Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone! It’s just a few hours from the start of a new year and I’m excited, aren’t you? It’s time to think about those resolutions that you are hoping to achieve in the new year, but first we’ve got to celebrate the very last day of this year. If you are on a small budget, like I am, and just are celebrating with your own family at home, then having elaborate party favors and food may just be too over the top. What I have for you are a couple of family-friendly recipesst that you can start with to make in time before the ball drops.
Fancy Strawberries Appetizers
1 qt fresh whole strawberries
1 cup vanilla or chocolate frosting
Candy sprinkles
Mini semisweet chocolate chips
(anything extra you would like – make it fun!)
Melt the frosting in a microwave safe bowl for about 15 seconds on high.
Place the candy sprinkles and chocolate chips into their own separate shallow bowls.
Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper.
Dip each strawberry bottom about 1/3 up into the frosting.
Dip the frosted strawberries into one of the toppings in the bowl.
Put the strawberries on the wax paper.
Once all of the strawberries have been chocolate and toppings, put the cookie sheet into the refrigerator for about 5 minutes to allow the frosting to harden.
Orange Cream Soda Mocktail
2 cups pulp free orange juice
1 pint vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
Club soda
Pineapple or mint sprig for garnish
Fun colored plastic glasses
In a blender, mix together the orange juice and vanilla ice cream until smooth. Fill each glass two thirds full with the mixture. Top off with club soda and stir. Add a wedge of pineapple or mint sprig for garnish.
Balloon Confetti
Balloons
Hole Puncher
Construction Paper
With the hole puncher, begin to punch holes in the construction paper to make your confetti. This can be a job for the older kids that have a good grip. Once you have made a ton of confetti, put some of it into balloon and blow. If you have a helium machine, it may go easier. When all of the balloons are blown, tape them to the ceiling. Once midnight comes, if your kids are still wide awake, begin to pop them so the confetti falls over everyone.
Enjoy your New Year’s Eve party!
Photo credit: Thinkstock
