NEW YEAR'S EVE MENU; APPETIZERS, TREATS AND DESSERTS

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Lets talk about food!  A party that requires tiny forks and cocktail picks is a great party. This menu will be made for tiny forks and cocktail picks! With the following Make sure you put plenty out.  There will be however a few smart people.  They utilize their cocktail picks with a tremendous amount of trickery.  The smart ones figure out quickly take two at a time...SMARTIES!

This is just about as easy as it comes...crock pot city! Don't have enough crock pots?  Barrow from friends...they are always happy to help when they know they will receive goodness at a party! There are lots of recipes for both "little smokies" and sweet meatballs on line.  I like to serve these little guys with a little extra kick!   

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 Put it in a crackpot and walk away! To be perfectly honest  I really don't have time this year to make my own meatballs.  My mother would be so disappointed!  Store bought meatballs are unacceptable to my mom.  Love you, MOM! You  have thought me well...I just don't have time!  I have no guilt! I will kick up store bought meatballs with killer sweet and spicy sauce though.  When I use store bought meatballs I do a few simple steps to them before using them.  I put the frozen meatballs single layer in a pan and fill it with enough water to cover 1/2 the meatballs. Let them come to a boil on med. high heat.  Boil for several minutes.  This thaws them as well as cooks off the majority of the unnecessary fat they contain.  

 I always use fresh lemon when using store bought items...it helps perk up the flavors.  Lemon taste fresh, I love it!
I like to use the little smokies because they can be warmed quickly in a pan and transferred to a crock pot to keep warm or you can put them in a crock pot on low for several hours.

Tamale Dip...we love it! Easy, easy to put together...just takes a few minutes.  You can use any type of tamale.  This one is made with canned tamales cuz I don't have fresh ones but it is still fantastic!  Serve this with tortilla chips.

 I also am serving a spinach and artichoke dip that is good with tortilla chips.  This way I there are two dips for the chips.  Making it as easy as possible on myself!  This dip is always gone, I never have leftovers!

If you eat green veggies on the New Year it is suppose to symbolize a year of  wealth.  So, lets make 2013 a prosperous year and everyone eat your leafy greens!  I have two fantastic mini salad options planned for the evening.  My mother makes a Spinach and pear salad during the winter months.  I would like to name it the "Good Luck Greens Salad"  I feel lucky this year!  This salad is usually served with large slices of pears.  I want to serve this salad in tiny cups so I have turned this spinach salad into a chopped salad.  It serves beautifully.  I love the way it looks.  Everything is funner to eat with a tiny fork.  

I have also made a spicy salad cheese ball.  YU-UM!  A salad Cheese ball?  Just trust me, it is glorious!  I always enjoy a good cheese ball but, this one is a little different. Who knew a ball of veggies could be so life changing!?!  It is loaded with veggies.  It is like eating a glorified salad in one bite.  They taste great plus, they are beautiful!  I will be standing by these all night...I gotta get my veggies in for the New Year!

It has been said (don't know who said it...just know "they" did.) that eating a round cake on New Year's Eve symbolizes: completion or coming full circle. Also, cake is considered to be an indulgence and therefore a stress reliever.  If you want 2013 to start completely free of last years worries and have a stress free 2013...eat a bunt cake or at least a part of one! Gosh, if it was only that easy!  My favorite bunt is chocolate, surprise!

MIDNIGHT CHOCOLATE CAKE...it is a family favorite!  My mom has made this cake for years and years.  To be honest, I don’t even know where she got the recipe.  I just know it is D-lish!  I have the recipe engraved  on my heart. I am not guaranteeing that this cake will complete 2012 for you or cause your up and coming one to be stress free...I am guaranteeing, however, that this cake is moist and delicious beyond words!  Did I mention it is crazy easy. NO FROSTING!  It doesn't need it. This bunt may not complete my 2012 but it's definitely  going to complete my New Year's Eve menu.  I will make one big bunt for presentation purposes and trays of tiny bunts for my guests. 

So, there are those guests that like a little frosting(or a lot)...I know who you are and I love you enough to make cupcakes with frosting. Cupcakes are round...they should go right along with  "the eat round cake on New Years", right!?! This way you can have your frosting and eat it too.  I want your year to be complete and stress free just as much as the others.  I put gold flakes on top...YES, they are the type you can eat. 

A few words of advise when making a bunt...

When taking a bunt cake from the oven immediately cover it with a clean dish cloth and  evenly press down.  Don't be afraid, the cake is going to be fine!  Be advised...it will be hot!  This helps even out the cake so it will sit nice and flat.  This same technique can be used for the tiny bunts too!

                          They will sit nice and pretty.

 Want easy? Just short of opening a bag of cookies this next trick is just about as easy as it gets.  Salted Caramel Popcorn.
The sweet sticky caramel is set off perfectly by a light sprinkling of coarsely ground salt.  It satisfies both my sweet and salty needs.  The bonus to this treat...it is golden! It matches the color scheme perfectly.  I love a treat that can be made in 5 minutes!  I will serve several trays of individual sized cups of caramel corn and filling jars with the extra. The jars will look great on the serving table. 

  
I love this recipe because you can use microwave popcorn.  If I am feeling especially zippy I can also pop corn on the stove.  What ever I have on hand...it works! Three bags of microwave popcorn works perfectly!  There is a bonus to microwave, no cleaning a pan. Now one likes to bite into a popcorn seed when eating soft chewy caramel corn.  Make sure to remove the grannies!

The evening will be great we have a fire pit to roast giant marshmallows, there will be music, toasting, kissing, noise making, party hat wearing.  There will be lots of tiny salad eating, mini meat ball picking, and chip dipping.  All of that AND I will be safely at home and not have to fight a crowd or drive on the crazy roads!  I will Just have to do dishes!  SHOOT!

Happy 2013!