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tangy popcorn
The Academy Awards are all about the movies, so popcorn is a must. This version offers something different, and is healthier than popcorn that's swimming in butter (though there's nothing wrong with that). This recipe serves four. You can double the recipe, but make sure you shake the popcorn in small batches to make sure the seasoning is evenly distributed.

For every 1/4 cup popcorn kernels use:
1 teaspoon oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon yeast

Pop the popcorn in a microwave, using a brown paper bag. Let cool until the steam dissipates. Add oil and lemon juice to popcorn, and shake vigorously. Mix cayenne and yeast together. Add to bag and shake again.

mimosa sorbet
orange sherbet or sorbet
1 bottle of champagne

Spoon sorbet into small, pretty bowls. Top with champagne. Enjoy. This is also great with raspberry sorbet.

fun, games and fabulous prizes
I'm a firm believer that half the fun of the Oscars is predicting the winners. The Academy Awards website has pre-made Oscar ballots that your guests can print and fill out. Make sure to have extra ballots and pencils on hand for those who forget to bring theirs. Also, buy or borrow a dry erase board to keep track of the winners and park it in a spot where everyone can see it.

At my Oscar party, I offer prizes to the guests who are the most, and least, accurate in their predictions. A winning prize should include something sweet, something salty, and something cinematic. Wrap up some movie-theater candy, a couple of microwave popcorn packets and a DVD. You can pick up used DVDs inexpensively at most movie rental, video games, and electronics stores. You might also give a copy of the year's Academy Awards Poster to the winner.

For the least accurate award, my old standby is to give the loser a really awful movie. I try to find a copy of the worst movie of the last year, or go with a "so bad it's almost good" standby like Plan 9 from Outer Space.

With these Oscar party tips, you can have a memorable and fun party that may even become a tradition among you and your friends.

o

Carolyn Jones has been cooking and writing since the fourth grade, and her favorite meal has been spinach cheese pie as long as she can remember. After a brief stint with Chemistry, she came to her senses and is now writing for a living. She lives with an extremely patient fiancé in Lansing Michigan, and credits him and her friend D'Arcy for much of her sanity.

check out these related articles: 
beginner's guide to classic film | fine art of finger foods | easy munchables 

more holidays to celebrate: 
please pass the blarney: a st patrick's day dinner party 

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