It feels like this time of year is prime for celebration. Fathers day, graduations, birthdays, wedding and baby showers, you name it. And lots of these fun celebrations call for brunch. I’ve always thought that brunch was slightly sophisticated, but really it’s just a lazy breakfast. Don’t let that fool you though, a brunch menu can still be challenging, especially if you are attempting to be budget and waistline friendly.

What better way to be elegant, easy, and everyone friendly than to have a yogurt bar. All you need is a long table, some good classic yogurts, and mix ins. For me, I chose a basic vanilla yogurt, a savory yogurt (plain yogurt with your choice of spices and herbs mixed in, or even a packet of ranch mix), and a Greek style yogurt. I put each yogurt into a fancy bowl, then surrounded each with things to mix in or dip in.

My savory yogurt got vegetables surrounding it, as well as some varieties of cracker along with carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, all of your standbys. The vanilla and greek got fruits of all colors. I also included graham crackers, cookies, scones, chocolate chips, and granola nuggets.

This allows people to have as big or light of a meal as they need. It’s super healthy, and looks way more complicated than it was. You can take this idea one further by making it a fruit pizza bar. Buy or make sugar cookies, no frosting.  Encourage guests to spread on their yogurt as the sauce and the chunks of fruits for their pizza toppings. That’s it, your simple celebration, without much effort!

-Stephanie Wright