Oscar Party Entertaining By Expert Entertainer Patricia Mendez
The 95th Annual Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 5 PM PST in Hollywood, CA. Hosting an Oscar-themed party for friends will be a fun event your guests will look forward to!
Here are some easy entertaining tips:
· Oscars are all about drama. Going a little over the top for this occasion would be completely appropriate! Dress up in a casual-elegant style and extend the same invitation to your guests.
· Give your guests a printed voting ballot upon arrival to make their Oscar predictions. Click here for a printable ballot. Have fun prizes for those who guess correctly.
· Serve dinner buffet style. If you have any tall candlesticks or candelabras, use them on the table. Gold statuettes of Oscar are available at party supply stores and can be placed for decoration around your space. You can also pick up a red aisle runner to welcome your guests. Both the statuettes and the runner are available from amazon.com.
· Use the colors gold, white or black. This will add to your “Hollywood Glamour” theme. Roses or Star-Gazer lilies in glass vases add elegance to the table.
· Serve fruit sparklers. Fill a sugar-rimmed champagne flute with 2 tablespoons of guava fruit juice or pomegranate juice and top with Prosecco wine or champagne.
· Offer appetizers such as smoked salmon and crème fraiche on crostini, chilled shrimp with cocktail sauce, or baked puff pastry bites (available at warehouse stores and gourmet shops).
· Prepare a decadent salad and roast a beef tenderloin. Serve with crusty French rolls and a blue cheese cream for deluxe mini-sandwiches. Roasts are easy to prepare and require minimal preparation. Simply rub with olive oil, generously sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Tie roast with twine and roast in 425-degree pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes until internal temperature is 120-125 degrees. Let sit, covered with foil for 15-20 minutes before slicing thinly for sandwiches.
· Serve mini-cupcakes or chocolate truffles and strawberries with fresh-brewed coffee spiked with Bailey’s Irish Cream for a sweet ending to the meal.
· Keep in mind the size of your space when inviting guests so all can be seated in comfort to watch the Academy Awards on your television. Enjoy watching the gorgeous fashion and talent of the evening with your friends!
Recipes
Puff Pastry Bites
After baking purchased Puff Pastry cups according to manufacturer directions, place 1/2 teaspoon store bought Pesto sauce, top with a cherry tomato and mozzarella cheese. Place under hot broiler to melt cheese. Serve.
Blue Cheese Cream for Beef Tenderloin Sandwiches
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup light sour cream
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Dash of bottled hot sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to tase. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Cointreau Chocolate Truffles & Strawberries
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons Cointreau
Chocolate sprinkles and/or cocoa powder for coating the truffles
Fresh strawberries
Place chopped chocolate in medium oven-safe bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until almost boiling and pour over the chocolate. Stir to melt chocolate. Add the Cointreau, stir and let cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for 60 minutes. This should be the consistency of fudge.
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out some of the chocolate mixture with a teaspoon and using your hands, quickly roll into a small ball or use a melon baller to scoop out the chocolate. Place balls on baking sheet. If the mixture is still too soft, refrigerate for 10 more minutes. Roll the truffles in chocolate sprinkles or cocoa powder to coat. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Serve alongside strawberries. Yield: about 18 truffles.
Patricia Mendez serves as the Historic Preservation Committee Chair of the Point Vicente Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. For more information about this award, please contact her at: PVRegent@gmail.com.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to preserve the memory and spirit of those who contributed to securing American independence. For more than 130 years, the DAR has strived to bring awareness to the honorable sacrifices and enduring legacy of all patriots who fought for America’s freedom. DAR is a nonprofit, nonpolitical women’s service organization with more than 185,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide. www.dar.org
