Egg-in-a-frame with ricotta is just one brunch idea to get you through the winter. Karen Schneider / For the Forecaster

Brunch is my favorite meal when it comes to entertaining during this time of year. I think that 11 o’clock or so in the morning is a great hour to greet the company in the winter months. Everyone is fresh and fun, there are hours of daylight ahead, and you’re not expected to serve a roast and mashed potatoes and offer cake or pie. You can relax, enjoy some brunch food, get in a walk together and no one has to drive home in the dark. Unless of course, you’re so fun to be around that your company stays forever.

We’ll address that in another column titled “Midnight Snacks.”

When my children were little and we had a clutch of hens, we often had eggs and toast at meal time – it didn’t matter which meal. Eggs nestled into a hole punched from liberally buttered bread then fried to perfection in a skillet was aptly named “eggs-in-a-frame” by my youngest daughter, Shannon.

Today, I present to you a grown-up version of that delicacy. Your guests (or family) can help you put these together. Just keep a close eye on the eggs once they’re in the oven as the baking time will really depend on how you like your eggs cooked and how crunchy you want your toast to be.

During the last few minutes of baking time, I sometimes add