Tallgrass Kitchen: A relaxing eve.

New Year’s Eve. I’m in a short, sparkly dress. The champagne is flowing and music is playing loudly. As midnight strikes, the crowd cheers, confetti flies and everyone kisses.

That’s the movie version — and maybe I lived something close to it years ago. The reality now is closer to well-worn jeans, board games, watching the ball drop on television and children hollering. But we still drink champagne.

Our nights might end earlier and they are tamer, but sexy appetizers and good drinks make the difference.

Here are some of my favorite simple snacks that are still sophisticated:

Baked brie: Brush the top of the wheel with jam or honey and sprinkle with walnuts or pecans. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes.

Baby frittatas: Fill mini muffin cups with beaten egg, cheese and veggies or meat. Bake at 375 degrees 10 to 12 minutes until puffy.

Pizza: Roll out dough very thin, brush with olive oil and top with fig jam, caramelized onions and prosciutto. Bake at 500 degrees 5 to 8 minutes, until done. Let cool, then cut into irregular shards that can be eaten in 2 or 3 bites.

Cookies: Make your favorite chocolate chip cookies, but make them extra small and sprinkle them with sea salt before baking.

Champagne cocktail bar: Put out sugar cubes, an assortment of bitters, sparkling wine and lemon twists. Let over-21 guests assemble their own by placing a sugar cube in a glass with 3 drops of bitters, add sparkling wine and top with a twist.

And here we have raclette-style potatoes. Raclette is a traditional Swiss meal of melted alpinestyle cheese, scraped over boiled potatoes, bread and meat, served alongside cornichons and other accompaniments. It’s cozy, comforting and delicious.

This recipe puts everything together in one bite, and it’s perfect for a warm gathering on a chilly New Year’s Eve. They go perfectly with a dry sparkling wine (but what doesn’t?). Here’s to a delicious 2017 to you and yours — cheers! Anna Thomas Bates is a mother and writer living in southern Wisconsin. Find more recipes and stories on her blog, tallgrasskitchen.com. Email her at tallgrasskitchen@gmail.com .