After reeling from the holidays and Super Bowl parties, it is nice to have another get together with your friends. When you think about February, you think about President’s Day or Valentine’s Day, but we often forget about award season! From the Grammy’s to the Oscars, these are great events to host a shindig. It may be hard to create the perfectly themed party, so here are my five favorite Oscar food/drinks to help you with your next award party:

1. Popcorn: What better way to celebrate the best movies of the year with popcorn! You can easily rent a popcorn machine for under $100. It adds the fun of the movies at home. Convenient and easy, the rental company will handle the delivery and pick up. Plus, it will add a great old-fashioned look and feel to your party!

2. Soda Machine: Another rental idea, the soda machine! You can splurge and rent one for a couple hundred, or get an affordable one for about $150. Another convenient set up and go, it takes no time out of your day!

3. Bradly Cooper Dogs: When I go to the movies, I am more of a hot dog guy than a popcorn kinda guy. This hearty and warm snack will definitely be a hit at your party. I know I share this sentiment with others, so in the theme of the movies comes the Tuxedo Hot Dog! Easily made: just cook the hot dogs to your liking (boiled or even bbq!), place it into the bun, then by doing a quick google search, you can see how easy it is to fold a napkin into a tuxedo shape! I found an easy guide in less than minute at www.animatednapkins.com. Use the right colored napkin, and you have your own cute mini tuxedo! Place the hot dog in bun inside the napkin, create a topping station with mustard and ketchup, and there you have it! Quick and easy, and very cost effective, however it creates a fancy looking snack that will amaze your guests!

4. The Theory of Everything you want on your Nachos: Not a hot dog or popcorn kind of person huh? You want something to match with your soda, but that fake cheese on the nachos just aren’t doing the trick. Sure it is the novelty of being at the movies, but wouldn’t you rather have a choice? Well now you do! This is one of my favorite top five mentions because of the ability to customize this common but amazing snack. In a glass or Pyrex Bakeware pan, place your favorite nacho chips, enough to cover the bottom, but not so much to overflow, we still need to add the ingredients! About two layers of chips is a good rule of thumb. In a saucepan, slightly warm some re-fried beans so they are easier to spread. When they are ready, add that layer of re-fried beans, followed by a layer of your favorite salsa. Add your favorite cheese, topped with olives or jalapenos, place in the oven at 350 for 10- 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. The great thing about this item is the customization. You can use Doritos instead of generic tortilla chips, you can use chili instead of beans, you can use your favorite homemade salsa, or even use low fat cheese! Use a spatula to cut the servings, and serve with guacamole or sour cream. Great if you aren’t all nacho’d out from the big game.

5. Oscar Cookies: All you need for this is a sugar cookie mix (or recipe!) and an Oscar shaped cookie cutter. I am aiming for convenience and efficiency, but you can use an easy recipe online if you prefer a cookie made from scratch. Baking is so much fun, the fun of laying out the dough, ready to shape into whatever you want, the smell of sugar cookies filling your house, and of course the taste! If you have a sweet tooth like me, you know exactly what I mean. After using your favorite recipe or box of sugar cookies, you can use an Oscar shaped cookie cutter to cut the cookies into an amazing looking dessert. I actually found a cookie cutter shape of a mummy for under $10! Save the cutter for a great Halloween treat later in the year…

Award season is a great excuse to party in February. It is nice to host at least once a month. Although these were my top five, there are some honorable mentions I would like to share with you:

• Ethan Hawkitos Taquitos: Want that south of the border snack, but aren’t in the mood for nachos? Try taquitos! Quick and easy out of the box, and you can still serve it with that guacamole and sour cream you have! A great supporting role for those main course nachos!

• Champagne: What great way to celebrate your winning Oscar card with a  little bit of champagne! Feel like you are one of the winners with a nice glass of bubbly.

• Sweet as Emma Stone Candy station: From milk duds to sour patch kids, lay out your favorite candies on your snack table to really complete that movie theater feel! Another great supporting bid.

Hope these ideas help with your Oscar’s party! Have a good time, but be careful, it is a Sunday night, but good thing you had practice calling in late on Monday from the big game.