Entertainment Tips for the New Year!

We have so much to be thankful for from 2014, not the least of which is YOU!  Our friends, family, and guests have all contributed to an outstanding year, and we look forward to seeing what 2015 has in store for us!

As a young man, I remember our family inviting close friends over for New Year's Eve and talking and dancing the night away while Dick Clark started his countdown and officially ushered in a new year.  There was always food somewhere close by, the adults were always laughing (usually at Bob's jokes), and we young folk would play cards, listen to music, or find new and inventive ways to skirt around trouble.

Thinking back on those years, I thought it might be worthwhile to throw some ideas out there that struck me as important when entertaining for the holidays.  I look back on those years very fondly, and I think it was, in part, due to the attention to detail that my parents and their friends paid to the experience.

1.  Be prepared to nibble:  For some reason, there was always that one plate of finger food that would make it from the dinner table all of the way through to midnight.  Whether it was cheese and crackers, the DeVaney deer sausage, Grandma Skinner's hot pickles and the obligatory black olives, or a full-on antipasti including all of the above, you could always count on there being a bite or two to take the edge off of your hunger into the late hours.  As such, try to think of ways to repurpose something that provides continuity for the grazers in your crowd; keep the meat and cheese tray readily available, stock up on crackers and dip, or make a little extra bruschetta to put out when dinner starts to wear off.

2.  Have your signature:  It was always there - every meal - and it wasn't a meal without it there.  The relish tray with hot pickles, sweet pickles, dill pickles, black olives, green olives, and whatever else was briney and delicious in the cupboards made its way, atop its properly segmented glass dish, onto every gathering we have had, and it was no different even during Christmas 2014.  Grandma Skinner's hot dill pickles, Grandma Alberts' sweet pickles, the black olives I used to put on my fingers when I was a kid (they don't fit anymore or I would probably still do it. . .) - they all had a place of honor on that relish tray that came to mean so much more than just a pickle tray.  Find some tradition to share with your guests - old friends or new - and use it to build continuity and familiarity into your entertaining.  Your guests will thank you for it, and don't be afraid to build new traditions with your guests, as well!  We never made strombolis until the DeVaneys started coming over for New Years, and they naturally made their way to the table for years after their initial offering.

3.  Keep it simple:  If you're in for a big night of entertainment, the best approach has always been to keep things light and simple.  Food consisted of salad, a couple of soups (chili and oyster stew were staples) and the aforementioned relish tray for years, and this spread more than guaranteed satisfied stomachs without having to go to a ton of trouble.  Unless it is a situation where formality is a necessity, let the food keep you focused on what really matters - the time you get to spend with loved ones!

4.  Build rituals:  Every year, my father and a few cronies would spend the wee hours of the morning getting cinnamon rolls ready for the morning.  This was a time where they broke away from the main crowd and got to have some time that was uniquely theirs.  Whether it is a time for a few of you to take a walk after midnight and chat, an annual snowball fight for the kids (and kids at heart), or a particular card game variant that only a few know how to play, these rituals have a way of scheduling themselves throughout a night, and for annual events, these small forays can lead to lasting memories.

5.  Plan for house guests:  We were quite lucky in having space to accommodate our friends, and part of the fun of the New Year event was having the whole night to hang out with friends and then to get up, have cinnamon rolls, and enjoy some more time before lunch was served and we all headed our separate ways.  This also allowed the wine, beer, or whatever to flow freely without fear of someone getting hurt or picked up for lack of discretion.  If you plan it as a sleep-over with breakfast and lunch already figured out, chances are your guests will plan accordingly, and being able to enjoy a few beverages without fear will always set your guests more at ease.  In addition, you reap the benefit of having more time with them, and that is always a nice way to start a new year!

These are just a few ideas that made our family New Years festivities so special and memorable, and I hope one or more of them have helped you to brainstorm ideas for entertaining in the coming year.

May your 2015 be blessed, and however you decide to ring in the new year, be safe, be merry, and we look forward to seeing you soon!

-Shane.