24 inch white rims

24 inch white rims

This is the survival guide for planning the perfect party. Your party will go as you like and all bases will be covered.

Step 1: Do not jump into this without first reading all the steps and being fully prepared. If you are giving the party alone, make sure you have all details worked out. If you are sharing responsibilities with someone else or others, make sure all involved parties understand their role and know his/ her job.

Step 2: Choose your location whether it is your living room or your backyard, it is important to know before hand where you plan to have it so guests will know where to go and you will know what you need.

Step 3: Get your budget numbers together and work within it.

Step 4: Make the guest list.

Step 5: Select the start and end times. Take into account the travel time each person(s) has.

Step 6: Choose a theme (optional) and get decorations. You can stick to the obvious "Happy New Year" theme or choose something such as "Have a Lucky New Year" and use clovers, rabbit feet, etc. for decorations.

Decoration Checklist

Party Room

• "Happy New Year" banner

• Music- for a subtle mood, choose jazz or Brazilian jazz or _____ music for an upbeat mood

• Streamers

• Balloons

• Good lighting

• A television to watch the New Year's countdown

Table

• Tablecloth

• Napkins

• Centerpiece

• Tableware

• Favors

• Confetti

• Digital or single use camera

Step 7: Invite guest either by phone call, email, or invitation. Give everyone directions at this time. You can find plenty of maps online to email, print, or fax.

Step 8: Select your menu. Here are two menus- one finger food and one sit down- that I have put together for you already. You will find the recipes and ingredient lists at the end of the article.

Menu 1: Finger foods

Sausage bread

Coconut shrimp with sate sauce

Grilled chicken nachos

Vegetable tray

Cracker and dip tray *

Fruit tray with dip(s)

Pastry Tray **

Cherry Limeade Slush
Citrus Tea Spritzer

Menu 2: Sit down meal

Green salad

Blackened tilapia

Grilled chicken

Fettuccine Alfredo

Southern green beans

White Chocolate Almond Truffles

Peach cobbler

Mock Pink Champagne

Coffee

Step 9: No party is complete without games and entertainment. If some of the individuals invited are not familiar with one another, make sure everyone has name tags. Be creative. For example, your friend Darnell's name tag can say "Darnell" on the top line and "Julia's high school classmate" on the bottom line. This can stir up conversations between those that have never met and allow you to have time mingling instead of introducing everyone all night. Also, here are some games you can play.

Lucky Hat: The hats can be favors as well. Write "Happy New Year" inside the top of one hat and the person who gets that hat can win a door prize.

Group puzzle: Group everyone into teams of 3 or 4, depending on how many people attending. Buy enough 100 piece puzzles to accommodate everyone on your list (as if they were in a group) although not all may attend. The first group to finish their puzzle wins a door prize.

Scavenger hunt: You can play this game a variety of ways. One way is to have a prepared list of items you think people will have on their person or in the vehicle they arrive in. Another way is to have items stashed in the party room for attendees to find in a given time. Another way is to divide attendees into groups and have them find items around town in a given time. Then all must report to you with items found. The one(s) who find the most wins a door prize.

Casino Royale: Play card games such as Poker, Blackjack, and Texas Hold Em.

These are just a few. I am sure you know some adult games to play to keep your guest occupied. The object is to have fun.

Step 10: It is only right to send thank you cards to everyone in attendance. After all, they could have gone somewhere else.

Recipes

Sausage bread

1 lb loaf Italian bread

½ lb ground beef

½ lb ground breakfast sausage

½ lb smoked turkey sausage, diced

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 lb medium cheddar

6 American cheese slices

Salt and pepper

Sliced jalapenos, optional

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut off a slice at the top of the loaf the hollow out the loaf and dice. Place the hollowed bread to the side. Brown beef and sausages until no longer pink. Add onion and bell pepper until onion is transparent and bell pepper is tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bread and mix well. Remove from heat and add cheeses and jalapenos until cheese is just mixed. Spoon into loaf and put the top back. Wrap loaf in aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes. Makes 6 - 8 servings

Coconut Shrimp with Sate Sauce

Frozen coconut shrimp (get enough for everyone)

2 Tbsp coconut milk

3 Tbsp peanut butter with honey

2 cloves garlic

4 tsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp cilantro or chives

½ tsp hot sauce

2 Tbsp soy sauce

Cook shrimp according to directions. For sate sauce, puree garlic and peanut butter in blender. Add remaining ingredients until smooth and fully combined. Makes enough sauce for 8- 10 servings

Grilled Chicken Nachos

1 bag tortilla chips

1 pkg cubed chicken breast, shredded

1 (15 oz) can chili beans

1(1 oz) pkg taco seasoning

1 can Rotel®

1 bunch green onions

2 cups Mexican blend cheese

1 small block Velveeta, cubed

Heat the grill. Spray a 13 x 9- inch foil pan with cooking spray. Pour chips into the pan. Mix chicken, beans, and taco seasoning and pour over chips. Sprinkle the Rotel, green onions, and cheeses over the chicken mixture. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and put the pan on the grill. Close lid and cook 10 minutes or until Velveeta is melted. Remove from grill and let sit for 5 minutes. If no grill is available, preheat oven to 350°. Follow the same instructions, baking until the cheese melts. Makes 8 - 10 servings

Cherry Limeade Slush

2 quarts cherry sherbet

4 cups frozen limeade concentrate

6 cups club soda

1/8 c lime zest

Ice

Place all ingredients in blender and enough ice to fill it up. Blend until slushy and ice chunks are few to none. Wet the rims of glasses or cups and dip in sugar. Then pour slush into glasses and serve immediately. Makes 20 1 cup servings

Citrus Tea Spritzer

12 cups seltzer water

8 cups orange juice

1 c lime juice

1 c sugar

8 Crystal Light® tea packets

Ice

Mix all ingredients, except ice, in punch bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add ice. Makes 20 servings

Blackened Tilapia

1/4 cup paprika

1/8 cup chili powder

1/8 c dried oregano

1 ½ Tbsp salt

1 ½ tsp lemon pepper seasoning

¾ tsp cayenne pepper

6 lemons, quartered

2 Tbsp butter, separated 1 Tbsp melted

24 4 oz. tilapia fillets, thawed if frozen

Mix all seasonings together in bowl. Rinse and dry fish. Brush both sides of fish with melted butter. Rub seasonings into both sides of fish completely covering them. In a large nonstick skillet, melt remaining butter over medium high. Cook fish about 3 minutes per side until fish no longer sticks to bottom of the skillet. Turn and cook another 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Serve with lemon on the side. Makes 24 servings

Fettuccine Alfredo

4 12 oz. fettuccine noodles

4 jars Alfredo sauce

Black pepper

Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, heat the sauce in saucepan. Add enough black pepper to your liking. Mix the sauce and pasta once the pasta is cooked. Serve with extra parmesan on top. Makes about 20 servings

Southern Green Beans

5 1lb bags green beans

Chicken broth

1 onion

5 slices bacon

Butter

Olive oil

Salt, pepper, 1 tsp sugar

Sauté onion in olive oil until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add green beans and enough chicken broth to cover. Slice bacon and add to beans. Add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Boil beans until desired tenderness. Remove from heat and add butter. Stir before serving.

White Chocolate Almond Truffles

2 6 oz boxes white chocolate, chopped

1 c heavy cream

2 Tbsp butter

½ cup finely chopped almonds

Chocolate ice cream sauce that hardens

In a double boiler, combine white chocolate, cream and butter and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour into a glass pan, cover with Saran wrap and place in the refrigerator until firm. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the almond crumbs on a plate. Spoon out about 1 Tbsp white chocolate mixture and roll between the palms to make a ball then roll the ball in the almonds. Place on parchment paper. Drizzle chocolate on truffles for a pretty presentation. Makes about 40

Peach Cobbler

29 oz. can peaches in light syrup

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp cornstarch

¼ cup brown sugar

1 cup + 2 Tbsp cake flour

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup + 2 Tbsp sugar

6 Tbsp butter

Spray 9-in glass pan. Preheat oven to 400°. In pan, mix peaches, cinnamon, extract, cornstarch, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, mix cake flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. Sprinkle over peaches. Cut butter over flour mixture. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Mock Pink Champagne

12 oz white grape juice, concentrate, thawed

12 oz apple juice, concentrate, thawed

2 32 oz club soda

Grenadine

Mix the juices and club soda. Add grenadine until the drink turns a subtle pink. Makes 16 to 20 servings

*Mix different crackers and dips on a tray.

** Use bakery pastries or buy prepackaged and arrange them on a tray.

Reference:

No references or citations are available because of information I collected over the years and implemented my way. The recipes are some of my original and I ask that you do not present them as your own.