Monthly Musings - Welcoming A New Year

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What are you doing New Year's Eve? I guess that's the heart of at least a couple of the New Year's themed questions for this edition of Monthly Musings. Holly at Pink Lady and Patty at Good Better Best co-host this monthly sharing of tips, tricks, and conversation starters. 

1. How do you ring in the New Year?

It's changed over the years. For many years we celebrated with friends, getting together to enjoy a spread of party snacks and play games, and then toasting the New Year at midnight. The last few years we've been a little more low-key, celebrating with just family, or having a few people over. This year we'll have our son and his family over and they'll stay the night. They weren't with the rest of us at Christmas, so we'll open the remaining gifts that night, watch some movies and play some games. I will plan on having a big breakfast ready to go in the morning.

2. Any special New Year's Eve or New Year's Day traditions?

I started off thinking there's nothing very unusual, but once I got past our midnight and the ball drop tradition, I thought of something that's special to me. Whatever else we do, we watch the ball drop in NYC, and just like everyone else, we wish everyone in the room a Happy New Year, and the couples kiss. We used to always pour everyone young and old a glass of sparkling cider to toast the new year, since our parties included children and people who didn't drink. We do sing Auld Lang Syne and know the words beyond the first line! I love that song. Here's one of my favorite versions:

Okay, here's my special one. On New Year's Day, I love having 'Niejoashe Koake' (Low German for 'New Years Cookies'). This was a favorite treat of mine when I was a kid, and I've occasionally remembered to make them myself for my family. Now that they're top of mind, I'm going to plan to make them this year! The name 'Niejoashe Koake' comes from the Dutch and German Mennonites who immigrated to the USA and Canada. The same basic recipe is also known as Porzelchen (High German), Oliebollen (Dutch), Croustillon (French), or Dutchies (English); and they are simply sweet fritters with raisins. Why are they associated with New Years? I haven't a clue. Here's our recipe, if you're curious:

Niejoashe Koake (New Years Cookies)

4 eggs

1/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp butter

1-1/4 cup milk or cream

2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

flour, enough to make a spongy batter (I used about 2 cups)

raisins, lots of them!

Mix the first six ingredients together well, then add flour and mix until batter is spongy, sort of like a very thick pancake batter. (I should have taken a picture of that because I realize now it's hard to explain!) Mix in as many raisins as you and your family like. I like lots, my kids don't like raisins, so I made some fritters before adding the raisins. Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil and deep fry until golden brown. The fritters tend to turn over by themselves as they cook, but they may need a little help. Drain on paper towel, and dust with icing sugar. (Some people prefer them rolled in granulated sugar, but icing sugar is my preference.) I recommend cutting open one or two of the first ones to make sure they are cooked all the way through - if you make them too big (which I tended to do), they may still have uncooked batter in the middle even though the outside looks done. They are best served warm and fresh. 

3. Favorite New Year's Eve memories?

New Year's Eve 1989, my husband and I were in Las Vegas to ring in 1990s! We'd gone down a couple days after Christmas and met his family there. We spent a few days together at the casinos and a couple shows. Casinos weren't really our thing at all, but his parents wanted us to meet them. Turned out their flight left during the day on the 31st, while we didn't fly out until later on January 1st, or maybe even the 2nd. At any rate, we were there on our own and it was fun and different! I've always said Vegas was near the top of my list of cool places that didn't really interest me, and yet there we were!

4. Show us some New Year's Eve outfits. We need inspiration.

I'd be no help here. My New Year's Eve outfits are pretty much jeans and long-sleeved tees and not much different than any other day. Or if I'm staying home, it will be my comfy lounge pants.

5. What are you most looking forward to in 2024?

I don't really know yet! So far we haven't made any specific plans for vacations or events coming up. I am planning to go full time at my job sometime after the holidays, which means I can look forward to some additional income. I guess in general I could say I'm looking forward to being more involved at church and with the chorus, and to feeling more at home here.

6. Asleep by 10pm or ring in the New Year?

I have no doubt we'll be ringing in the New Year! My husband and I are night owls as it is and almost never in bed by 10, so staying up until midnight is not a problem.

7. Do you have a word or goals for 2024?

I didn't choose a Word of the Year the last couple years, but I think I might do it this year. I'm still deciding what it will be, but based on what God has been talking to me about, it will probably be "Sabbath" or something related. I'm still working on a list of goals as well, and it will include the usual "lose weight/get healthier" and "get better organized" types of things! I'm planning to share those in my first Twenty-Six Lists link-up. The first list in the 2024 Edition of Twenty-Six Lists on A Fresh Cup of Coffee will be Accomplishments (2023) and Goals (for 2024). The link-up will open on January 9th and be up for two weeks if you'd like to share your list of accomplishments and goals! (Find out more here: Introducing Twenty-Six Lists)

8. Best self care tips to share in the New Year?

Celebrate the small steps and daily choices on the way to the bigger achievements. Figure out a routine that helps me stay accountable and motivated but doesn't make me feel pressured. 

9. Paper planner? Electronic planner? None? Share your favorite brands or apps please.

When I was homeschooling I had to keep track of all the lesson plans and I used a combination of paper and electronic planners, but over the last couple of years I've relied far less on planners and don't have a Daytimer or anything like that. I love these Note Nook pocket calendars and have one hanging by my desk in order to keep track of bills and such. 

I use the Google Calendar to keep track of activities and appointments, family birthdays and anniversaries, and I do a bit of blog planning and meal planning on that calendar as well. I use the website Remember The Milk to keep all my to-do lists - they do have an app but I didn't care for it and just stuck with using the website. When it comes to meal planning, I have two websites that I've been using and will have to rely on even more as I go to full time hours - MyFreezEasy and Plan to Eat. I don't use PTE to plan every single meal, and I didn't use it a lot over the past couple months, but I'll be going back to using it almost daily! It's so useful in consolidating the ingredients lists so I can plan dinners and make it easier to know what specific ingredients I need to buy and combine that list with the staples list of things I buy regularly. It's also really easy to save recipes from the web and much more efficient for me than using Pinterest and then having to sort through all my Pins! If you use my link to check it out - Plan to Eat - you'll get 20% off your first annual subscription! (And of course, full disclosure - the referral link will earn me a commission on your subscription as well.)

10. Black-eyed peas on New Year's Day - Yea or Nay?

We've never had black-eyed peas for New Year's but I'm not opposed. I didn't know that was a thing until I was an adult so I just never tried it. 

So what are you doing New Year's Eve? Leave a comment and let me know!

 

I'm linking up with Monthly Musings hosted by Holly at Pink Lady and Patty at Good Better Best.

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