Make Your New Year's Party a Hit With Food, Drink Tips

Planning a big New Year's Eve party? There are some simple things to keep in mind as you plan ways to feed the revelers. FoodsFrom meats to cheeses to those sinful little desserts,Health Teamnutritionist Lynn Hoggard says you can serve your guests good food that is still good for them.

Lynn says you can make all sorts of creative concoctions with the pastry shells you can find in the freezer section at your local store.

Fondueswill also keep people focused on eating more fruits and vegetables.

Vegetables would not be complete without a dip made with fat-free mayonnaise and sour cream.

Instead of meatballs and chicken wings, Lynn says sliced turkey, ham and seafood are good substitutes. DrinksA housewares store manager says people need four basic glasses to stock their bar: wine glasses, beer mugs, martini glasses and something for mixed drinks. Six to eight glasses of each type are recommended.

A bar guide is also recommended, so people will know how to make the individual drinks. It details the needed supplies and how to use each of them.

Remember, if you are serving alcohol to your guests, be a responsible host. In North Carolina, the negligence standard for private house parties is the same as it is for bars.

That means you must take reasonable steps to make sure guests do not have too much to drink before they drive home. Otherwise, you could be held liable if something happens.

You can protect yourself by buying "event insurance," the cost of which varies by the size of the party.