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With our winter this year, it is time to think about getting good friends together for a party. There are several tips to having a successful party. Think about the following tips and ideas.

1. Be realist, yet ambitious, when you set your goals.
2. Create a timeline to help you stay organized as you plan.
3. Select a theme.
4. Plan a budget and establish goals.
5. Pick a date for your party. (With Nebraska weather – might want two or three back-up dates also.)
6. Depending on the size of your party – you might need as little as a month to plan to up to a year to get all the details done for this great party.
7. Be sure you have a location large enough for the number of people you expect and space that allows you to do what you want to do – remembering live music, alcoholic beverages, etc.
8. Think about decorations.
9. Refreshments are always important to any party. Ask yourself some questions about if you are going to do the food or find a caterer or ask everyone to bring a dish for the party.
10. Make a list of people to invite.
11. Prizes, if you choose to have a party with games, think about the prizes that might be awarded.
12. Have a great time yourself at the party. Enjoy your friends and their strengths.
13. Send thank you notes to those that helped in anyway with the party.
14. Finally – you might want to think about having a fundraising party – generosity and goodwill abound. Consider what non-profit organization or person you would like to support. Consider having several money-making opportunities at your party, such as an auction, games, or donations brought to the party, which will help contribute financially to the cause.

Simple food refreshment ideas:

Hazelnut Cheese Bits

• 8 ounces of cheese (your choice and shredded
• 4 ounces butter (softened)
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup hazelnuts (toasted and finely ground)
• couple of dashes of hot pepper sauce (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350*F. Blend all the ingredients together to form small balls (or bits!) Press a whole hazelnut into the center of each ball. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Serve them hot

Asparagus Roll Ups

• 20 thin slices of white bread (pumpernickel will also work)
• 3 ounces of bleu cheese
• 1 egg
• 20 asparagus spears (fresh or frozen and cooked crisp)
• ½ lb. butter ( melted or less to cover bread)

1. Trim crust from the bread slices – flatten each slice with a rolling pin.
2. Blend egg and cheese and spread evenly on each bread slice.
3. Roll 1 spear in each slice of bread.
4. Dip each roll in melted butter.
5. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze.
6. Slice each roll into 4 pieces (thaw it slightly to make slicing easier.)
7. Bake at 400*F for 15 minutes.

About the author: Suzie Brown

Sue Brown served as UNL Extension Educator for 37 years in Adams County. Her area of emphasis was food safety, nutrition, community development and clothing and textiles. She enjoyed serving the public with information for daily living and use. She continues to be active in the community.