Host an award-winning Oscar party

Movie buffs get ready. Academy Awards night is upon us – an evening of fashion, fun and celebrity. Bring the glitz and glamour of ‘LaLa land’ into your home by hosting an award-winning Oscar party!
Everyone’s favorite awards show, which arrives on Sunday, Feb. 27, is the perfect reason to throw a party. Gather your best pals for an evening of star gazing on that fabulous red carpet. A good time is a guaranteed to be had by all – whether you are the discussing the merits of the nominated films or simply analyzing fashion choices and acceptance speeches.
With a little creativity, your Oscars viewing party will be a night to remember.

Lights, Action, Camera!
Everything about the awards ceremony drips with glitz and glamour, and it’s easy to make your guests feel like a star. Invite all the moviegers in your crowd and have them bring appetizers, drinks, etc. You can also get Academy Award decorations to enhance the theme even more, such as plates and tabletop decorations. Basically, you can go as far as you want to create the atmosphere and ambiance of the Academy Awards, even as far as to replicate the glamour.
Seeing your favorite stars dressed in the most glamorous outfits and your favorite movies and actors win is just like seeing your favorite athletes compete and perform well.

Making A Fashion Statement
Ask attendees to arrive in themed attire. Make it elegant; camp it up with tiaras, rhinestones and boas, or offer a mixed bag by instructing guests to raid their closets and dress in something they bought but never had an occasion to wear because it’s too divine or too hideous. Or come dressed as your favorite award winner in the role that made them famous and have guests guess as who you are.

The Envelope, Please
Make a copy of the list of nominees for each guest and ask everyone to arrive at least half an hour before the show begins so they can fill out their ballots. Buy some small prizes to give to the people who accurately predict the winners in each of the major categories, or give one big prize to the person with the most correct guesses. The prizes could be anything from movie rental coupons, candy, packets of microwave popcorn, entertainment magazines, movie posters, movie soundtracks, mini Oscar statuettes, or even a bottle of champagne.

And the Main Attraction...
Of course, no soiree would be complete without the appropriate nibbles to match the occasion. Variety is the key. Offer elegant finer foods that range from savory to sweet; hot to cold; and healthy to decadent to satisfy all. And, be sure to have the ultimate movie snack on hand – popcorn!
Here are some winning recipes to get you started.

Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons peanut butter
8 cups popped popcorn
1 cup candy-coated peanut candy (Reese’s Pieces)

1. Line a baking sheet or work surface with waxed paper; set aside.
2. Stir sugar, corn syrup, butter and peanut butter together in a large saucepan. Bring to a full boil over medium heat. Stir in popcorn until well coated.
3. Remove pan from heat and stir candy pieces gently into mixture. Allow mixture to cool just enough to allow handling. Using an ice cream scoop or buttered hands, shape mixture into 2-inch balls and place on waxed paper to cool. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container.
Yield: 14-18 balls.

Gold Dusted White Chocolate Popcorn
1  (3.3-ounces.) bag butter-flavored microwave popcorn, popped
1  cup  salted mixed nuts
1  cup  dried cranberries
1 (12-ounces) package white chocolate morsels
1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon
Edible gold dust

1. Place popcorn in a large bowl, discarding unpopped kernels. Stir in nuts and
cranberries.
2. Microwave white chocolate morsels in a 2-cup glass measuring cup at High 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Pour over popcorn mixture, stirring until evenly coated.
3. Spread mixture in a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon. Let stand 15 minutes or until chocolate hardens. Sprinkle with gold dust. Break into pieces; serve immediately, or store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Hot Crab Dip
Make a statement with this tasty, appealing appetizer.

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1/4  cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4  teaspoon  garlic salt
1 pound  fresh crabmeat, drained and picked
1 cup  (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Crackers or toasted French bread rounds

1. Combine first 7 ingredients, stirring until blended. Fold in crabmeat.
2. Spoon mixture into an 11- x 7-inch baking dish; sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese.
3. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately with crackers or toasted French bread rounds.

Baked Brie
1 (6-inch) round of brie
4-5 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted
4 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup preserves – apricot, raspberry, fig, etc.
French bread

1. Butter each sheet of phyllo dough and place in a pie plate or quiche dish, with the ends hanging over the edge.
2. Spread half the jam in the center of the dough, top with brie and the rest of the jam. Bring the edges of the phyllo dough up over the top and seal well, using most of the remaining butter.
3. Turn the “package” over andbrush the top well with the rest of the butter.
4. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 20 minutes.
5. Remove and let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving with slices of French bread.
Serves 10 or more.

Marinated Shrimp
Sauce is not need for these flavorful shrimp.

1/4  cup dry vermouth
2  tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
36 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 3/4 pounds)
4  garlic cloves, minced
1  jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
2  tablespoons  olive oil, divided

1. Combine first 9 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of shrimp; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until done.
3. Remove shrimp from pan. Repeat with remaining olive oil and remaining shrimp. Serve with toothpicks.