Happy New Year

It's New Year's Eve so many of you are probably busy making plans for the evening ahead. Even pre-children I was never really a fan of heading out on New Year's Eve, as everywhere was normally full to capacity which led to a most uncomfortable night out. These days I much prefer to entertain at home which suits quite well as there is no need to disturb the children's routine. If you too are hosting an evening get together, where you don't plan on serving a dinner, you really only need a few plates of finger foods to feed many.

Crisps with dips, such as houmous, are a popular choice for serving with drinks. If you happen to see Keogh's crisps for sale I would definitely recommend that you pick some up. They really are delicious and they have the added bonus of being Irish. A well presented cheese board with some nice cheese biscuits and a tasty chutney makes for a perfect accompaniment to any drinks party. One of my favourite cheeses has to be the locally made Mossfield Organics. My friend Kristin has suggestions for the absolute selection of cheeses to create your own cheeseboard over on her blog Edible Ireland. Some mini chicken kebabs with a scrumptious satay sauce is also something that I like to serve as finger food. They can both be prepared early in the day and just pop the kebabs into the oven 20 minutes before you'd like to serve them. Quesadiilas are also perfect because they can be assembled and refrigerated before your guests arrive and then simply fry them as needed. These are just a few ideas that you may find useful. What ever your plans I hope that you have a lovely evening and tomorrow I will share with you some of my foodie highlights of 2011.