Throw a New Year's Bash - WTOC-TV: Savannah, Beaufort, SC, News, Weather & Sports

In our fast-paced world, hospitality is a much needed gift. It can be a gift to our neighbours as well as a gift to our friends, family and marriage. Here are some fun and easy ways to extend hospitality... start by planning a New Year's Bash! Enjoy...

Event Checklist

3 to 4  weeks ahead of your event -

1. Pick a theme and decide if you want a formal or casual event.
2. Pick a date and time
3. Decide how long the party will be - most parties are 2-4 hours depending on the type of party and if it is a kids party.
4. Make your guest list.
5. Purchase your supplies --- 
   • Decorations
   • Paper Goods
   • Plates
   • Napkins
   • Utencils
   • Serving Platters or Trays
   • Tablecovers
   • Streamers
   • Balloons
   • Centerpieces
   • Party Favors
   • Prizes for Games

2 to 3  weeks ahead of your event -

1. Plan and prepare your menu
2. Parties planned around meal time should include food and not just cake and ice cream.
3. Parties that are not planned during meal time can be cake, ice cream and beverages only.
4. Decide if you want finger foods, buffet or sit down type meal.
5. Do you want to prepare the food or have it catered?
6. If it is sit down, do you want to hire servers?
7. Party rental companies have many different items to choose from to help with your party.  (Like tables, chairs, food warming units, etc.)
8. Remember that many foods can be made ahead of time and heated the day of the party.  
9. Plan your activities and pick age appropriate games. (Remember that children under 3 have a smaller attention span.  They don't always like to share or wait their turn and would be happy just sitting around playing with their friends and toys. Adults don't always want to play games, so only plan one or two.)
10. Send your invitations and be sure to put RSVP information and a date they should reply by. 
11. Not all invitations weigh the same so you should be sure you have enough postage on them.
    Make arrangements for help --- like caterers, servers, teenagers to help with kids parties, etc ahead of time.

1 week ahead of your event -

1. Get a final count on the guests.
2. Prepare a final list of the menu items, games, prizes and paper goods and ensure that you have enough for each guest plus extra.
3. Purchase food items that don't need to be prepared or can be prepared and frozen until the event.
4. Check with and confirm all orders for food items ordered for the event.
5. Find the camera or video camera and be sure to have enough film, extra batteries or charge your camera batteries.
6. Some foods can be prepared now and will hold nicely until the party - be sure to consult your recipe or someone who knows food.
7. If you are having balloons filled with helium be sure to order them or rent the helium tank.

The day before your event -

1. Decorate... it will make the day of the party less stressful.  (If your party is outdoors then you should wait for the day of the party to decorate.)
2. Some foods can be prepared now and will hold nicely until the party - be sure to consult your recipe or someone who knows food.
3. If your party is early in the day than you can probably pick up the filled balloons - check with the people doing them and they will let you know.  Ask for high float in your balloons - it helps them last and fly higher.
4. Be sure to defrost items made ahead and frozen.
5. Purchase ice if you have the room for it in your freezer.
6. Use an ice chest or big tub to fill with ice and canned or bottled beverages.
7. RELAX... your almost there!

Event Day -

1. Have a cup of coffee or tea (or your favorite comfort drink) then go over your lists one final time.
2. Prepare the rest of the food and beverages.
3. Prepare the activities and the prizes.
4. Decide what to wear and lay it out.
5. 10-15 min. before guests arrive - set all food and beverages out.
6. Be sure to take time out for yourself to rest and relax before the event.
7. Turn on some music.
8. Don't forget the camera.
9. It is time... ENJOY your party!

Can't come up with any of your own ideas?  Need some help with the creative side of party planning? We decided to give you a few of our favorite ideas for food, drink, theme and game ideas for your New Year's Bash!

Appetizer -Shrimp Cocktail - Fill a large ring mold with water and freeze overnight. Turn the mold over and invert the ice ring onto a platter and return to freezer. When ready to serve, put cocktail sauce in the center of the mold and place shrimp over the edges of the ice ring.

Soup - Vichyssoise

- 2 small onions
- 2 C. water
- ½ t. salt
- 2 ½ C. instant mashed potatoes
- 2 T. chicken bouillon
- 4 C. whole milk
- 2 C. cream
- Chopped chives

Combine onion, bouillon, water, and salt in large kettle. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add milk and potatoes. Whip until fluffy. Gradually stir in remaining milk, heat just to boiling point, and remove from heat. Cover and chill in refrigerator. Just before serving, stir in cold cream, beating vigorously with a fork until blended. Serve topped with chopped chives. Makes 12 servings.

Main Course - Fillet of Beef

- 6 lbs. tenderloin of beef
- 1 lb. bacon

Place bacon strips on top of beef and roast at 325 approximately 2 ½ hours. Cut into thick slices to serve. For mushroom sauce, add one pound of fresh, sliced sautéed mushrooms to one large bottle of mushroom sauce. Heat thoroughly in a pot, and pour over beef slices before serving. Makes 12 servings.

Side - Buttered Red Potatoes

- 12 small red potatoes, peeled
- ½ C. melted butter
- Chopped parsley

Boil potatoes until tender. Serve covered with butter and parsley.

Side - Asparagus Tips With Hollandaise Sauce (This is a very elegant dish that requires little work!)

- 3 lbs. frozen asparagus tips
- 2 bottles of hollandaise sauce

Cook asparagus according to directions on package. Pour Hollandaise sauce over asparagus as it is served onto guests' plates!

Dessert - Chocolate Symphony

- 2 T. cocoa, 1/8 t. salt
- 1 C. whole almonds
- 1 pkg. (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter
- 1 ½ C. sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 C. flour
- 2 pints chocolate sorbet
- 12 truffles
- Chocolate sauce

Heat oven to 350. Heat ½ C. water to simmering. Stir in cocoa and salt, let cool. Grease 10" springform pan. Grind almonds and chocolate separately in a food processor; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in almonds and chocolate. Beat in flour. Add cocoa mixture; stir well. Pour into prepared pan; bake 35-45 minutes, until inserted wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack 1 hour. Remove cake from pan; cool on rack 1 hour more. With 2 ½ " cookie cutter, cut 12 circles from cake. Place each on a dessert plate; top with a small scoop of sorbet and a truffle, and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Games & Activities -

A formal, sit down dinner is always a wonderful way to spend the last few hours of the existing year. Wonderful conversations occur during this time and are usually centered around hopes and dreams for the future as well as reminiscing about what the previous year has brought. We recommend that this activity be the focal point of the evening, but we have the following suggestions to help you make the transition from dinner to the all-out wild celebration that occurs at the stroke of midnight!

Hold a "Top This Toast" contest to see who can come up with the most impressive or exotic toast of the evening. Be sure to award the winner with a bottle of champagne!

Themes -

• 60's & 70's Party
• Casino Night
• Celestial
• Cinderella's Ball
• Favorite Cities
• Fifties Gala 
• Hollywood Glamour
• International Flair
• Mardi Gras
• Music Madness
• Under the Sea
• Wine & Roses

We hope you have found some fun and useful ideas to help you plan your celebration. You can be sure that it will be a special and enjoyable event for all of your guests, and remembered for years to come!