The Rake Magazine

Tag: New Year

  • How to be a Neighborhood Hero

    A
    young family moved in on a nearby street and we’re determined to give
    them a warmer welcome than what we got. It’s not like folks were mean
    upon our arrival, but there is more than one house on the block with a
    lawn service, drawn curtains and a dark porch light on Halloween.
    Either they’re in the Witness Protection Program or they’re dead.

    So we decided to host a neighborhood New Year’s get together to
    show-off the new people, kid-friendly of course. The invitations were
    met with enthusiasm, and by that I mean A LOT of enthusiasm. We’d
    causally mention the event and people wanted in – and to bring friends.
    Then I got a phone call from another friend who heard about it. And
    could they bring some other kids they were watching? You get the
    picture. Plus, it got to be a real rush to extend invites to such happy
    recipients.

    Now, let’s be clear. This has VERY LITTLE to do with us as hosts and
    EVERYTHING to do with the nature of the holiday. While Christmas is the
    epitome of child fare – everyone wants to see the kiddies around the
    tree, New Year’s Eve is its polar opposite. And since you can’t pack
    your babies up with the Christmas décor, it’s simply a non-event for
    parents.

    I’ll be honest here; it did get a little wild. The party topped out
    at about 34 guests, nearly half being kids – and keep in mind we didn’t
    even invite our core friend group. At points, I was holding babies
    whose names I didn’t even know and passing them off to adults (no
    backsies!) while I tried to keep up with the all the food people
    generously brought.

    We fired up the inflatable jumpy house in our rec room (an impulse
    purchase that helped me through a very dark week last winter – don’t
    judge me) threw a movie on the TV and 60 mini-corns in the oven. And at
    8:00 p.m. we lined up pots and pans, gave each kid a spoon and brought
    in 2008 with a ruckus. It was the New Year somewhere, right?

    The party broke up around 9:20 (we’re in our 30’s and have little
    kids – don’t judge us.) On the door stoop, people thanked us like we
    had given them a kidney. They put their kids and their crock-pots back
    onto their sleds and shuffled off into the dark, cold night.

    Two dishwasher cycles and a Hefty bag later, our house was nearly
    back to order. It was definitely worth the effort; but then again,
    public service usually is.

    Read more essays by Lucie B. Amundsen.

  • Two Parties

    Most restaurant industry slaves refer to New Year’s Eve as "Amateur Night". Having worked plenty of NYE’s in past, I can’t say that I’m eager to go out and cram myself into a bar with a bunch of sweaty, drunk people. Have fun.

    I wouldn’t mind tucking into a cozy booth at a favorite restaurant, but we always seem to have too many revelers in our pack and no one can make a decision as to the best location.

    So it’s my house for the fest. But what manner of fest shall we have?

    Fancy Schmancy

    Part of me thinks it would be fun to do it up glam-style. I have a sassy black dress and shiny shoes (one of the benefits of hosting, never having to trudge through the snow in fabulously inappropriate footwear) that would do the trick. We’d prepare a spread of serious nosh: something in an escargot puff, a caviar treat, some foie possibly, maybe an oyster thing or two. There’d be Manhattans, natch, and likely a sake sangria. Low lights, music from Tao, good gossip and pretty people (we’re all pretty people in low light). Bubbly at midnight, no?

    Slippery Fun

    The other part of me thinks that it might be nice to hang low this year. We’d have a bunch of fun-lovers over for a little family skating/Boot Hockey (yes, the Hub built a rink in the backyard this year) starring a massive pot of chili. Maybe I’d sink a few growlers of Surly in the snow not far from the bonfire. Spiked cider, spiked cocoa, stick-roasted hot dogs for the little’uns and a slumber-pit for those who can’t make it to midnight. Toast in the year with Hot Toddies, and we’re all still pretty in firelight.

    EITHER WAY … there’s one thing that people who come to my house for NYE know and fear, the required shot of the evening to bring in luck for the new year:

    The Crazy Nikolashka

    Pour a healthy shot of whiskey (your choice). Take a half slice of lemon and remove the peel. On one half of lemon, pour a small mound of sugar, on the other half, pour a small mound of ground coffee. Throw the lemon in your mouth and chew vigorously. Swallow and chase with the whiskey. Glory be.