Ring in the New…ASAP!
Can we talk about 2020? It’s hard to believe that just three months into the year, we locked down and experienced the most bizarre and life-altering months many of us can ever remember. We saw no one but our family members; simultaneously worked from home and home-schooled the kids; kept a daily count of our toilet-paper inventory; and disinfected our groceries before bringing them into the house – all during the coldest spring I can ever remember. The beaches were actually closed, which was weird for sure, but we survived it all.
Happily, life since then, while still not normal, has slowly improved as we learn to live with the reality we face. Masks are now not only a necessity but even a fashion statement, and hand sanitizer – or “hanitizer” as our 3-year-old, Penny, calls it – lives in every handbag, bookbag and pocket. To some extent we have adapted, and perhaps that’s the best we can do. Some of us will venture out more than others as each of us finds our own way through.
But for all of us, life goes on, and now the holidays are upon us. It’s time to celebrate the blessings, such as they are, of 2020, and most important, it’s time to celebrate the promise of 2021. So, folks, let’s put 2020 to rest and welcome 2021 with a safe and happy celebration full of hope for health, good fortune and please, one day, lots and lots of mask-free hugs.
For sure this celebration will be an intimate one – a New Year’s Eve gathering short on numbers but long on fun, beginning early in the afternoon to take advantage of the warmest part of the day. It’s a bit challenging to celebrate outdoors in winter, but with a little luck and some sunshine, a brisk beach walk can be fun. Celebrate the small things – at least it’s open!
To kick off the celebration, we’ll bring along to the beach a couple of thermoses filled with festive warm beverages for our guests. A nice hot toddy for the adults who want to partake in one and a spiced hot chocolate for the others. Pack a bag with the drinks, coffee cups, lemons, cinnamon sticks and mini marshmallows for garnishes.
We’ll have a purpose, too. Invest in small plastic or glass bottles with cork stoppers for each guest, kids and adults alike. The idea is to fill bottles with a little sand and small shells and other beach finds while leaving room for a “message in a bottle.” No, we’ll not send them into the ocean but rather save them for the next year. When we arrive home, each guest will be provided paper for a message. The message should be a prediction for what will be one year in the future. Whether you open and read them together at the end of 2021 or each guest reads it alone, it sure will be interesting to see how life changes over the next year. Offer festive gold and silver ink pens for writing messages and pretty ribbon to tie around the necks of the bottles. This little exercise will be a welcome surprise for your guests and a great start to a memorable celebration. Now head home for some food.
Let’s begin with some finger-food appetizers that you’ve prepared earlier and can just warm and eat. Cranberry brie bites look festive with their bright red color and will warm up the bellies nicely, and some cheese, quinoa and broccoli bites are a nice crispy, healthy option. Another round of hot toddies and guests should be satisfied for a while as they warm up by the fire, write their bottle messages and decorate the bottles. Enlist some decorating help by having everyone use their bottles with messages as table décor or place cards. Typically, all you need to do is plant the seed, and relaxed guests will run with the idea. You’ll need a centerpiece, and here’s an idea for a clever use of something right in the cupboard. Turn upside down a few stemmed white wine glasses, martini glasses or even water goblets after filling them with glittery mini-Christmas balls. Then balance varying sizes of votive candles on the bottoms (which are now the tops!). Instant glitz for NYE 2021!
While all the fun is going on, time to finish preparing dinner. In keeping with the seashore theme, dinner will be an easy dish of scallops with bacon crumbles over linguine. Try pre-cooking the bacon and the rest can be pulled together pretty quickly. You can sauté the scallops while the pasta is cooking and dress an already prepared green salad just before serving. The key to making this dinner amazing is going out of your way find the best, freshest scallops you can.
Finally, with dinner complete, pop the cork on some champagne and present the dessert. Nothing could be more appropriate this year than a bittersweet chocolate cheesecake. It is a little labor-intensive, but you can do it the day before, and it really is worth the effort. One note for this recipe, use full-fat cream cheese for this recipe – not only does it taste so much better, but the texture will be better as well. The recipe calls for powdered sugar on top, but consider using gold glitter sprinkles instead for this special occasion.
That’s pretty much a wrap for the evening, for the year, and for the struggles, we hope. Maybe this night you’ll make it to midnight or maybe you’ll do an 8pm faux New Year’s celebration like I do, but, hey, we each do the best we can. Most importantly, ring in 2021 with those you love. Whatever it has in store, I wish you all very happy new year. For now, skip the hugs and mask up!
Hot Toddy
Ingredients:
¾ cup water
1½ ounces whiskey
2 to 3 teaspoons honey, to taste
2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice, to taste
1 lemon round
1 cinnamon stick (optional, for garnish)
Instructions:
In a teapot or saucepan, bring the water to a simmer. Pour the hot water into a mug. Add the whiskey, 2 teaspoons honey, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Stir until the honey has disappeared into the hot water. Taste, and add 1 teaspoon honey for more sweetness, and/or 1 teaspoon more lemon juice for more zing. Garnish with a lemon round and cinnamon stick (if using). Enjoy!
Spiced Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch ground clove
Pinch ground anise
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup granulated sugar (optional)
Mini marshmallows
Instructions:
Serves 4
In a saucepan, mix the chocolate, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, anise, and 2 cups of the milk over low heat. Stir until completely melted. Add the rest of the milk and salt. Stir until everything is hot. Add sugar to taste, one tablespoon at a time. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Pour into cups and serve. Top with mini marshmallows.
Cranberry Brie Bites
Ingredients:
All-purpose flour, for dusting the dough and cutting board
1 (8-ounce) tube crescent dough
1 (8-ounce) wheel of brie cheese
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce (not jellied)
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Spread a little flour out onto your counter. Then roll out crescent roll dough and pinch seams together. Cut crescent roll dough into 24 equal-sized squares. Place squares into muffin tin slots. Cut brie into small pieces and place inside the crescent dough squares. Top with a generous spoonful of cranberry sauce, and a little sprig of rosemary. Bake until the crescent dough is a light golden brown (about 15 minutes). Then serve warm.
Cheese, Quinoa & Broccoli Bites
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fresh broccoli
¾ cup cooked quinoa
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 large eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside. In a food processor, combine the garlic, onion, broccoli, quinoa, cheeses, eggs, salt and pepper. Pulse until the broccoli is finely chopped. Form into patties and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the patties and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until browned and crispy.
Scallops with Bacon over Linguine
Ingredients:
1½ pounds scallops
Salt
Ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
½ clove of garlic chopped
Lemon wedges
½ tablespoon chopped parsley
8 ounces linguine
½ cup of reserved liquid from linguine
Instructions:
Serves 4
Rinse and pat scallops dry with paper towels. Season both sides of the scallops with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Boil linguine according to package directions. Heat up a skillet on medium heat and cook the bacon until the fat renders out and the strips become golden and crispy. Remove the bacon from the skillet but keep the bacon fat in the skillet. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Transfer the scallops to the skillet and pan sear each side for about 1 minute or until the surface turns crisp and golden brown. Turn to the other side and repeat the same. Add ½ cup of reserved liquid to pan and cook for three minutes. Top drained linguine with scallops and bacon. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon.
Bittersweet Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients:
Crust
40 thin chocolate wafer cookies (from 9-ounce package), crushed (about 2½ cups)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup butter, melted
Filling
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 eggs
8 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate, melted, cooled
Powdered sugar
Instructions:
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap outside bottom and side of 9-inch springform pan with foil to prevent leaking. Lightly spray inside bottom and side of pan with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix crust ingredients with fork until crumbly. Press mixture in bottom and 1 inch up side of pan. Bake 10 minutes or until set. Place on cooling rack; cool completely. In another medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 2/3 cup granulated sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in flour. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Beat in chocolate. Pour over crust. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes, or until edge of cheesecake is set at least 2 inches from edge of pan but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved.
Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Let cheesecake remain in oven 30 minutes.
Run small metal spatula around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Place on cooling rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight before serving. Just before serving, run small metal spatula around edge of springform pan; carefully remove foil and side of pan. Let cheesecake stand at room temperature 15 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.
