Break out the noisemakers, the horns and the kazoos. Slip into something sparkly. Put the booze on ice.

And get your bellies ready.

It’s time to call it a day — or a year — on 2016.

So let’s bring in the New Year the right way: the West Virginia way.

Sure, you can go for the traditional kielbasa and kraut or Hoppin’ John. But what’s better than getting back to your roots, especially on a day that is supposed to dictate how the rest of your year will play out?

Here are some ways to get a taste of the Mountain State in your celebration:

Use Fiestaware dishes

These beloved, colorful dishes, made in Newell, are sure to put some cheer in your evening. Serve tasty snacks (more on that below) on saucers in all shades of the rainbow to celebrate the New Year.

My favorites for the occasion are slate, ivory and claret. Stop by the factory in Newell or the shop in Flatwoods to get your fix.
Serve pepperoni roll hors d’oeuvres

The unofficial state food is the perfect snack for New Year’s Eve. Pick up a bag of mini pepperoni rolls (or make them yourself) so everyone can have a tasty bite before the drinks set in. Check out Tomaro’s Bakery or Rogers and Mazza’s in Clarksburg for the bite-sized rolls.

Sip on punch ...

Even if a West Virginia sparkling wine isn’t easy to find, there is always a wonderful punch to be made. Sweet, warming and a little spicy make for one delicious way to bring in the New Year. Check out the recipe from Batton Hollow Winery in Lost Creek.

... In West Virginia wine glasses

These West Virginia stemless wine glasses from Loving WV will be sure to impress. The etched shape of the state on the outside is a nice ode to your home. Buy them at lovingwv.com/products/west-virginia-stemless-wine-glass.

Top it off with finishing salt

If you want a simple way to bring out the complexity of your cocktail, add some salt. West Virginia favorite J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works crafts one of the best finishing salts around — as evidenced by the number of restaurants using the salt as part of their drink menu.

Take Washington, D.C.’s The Dabney, which serves a daiquiri with aged rum, sorghum molasses, lemon juice, bonal (a French aperitif wine) and J.Q. Dickinson Salt.

Dessert, anyone?

Pick up some decadent, handcrafted chocolates from Holl’s Chocolates in Vienna (or at their Capitol Market outpost in Charleston). If you have a sweet tooth like me, it’s a necessary component to any good evening.

A box full of the champagne truffles seems only fitting. Grab a handful. Or two.

Plate it on a West Virginia cutting board

Our lovely state makes for an interestingly shaped cutting board. Handcrafted by Jim and Brenda Good at Appalachian Gallery in Morgantown, these cutting boards come in a variety of style and sizes and make the perfect addition to any setting.

The next morning

I know you’re going to be struggling after a post-midnight evening, so brew a strong pot of local coffee. Check out Lost Dog Coffee’s “Midnight Oil Organic Extremist Blend” because you are (cough, I am, cough) going to need it.

Now, that sounds like one tasty New Year’s.

If you need me, I’ll just be over here eating pepperoni rolls off a West Virginia-shaped cutting board and Holl’s Chocolates from Fiestaware dishes, while washing it down with punch from stemless West Virginia-etched glasses.

How are you incorporating some West Virginia in your New Year’s celebration?

Candace Nelson is a marketing and public relations professional living in Morgantown. In her free time, Nelson blogs about West Virginia food culture at CandaceLately.com. Find her on Twitter at @Candace07 or email Candace127@gmail.com.

Batton Hollow Winery’s Wild, Wonderful Punch

1 bottle Batton Hollow Winter White wine (sweet white wine)

½ cup peach schnapps

½ cup vodka

1 quart ginger ale

Add all ingredients into a punch bowl.

Stir well.

Add ice.

- See more at: http://www.wvgazettemail.com/life-food-and-dining/20161225/wv-culinary-team-a-very-west-virginia-new-year#sthash.GRtJD71m.dpufx

I'll be honest in that Starbucks is just OK for me. I can take it or leave it. However, my friend is obsessed with Starbucks, so one of our first stops was the original location at Pike Place Market.

This place was so packed, the line wrapped outside. We waited for a good while before getting inside.

Inside, there no seats, just a long counter that was never empty enough to really take in the atmosphere of the place.

At the counter, I ordered a Pike Place Roast and loaded it up on sugar and cream. And, of course, managed to spill half of it on myself.

So, I definitely respect the Starbucks hustle. It's made a huge name for itself.

And, I can get down with a good cup of coffee. And, I think this is fine.

But, in reality, it's more to say you've been to the first Starbucks.

And, now I can say I have.




Grade: B
 

There are few things better in life than cheese, so going to place known for its handmade cheese was an easy decision.

A cheese lover since childhood, Kurt Beecher Dammeier remembers encouraging his mother to buy premium cheese at a time when processed cheese was overtaking the market; and he recalls his great-grandfather, whose first name was Beecher, purchasing Stilton by the wheel. 

In 2003, Kurt put his passion for artisan cheese into action and opened the first Beecher’s shop in the heart of Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Eight years later, he took his award-winning cheeses on the road with a new cheese kitchen, café and restaurant open in New York City's Flatiron District (OUR STORY). 

Beecher's Handmade Cheese is located in the Pike Place area and is known for amazing mac & cheese. They're a staple in the area, and usually have a long line, but we were lucky enough to walk right up and order.

The menu has a few soups, sandwiches and, of course, mac & cheese. I ordered the Tomato Flagship soup, as well as the "World's Best" Mac & Cheese.


After I got my meal, I found a seat at the counter space where you can watch them make cheese right in front of you as you enjoy your meal.

So, yes, this is some pretty good mac & cheese. It's definitely very thick and very rich, so I was glad to have the soup to bring in some acidity.

It's made with penne pasta and Beecher's pure, artisan and award-winning Flagship cheese. More on Flagship cheese: The first wheel of Flagship, Beecher’s signature cheese, was handcrafted just as Beecher’s Handmade Cheese opened its doors in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market in November of 2003. Flagship is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese with a uniquely robust, nutty flavor. It is carefully aged for 15 months to fully develop its complex flavor and ever-so-slight crumble. Outstanding on a Beecher’s Cracker!

The soup, topped with croutons and cheese was great! And, a perfect match for that mac & cheese.

Grade: A

Crazy milkshakes are a pretty ~trendy~ craze right now, where the delicious treat is topped with all sorts of OTHER treats, making it gargantuan sight. 

This trend is evident in larger cities, like New York City, London’s Molly Bakes (where they’re known as “freakshakes”) and Australia’s Pâtissez in Canberra.

But, West Virginia is not to be left behind. Enter Tailpipes.



The burger/shake shop has begun constructing some pretty intense milkshakes. They have specials, but you can also have them "do up" any of the shakes that are on their menu. They have maple bacon, s'mores, cookies & cream, and more.

The one at the top is my photo of my milkshake - the peanut butter cup - all crazy-like. All of the photos, except the top one, are from Tailpipes.



So, I have to also mention the Poky Dot's crazy milkshakes. All of their desserts are over-the-top, but they have just a couple milkshakes that are pretty crazy. This is my s'mores one that I got. They also have cookie, donut, and candy versions.

From Reality with Mallory

Are there any others in the state that serve up crazy milkshakes? Let me know in the comments!

The very first place we ventured to once we touched down in Seattle was Pike Place Market. I'm not joking when I say this market is probably the most incredible one I've ever seen. It has everything from local vendors to prepared foods to art to local musicians to the best possible people-watching.

We ended up eating our way through a lot of places along this strip, and I'll get into those in more detail, but I just wanted to show off the beautiful sights from this place.

Pike Place Market is also home to the famous fish throwers.

There were beautiful (cheap!) bouquets of flowers ALL OVER. Kristen actually took one on the last day - through security and everything. They were gorgeous.

Underneath the market, in an alley, there is this ode to chewed gum. Really.

Anyway, this place is huge and sprawling and I think we went back every day and still didn't see everything.

It just keeps wrapping downward and downward to these niche little shops, and then sprawls out to the streets near it. So many things to do and see.

We went down to check out the giant ferris wheel too.

And, there are so many samples along this area. Anyone who is selling spices or veggies or fruit has something for you to taste.

It's such a cool place, and you could spend an entire day just exploring this one place.