As I mentioned previously, instead of dealing with crowded restaurants or bars or annoying drunk people at parties (not that I ever enjoy dealing with annoying drunk people), I am staying in on New Year’s Eve for a grown up pajama party. The Boy is in charge of movies and I am in charge of food, so I’ve been pouring over cookbooks and food blogs trying to find fun and creative but simple foods to nosh on. I am also working on a signature cocktail that we will both love to ring in 2009. So far I’ve come up with these ideas:

• A mini rift on these lovely Philly Steve’steak sandwiches over at Cooking with Anne. To make them more portable, I was considering making them sliders using homemade buns and Monterey Jack cheese.
• Since I love, love, love onion rings, I couldn’t pass up putting these drool worthy onion strings on the menu (note to self, make sure to have PLENTY of breath mints on hand for that midnight kiss)
• This lovely spinach artichoke dip with (wait for it) homemade Wheat Thins (thanks again Pete Bakes!)
• Mini key lime cheesecake tarts OR mini apple pie tarts

Considering it’s just the two of us, I think that is plenty to bring in the New Year! Believe it or not, most of these things can be done ahead of time (both the wheat thins and buns for the sliders for instance) and the Boy proved to be fairly adept in the kitchen this weekend (more on that later), so I’m set! Now I just need to come up with a kick ass cocktail…any suggestions?