Whether you’re hosting a your family and friends or you’re having a small, cozy New Year’s Eve at home, this menu is perfect for both.

I’ve created this entire menu with YOU in mind; keeping recipes easy to you can enjoy time with family & friends while celebrating 2018 – I promise there is something for everyone to enjoy as you ring in 2018!

When I think of New Year’s Eve the words ‘pop & clink’ always come to mind. I think back to my favourite New Year’s Eve parties and they were always just a ton of FUN! So with those words in mind, this colourful décor and menu were created.

Your party will start off with a refreshing mocktail, the Ginger Honey Sparkler!

The combination of honey & ginger with sparkling water creates the most delightful sip! Plus, I cannot get enough of the ‘frosted’ rosemary sprigs – they are so festive!

Ginger Honey Sparkler

Total Time: 15 minutes
Equipment: small pot, strainer
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled & cut into pieces
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 mint leaves
1-2 bottles sparkling water, chilled

Garnish:

6-8 rosemary stems (cut to fit nicely as a glass garnish)
1/4 cup sugar

Instructions:

Put all ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil. Once simmering, turn to medium-low to keep at a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes.

Once done simmering, take the pot off of the oven and strain out the ginger and mint leaves. Set the mixture in the fridge to cool for a few minutes.

When you mixture is cooling, make your garnish. Rinse your rosemary in water, shake to get excess water off and then roll through the sugar to coat – do this for each piece of rosemary.

Once the mixture is cool assemble your mocktails.  Add 3 tbsp of your ginger-honey mixture to a glass with 1/3 cup sparkling water. Then garnish with a rosemary sprig and add ice if needed.

Cook’s Note: As I was trying to come up with a cocktail my friend Gillian mentioned to me ‘why not try a mocktail,’ thus giving guests the choice of the mocktail OR transforming this drink into a cocktail. SO, if you want to make this drink alcoholic, gin, vodka or prosecco would be a nice addition.

To accompany your Ginger Honey Sparkler are Apricot & Pecan Brie Bites.

This recipe is a riff on what my girlfriend’s Steph & Pam call my ‘award-winning recipe,’ a recipe I created to win a Style at Home Magazine contest many, many years ago. To this day, the combination of apricot jam and brie never fails to impress!

Apricot and Pecan Brie Bites

Total Time: 30 minutes
Equipment: baking sheet
Servings: 20 bites (2-3 bites per person for 6-8 person party)

Ingredients:

1 square puff pastry, defrosted & rolled out OR 1 sheet puff pastry
175g brie, cut into 20 squares
1/3 cup apricot jam
20 pecans

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

If using a square of puff pastry dough, roll out to approximately 12inch x 12inch square. Then, cut your puff pastry dough into 20 squares and place onto your baking sheet, spaced apart.

Cut the brie into 20 squares, making sure the squares are just slightly smaller than your puff pastry squares.

Bake your puff pastry squares for 10 minutes. Then, remove them from the oven and top each puff pastry square with about 1/2 tsp apricot jam, a square of brie and one pecan. Put the squares back in the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes, until brie is starting to melt.

And you can’t have a party without something sweet, so my Party Chocolate Bark does just the trick!

Using both white & dark chocolate, plus a ton of sparkly sprinkles, my Party Chocolate Bark is the perfect sweet bite to accompany your New Year’s Eve evening.

Party Chocolate Bark

Total Time: 50 minutes
Equipment: baking sheet
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

12oz/350g dark chocolate (approximately 2 cups dark chocolate chips)
12oz/350g white chocolate (approximately 2 cups white chocolate chips)
3 tbsp colourful sprinkles

Instructions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

First, melt your dark chocolate using a small pot on low heat, stirring constantly as the mixture melts. You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments.

Pour the dark chocolate onto the parchment paper and spread out to about a quarter-inch thickness. Put the dark chocolate layer in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Once your dark chocolate has been in the freezer for 15 minutes, melt the white chocolate. Let the white chocolate sit for about 2 minutes and then remove the baking sheet from the freezer. Pour the white chocolate on top, smooth out and then sprinkle on the sprinkles. Freeze for 20 minutes.

Once your Party Chocolate Bark is set, break into chunks and keep refrigerated.

I hope you enjoy all of these recipes this New Year’s Eve; I’m sending you a virtual CHEERS from here in Calgary!

Thank you for visiting the Cooking in my Genes blog, I can’t wait to share with you so many new creations in the New Year!

More New Year’s Eve Recipe Inspiration from the blog

15 Food & Cocktail Recipes to Make for New Year’s Eve

Cocktails & Mocktails for New Year’s Eve

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post A Sparkling New Years Eve Party Menu appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Does anyone else feel like February FLEW by and all of sudden we’re headed into March? March has me dreaming about Springtime, sunshine and fresh flowers and this set of party cups and party plates make me want to host a Spring party!

But, before we get there I have some favourites from February to share with you.

February turned out to be a very full month for me…I had a Super Bowl / birthday party and my team also WON which was exciting!  We ate a ton of food including my Kettle Chip BBQ Chicken Nachos and these Coconut Chicken Fingers that I served with ranch and hot sauce for dipping.

I cooked a lot at home and have a couple of new favourite recipes in our dinner rotation including these Slow-Cooker Banh Mi Rice Bowls and these Spicy Chicken Sweet Potato Meal Prep Magic Bowls. Both recipes are so delicious and make perfect weekday lunches too!

We went to the cabin for the Family Day weekend and with all of the snow it was just magical.

I spent a lot of time reading and finished this book, The Best Kind of People. I was hooked on this book from the beginning; it was soooooo good. Then I started on another book that I’m loving called Fates and Furies; half of the book is told from the perspective of the husband and the other half is from the wife’s perspective which makes it so interesting. I would highly recommend both books.

I also cooked a classic recipe which is the first I ever posted on the blog! Named ‘Mike’s Mac & Cheese,’ it’s a dish I created with my brother and its perfect for those cozy winter days. Plus, the mac & cheese leftovers freeze really well.

And to top off the month I attended an event at one of our local restaurants called Modern Steak. If you are in Calgary, you must check it out! We sampled a few of their steak offerings paired with wines and I’m telling you it is a must! Perfect for a date night or night out with your friends.

Now I’m really excited for March because it’s my BLOGAVERSARY!

On March 15th, 2015 I posted my first blog post on Cooking in my Genes and it’s been quite the adventure ever since! I love this cooking community and so grateful to have you all following my recipes and stories. I’m going to be doing a giveaway of some of my favourite things to celebrate so stay tuned!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

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The post What’s In Season appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.