It seems that the mantra of most of my circle of friends is "I'm so tired." Everybody seems to be feeling just a tad worn out from all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, and some are feeling less than excited about big, noisy New Year's Eve celebrations, yours truly included.

A lovely alternative to a big, expensive celebration on December 31 might be a casual New Year's Day brunch or even an old fashioned Sunday dinner in the early afternoon for just three or four couples — very manageable!

We always entertain “in” on New Year’s Eve and I’ll be cooking a lovely sit-down dinner for just six. New Year’s Day will be a day of recovery with a picnic lunch at the beach, lots of sun block and a good book. This last column of 2013 is my actual dinner menu for our guests this year, and I hope one of the recipes might tickle your fancy. Cheers and happy New Year!

 Champagne Cosmo

• 1-1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
• 1/2 cup Grand Marnier
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 8 thin strips of lime zest, each about 1/4 inch wide and 3 inches long
• 2 bottles (750 ml) Champagne, chilled

Combine cranberry juice, Grand Marnier, and lime juice in a small pitcher and mix well. Tie the strips of lime zest into a single knot and drop one into each of 8 champagne flutes.

Divide the juice mixture equally among the flutes and top each with champagne. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.

Deviled crab puffs

• 24 (3/4-inch-thick) slices baguette-style French bread
• 1 jar (5-oz.) sharp pasteurized process cheese spread
• 1 Tbsp. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 6 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 6 oz. fresh crabmeat, drained

Arrange bread slices on sheet pan and broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned on 1 side. Remove from broiler. Turn slices over; cool completely.

Combine cheese, flour, mustard, cayenne, butter, mayo, Worcestershire and garlic in a medium bowl and mix until smooth. Stir in crabmeat. Spread mixture on un-toasted sides of bread, covering completely. Leaving slices on sheet pan, freeze at least 30 minutes or until firm.

Cut bread slices in half crosswise and broil frozen appetizers 4 to 6 inches from heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until puffed, bubbly and golden brown. Yield: 48 appetizers. (May be made a day ahead of time and frozen. Bake without thawing as directed.)

Boston bibb salad with pomegranate vinaigrette

• 1-1/2 heads Boston Bibb lettuce
• 2/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/2 cup small croutons, purchased or homemade

Trim any limp or discolored outside leaves from lettuce. Cut whole heads of lettuce into quarters, keeping stem end intact (so leaves stay together. (Reserve 1/2 head for later use.) Plate each quarter of lettuce on individual salad plates. Drizzle with pomegranate vinaigrette (recipe below) and sprinkle each with gorgonzola, pomegranate seeds, and croutons. Yield: 6 servings.

Pomegranate vinaigrette

• 1-1/2 cups pomegranate juice
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 5 tsp. clover honey
• 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Pour pomegranate juice into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat; bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1/4 cup. Transfer to a small bowl. Cool completely. Whisk in remaining ingredients and transfer to a bottle with a tight fitting lid and label. Keeps in fridge for 2 weeks. Yield: 2/3 cup.

Peach and dijon glazed pork tenderloin

• 2 (about 1-1/4-lbs. each) pork tenderloins
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 large shallot, peeled and minced
• 1/2 cup peach preserves
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock

Sprinkle tenderloins with salt and black pepper; cook in hot oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat 3 to 4 minutes each side or until lightly browned.

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat; add shallot and sauté 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; stir in peach preserves, bourbon, Dijon and hot pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly, or until preserves are melted. Pour mixture over pork and bake in a preheated 400 F oven for 20 minutes or until a meat ther­mometer inserted in thickest part registers 150 F. Transfer pork to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil; reserve drippings in skillet.

Stir chicken stock into pan with reserved drippings. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until reduced by half. Slice tenderloins and arrange on a serving platter. Drizzle with hot sauce and serve at once. Yield: 8 servings.

Lemony orzo with spinach

• 1-1/2 cups orzo (rice shaped pasta)
• 6 cups fresh spinach, tough stems removed and coarsely chopped
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. minced shallot
• 3/4 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook orzo according to package directions; drain and reserve about 1/4 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pan set over very low heat; add spinach, olive oil, shallots and lemon zest and toss gently. Add reserved cooking liquid as needed until spinach is wilted. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Yield: 6 servings.

1-2-3 white chocolate mousse

• 1 pkg. (6 squares) good quality white chocolate
• 1-1/2 cups whipping cream, divided use
• Fresh raspberries for garnish

Combine chocolate and 1/4 cup cream in a large micro-safe bowl. Cook on HIGH setting of microwave for 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 minute of cooking time. Stir until completely melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Beat remaining 1-1/4 cups whipping cream in a chilled bowl with mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. (Do not over beat.) Add half of the whipped cream to the cooled chocolate mixture, stirring until well blended. Whisk in remaining whipped cream and spoon mousse into 6 dessert dishes. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish with raspberries. Yield: 6 servings.