Throwing an elegant New Years celebration does not mean you have to start your year off with stress! Follow these simple tips for throwing a simple, elegant New Years Eve bash.



Theme: Elegant Dinner Party
Theme colors: Silver, White and ice blue

The Invitation:

Mail or hand deliver preprinted party invitations in the theme colors you've selected.

The Table Setting:

Drape an ice blue table cloth over your dining room table and adorn with an immaculate centerpiece: Starting with a base of votive, tealight, and taper candles (use vanilla or unscented to avoid potential allergy attack)and weave silver bead strings and mini mirrors (found in the craft dept)through the area. Place silver chargers under white plates for full impact.

Music:

Classical or instrumental music played softly in the background.

Food:

Preparing for a sit down dinner is a snap. Just think about your guest.

Main Course Ideas:

Pot Roast
Steak
Grilled Chicken
Fettucine Alfredo w/ chicken
Ham


Cocktail Hour:

Serve cocktails and play a game that invites players to team up or work as a group.

Board Game Suggestions:

Cranium
Battle of the Sexes
Trivial Pursuit
Scattegories
Scene It

Video Games:
Guitar/ Band Hero
Singstar

Tips on serving cocktails:

-Make sure your guests drinking responsibly
-Have a non-alcoholic version of drinks available for guests who do not wish to drink.

Cocktail Recipes:

Side Car

For Glasses:
Lemon Juice
Sugar

Cocktails:

1c, Cognac
1/2 c. triple sec
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
maraschino cherry to garnish


-dip the rim of 4 martini glasses in a shallow plate of lemon juice and then in the sugar. Allow to dry for 15 minutes.

Combine the Cognac, Triple Sec, and lemon juice in a pitcher. Pour some into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well and pour into the glasses. Garnish with a cherry or lemon peel.

Plum Cocktails:

Ingredients:

1/4 c. sugar
8 plums, pitted and cut into 6 wedges
2 limes, wedged
10 ounces gin
sparkling water

Cook sugar and 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil. Stir in plums; remove from heat. Refrigerate syrup until cold.

Fill 10 tall glasses with ice. Squeeze 1 lime wedge into each glass; add wedge to glass. Stir 1/4 cup syrup and 1 ounce gin into each glass. Add sparkling water to fill; stir. Garnish with plums. Serve.

Pomegranate-Apple Cocktails:

Ingredients:

3 c. pomegranate juice
1.5 c. apple cider
1/4 c. sugar
4 cinnamon stick (3in long)
1/2 tep. whole black peppercorns
1 orange sliced into rounds
16 kumquats sliced into 1/4 in. thick rounds
1/2 c. Apple Brandy

Combine all ingredients except half of te kumquats and the brandy in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add the brandy if you choose. Mixture can be cooled and refrigerated at this point.

For hot pomegranate-apple cider, reheat the spiced pomegranate mixture and divide among four mugs. Add remaining kumquat slices to each of the mugs. Serve hot.

For pomegranate-champagne cocktails, divide 1/2 cup of the cooled spiced pomegranate mixture between four champagne flutes. Add four ounces of chilled champagne to each glass and serve immediately.