• Shrimp Tray (5 servings)
• Vegetable Tray (10 servings)
• Hillshire Farms Little Smokies (8 servings)
• Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (6 servings)
• Land O’Lakes Egg Nog (8 servings)
• Red Velvet cake

With many budgets tight this holiday season it’s good to know you can put together a New Years Eve meal for your guests without breaking the bank.

Check out the spread! Definitely looks delicious to me. The cake looks wonderful! I think I might have to make it next week (from scratch). I like red velvet cake, but I haven’t made it for a while, and that cream cheese and coconut icing sounds wonderful.

Creamy Coconut frosted Red Velvet Cake

• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup of softened butter
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (about 6 ounces), divided
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of lime zest

Preparation:

1. Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract in medium bowl until smooth.
2. Beat in powdered sugar; fold in 1 cup flaked coconut and lime zest.
3. Spread frosting on cakes, leaving 1/2-inch plain border; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup coconut

Smokies filled Mushrooms

• 6 little smokies, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder or cayenne
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic garlic
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• Olive oil
• 24 large (about 2-inch-diameter) mushrooms, stemmed
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Preparation:

1. Sauté sausage,oregano, chili powder and garlic in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until sausage is cooked through and brown, breaking into small pieces with back of fork, about 7 minutes.
2. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage mixture to large bowl and cool. Mix in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce and cilantro , then cream cheese. Season filling with salt and pepper; mix in egg yolk.
3. Brush 15×10x2-inch glass baking dish with olive oil to coat. Brush cavity of each mushroom cap with remaining olive oil; fill with scant 1 tablespoon filling and sprinkle with some of remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
4. Arrange mushrooms, filling side up, in prepared dish. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake uncovered until mushrooms are tender and filling is brown on top, about 25 minutes.

Coquito ( puerto rican style egg nog)

• 2 cans of egg nog
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk
• 1/2 cup of coconut cream (optional also called coco lopez)
• 1 cup of white rum
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree for 3 minutes at high speed till frothy.

Serve chilled and with a dusting of cinnamon.

Mexican shrimp cocktail

• 12 cooked large shrimp (1/2 lb)
• 2 plum tomatoes, finely diced
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 jalalpeno finely diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1tablespoon of chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 California avocado

Garnish: lime wedges
Preparation:

1. Stir together tomatoes, scallion, jalapeno ,cilantro, lemon and lime juices, salt, and pepper.
2. Just before serving, finely dice avocado and stir into tomato salsa.
3. Chop shrimp into quarter inch piece and toss into tomato avocado salsa. Great served on top of tortilla chips.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 tube crescent rolls
• 3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 pound chilled blue cheese (preferably Stilton or Gorgonzola), crumbled
• 1/2 cup of diced apples
• 1 tablespoon of chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
2. Cut crescent rolls into 1-inch cubes. Put cubes in a large shallow baking pan and drizzle with melted butter, gently tossing to coat. Arrange cubes in 1 layer and bake, turning occasionally, until pale golden and crisp around edges but still soft inside, 12 minutes.
3. Cool crescent cubes slightly in pan on a rack, then poke a hole three fourths of the way through each cube from top using large end of chopstick, making hole about 1/3 inch in diameter. In a small bowl add blue cheese, apples, walnuts, parsley and olive oil mix well and season with salt and pepper. Press about 1/2 teaspoon blue cheese mixture into each hole, mounding slightly.
4. Just before serving, reheat cubes , cheese side up, in baking pan in a 400°F oven until warm and crisp, about 5 minutes.

Images: Walmart/ Aaron Sanchez

Post from: She Knows Parties

• Ted Allen shows you how to open a bottle of champagne with style.
• Rachael Ray offers a recipe for a Spitfire Shrimp appetizer.
• Tyler Florence offers Grilled Beef Tenderloin on Focaccia Toast.
• Watch Tyler mix up some New Years Eve cocktails.
• Michael Chiarello’s Spiked Milk Shakes.
• A Mulled Wine recipe from Ina Garten.

There are a ton more ideas there, I only listed a few of my favorites. They also have a layout for a New Years Day Open house.

Image via Stock.xchng

Post from: She Knows Parties

If you’re planning a New Years Eve party this year here’s a roundup of ideas to help make your job a little easier.

New Years Eve Cocktails and Beverages:

• Get things started with these 10 New Year’s Eve Cocktail Recipes
• PINK Cocktails for New Years Eve
• Ginger Champagne Cocktails

New Years Eve Party Appetizers and Desserts:

• French Yule Cake, Um just yummm!
• Dijon Ranch Chicken Wings
• Mango Shrimp Tostaditos
• Artichoke and Bacon Spread 
• Champagne Desserts
• Last Minute Party Appetizers

New Years Eve Party Tips:

• Going Green for New Years Eve? Here are 8 tips to get you started in the right direction.
• Make your own New Years Party Favors
• New Years Eve Safety Tips

New Years Eve Party Game Ideas For Adults and Children:

• New Years Eve party game ideas for everyone.
• Have a mixture of kids and adults, then try some of these New Years Eve Party games for children.
• More New Years Eve party activities for kids (and adults).
• Staying in and letting the kids have some friends over? Check out these New Years Eve Party ideas for teens and tweens.

Other Fun New Years Eve Party Stuff:

• Want to throw the worst New Years Eve party ever? Here are the guidelines for throwing a really bad New Years Eve party.
• And for the day after, if you had too much fun, here’s a hangover home remedy you can try out.

Hope you have a wonderful New Years Eve whether you’re planning the party, attending the party, or just hanging out at home with your family.

Images via Stock.xchng

Post from: She Knows Parties

Post from: She Knows Parties