Sam’s Club recently asked me if I would like to share with you how we celebrate New Year’s Eve at our home.
We tend to be homebodies, and one of our fun traditions we started a few years ago was to enjoy fondue on New Year’s Eve. We all love it, I mean what’s not to love about dipping delicious food into cheese and chocolate? And it’s a heck of a lot cheaper to do it at home than it is to go to my favorite restaurant for it. Totally yummy luxe for less! So I said sure, I’d be happy to share our fondue fun with you, while picking up my ingredients at Sam’s Club. They also want to give one of my readers their own Modern Cocktail Party Pack. Keep reading to find out how to enter to win!
I was super excited to see that Sam’s Club has not one, but TWO cake pop makers, and that instantly gave me an idea – how about working cake pops into the fondue fun? Sounded good to me, and my girls. I had no idea that I could get cake pop makers at Sam’s Club, but you can! They have my favorite, the Babycakes Cake Pop Maker. I
And an awesome Nordic Ware Cake Pops Kit that comes with an awesome dome stand. Love!
So Cake Pop Fondue it is! I whipped up a batch of simple vanilla cake pops from the recipe book that is included with the Babycakes Cake Pop Maker. Instead of coating them in chocolate, I left them plain, ready to be dipped, sprinkled and enjoyed. Because so much of the fun of fondue is having different items, I of course had to add some other delicious treats to the line up. With Sam’s Club they had so many great choices, it was hard to decide! I went with Snyder’s Mini Pretzels, Oreos and my favorite box brownie mix, Ghirardelli Ultimate Chocolate Brownies.
While I made my brownies, giving me a balance of items I made versus items that were ready made, the ready made Brownie Bites at Sam’s Club are perfect for this as well. Seriously there were SO many options. Some other great options are fresh fruit (such great prices at Sam’s!), Rice Krispies Treats and more salty options – love the pretzel crisps!
As far as I know, there are no “fondue laws” so whatever YOUR family wants to enjoy with your fondue, go for it. Personally my husband would love steak fries with his, which after a moment of thought does sound kind of good.
As far as your actual fondue goes, you can make a fondue recipe using Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chips or if you are looking to keep it super simple (as I usually am), just go with a hot fudge ice cream topping. Just heat it up and add to the bowl. No, it’s not a traditional fondue, but to be totally honest, sometimes it’s nice to just enjoy the time with my kids and family and keep it simple. I think my kids enjoy that more than homemade fondue. If that’s your goal, the hot fudge ice cream topping (don’t forget caramel as well!) is a fabulous option and the kids will love it.
When it comes to fondue and kids, I’ve learned that those little ones are just double dippers, there’s no way around it. So everyone gets their own little ramekin of fondue, the kids love it!
Just to clarify as we are using cake pops, these are not making traditional “cake pops” where the chocolate is going to harden. This is a dip and eat immediately type of thing, not a the shell will harden and take away traditional type of cake pops. So just word to the wise on that one in case you weren’t sure.
Make everyone their own plate and let them enjoy! The sprinkles are certainly a fun and colorful addition, who doesn’t enjoy adding sprinkles?
I love some caramel for dipping!
This really is a fun and easy party to put together, especially with the great prices and sweet treats available at Sam’s Club. Looking for some eats before your sweets? Sam’s has you more than covered! Check out some of the great appetizers and items you can have from the club to your table ready to eat in no time…
And if you are like me and need a little help remaining awake until the ball drops and the year rolls over, Sam’s Club has you covered with the Keurig Coffee Maker and plenty of K-Cups! And if you are the type who has no problem staying up, maybe this would come in handy the next morning. 
How do you enjoy your own “Luxe For Less” on New Year’s Eve?
Leave a comment below, using the Rafflecopter Widget, and you an win a Modern Cocktail Holiday Mixer Variety Pack from Sam’s Club. This fun, non-alcoholic drink mixer pack will turn the average consumer into a modern day mixologist. The Modern Cocktail Holiday Mixer Variety Pack contains our top selling holiday mixers to include 4 Margarita Mixers, 4 Martini Mixers, 4 Berrytini Mixers and 3 Champagne Toppers. The pack also contains salt and sugar crystals to finish off any premium cocktail. HERE IS THE WIDGET TO ENTER! GOOD LUCK! OPEN TO US RESIDENTS ONLY. Remember the widget can be slow to load.
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Sam’s Club. But all opinions are, as always, mine and mine alone.
We enjoy an array of mini bites, and non-alcoholic (for the littles) drinks in special “champagne” glasses. We keep it fun:)
We eat an early dinner out and then make our own chocolate covered strawberries at home.
I would love to win a cocktail party to share with my Moms Club moms.
How fun is this party! Great idea!
We tend to have a quiet evening at home with pizza, treats, movies, and a puzzle. Thanks for the chance to win…we love Sam’s, too!
We have also enjoyed New Year’s Eve fondues (as well as Valentine’s Day) …fondue is just fun (and yummy)…and speaking of yummy those cocktail mixers sound fab!
I usually make something a little nicer than usual for dinner, and we have a special dessert. This year we’re doing an “appetizer dinner” – all little bites to graze on – and chocolate fondue for dessert!
All my ladies will love to enjoy pre-coctail hour at my house.
My uncle throws his annual NYE Party for all our friends & family(there’s about 30 of us at his house). We order pizza,subs & wings from Wegman’s and then everyone brings something to share(desserts,chips & dip,veggies etc)
We enjoy dinner out and then spend the rest of the night in playing board games, cards, drinking champagne/sparkling cider, and munching on good food!
We rent a movie that the family can enjoy together, drink special punch (without alcohol for the boys and with LOTS of alcohol for mom and dad) in special glasses and crash before midnight. That’s what happens when you have 3 year olds!
What a cute idea.
This is so cute, love the idea!
I love the pictures of your fondue party. We get together with another family who has kids the same ages as ours. That works out great because everybody has a buddy and yet we are all together. We bring appetizers, some of which usually come from Sam’s Club:) By the way, do you make a homemade cheese fondue or use a cheese sauce?
We don’t have traditions for New Years, but this seems like a good one to try! I especially like the idea of using hot fudge topping. It will make it SO easy!
This is a timely post since I just received the Babycakes Pop Maker for Xmas. Still need some practice with it, but what better way to experiment?? Thanks!
We enjoy an early dinner and then it is game night as a family, with tasty snacks. Fondue sounds great.
We have a pot-luck with friends and relatives to ring in the New Year together – having fun and making memories without spending all day cooking, baking and cleaning.
We make a turkey and trimmings and just enjoy a quiet evening at home.
We are going to grill out and eat at home by candle light.
Usually make Strawberry Margaritas, chips and dip, and watch a movie…..
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I love having a simple, low key evening at home with family on NYE! Ordering some pizza, sitting by the fire, and spending time together is the best!
We always have one of those port wine cheese balls with crackers. We’ll be smashing the New Year’s Eve Confetti Eggs I made today. Please check out my blog for tutorial.
We stay in and have finger foods – cheese, veggies, cookies, etc.
My Family has a FatDaddy Night…We break out the Fryer and Fry up some Goodies…and make it a Finger Food Night…and watch Old Family Movies every Year…Tradition….
We get take out to eat with the kiddos, then, after we’ve put them to bed, we have munchies and cocktails at home
We are going to the Grandparents house to help them ring in a healthy and happy New Year!! Our theme this year is Felicity!!! aka: Extreme Happiness!
Love these fun ideas for NYE!! Happy New Year! : )
Sounds like a fun idea, especially since my older daughter just got a cakepop maker for Christmas.
What a fun idea! My littles would love doing this on New Year’s Eve…or any other day, for that matter.
Happy last day of 2012! May 2013 be filled with peace, love, health, joy, and miracles!
We do not really have any traditions. Eat a fun dinner like pizza or snack foods and watch a movie.
In the past we haven’t gone out much, but for the second year in a row we are going to a good friend’s house with the kids. Not a huge party bash, just some friends hanging out! Maybe I should bring some cake pops…..
This would be so fun! I’ve thought about having a fondue party so I love the idea of cakepops for dessert
What a great way to enoy a fun and safe at home New Years Eve with the family!!!!!
We also have a fun evening at home with the kiddos! We make all kinds of yummy appetizers and drink sparkling fruit juice!
We make a couple of fancy appetizers at home. We usually choose what to make based off of the ingredients (meat, shrimp, etc.) that are on sale. It’s a fun way to ring in the new year.
Movies at home with the kids! Love staying in when it’s cold outside.
Our family gets together and we make up a bunch of appetizers or “bites” and we watch the ball drop so we can all be together on New Years! You know the old saying “what you are doing on New Years Eve, will be what you are doing for the rest of the year”. I want to make sure we will be spending happy times together all next year!
I make food here at home for my family to enjoy. This year we are making finger foods. I already have a bunch sweets that I made for Christmas so we are eating those for our dessert.
We stay home, watching our favorite movies and of course the ball dropping in Times Square. I make simple, tasty little appetizers and munchies for us to eat all evening. We sometimes play board games or cards. It’s just a fun and easy night for us – and we love it that way!
Make some chili and get ready to bring in the new year. I hope that everyone has a great new year!
It’s all about a potluck dessert buffet this year. So excited for some delicious goodies and great friends!
We just stay home usually and make some fun snacks and desserts and watch the ball drop!
When I was home we would always have Chinese, so this year I made Thai style chicken and spicy rice for dinner. Then the cats and I watched The Muppets. We don’t have cable, so no ball drop for us.
We did a homemade pot luck party – everyone really enjoyed!
We get family and friends together and cook up lots of foods and make special drinks.
Hope I win this giveaway, it would come in handy.
I’d make drinks for the whole family when they come over. Everyone would enjoy it.
Thanks for the chance for another prize.
we had friends over with good food and games!