprinkle with more parmesan and then finish with cracked pepper.
Serve asap.