Christmas Brunch with a Friend

I invited a couple friends over for a Christmas brunch.  Unfortunately, one of them was unable to come at the last minute.  I thoroughly enjoyed the undivided time with my other friend, though.

I made Mini Bagel Sandwiches and fruit salad, and my friend brought a yummy hashbrown casserole.  I made the bagel sandwiches as part of our soccer luncheon with family members at the end of our Fall season, and everyone loved them.  I slather a thin layer of cream cheese on mini bagels and fill with a slice of meat and cheese of choice. 

We finished off our meal with Brownie Pizza for dessert.

We sipped on some Flavored Hot Cider.  My mother-in-law taught me a great trick.  Add red hot cinnamon candies to your cider while it is heating, and you will have a delicious hot beverage!  I added about 3 oz. of candies to a gallon of cider.

I made a box of Decadent Fudge as a Christmas favor for my friend.  This recipe turned out superbly.  I do not have a microwave, so I just put everything into a large stockpot and stirred while heating the ingredients until the mixture was smooth and melted.  I added pecans instead of walnuts and sprinkled the top with white, green, and red decorating sugars.  The fudge is very rich and delicious and has more of a dark chocolate taste.