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Posts from December 2011. Show all blog posts.
4 New Year’s Eve Party Dips
I’m a big fan of staying in on New Year’s Eve. With the frigid temps, there is something warm and cozy about staying indoors with friends and family to celebrate the end of the holidays, while simultaneously ushering in a new year.
There may not be confetti, or a party of epic proportions, but there will certainly be food, and lots of it. I almost like cooking for New Year’s Eve more than I do for Christmas. There’s less pressure, and I can be more creative as there are no expectations for the foods that will grace the table.
I almost always try to assemble a platter of dips for the occasion. Self-serve food is a must-have at any casual gathering, and I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t like to put together a small plate of assorted dips, accompanied by crackers, crisps, breads and vegetables.
Feta Salsa is one of my personal favourite dips to serve. There is no cooking involved, and it can be made hours, or even a day, in advance. In fact, the longer the dip rests, the better it tastes, which makes it ideal for a fuss-free evening. We have a few other dips on the SavvyMom site if you’re looking further for a little celebration inspiration:
For presentation, one of my favourite ideas is the individual crudité we featured earlier in the year. Tell us, do you prefer to go out or stay in on New Year’s Eve? If you stay in, do you have special foods you like to prepare?
To see the full printable recipe, click here: Festive Feta Salad.
Milk and Cookie Mocktails
Now that Christmas is behind us, it’s time to move on to the New Year’s Eve celebrations. My kids are little older now, and are at the age where they love this special night. We celebrate with lots of food, and a few bubbly drinks for the adults, and I’ve always wanted to create a special beverage just for the kids.
Earlier this year, I came up with a Milk and Cookie Mocktail that I’ve used for birthday and classroom parties, and they are such a hit with the younger crowd that they would be perfect for New Year’s Eve celebrations for the little people.
The premise is simple: fill a fancy glass with milk, then attach a cookie to a stir stick for an edible and fun garnish. I typically stick to regular while milk and a chocolate chip cookie, or in the case of our holiday party, a chocolate gingerbread Christmas tree cookie. For this occasion, I think it would be fun to make the drinks a little extra special. Here are some possible combinations of drinks and cookies you could use:
- Eggnog and gingerbread cookies
- Peppermint milk (add mint extract to regular milk) and shortbread cookies
- Chocolate milk and sprinkle cookies
The colourful rims are almost essential in making these extra festive, and if you have any decorations left from your holiday baking, they can be put to good use making these drinks. I have baked my cookies onto the little sticks, but you could also just attach an already baked cookie with a little royal icing, if you prefer.
How do you celebrate New Year’s Eve with your kids?
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