Weekend Wind Down :: Party Planning

It's almost here...the night where everyone takes a moment to celebrate the New Year. Some do it by getting dressed up and sashaying about town, others by cuddling on the couch and watching the world celebrate on television. Whether you are at one extreme or another, these cocktail recipes will be a sure hit - whether your party is for two or fifty-two...

Pink Champagne Cocktail

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

70g Raspberries
1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1-2 drops rose water
1 tsp almond-flavoured liqueur, such as Amaretto
1 bottle of pink Champagne, chilled

Method:

1. Mash the raspberries well with a fork, stir in the mint and put a teaspoon of this mixture into the bottom of each glass.

2. Add the Rose Water and Amaretto, stir well and top up with the chilled champagne. Serve immediately.

With love from

Trish

Mulled Wine

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

2 bottles Red wine
150ml green ginger wine
150ml water
50g Sugar
1 small orange
3 tsp Cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 a nutmeg

Method:

1. Pour the wine, ginger wine and water into a large saucepan. Add the sugar and mix in well.

2. Stud the orange with cloves and add to the wine with the cinnamon and nutmeg.

3. Heat gently for about 15 minutes without boiling. Serve the hot mulled wine in heat-resistant glasses.

With love from
Natasha

Long Island Iced Tea

Ingredients:

1 Part vodka

1 part tequila

1 part rum

1 part gin

1 part triple sec

1 1/2 parts sweet and sour mix

1 splash Coca-Cola

Method:

1. Mix ingredients together over ice in a glass. Pour into a shaker and give one brisk shake. Pour back into the glass and make sure there is a touch of fizz at the top. Garnish with lemon.

With love from

Ally

Sugar & Spice

Method:

(a 'mocktail' for all those wanting to bring in 2008 with a clear head :) )

1. Rim a heatproof Irish coffee glass with cinnamon sugar

2. Add 11/2 oz.of chocolate milk

3. 1 oz. of mint- flavoured syrup

4. a pinch EACH of powdered ginger and cinnamon

5. top with hot coffee( decaf if you prefer)

6. garnish with fresh whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon

With love from
Nicola


Orange Sherbet Punch

Fun version...

1 container of Orange Sherbet
1 two liter of Ginger Ale
1 bottle of Champagne

1. In a punch bowl pour the ginger ale and champagne. Add scoops of sherbet. Voila...

Or the when you are with children (born or unborn) version ...

1 container of Orange Sherbet
1 two liter of lemon lime soda
4 cups orange juice

1. In a punch bowl pour the soda a juice. Add scoops of sherbet. Presto...

With love from
Jenna

And to round off the year we have a few books for you to win in our last hamper* until our birthday next September:

Nicola Marsh - The wonderful Romance book Princess Australia

Natasha Oakley - 'Accepting The Boss's Proposal' and 'Mothers-To-Be' (a UK Mothers' Day anthology with novellas from Julia James, Natasha and Amy Andrews).

Trish Wylie - A copy each of her new 2008 releases, the Modern Heat book His Mistress: His Terms and the Harlequin Romance Her One And Only Valentine

Donna Alward - A large print copy of Hired By Cowboy her hard to find first release from 2007

Kate Walker - A copy of her wonderful Harlequin Presents book The Greek Tycoon's Unwilling Wife

Heidi Rice - Her fabulous second Modern Heat The Mile High Club (which Trish tells us is great read!)

Kate Hardy - the lovely Kate is donating her Medical book The Doctor's Very Special Christmas

Liz Fielding - the book nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for 2007 The Secret Life Of Lady Gabriella (CONGRATULATIONS LIZ!)

Margaret McDonagh - a copy of the gorgeous Christmas Weddings anthology (which contains her Medical Romance story "Their Christmas Vows" along with a Modern story by Carole Mortimer and a Romance by Shirley Jump)

All you have to do is tell us what your ideal New Years Eve would be and the skies the limit so would it be Times Square or flying across the datelines or what??? You tell us...

*And from January on don't forget to visit regularly as we offer spot prizes throughout the month!

Wishing you all the best with your New Years celebrations!

The Pink Heart Society Gang