January 1, 2014
www.sevledger.com
Southeast Valley Ledger
| 11
The Bubbly Hostess Hosts a Kid Friendly New Year’s Eve Party By Heather Sneed The Bubbly Hostess Special to the Ledger Welcome back! For the past several years, we have managed to have a fun New Year’s Eve celebration in our home with a number of other families with children about the same age as ours. This has been so successful; I wanted to share what we do with you! I typically prepare a hearty Italian dish, such as rigatoni with Italian sausage, peppers, and onions. This is an easy, make ahead dish and I am able to heat just before the party and keep warm in a chafing dish. A crock pot will do the
trick as well. Our guests typically bring heavy appetizers and/or sides to accompany the main dish. Before the party, I cover the dining room table in party hats, tiaras, noisemakers and horns so that our guests are in the spirit as soon as they walk in the door. The festivities start around 5 p.m., enjoying appetizers and then serving dinner buffet style shortly thereafter. Fireworks are allowed in our area on New Year’s Eve so after dinner, usually around 6:30 p.m. or so, we head outside to watch the dads light the fireworks and the kids have fun with “poppers” (you
Resolve to give your cooking a bold makeover in the New Year (StatePoint) Bored with your everyday cooking? This New Year, resolve to give your meals an exuberant makeover. You won’t even need to look across an ocean for bold flavor inspiration from other cuisines. You can start at home, say experts. “American cuisine has been crafted from the stupendous ingredients, flavors and dishes derived from all people who have stepped upon its shore -- east to west, northern tip to southern gulf. All of it has merged into a single fabulous, kaleidoscopic menu,” says Susanna Hoffman, anthropologist and food writer and co-author of the new book, “Bold: A Cookbook of Big Flavors.” Hoffman, along with long-time cooking collaborator with whom she helped found the famed Chez Panisse restaurant, and co-author Victoria Wise, are encouraging home chefs to highlight the range of bold flavors of the American melting pot in their cooking -- whether they are making a traditional classic or incorporating new styles, tastes and trends. In “Bold” they venture away from the small plates phenomenon of the last several years by offering an array of recipes of plate-filling proportions comprised of lively global and domestic influences. Try this recipe for “Lamb Chops with Scallions in Cola Glaze,” which celebrates a ubiquitous, truly all-American product and repurposes it for the main meal: Ingredients • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 8 lamb shoulder or sirloin chops • Kosher or fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 6 bunches scallions, white and light green parts only, cut lengthwise into thin strips • 1 1/2 cups regular Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola • 3 teaspoons anise seeds Directions • Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a sauté
Lamb Chops © Matthew Benson pan large enough to hold the chops without crowding. Sprinkle the chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Add them to the pan and sauté until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. • Add the scallions, cola and anise seeds to the pan and continue cooking, turning three times until almost all the liquid disappears and the chops are glazed on both sides and still pink in the centers, about 8 minutes altogether. • To serve, arrange the chops on a platter; heap the scallions on top and pour the remaining pan juices over all. Serve right away. More information about the new book can be found at www.Workman.com. A new year is a perfect opportunity to try new things in the kitchen. From slow-cooked roasts and braises to brimming soups and hearty pastas and grains, you can make meal time more exciting by thinking bigger and bolder.
know, those little things you throw on the ground) as well as sparklers. After fireworks, we head back inside to enjoy an easy dessert and to get ready for the “kids countdown” that happens at 8 p.m. We give them all a little bit of sparkling cider and watch the clock for 8 p.m. to approach. Everyone has a fun time counting down from 10 at the top of their lungs. Once the clock strikes 8:00, we drink our bubbly and sparkling cider – toast to everyone, give hugs, and kisses, then start the bedtime process. Yes. And it works! We have kids in sleeping bags in our boys’ room and in the playroom. In the past, we have used the master bedroom and space in our downstairs for kids as well. When we rang in 2013, we had eight kids between the ages of 1 and 7 all in bed and never heard from again the rest of the night by 8:30 p.m. Awesome! Last year, the Hubby and I also planned on “late night bites” – an antipasti platter and some easy frozen appetizers to heat in the oven – which we served to the adults around 10 p.m. We continue to celebrate by playing card games, turning up the music, and dancing! This year, we plan to keep all of the kids on the main level of our home so that we can utilize fun activities that are downstairs such as playing pool, competing against each other in
Just Dance, and performing karaoke. At the end of the night, parents in the neighborhood grab their kids and carry them in their sleeping bags as they walk home and other parents who have driven find a space in the house to spend the night. It’s so hard to find a sitter on New Year’s Eve and so much more fun to spend with your family and friends – this is the perfect solution. How do you celebrate New Year’s Eve? What do you do with your kids? I’d love for you to visit my blog at www.thebubblyhostess. blogspot.com – and leave a comment! Please stop by my Facebook page to “LIKE” me if you haven’t already. You can find The Bubbly Hostess on Instagram and Twitter as well. Lastly - always remember to make the most out of your planning, so you have time to enjoy your champagne…
Daily 99¢ Specials Manager Specials Every Day Buy an Adult Dinner or Breakfast &
Get a Free Kid’s Meal* *Limit 2 Free Meals with 2 Adult Dinner/Breakfast Purchase. Meal must be $4.75 or more. Coupon expires 1/8/14
1532 W. Ocotillo Rd., Queen Creek • 480-888-1876 Mon-Sat 7am-8pm • Sun 8am-2pm