Hosting a New Years Party to Ring In 2010?!
Here some easy but great ideas for your New Years Celebration!
Gotta start with the food . . .
You know we have to talk about the food first! For a party of this type, an appetizer/finger food type buffet is the best way to go. But that doesn’t mean you can’t serve heartier foods that will stick with your guests for the duration of the evening.
Some ideas for food:
Small sandwiches served on dinner rolls (BBQ; hamburger sliders, pork tenderloin, etc.) chicken fingers, sweet and sour meatballs; sausage balls, bite size crab cakes. Oh, and I just found a great recipe for homemade salsa (great recipe from Paula Deen). Serve salsa and chips. And it’s easy.
Also, when you are hosting a party, you never know quite how much to prepare. A good rule of thumb is count on about 10 appetizer bites per person. And depending on the number of guests, anywhere from 3 – 6 different appetizer choices.
Fun ideas for presentation: make toothpick flags for your appetizers. Cut a small strip of paper in triangular shape, write “2010” on it, wrap it around the toothpick and glue it on.
Of course, you can’t talk about New Years without the drinks. Everyone thinks champagne. But if you not so inclined, let me suggest serving something like Sparkling Grape Juice then add a little orange juice or cranberry juice to make it festive. Add some grapes or cranberries to the bottom of glasses.
You all might find this interesting – in many Mediterranean and Latin American countries, they eat 12 grapes at midnight to ensure good luck for each month of the coming year. So put some grapes out for your guests and share this tradition.
A fun thing to do with your glasses: get those adhesive numbers that are used for scrapbooking projects, and put those on your glasses. You could put either “2010” or “10, 9, 8, etc.” (counting down) on them.
Decor that is functional, easy and fabulous!
For your table, arrange some colorful noisemakers and/or party hats on top of a pretty cake stand, piece of pottery or crystal bowl; or use some pretty glasses and have them coming out of the top of them.
You know, there are a lot of superstitions linked to our New Year’s celebrations. Supposedly, noise makers are not only a way to celebrate the hope of what a new year has to offer but they also serve to scare away the devil. So, I say it can’t hurt.
Another fun way to decorate is with clocks. Everyone is watching the clock on New Year’s eve, so put them on your tables, on your mantle, any focal point in your room.
Confetti – that always seems to be a part of New Year’s celebrations. So why not make some meaningful confetti. What do I mean by that? Scan or copy some photos of your family and friends who will be attending your party and then cut them into “puzzle like” pieces. Sprinkle them on your tables and then have everyone put them back together during the evening.
Take aways for Guests!
You know I like little “take aways” to send my guests home with . . . and I love food gifts. One idea: put a gourmet cookie in a one of the white paper CD envelopes and write a personal note of good wishes for the new year. Or put some black-eyed peas on a mason jars with a recipe attached.
Let’s talk about some New Years Day traditions
**Speaking of black-eyed peas, you know us Southerners have to have our ham, black-eyed peas and collard greens for good luck on New Year’s Day! Now most of us know that we eat the peas and greens as symbols of humility and hopes of financial good fortune. But you might not know this – some say the reason we eat pork, instead of poultry or beef: poultry scratches backward, cows stand still but the pig eats their food moving forward. Therefore, those who dine on pork will move forward in the new year!
Now, I found a soup recipe I’m going to try. It’s called “Ham and Black-eyed Pea Soup with Collard Greens.” That covers all the bases, doesn’t it? Oh and you could attach this soup recipe to your takeaway gift of black-eyed peas.
*** Okay, I’ve got one more interesting tip will ensure good fortune in 2010 for all of the ladies:
When you are going to your New Year’s party, get yourself a new outfit! (I verified this folklore on Snopes!) If a girl wears a new outfit on January 1st, she will supposedly have good fortune throughout the year. If you wear red, you double your luck. (I’m not making this up – I’m just reporting the facts!).
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