Celebrate the Movies’ Big Night With a Fabulous Oscar Party
There's no better night to celebrate cinematic magic than Oscar Sunday! Whether you're a child, or just a child at heart, you may be rooting for one of this year's nominees for Best Animated Feature Film like "Kung Fu Panda 2" or "Puss in Boots." Adults, on the other hand, may be waiting to see what Rooney Mara ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"), Meryl Streep ("The Iron Lady") or Michelle Williams ("My Week With Marilyn") will be wearing as they grace the red carpet on their way into the Kodak Theatre. Regardless of age, or what moment you're looking forward to during the 2012 Academy Awards, this is the perfect time to host a divine Oscar party with friends!
PLANNING
How do you host the perfect party? Remember that Oscar's big night is a lot like watching the Super Bowl, so everyone will be glued around the television set. Folks need to have a lot room to sprawl out and enjoy the show. Make sure everyone will be able to view the television, then count how many seats you really have available.
Decide whether you want to go fancy or keep it simple. Do you want to roll out a red carpet, create a media backdrop for snapping photos, and have everyone wear black tie? Or can they merely don their favorite track suits, zhuzh them up a bit with some sparkly bling and sip their favorite adult beverages? Either way, you're sure to have a good time. Once you make your decision, send out the invitations.
In this day and age, it is easy and affordable to send out electronic invitations. Some of our favorite sites to do this are Evite, Pingg, Paperless Post and Punchbowl. Of course, you can simply create an event on Facebook and invite your friends that way too.
Finally, come party time, one fun thing to do is to pass out ballots to your guests and let them check who they think will win the various categories. At the end of the evening, the person with the most right answers wins a prize, like a gift card to RedBox, Netflix, Blockbuster, or a local cinema!
THE MENU
You don't have to be Iron Chef Cat Cora to plan the perfect menu for your Oscar party. And you can't hire her either, because she'll already be busy at Elton John's AIDS Foundation Oscars party on Feb. 26. But you can read about what she'll be dishing up to her celebrity guests over at YumSugar.
One of the great things about the Oscars is that you don't have to create a movie-themed menu for your party. Remember, folks are coming for the show! As long as they have great snacks and yummy drinks, they'll likely be satisfied. Here's my suggestion for a relatively simple and delicious menu to keep your guests happy!
First, start with a great cocktail! My favorite is a Blueberry Mojito, which is fresh and fruity. Also, a good quality champagne is always a marvelous choice. If you want something for younger guests or those who prefer a non-alcoholic beverage, a Hawaiian Breeze is just what the doctor ordered!
Then, go for the finger foods! In Texarkana, my guests love their Mexican inspired flavors. So I serve up my Chunky Guacamole with Serrano Peppers with tortilla chips or a sweet and sassy Corn, Tomato and Black Bean Salsa with Toasted Flautas.
If you're going for a full menu or want to make the event a pot luck dinner, you can't go wrong with Chicken Enchiladas Salsa Verde to complement your Mexican inspired appetizers. Or you can also try dishing up Seared Spicy Fajitas!
Finally, indulge everyone's sweet tooth with dessert. One of my favorites is Strawberry Dream Cake or the super quick Simply Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream and Berries. If you want something on the cool side, prepare a decadent Mango Daiquiri Sorbet.
No matter what you decide to do this Oscar Sunday, invite your favorite people over to watch the show with you. The people you surround yourself with, laugh with and love are what is truly important anyway. If you try one of our menu items above, let us know. Or share your recipes with us, send us photos from your own Oscar party and we'll post them on Facebook. Just remember, you don't have to be in the Kodak Theatre to feel special. This year, make your own movie magic at home.
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