Thursday, December 30, 2010

New Year's is for Grownups.....


Back in the Dark Ages, when I was a kid, New Year's Eve was an Adults Only holiday...
 
Yeah, I know, us kids were seen and not heard in those days, too, 
but c'mon, can't we have one holiday to ourselves anymore?  

At least we have Vegas...

Back in the '90's, they tried to make Vegas family friendly and it fizzled... 

You can't keep "what stays in Vegas in Vegas" if you run into Cousin Earl and his kids while you are in a drunken state, attempting to lick the belly button of the Caesar's cocktail waitress while at the craps table. That hasn't happened to me, but hey, we have seen some interesting goings on in V-Town.  
The night I got married in Vegas, some of our guests had STORIES! 

So Vegas, thankfully, went back to a grownup's party.  

But I digress.... 

For those of us who don't have the freedom to don sparkly somethings, high, painful and totally gorgeous shoes and dance the night away at some overpriced New Year's Eve event...

or to throw on your jammies, burrow into your Snuggie and watch Dick Clark struggle to breathe 
as Ryan Seacrest shows us how overexposed and annoying he can possibly be...

us parents must find a way to make New Year's fun and entertaining.  

There is a beauty in that, I suppose, as we can  politely decline expensive New Year's Eve invitations.  

Being broke, this comes as a relief, even as I enviously watch pretty little 20 somethings 
slip into cabs on Southport, headed to music, champagne and flirtation.  

However, after I resigned myself that this New Year's Eve would be spent at home, 
I became interested in how I could make it fun for the family.  

With an 8 year old and 4 year old at home, one doesn't have to come up with a huge production.  

One of my good friends says they do fondue on the living room floor and watch a movie.  

Who doesn't LOVE fondue?  

My husband hates it because his first experience was at a fondue restaurant where he almost aspyhxiated from the fumes of the oil.  But he is a party pooper.  

Fondue is fun!  

We are doing kids and adults surf and turf.  I'll do shrimp for the kids and lobster, 
if I can find a deal at Aldi or Costco, for us.  

For the kids dessert I am making bubbly Jello parfaits.   

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 BUBBLY JELLO PARFAITS
1. Make bubbly Jell-O according to the directions on a box of Sparkling White Grape Jell-O. Be sure to use club soda, seltzer, or ginger ale and follow the tips on the box for getting the gelatin to sparkle.
2. Chill the Jell-O in champagne flutes or parfait glasses. We suggest making these the day of the party, since they might lose some bubbliness if they're made further ahead. Wind a metallic multicolored star garland (available at party stores) up the stem of the glass for pizzazz.  
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 I am thinking Molten Chocolate Cakes for us.  

Serves 6
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
  • Whipped Cream , for serving, or adult entertainment....hee hee!
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 6 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar, and tap out excess. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour and salt until just combined. Beat in chocolate until just combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
  3. Place muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.
  4. To serve, turn out cakes, and place on serving plates, bottom sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve with whipped cream.
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We hit the party store for some cheap hats and horns, plus poppers for the kids.  

Just as we are all getting a little tired of each others fascinating company, 
we will head down the street to our neighbors.  

They have 3 boys; just the kind of entertainment our kids need to tire them to blubbering oblivion.  

We adults may then have some time to relax, enjoy some beverages 
with adult carbonation and adult conversation.  

Sigh.....I relax just anticipating it!  

So, to those of you who will have sore feet and sore heads on New Year's Day, I salute you!  

I will be happy to have no pain as I slug on the couch and admire the floral floats of the Rose Parade.  
I went to it once, but that's a story for another day....  

Happy New Year to you!


If you are having a fun adults party at home, though, here is a fun tutorial to make hats for your female 
(or perhaps male, too) guests.... 









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