New Years Eve 2012

New Years Eve always comes and goes without much fanfare in our home. We prefer to keep it low key and stay home. Of course that doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of goodies to munch on. Doesn’t matter that I’m still looking at Christmas cookies and Sweet Potato Pie. A new holiday calls for new food and of course a new tablescape.

I’ve seen some beautiful tables that have strayed from the typical black/white/silver/gold combo. However, I wanted to use what I had so I stayed with that palette. The only thing new on my table is the tablecloth. I picked it up at Meijer’s a couple of days before Christmas. I didn’t look at the size, just the price. For $3.75 I knew I’d find a way to make it work no matter what the size. It’s round and makes a nice overlay on my dining room table and would probably just fit the square table in the kitchen. Naturally when I went back to the store last weekend they were all gone.

I kept out a few silver baubles from Christmas and piled a few on a silver pillar candle holder. Then I sat it on top of a black cake stand and added a feather. At the base of the stand I wrapped a piece of shimmery silver fabric and tucked in a few faux crystals for a little extra bling.

On either side of the centerpiece I placed my super versatile glass cylinders. In the bottom I poured in some black vase filler and added a few silver and white ornaments.

This crystal clock is at least 15 years old and I pretty much use it only for decorative purposes. It fit the theme perfectly. A few taper holders subbed as candy holders, gotta love those Hershey’s kisses!

The place setting is a repeat from one of my Christmas tables with the exception of the black flutes. This is why I love black and white pieces so much, they always come in handy. My original plan was to use all black napkins but I could only find three. So two white and two black it was. Naturally after I had taken the pictures I found the other napkin. That was surely my sign to become more organized this year.

I started preparing the munchies early in the day hoping for a bit of sunshine. Mother Nature disregarded my pleas and told me to deal with whatever light I had. Here’s the menu.

Italian Sausage Wontons – I browned the sausage with chopped red and green peppers, and onions. My wonton rolling skills leave a bit to be desired but they were yummy nonetheless. I served them with a bit of sweet and sour sauce on the side.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip – the classic appetizer that’s quick, easy and budget friendly. Here is a link to the recipe. This time I left out the chicken and served it with chips instead of in pie form.

Buffalo Chicken Dip - I’m quite sure I need to get back on my cholesterol medication after this one. This baby is super high in fat. I used the recipe I found here . This was served with tortilla chips also.

One of the most fun munchies was the repurposed dessert. Remember the Mini Banana Split Cheesecakes my daughter made for Christmas? Here they are again in micro-mini form. I cut a couple of them into small chunks and spooned them into small glasses. Added a dollop of whipped creamed and a cherry on top. Tah -dah!!!

Thank you all so much for being so supportive all year. I love hearing from you and you inspire be to do more. I wish you a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!