Ours Devours: New Year’s Party for Kids

For my kids to get excited about anything, I have to change the name of it. So this year we are going to try the “Ours Devours Party." We are going to make some snacks, some drinks, and some fun.

Midnight Bread (Monkey Bread)

Ingredients:

• 4 cans refrigerated cinnamon rolls
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 can cream cheese frosting

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 9-10 inch bunt pan.
• Cut the cinnamon rolls into quarters.
• Arrange ¼ of the pieces in the bottom of the greased pan.*
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute.
• Pour mixture over the layered cinnamon roll pieces. Continue layering until all the pieces are coated and in the pan.
• Bake for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate.
• Drizzle with cream cheese frosting. (Cream cheese frosting is super easy to make. One pack cream cheese and 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar.)
• Pull apart and enjoy! 

*Add raisins or nuts if you like, but I'd rather have the cream cheese frosting.

Biscuit Balls (Drop Biscuits)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pancake/biscuit mix
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp butter

Directions:

• Heat oven to 400ºF.
• Stir pancake/biscuit mix, milk and cheese until soft dough forms. Drop dough by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Melt butter and brush over warm biscuits.
• Should make 10-12 little biscuits.

Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter (or SunButter)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup Rice Krispies cereal (or crushed other cereal. Try O’s or Chex)
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• Optional 2 tbsp Nutella

Directions:

• Mix peanut butter and honey in a large bowl.
• Add cereal.
• Stir in Nutella.
• Scoop out in tablespoons then mold into balls.  
• Roll balls in confectioners’ sugar.
• Makes 16-24. Chill 2 hours.

Crew Sticks (Crudités)

If your kids are old enough, arm them with carrot peelers and put them to work on carrots and cucumbers.

For adults, slice celery, colorful peppers (I’m a big fan of red, yellow and orange, but go green if you must), broccoli, and cauliflower.

Serve with salad dressing of your choice or a nice selection of cheeses.

Countdown Cocktail

Ingredients:

• Sparkling apple cider
• Orange juice
• Pomegranate seeds
• Plastic champagne flutes

Cider to juice ratio is 3:1. Add 5-10 pomegranate seeds per flute. If you have the right amount of sparkling cider, seeds should float.

The Party

I have my nieces and nephews over every New Year's. We wear pajamas, play board games, and snack until midnight. My sister and I make sausage balls. We watch those horrible countdown shows, and the kids explain to me why they love .

Eventually, the ball drops and the Peach drops. We never know the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne. We call our friends in California while they are in the old year, and we are in the future, the New Year.

Hope you have a happy party night!