4 New Years Eve Appetizers

Are you planning a New years eve party or headed off to one and in need of SIMPLE appetizer recipes ?

Here are 4 recipes that will quickly become favorites.

Olive Cheese Balls from Betty Crocker

Cheap, Easy and always a hit

2 cups shredded sharp natural cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

½ cup margarine or butter, melted

About 36 small pimiento-stuffed olives, drained

Mix cheese and flour; mix in margarine. (Work dough with hands if it seems dry.)

Mold 1 teaspoon dough around each olive; shape into ball. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Heat Oven to 400 degrees. Bake until set, 15-20 minutes.

Makes 3-4 dozen appetizers.

The Salami Thing

Ingredients

• 1(8 ounce) package cream cheese

• 9 pieces salami, large thick sliced

• 12 olives
• toothpicks

Directions

1. Soften the cream cheese and spread each slice of salami with the cream cheese.

2. Stack the slices on top of each other, ending with the top slice having no cheese on it.

3. Cover and refrigerate till cheese is set and meat is good and cold.

4. Cut into 12 wedges. Garnish with an olive on a toothpick and push into top of wedges.

Baked Brie ala Melanie

By Susan Fox

1 sheet of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry

1 Brie cheese round (8 ounces)

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup dried cranberries

1 egg

1 tsp water

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Unfold pastry onto floured surface. Place cheese and all other ingredients in center. Fold pastry over cheese, bringing excess dough to top and twist to seal.

Beat together egg and 1 tsp water. Brush over top. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 20 min. Serve with crackers.

Wrapped Lit’l Smokies

32 Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies
1 (8 oz) can refrigerated crescent dough rolls
Mustard or ketchup, if desired (I like honey mustard with these)

1. Preheat oven to 375 ° F.
2. Unroll dough, separate at perforations, creating 4 rectangles. Press perforations to seal.
3. With a knife or pizza cutter cut each rectangle lengthwise into eight strips, making a total of 32 strips. Wrap one strip of dough around each smokie slightly stretching and overlapping dough. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with honey mustard, if desired.

Do you have a Simple Appetizer recipe? email it to us at trisha@247moms.com to be featured at 24/7 MOMS.

New Year's Resolutions For Parents

“Resolution day” (January 1^st) is almost here. Are you ready? Have you decided on your resolutions? For parents, every year offers new joys and challenges. Here are a few ideas for increasing the joy – and preparing for the challenges – of parenting in 2010.

Love your child for who they are.

Every child is unique with different temperaments and different interests. Every day they are learning and growing – and the new year is a perfect time to take a new look at what makes your child special. You can support them as they struggle to master more difficult skills and celebrate their unique successes with them.

Be a part of playtime.

Play is how young children learn about the world and practice new cognitive, emotional, and social skills. A parent can learn a lot about their child’s developing skills and interests by participating in their play. Your questions, ideas, and attention support your child’s curiosity and creativity. Play interactions with you can also help them to develop skills to use when they are playing alone or with peers.

Talk about feelings.

Understanding and managing feelings is one of the hardest skills children under 5 have to tackle. So respect what they are feeling by recognizing their emotions, listening to their thoughts and helping them to work through their emotions.

Be an example.

Though your voice, your expressions, your gestures and your actions, your child learns from you how to interact with other people and with the world. You are in a wonderful position to set a positive example for everything from solving problems to showing compassion to buckling seatbelts.

Create routines and stick to them.

Children respond to the expected. If you create a bedtime routine that has 3 steps and you do the same things every night, your child finds comfort in knowing what comes next and will respond in positive ways as a result of sticking to the plan.

Make mealtime special.

Whenever possible, make mealtime a time to be together and enjoy a healthy meal. This not only develops a good pattern for eating, but it creates an opportunity to connect as a family.

Make books a part of your child’s life.

Make reading fun. Cuddle up. Let your child choose the books. By reading to your children, you are helping them to increase their vocabulary, inspiring their imagination, and setting the groundwork for a love of reading.

For more information on parenting and child development, visit www.ParentingCounts.org.

About ParentingCounts.org

ParentingCounts.org combines comprehensive child development research with a secure journal for capturing and sharing children’s milestones and achievements with friends and family. Resources are all provided by the Talaris Institute on early child development, brain development and parenting. For more information on becoming a member of Parenting Counts Center, go to www.parentingcounts.org.

New Year’s Resolutions

Amy Hannold Familytimeandmoney.com

Does the New Year mean resolutions for you? If you are like many people, dieting, exercise, better money management, and more living “in the moment” (slowing down, prioritizing) top your list of changes.

At the University of Washington, they studied people making New Year’s resolutions. They found that "The keys to making a successful resolution are a person's confidence that he or she can make the behavior change and the commitment to making that change," says a researcher. The study also indicates that "resolutions are a process, not a one-time effort that offers people a chance to create new habits." Even if people are successful, they need to follow-up on their behavior over the years.

To be successful with your own resolutions, consider their suggestions:

• Have a strong initial commitment to make a change.• Have coping strategies to deal with problems that will come up. • Keep track of your progress. The more monitoring you do and feedback you get, the better you will do.

Sure-fire ingredients for setting yourself up for resolution failure include:

• Not thinking about making resolutions until the last minute.• Reacting on New Year's Eve and making your resolutions based on what's bothering you or is on your mind at that time.• Framing your resolutions as absolutes by saying, "I will never do X again."

Persistence can pay off. Of the people who successfully achieved their top resolution, only 40 percent of them did so on their first attempt. The rest made multiple tries, with 17 percent finally succeeding after more than six attempts.

As final words of encouragement to resolution makers they offer these suggestions:

"Take credit for success when you achieve a resolution, but it is a mistake to blame yourself if you fail. Instead, look at the barriers that were in your way. See how you can do better the next time and figure out a better plan to succeed. You do get to try again and can make behavior changes throughout the year, not only at New Year's."

What does this mean for those of us mindful of our money? According to financial experts quoted by the Associated Press, New Year or not, there is no better time to improve your financial circumstances than today. Evaluate your spending and investing. Think ahead, they suggest, to the day that you will be thankful that you made allocations for the future. Preparing for the future financially may require learning more about money and how to make it work for you. Make it your goal to know more about your investments and insurances (life, home, health—evaluate periodically as your needs change). Seek reliable, reasonable, and recommended financial advice.

The best advice of all is to track your progress-and any detours-as you journey through the New Year. Keep a log of your money savings, track your progress towards goals and document what you have learned. When you can show yourself positive change, you will be inspired. Share your goals and progress with others. Use the buddy system and enlist the encouragement of your family or friends!

While we’re thinking ahead to the future, Valentines Day is approaching! For affordable and thoughtful ideas on making your sweetie feel special, check out these sites: “Mars and Venus” minded can find a “Romantic Planner”, a calendar of romance for every day of the month—and lots of other good ideas: http://www.marsvenus.com/Romance_Planner.php

Appetizers To Ring In The New Year

Ring in the New Year with these 5 Quick appetizers

Pesto Twists -from: Nestle

These tasty twists made with pesto, hazelnuts and Parmesan cheese are a delicious way to start the evening.

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1 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 container (7 ounces) BUITONI Refrigerated Pesto with Basil
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or almonds
1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) BUITONI Refrigerated Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 400° F. PLACE pastry sheets on lightly floured surface. Roll each sheet into 12-inch square. Spread pesto over one rolled pastry sheet. Sprinkle nuts and cheese evenly over pesto. Lay second sheet on top and press lightly. Cut into twelve 1-inch-wide strips. Twist each strip and place on baking sheet. BAKE for 15 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cream Cheese 'n Herb Cucumber Bites from: Kraft Foods

What You Need

1 carrot, shredded (about 1/2 cup), divided

1/2 cup PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese

2 cucumbers, cut lengthwise in half, seeded

Make It

RESERVE 2 Tbsp. carrots. Mix remaining carrots with cream cheese; spoon into cucumber shells. Top with reserved carrots.

CUT each cucumber half into 5 pieces to serve.

Turkey Club Tortilla Roll-ups
from: Pillsbury

Pretty spirals filled with thin-sliced turkey from the deli, fresh greens, peppers, and creamy dressing, roll up fast for a quick lunch or appetizer.

INGREDIENTS

1/2	cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
4	oz cream cheese, softened
1/2	cup chopped drained pepperoncini
2	tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4	slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
6	Old El Paso® flour tortillas, 8-inch (from 11.5-oz package)
1/2	cup chopped tomato
1/2	lb thinly sliced cooked turkey
	6 leaves leaf lettuce

DIRECTIONS

1.	In small bowl, mix mayonnaise and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in pepperoncini, cilantro and bacon.
2.	Warm tortillas as directed on package.
3.	Spread about 2 tablespoons mayonnaise mixture on each tortilla. Top each with 1 rounded tablespoon tomato, 1 slice turkey and 1 lettuce leaf. Roll up each tortilla tightly. Cut each roll into 8 pieces; secure each piece with cocktail toothpick. Serve immediately or cover tightly and refrigerate until serving time.

Pesto Party Dip- from Nestle

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Sports fans will tackle this winning recipe for Pesto Party Dip. Perfect on veggies, crackers and bread sticks, this delicious crowd-pleaser goes hand in hand with the big game. With its creamy texture and robust pesto taste, this dip is sure to score extra points.

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1 container (7 ounces) BUITONI Refrigerated Pesto with Basil
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons BUITONI Refrigerated Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Assorted fresh vegetables, crackers, bread sticks or shrimp

PLACE pesto, cream cheese, sour cream and Parmesan cheese in food processor or blender; cover. Process until creamy.

SERVE with fresh vegetables, crackers, bread sticks or shrimp.

Bacon Quesadillas :from: Kraft Foods

What You Need!

4 flour tortillas, (6 inch)

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese

1/4 cup OSCAR MAYER Real Bacon Bits

1/4 cup thin green onion slices

Make It!

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Top half of each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the cheese and 1 Tbsp. each of the bacon bits and green onion. Fold tortillas in half; press lightly to secure.

PLACE in single layer on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

New Years Eve Kid Friendly Food

Do It Yourself Pizza Party

Create a fun DIY pizza buffet for kids and adults. They will enjoy creating their own mouth watering pizzas with the toppings they like and enjoy. Set out ready to top pizza crusts, bowls of pizza toppings and cheese and of course a big bowl of pizza sauce.

For the Pizza dough there are several options:
- Use individual boboli pizza crust you purchase at the store
- Purchase Rhodes Pizza Dough
- Order pizza dough from your local pizza parlor to make your own crusts
- Use English muffins as the pizza crust
- Make your own pizza dough

Topping Suggestions:

• Mushrooms
• Olives
  
• Cooked chicken
• Salami
• Canadian Bacon
  
• Onions
• Garlic
• Red, green and yellow sweet peppers
• Hot peppers (pickled and fresh)
• Fruit - pineapple, avocado, or tomatoes
• Sausages - sliced pepperoni or crumbled cooked Italian sausage
• herbs - oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary
• Assorted shredded pizza cheese
  

Bubbly Jell-O Parfait
from: Family Fun

Grab a spoon and toast the New Year with a cool, sparkly dessert that wiggles.

1. Make bubbly Jell-O according to the directions on a box of Sparkling White Grape Jell-O. Be sure to use club soda, seltzer, or ginger ale and follow the tips on the box for getting the gelatin to sparkle.

2. Chill the Jell-O in champagne flutes or parfait glasses. We suggest making these the day of the party, since they might lose some bubbliness if they're made further ahead. Wind a metallic multicolored star garland (available at party stores) up the stem of the glass for pizzazz.

Confetti Cake - from: Family Fun

Celebrate New Year's or any special occasion with Confetti Cake.

Ingredients

• 1 1-pound box angel food cake mix
• 1/4 cup colored candy sprinkles
• FROSTING INGREDIENTS AND DECORATIONS:
• 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 8 teaspoons cold water
• 2 cups whipping cream (unwhipped)
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Colored sprinkles
• 2 decorative cake sprays (available at party stores)
• Wire star garland (available at party stores)
• 1 sheet of shiny or metallic colored paper (for year star)
• Marker
• Tape

Instructions

1. Follow the directions on the cake mix box, but just before pouring the batter into the tube pan, add the sprinkles.

2. Mix them quickly and gently with as few strokes as possible and pour the batter into the pan immediately. If you mix and pour too slowly, the colors may bleed and color the surrounding batter.

3. Make the frosting right before you plan to apply it so that it doesn't set. For best results, apply the frosting, sprinkles, and decoration no more than an hour before serving.

4. Combine the gelatin and water in a small saucepan.

5. Let it stand until thick.

6. Set the pan over low heat, stirring constantly until the gelatin dissolves.

7. Don't let it boil, as that would reduce the gelling power of the gelatin.

8. Remove the gelatin from the heat. While it cools a bit, combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl.

9. Whip them with an electric mixer until the mixture thickens slightly.

10. Gradually pour the liquid gelatin (don't let it set) into the whipped cream mixture and continue to beat at slow speed until blended. Then whip it at high speed until it's stiff and peaks form when you lift the beaters.

11. Frost the completely cooled cake with a generous, fluffy layer, making swirls and peaks as you go.

12. Add confetti (colored sprinkles) and the sparkly year decoration. (Tip: We applied the sprinkles to the sides of the cake by lightly tossing them against the frosting. After we stuck our store-bought metallic sprays entwined with a star garland into the cake, we cut a 2-inch star out of paper, wrote the year numerals on it, and taped it to the sprays.) Store the cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

New Years Eve Kid Fun

Ready to ring in a New Year?

My kids love the excitement of New Years eve, mostly because we allow them to stay up until midnight and enjoy the annual neighborhood party with all of their friends.

What are you planning this New Years eve with your kids? 24/7 MOMS has compiled some fun ideas for you to create Family Fun this New Years eve as we leave 2009 and enter 2010.

Party Fun:
Creative Fun - Have craft station where kids can decorate and create their own party hats and noise makers. Provide hats and items to embellish them with, provide bottles filled with beans then allow kids to decorate with stickers and paper cut outs to create their own noise makers.

Pinate' - Purchase a pinate' or make your own by using a large gift bag that you decorate wit New Years pictures/cut-outs, stickers and curling ribbon, fill and seal the top and hang by it's handles. Fill with small toys and candy.

Clock Hunt - Have an adult or teenager hide a ticking clock/timer. After the clock is hidden, send the kids off to find it. For additional fun, set the clock's alarm to go off in five to ten minutes. If the children don't find the clock—the alarm will go off giving them a clue as to where it is hidden


Party Favors:
Party Crackers - DIY and Make your own party crackers. You can make your own by filling cardboard TP rolls with small prizes and candy. Then wrap with wrapping paper and tie the ends. They can also be purchased in party stores.

Confetti Balloons - Have the kids punch paper circles out of brightly colored construction paper with a hole puncher to make their own confetti. (or use store-bought confetti.) Put as many confetti pieces as possible into each deflated balloon using a funnel. Blow up the balloons and hang them in reach of the children. A few moments before midnight ( or time you are celebrating), hand out the pins. Then when the clock strikes let the kids pop the balloons and let the confetti fly.

Party poppers - (little plastic bottle) - You can purchase these at Target and I have even seen them at grocery stores.

Family Traditions:
Family Slumber party - Everyone camps out together in your family room or bonus room. Allow your kids to make tents and forts to sleep in. OR have a kids only slumber party ( mom and dad get to sleep in their own beds).

Time Capsule - Make a family time capsule. Use a paint can or other empty container. Fill with items from the past year, pictures, newspaper articles, grocery ad, TV schedule, event tickets and written memories and stories from family members about the past year. Bury it or place in your attic to pull out in 5 to 10 years.

Kid Celebration - Celebrate the New year with your children earlier in the evening and set a particular time to welcome in the new Year such as 8:00 or 9:00 then put them to bed so the adults can celebrate kid free.

Special Foods - Choose a desert or main course that become your yearly tradition to eat on New Years eve with your family. It could be anything form Take -out to something you cook at home. Or as simple as serving Sparkling cider.

Family Letter - Write a combined letter with each family members input with memories, stories and thoughts about the year. Seal in an envelope writing the current year on it and put in a safe place to open 5 to 10 years from now.

First Nights - Attend a community First Night event in your area. Google search for local information on your community celebrations.

New Years Eve Celebrations with kids

5 New Year's Eve Tips for Families
By: Trish Berg

1. FAST FORWARD - If you have young children, and midnight is way too late for them to be up, try fast forwarding the clock so that it reads midnight at 8 or 9 pm. Celebrate the New Year then with the kiddos, then put them to bed so you and your husband can celebrate at the REAL midnight.



2. BUBBLE WRAP STOMP - We have been doing this a few years now. Go to your local Pack and Ship store, and buy several yards of bubble wrap. Just before midnight, roll it out, and the New Year comes, your kids can stomp and stomp on the bubble wrap, making a ton of noise in celebration. Clean up is a snap. Roll up and throw out.



3. BOARD GAME BONANZA - Have your kids round up all their favorite board games, and make a stack. On New Year's Eve, play one game at a time, and work your way down the stack of games.



4. DUO PARTIES - If you are having a New Year's Eve party for families, you can have 2 parties going on simultaneously. Have the adult party upstairs and the kid party in the rec room downstairs. Adults- Can have fancier food and adult conversation or games. Kids: Can run around, watch movies, play games and eat pizza and pop.



5. HOURLY CHANGE UP - Each hour on the hour, have something fun happen. Draw a name randomly from a jar to win a door prize (that you can pick up at Dollar Tree); change seating positions, or bring out a new food to enjoy.


Trish Berg is author to 4 books, including Rattled-Surviving Your Baby’s First Year without Losing Your Cool and A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts. Read more of Trish’s columns, tips, and download tons of free stuff to help you simplify motherhood at www.TrishBerg.com.