Throwing the Perfect Galentine's Day Brunch

Hey babes. If you’re like me, pretty dubious of love and happily-ever-afters, you may feel inclined to avoid Valentine’s Day harder than Amazon avoids paying taxes. Or maybe that’s not the case and you just don’t have any plans yet. Either way, save the cynicism for another day, grab your gal pals, and toss a Galentine’s Day Brunch instead!

Coined by NBC’s Parks and Rec, Galentine’s Day is a holiday to leave your significant other behind and instead celebrate friendship... and champagne! Yes it’s a fake holiday, but that doesn’t make the love any less real. In fact, I think letting friends know you love them is something that should be done way more often. My friends are such valuable people in my life; I wouldn’t know what to do without them! So, I put together a super simple yet comprehensive guide to help you show your appreciation by throwing a Galentine's Day brunch. 

I've split the planning into three categories: food, drinks and activities. This blog includes recipes for French crepes, super cute heart-shaped Rice Krispies, and mimosas with a strawberry twist. I also recommend having some coffee and tea on hand for some refreshing, non alcoholic options. Next, I've included instructions for a fun balloon pop game that can be played the original way or mixed up depending on the kind of party you’re having. Finally, for an easy, relaxing activity that can be done while sipping mimosas and spilling the tea, make cards! 

Scroll down for instructions on pulling together the perfect Galentine’s Day Brunch from start to finish.

 French Crepes

Photo via: The College Housewife

For our main course, we’ll make French crepes. Wait, don’t give up already! Crepes are actually pretty easy to make and they’re sure to wow your guests. My best tip for you: make these the day before and store them layered between sheets of wax paper. In the morning, take them out of the refrigerator, warm them up a little and you’re set to go, hassle-free! I've been using this recipe for years, but I think it's originally from my mom's old Betty Crocker cookbook. It makes the lightest, most delicious crepes! 

You need: 

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour, sugar baking powder and salt. Stir in remaining ingredients. Beat with hand beater until smooth. Lightly butter 6 to 8 inch skillet; heat over medium heat until bubbly. Pour scant ¼ cup of the batter into skillet; immediately rotate skillet until thin film covers bottom. If you’re unsure about this step, watch this YouTube video for about 1 minute to see the technique.

Cook until light brown. Run a wide spatula around edge to loosen; turn and cook other side until light brown. Stack crepes, placing waxed paper between each.

Top the crepes with fresh sliced strawberries, whipped cream and nutella for a timeless sweet treat!

Rice Krispie Valentine Hearts

Photo via: Lifestyle with Leah

You can’t have a party all about love without some heart-shaped food! 

To make these super cute Rice Krispie hearts, just follow any Rice Krispie recipe, then press them into a greased, shallow pan. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut hearts out of the pan.

Then, dip half the heart into melted chocolate. You can melt white chocolate and make it pink or red using food coloring, or just keep it classic. Then, drizzle more melted chocolate across the entire heart for a cute finishing touch.

For a little extra pizzazz, top the hearts with sprinkles, shredded coconut, nuts, or anything else you want before the chocolate hardens! 

Strawberry Orange Mimosas

Photo via: Mindful Avocado

What's brunch without mimosas? For a fresh take on the classic mimosa, try these fruity strawberry orange mimosas. For full instructions, check out the recipe I used here.

You need: 

• Strawberries
• Orange juice (squeeze your own if you’re really fancy!)
• Champagne of choice
• A blender

Blend the strawberries and orange juice together until smooth, then pour in a champagne flute and add champagne. Garnish with a halved strawberry and orange slice.

DIY Balloon Pop

Now that you’ve got your food and drinks taken care of, we’re onto the last party essential: activities! I love this DIY balloon pop, which has easy instructions here. For a fun twist, put fortune cookie-style slips of paper in the balloons before you blow them up. Make fortunes, a truth or dare, numbers for a prize box, or whatever you come up with! Then, whoever pops that balloon gets whatever is one the paper.

Card Making

Wrap up your brunch with some fun card making! I don’t know about you, but I love low-stakes crafts that even those of us who are artistically challenged can still have fun with. I started with a few basic supplies, then made a several cute designs using the same handful of materials. 

I used: 

• Cardstock 
• Stickers
• Twine
• Glue
• Scissors
• A pen/pencil
• Foam paintbrushes
• Acrylic paint
• Glitter

 

First, I painted different abstract patterns on white cardstock. I used a dampened paper towel for the splattered look and the foam brushes for the other designs. To blend colors, I found it helpful to keep my brush slightly damp.

Once your patterned paper dries, use it for hearts, backgrounds, or as the card itself. Feel free to copy the designs I made or get creative and make your own entirely! 

Happy brunching!

-xoxo Laura