We started a new tradition last year at our house. I was eight months pregnant and huge. I could not eat a lot at a time. We planned on having lots of seafood for New Year’s Eve and I knew I would not be able to eat it all in one sitting.
What developed was a three course meal that stretched from about 2:00pm until 9:00pm. We prepared the first course—appetizers, shrimp and scallops with a veggie grazing tray—and then ate it and cleaned up the dishes. Around five we made lobster tails and baked potatoes, again, cleaning up after we enjoyed them. Around 8:00pm, we made crab legs and bread (to soak up some of the butter). We had time to clean up from this and then we watched the ball drop in New York with Turbo. He crashed about 10:30pm.
Doing the meal all stretched out this way made it so I could enjoy all the food without feeling overstuffed. Clean up was a breeze and we were able to enjoy sitting together to eat and had no pressure to finish cooking everything at the same time. It was great.
This year we are planning on doing the same thing. A long stretched out meal of several courses with lots of time between them. Turbo will get to stay up until midnight if he makes it. We have sparkling cider for him and will have champagne for Nick and I to toast—even if it is for midnight in New York and not here where we live.
Bruiser will be kept on his schedule this year but I think it will be OK for him, he’s not really aware of what is going on anyway. He will get to try some of what we are having and will be content with that.
We don’t have many other New Year’s traditions. I try to take the tree down New Year’s Day or shortly there after. Nick likes to try to go ice fishing. Turbo likes to go with him, but freezing on the ice is not really my thing. I don’t care how comfortable Nick claims the ice hut is.
Mostly, the New Year is more about our family and being together than Christmas is. We get to be just us without the pressure of grandparents or anyone else that we have to entertain. I like the New Year better than other holidays because it is low stress for us.
On a side note, there is a blue moon on New Year's Eve this year. Hope the weather is clear enough for everyone to enjoy it.
What do you do for the New Year? Resolutions will be discussed tomorrow, (cause I haven't really thought about them yet)
What a neat idea to have that huge meal broken down throughout the day. Love that! Quite a menu you have there, I love seafood. So far we don't really have a tradition for New Year's Eve, we usually just spend it quietly, have some wine and watch the festivities on TV. Before I married, our family used to have a fondue every New Years day. Loved that but with only my husband and I here in town, that's far to much work. Wish we could join you guys!
ReplyDeleteI like the way you do your meal. Hubs took the boys skiing and they just got in. I cleaned all day. What a celebration.
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