Since having children we have started a tradition of having a multi-generational New Year's Eve party every year. Hiring a babysitter is no easy task on New Year's Eve so planning a night out without the kids is tough. As a result, all of our friends with children (and some without, too) have been thrilled to have a destination that the whole family can come to. We set up games and movies for the kids and various parents take turns checking on them.
Since we also host Christmas and usually have at least 20 people for Christmas dinner I like to keep the menu for the New Year's party simple and not too stressful. I always end up cooking a few things for the party, but there are lots of things that you can just buy and serve...a big assortment of cheeses, pates, salamis, olives, and nuts is a great start. I also love scouring ethnic markets such as Sahadi's for special desserts that can mixed in with a batch of brownies, or some store bought cookies...last year I bought Turkish Delight, Baklava, and some marzipan and fruit jellies. Another favorite thing to buy and serve are the delicious pizzas from Sullivan Street Bakery. It is fun to have a mixed drink in big pitchers at the bar...Pimm's Cup is a favorite and it is easy to flavor the Pimms with cucumber and citrus and let it infuse for a bit. Then when it is time to serve it all you need to do is mix in ginger ale.