Home Entertaining
By Nanette Wiser
We live in Paradise, so why plan a holiday getaway when your home is a vacay? Instead of a Cabo, Caribbean or Hawaii trip, pick a theme for this year’s Kwaanza, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations. After all, there’s no place like home for the holidays.
With the help of Pinterest for global ideas, décor from Dollar Tree, Party City and Oriental Trading Company, a global playlist and an imaginative food and drink menu, transform your backyard or patio….or throw the bash at the beach or local park.
Holiday Competitions: Invite your pod and Zoom friends/family to participate in your traditional events with a quarantine twist. Ugly sweater contest or holiday light contests, caroling, and best matching pajamas are just the start. Cookie exchanges let you vote on the best cookie. Ditto the gingerbread house challenge. Add in a “do good” challenge and adopt a family or charity to support.
Backyard Screenings: Duplicate St. Pete Beach’s Holiday’s in Horan with movie classics (12/4, 11, 18) and set up a neighborhood or backyard screening, with each family bringing a picnic basket, some small bags of holiday cookies for a treat table and end the night with holiday karaoke.
Quiet Fun: With a friend or family, make an advent calendar and put together a Christmas puzzle. Write cards or make a handmade ornament and deliver them to an assisted living or senior center. Make a holiday music mix of your favorite song links and email your friends. Watch the holiday specials on Lifetime, The Hallmark Channel or your favorite holiday DVDs (The Polar Express, Elf) or reach a holiday book out loud. www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/g23743657/christmas-books/
Hanukkah: This year, I am using Joan Nathan’s ethnic recipes from around the world, and zooming with my family to play Dreidel and light the first candle.
New Year’s Eve: A virtual champagne tasting and hors’ d’oeuvres, with dance lessons on waltzing on You Tube for a Vienna themed adventure, followed by pastries and more bubbly. Or go Mexican, with margaritas, nachos and salsa dancing via Zoom, breaking a pinata at midnight, followed by good luck tamales with raisons.
HOLIDAY TREATS
We love pigs in a blanket, baked brie, shrimp, cheeses, olives and crackers for grazing and these signature cocktails. Make it festive with party plates and themed décor.
- Slow Cooker Meatballs
- 2 lb. frozen meatballs
- 2 c. bbq sauce
- 1 (12-oz.) jar grape jelly
- 1/4 c. sriracha
Place meatballs in bowl of a slow cooker and pour bbq sauce, grape jelly, and sriracha over. Stir to coat meatballs. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Stir meatballs before serving.
Ramos Gin Fizz
- 2 oz. gin
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. lime juice
- 1 tbsp. heavy cream
- 1 tbsp. simple syrup
- 3 drops orange blossom water
- Club soda
In a cocktail shaker (with no ice), shake gin, egg white, lemon and lime juice, heavy cream, simple syrup, and orange blossom. Add ice and shake until cold. Strain into a Collins glass and top with a splash of club soda.
Boozy Grinch Punch
- 1 (0.13-oz.) packet Kool-Aid Lemon Lime mix
- 4 c. water
- 4 c. ice
- 3 c. lemon-lime soda
- 2 c. pineapple juice
- 2 c. vodka
- 1 c. Ginger Ale
- Lime wedges, for rimming
- Red sanding sugar, for rimming
In a large pitcher combine Kool-Aid and water. In a large punch bowl, combine ice, Kool-Aid, soda, pineapple juice, vodka, and ginger ale. Use a lime wedge to rim glasses and dip in sanding sugar to coat. Pour punch into glasses to serve.
LUCKY FOODS for NEW YEAR
So many traditions from around the world to eat on New Year’s Day. On New Year’s Eve, we always open fortune cookies at midnight and peel 12 grapes for 12 months of good luck, a Spanish tradition. Start your own tradition in 2021. Happy New Year!
- Round Fruits (apples, oranges): Symbolize coins & prosperity
- Black Eyed Peas, Greens, and Cornbread: Pennies, dollars and gold
- Pork: Progress
- Pomegranate: Fertility, life and abundance
- Fish: Abundance
- Noodles: Longevity
- Rice: Fertility and wealth