Star-Sparkling Family New Year's Eve Celebration

The Drinks & Nibbles

The Edible Centerpieces - Your Choice

The Appetizer Spread

The Dessert

Sparkling Decorations

• Make a starry centerpiece:
  
  
• Cut stars from white construction paper for each member of your family. Ask each person to write a New Year's resolution in the center of the star and five special things they are most proud of for the past year near each point.
  
  
• Glue straws or wooden sticks (available at craft stores) to the backs of the stars and decorate around the writing with colored glue and glitter. When dry, place them in a foam block and cover the block with colored shredded crepe paper (available near wrapping paper supplies) to use as a centerpiece.
  
• Sponge-paint stars on bright blue or white napkins, using gold or silver paint, for your sparkling celebration.

Starry Night Food Fun

• If our Snowman Cheese Ball or Cheese & Olive Appetizer Tree are more than you have time to tackle, check out Herbed Holiday Spread or Cheesy Stars as possibilities.
  
  
• The wintery Vegetable Tree is a fun easy way to arrange the good-for-you veggie nibbles in this menu. Opt for one of the dip variations in the Blue Cheese Dip with Vegetables recipe rather than Nacho Cheese Dip for this party.
  
  
• Make our Starry Ice Beverage Cooler and use to serve the Crantinis!

Starting New Traditions

• Instead of eating at the dinner table, why not have your celebration meal at a coffee table? It's cozier and more intimate when everyone is seated on the floor (sit on pillows, if you wish!).
  
  
• As you wait to ring in the new year, play 'Do You Remember When' about events that happened to family members during the past year. Start a memory book, listing the most memorable happenings of the past year. Each year, add new ones.
  
  
• Make it a yearly tradition to spend New Year's Day filling up a photo album with photos and captions that capture the highlights from the past year.

Up to 3 Months Before

• Prepare Make-Ahead Italian Meatballs; freeze as directed.

Up to 1 Month Before

• Prepare Make-Ahead Snowman Cheese Ball (if served); freeze as directed.

Two Days Before

• Prepare Cranberry Barbecued Ribs, refrigerating as directed in Do-Ahead Tip.
• Prepare Reindeer Snack.

The Day Before

• Bake Snowman "Star" Cutouts.
• Prepare Blue Cheese Dip with Vegetables using dip variation desired; cover and refrigerate until serving time. Prep veggie dippers; refrigerate in separate containers.
• Move cheese balls from freezer to refrigerator.

The Morning Of

• Prepare Cheese & Olive Appetizer Tree (if served) ahead, if you've room in your fridge!
• Finish making Snowman Cheese Ball; store loosely covered in refrigerator.

Last-Minute Prep

• Reheat Cranberry Barbecued Ribs as directed in Do-Ahead Tip.
• Reheat Italian Meatballs as directed.
• Make and serve Crantinis and sparkling apple cider.