Happy and Healthy New Year's Day Celebration

This New Year's Day I invited my dear parents and sister and her husband to come and celebrate the New Year with us for an afternoon "Healthy Appetizer Party". We always like to get together on New Year's day to just 'hang out', ususally in front of a hockey game... this year it was football though.

My whole plan was to create Healthy and Festive Appetizer choices that wouldn't make the guys think they were eating just 'Healthy' stuff. So I took some of our favourites and lightened up...

Happy New Plates and Napkins!

Some Michael Seasons Lite Cheese Curls - they are made with Natural ingredients and real cheese.  They have about 130 calories for a 1 cup serving size, 4.5 g of fat, 2 g of protein and 20 g of carbs and 2 g of fibre. I like them because of the sharp cheese taste, but my daughter didn't.

I served almonds, pistachios, trail mix, sweet coated peanuts and Brookside dark chocolate covered pomegranates.

Some Manzanilla stuffed olives. My sister and I love olives...

Some green grapes and red cherries.

Some crackers and cheese. Ok, I only like the extra-old white cheddar. I just had a few slices. But for the boys I got some Boursin- the fancy cheese (and stinky) and some Brie.

Here are the nice crackers I chose, Lesley Stowe's Organic Raincoast Crisps, Ace Bakery Artisan Cranberry and Raisin crisps, Borwn Rice Thins- Sea Salt & Pepper, Kashi TLC Honey Sesame Crakers and Some Triscuit Thin Crisps with Parmesand and Garlic (for the boys).

 I made my Tex Mex Taco Dip... lightened up though. For the base I used light cream cheese, low fat cottage cheese and half a packet of low salt taco seasoning and whipped it all together.

Then I put a thin layer of Herdez Salsa.

A spinkle of light cheddar cheese.

Then I layered some chopped lettuce, tomato, kalamata olives and jalapenos on only half for those who like it spicy (the boys).

Served with these Neal Brothers Extremely Tasty Multigrain Tortilla Chips.

Some California Rolls

Some PC Blue Menu Two-Bite Brownies, Lite Cool Whip and Strawberries. Looks like little Santa hats don't you think.

Here's the spread.

And some more on the other table... I made those Cranberry BBQ Chicken Meatballs I blogged about a few days ago and my syster brought some veggies and low fat dip.  We had a great time talking and sharing and snaking and the boys were watching football.

While the girls and my dad finished up a giant puzzle of the world.