Allison Cafe

For many of us in the United States, New Year’s Eve parties conjure up memories of watching Dick Clark’s Rocking New Year’s Eve bash on television, sipping champagne at midnight, and unfortunately crowded bars and restaurants with ridiculous cover charges. I have long loathed that last one. To me, New Year’s Eve has been more about spending time with close friends and family, and of course that special someone to kiss at midnight. It has been less about needing to attend large parties and spending ridiculous amounts of money just to be there. Do not get me wrong, those events can be fun sometimes, but many times I would much rather be in a smaller setting ringing in the new year with the ones I love and not hundreds of strangers.

I think that is why a lot of people decide to create their own party and host it at home. Not only is it a lot more affordable, it also can be a more intimate event. And it can still be just as chic and fun as the trendiest clubs, if you take the time to decorate. And do not be afraid to ask guests to contribute to the menu. Hosting it as a pot luck can actually be a lot less work for the host and make guests feel like part of the planning committee. And let’s be honest, not all of our friends want to cook for the party, so task those guests with bringing other key ingredients like beverages.

New Year’s Eve should be a time to celebrate the past and look forward to the future. It should be a time when we let go of anything bad that happened in the past year and think of ways to live a better year ahead. And I think the biggest factor in creating successful New Year’s resolutions is to commit to something realistic. By setting small achievable goals, we will be more likely to follow through on them. As the party host, consider making those resolutions a fun activity for the party. Create some simple note cards in which your guests can self address an envelope and write their New Year’s resolution on the note card. Hold on to the cards and mail them to your friends a few months later. Sometimes all we need is a reminder to help us stay on track with our goals. You may even want to create a fun list of resolutions to inspire your guests to create resolutions that will be fun to keep. Make a list that has a good combination of funny resolutions, like “I promise to learn how to tell a funny joke”, and serious ones, such as “I promise to perform one selfless act this year”.

No matter how we spend the New Year’s Eve celebration, I hope that we take the time to celebrate all the things that we have to be thankful for. Especially our friends and family. Those are truly the greatest treasures one can ask for, they can buy you happiness in the form of laughter, support and unconditional love.

Recipes:

Black-Eyed Peas with Greens

Black-eyed peas are traditionally served in the southern Untied States on New Years Day in order to bring good luck for the year ahead. So why not serve them on New Years Eve too? This recipe was adapted from Real Simple and is quick and easy to prepare.

Serves 6 -8

Ingredients:

• 2 15 oz cans black-eyed peas, drained
• 2 tsp olive oil
• ½ lb ham steak, diced into ½ inch pieces (Hint: this is a great way to use those leftovers!)
• 2 bunches of Swiss chard or similar green, rinsed
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

Place the black-eyed peas in a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a large pot heat 1 tsp of olive oil over medium-high heat, add the ham and cook just until browned. Transfer the ham to the bowl with the peas. Separate the Swiss chard stems from the leaves and slice both crosswise into 1 inch wide pieces. Heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat in the large pot, add the stems to the pot and cover, cook until softened. Then add the leaves to the pot, cover and cook until wilted, stirring occasionally. Transfer the greens to the mixing bowl. Add the salt, pepper and vinegar to the bowl and toss. Serve warm.

After Dinner Coffee Drink

Why not offer your guests something to make their after dinner cup of coffee more festive? This simple recipe will do just the trick. Also offer your guests a virgin cup of coffee as well for your non-drinkers and designated drivers.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups strongly brewed black coffee ( 1 cup per guest)
• ¼ Kahlúa liqueur
• ¾ cup Bailey’s Irish cream
• Whipped cream and chocolate shavings for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

In a large pitcher, combine the coffee, Kahlúa and Baileys. Pour into coffee cups. Offer whipped cream and chocolate shavings as additional toppings.

Tips for Hosting Your Own New Years Eve Potluck:

Hosting a New Years Eve celebration at home is a great opportunity to create an intimate party catering specifically to your groups likes and dislikes. And do not worry about asking your friends to contribute to the menu, they will be happy to participate.

Invitations – New Years Eve is one of the most popular party nights of the year, so send your invites early. With the holiday only 2 days away, you may find that using an online invitation service, such as Evite.com, to be the best option for you and your guests. Customize your Evite to your event and take advantage of the technology which allows you to have your guests create a party playlist and sign-up for their contributions to the party’s menu. Or make it very informal and simply make personal phone calls.

Decorations – Who says that just because the Christmas tree came down that the lights had to go with it? Use those white holiday lights to decorate your space. One creative idea we saw was to use bottomless hurricane lamps and coil the lights within the lamp. They make a luminous addition to any mantel or sideboard. Consider using other easy to find items like silver Hershey kisses and blue party blowers to fill vases or bowls. These can be creative and useful centerpieces for your table. No matter what decorations you go with, think plenty of intimate lighting and colors like royal blue, silver and gold.

Setup – The day before your party, try to set-up as much as you can, so you can be more relaxed on the day of your party. One or two days before the party, send your guests a reminder and ask them to confirm the dish they are bringing. Be sure to contact people individually if you asked people to bring specific items.

Menu – Before you send out your invites and ask people to make contributions to the menu, plan what you would like to serve. If you know you have dietary considerations to keep in mind, then plan those accordingly as well. Try to plan one item for each of the following and then assign one to yourself and to each of your guests:

• 

  Try creating a signature martini

  Celebration cocktails – this could be a champagne cocktail to be served with appetizers. It will be easier to keep your party on a budget if you create a signature cocktail. Have non-alcoholic beverages available as well. Note: as the host you should be prepared to have enough bubbly on hand for the midnight celebration, you may find that this is an easy area to delegate if the food items are already spoken for. The math:

  • One bottle of champagne= 5-6 servings
  • One bottle of wine= 4-5 servings
  • One liter of alcohol= 20-22 mixed drinks
  • An easy calculator would be to assume 1 drink per guest per hour of your event. Some will drink more and some will drink less, but that may help you plan by averaging it out. Take your groups drinking habits into consideration.
• A bread to be served with dinner
• 1 or 2 main dishes, such as Roast Chicken and Butternut Squash Lasagna
• 2 side dishes, such as Black-eyed Peas with Greens and a Salad or other vegetable
• A dessert
• An after dinner drink, such as Regular Coffee and a Coffee Cocktail

Activities –

• Keep your guests entertained throughout the night by having an activity table which features various costume masks, beads, tiaras etc.
• If your guests are singing type, consider renting a karaoke machine for after dinner.
• Plan music for your event for the following times: before dinner, during dinner and after dinner.
• Depending on your space you may also wish to have a fun holiday movie displayed on a blank wall using a projector, even without the sound of the movie playing your guests will enjoy the scenes of their favorite classic movies in the background.

Departures – as with any celebration where alcohol is served, make sure your guests have a designated driver or safe alternative home such as a cab. If you choose to provide party favors, consider a simple homemade gift. Here are a few great ideas from Martha Stewart that are fun and easy to create: Handmade Gifts from Martha Stewart.

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