Here it is New Year's Eve and Britty will be with Adam and Meg with Kyle attending their own parties. So much for the days when we were all together to ring in the New Year...sigh. Oh well, at least we will be celebrating with friends at their home so I won't have to plan or prepare dinner tonight. Still I wanted to do something to celebrate when we are all back together tomorrow so I have planned a nice brunch for us. On the menu are mini ham and cheese quiches, hash brown casserole, layered fruit salad, and party mimosas (for those 21 and older, sorry Meg!). Since Richard and I are making a New Year's resolution to be healthier this next year, I am going to make some little changes in the ingredients I use every day beginning with our brunch. Wishing a happy, healthy New Year filled with blessings to all who stop by.
Mini Ham and Cheese Quiche
You will need:
12 slices bread (Sara Lee 45 Calorie Wheat)
1 onion, grated
1/2 cup shredded low fat Swiss cheese
2 cups low sodium deli ham, diced (Boar's Head)
1 cup skim milk
4 eggs or 8 egg whites and 2 yolks
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 pinch black pepper
frozen chopped broccoli, defrosted and drained
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin tins.
2.Trim or cut bread into circles. Place circles in bottom of muffin tins. Distribute the onion, shredded cheese, broccoli and ham evenly between the muffin tins.
3.In a medium bowl, combine milk, eggs, mustard and pepper. Divide between the muffin tins.
4.Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a quiche comes out clean.
Hash Brown Casserole
You will need:
1 (32-ounce) package frozen hash browns
1 (16-ounce) container fat free sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Sargento Shredded Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup (Campbell's 98% Fat Free)
1 small onion, finely chopped or 1 Tbsp. instant minced onion
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Panko bread crumbs or crushed corn flakes
1/2 cup butter (Smart Balance Heart Right Light)
Directions:
Stir together first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon potato mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle enough bread crumbs to lightly cover casserole and drizzle evenly with butter. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until bubbly.
Layered Fruit Salad
You will need:
2 cups each of four different types of fruit, sliced
1 (8 ounce) container plain low fat yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Directions:
1. In a 2-1/2-qt. glass bowl, layer the fruits.
2. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla; mix well. 3. Spoon over fruit. Refrigerate until serving. Sprinkle with pecans.
Party Mimosas
You will need:
32 oz. Tropicana Trop50 pineapple mango juice, chilled
32 oz. Tropicana Trop50 orange juice, chilled
fresh raspberries
1-2 bottles cold champagne
Directions:
Stir together pineapple-mango and orange juice in a large pitcher until combined. Fill champagne glasses half with juice and half with champagne. Float a few fresh raspberries in each glass before serving. Cheers!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Our Christmas Tree
Our little Christmas tree from the tree farm really held up nicely this year. It still looks pretty and I really wish I didn't have to take it down this weekend. What's most special about our tree is that both girls were home to go with us to the tree farm to pick it out. That has not happened for some years so of course I took the camera and snapped a few pictures to remember our adventure.
The girls and Milo pose for a picture.
It was cold afternoon for us who are use to warm Houston weather. Hot chocolate was just what was needed.
Milo wore a better coat than Richard...
We did a lot of this, walking up and down many of rows of trees in search of the perfect one.
When we did finally find our tree, Brittany helped to cut it down.
Milo and Meg watched.
Once home, our tree, although smaller than the ones of the past, looked beautiful all decorated.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Goodbye Christmas
Christmas has come and gone and it will soon be time to pack away all the decorations for another year. Before embarking on this dreaded task and officially saying goodbye to Christmas , I took some pictures of our holiday home.

The Dinning Room
The Entryway
Our Living Room
Thursday, December 23, 2010
A Day At the Beach!
We spent last Thursday in Galveston with the girls, Ed and Delila, my mom and Milo. It was a little overcast and the weather was cool but it didn't stop us from having a little fun on the beach!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Our Snow Village
During the Thanksgiving holiday when the girls were back from college, we all went to Old Town Spring. While there we stopped and purchased a new addition to our Snow Village, the Opera House.
Our village has been up since and will remain up until sometime in January.
I love our little town and wish it could stay up all year!
I love our little town and wish it could stay up all year!
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