Babes Who Brunch: The Outdoor Breakfast Picnic I Threw with Friends

Sponsored by TIKI Brand BiteFighter Torch Fuel

Spring is something special, especially in Cleveland. In a city of extremes – very cold winters & very hot (at least for me!) summers – it’s a rarity to enjoy temperate weather and sunshine all at once. When the weather’s nice, I try to maximize my time outside (more on the specifics in an upcoming post).

Because of my many recent & upcoming travels, I felt like I hadn’t seen much of my friends lately. What better way to get together than over an outdoor brunch picnic in the spring sun?

I’m not much of a cook, so I put together a “menu” that required very limited effort or culinary talent on my part, aside from some prep work. I knew my friends (Lilly, Erin, & Molly) wouldn’t mind, either, because our top priority was hanging out.

The night before, I made egg cups, one vegetarian batch and another with chicken-sausage, which I set out with baby tomatoes & a garlic guacamole spread. I arranged a fruit platter of sliced green apples, strawberries, & raspberries with vanilla bean hummus (surprisingly delicious!) alongside what I called a “breakfast charcuterie board” (though it was meatless, so I suppose that’s not an accurate description). It included dried mango & pineapple, coconut cashews, chunky granola, Medjool dates, & figs.

The final touch was a few miniature cinnamon coffee cakes which I received compliments on but they absolutely came from a box. Thanks for believing I could make those, friends!

Spring in the CLE can be mosquito-heavy, so I knew I wanted to set out my TIKI Brand tabletop torches filled with TIKI Brand BiteFighter Torch Fuel to keep the mosquitos far away. They’re my favorite colors, white & gold (do these count as colors?), so I planned the brunch aesthetic around them: a white & gold woven tablecloth, gold-toned chargers & white porcelain serving dishes, clear plates with gold glitter, tiny gold appetizer forks… why, yes, I am very fancy, thank you for asking.

The torches did a heckuva job keeping the mosquitos far away while we brunched in the park when filled with TIKI Brand BiteFighter Torch Fuel, which is made with a cedar and citronella formula proven to help keep mosquitos far away – and also smells really nice because, you know, citronella and cedar. The fuel comes in an easy-pour bottle so you don’t splash fuel all over the place; very helpful. We’re stocked up for the summer so that we can whip out the table torches whenever we have company this summer.

I don’t have much of a yard, so like I said, we had our brunch picnic in a little local park. Fun fact: It’s also where diners sit & wait for their names to be called after a long wait to get into a nearby café across the street. Plenty of those folks stared at us while we ate, probably equal parts wondering what we were doing & wishing they were already chowing down like we were!

Confession: At the end of the picnic brunch, we decided we were still hungry… so we walked down the street for bagels! Maybe I should’ve cooked something after all?! Either way: It was a fun morning with a few of my favorite people, enjoying the sun, the company, the food and the lack of mosquitos.

As summer approaches, I know I want more of this: more of this in-the-moment, laughing-as-loud-as-you-can, no-cares-for-now life with people I love. When life feels stressful or overwhelming, there’s truly nothing better.

If you’re interested in trying TIKI Brand products – including their torches and TIKI Brand Bitefighter Torch Fuel – you can sign up for their email list and receive a code for 25% off all their products and free shipping. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post was written in partnership with TIKI Brand. As always, all opinions are my own.