I don't have the final guest list yet (my preliminary planning is expecting 10-14) but on New Years eve I am making beef vegetable soup with homemade bread---actually the soup will begin tomorrow and age outside overnight.

I had looked at many options, mostly seafood stews, but in the end had to set them aside since most all of my recipes for that family contains wine and one guest is a recovering alcoholic (many years) and avoids even the taste of anything alcoholic.

Then on Saturday we will have another dinner, that will be in keeping with our PA Dutch heritage. That will be roast pork in sauerkraut with mashed potatoes. A feast I have enjoyed ever since I could take on solid food

It is a tradition to honor and copy the pig---who always roots forward, never backing up. For many years I have had homemade sauerkraut, but this year in an absence of that option I am serving "Buddies" which I found to be the top rated commercial sauerkraut and carried by my local grocery.

The mashed potatoes will be "enlivened" by all the more normal additives, including roast garlic and bacon plus a few dashes of Tabasco sauce, the same of Worchester sauce, a generous amount of diced green onions and topped with fresh parsley.

Many of the guests will join us for both but our middle son and daughter are both working New Years eve, they will both join us on New Years day. Our SIL, who was on his way to Hawaii on Christmas day (it is a 4 day round trip from Newark NJ), is scheduled to be off and will be here for both.