Let there be screaming and fainting (aka How to Throw a Twilight DVD premier party)

First, a disclaimer:

I won't apologize for my addiction to a certain teenage Vampire series. While I'm not typically lured in by adolescent novels, this guilty indulgence has been a welcome obsession. It's a good story (even if the writing is not oustanding) and the books are sexy (but not obscene), sensual, intimate and captivating. (You should try it!)

And the movie -- OH THE MOVIE. It's definitely not Oscar-worthy, but it captures the essence of the relationship at the heart of the series. (Can I get an AMEN?)

Which brings me to my point: Rob (the actor who plays the main character) is seriously hot. And the more you see the movie (I would know), the hotter he gets.

And I'll stop there.

Since I love Rob and I know a few ladies who agree, I hosted a

Rob in HD/Twilight DVD Premier Party

It's not too late for you to follow suit. Here's how:

Step 1. Evite!
You know I love an evite (isn't it fun to check back and read all of the fun comments/excuses of invitees?). And the only thing I love more than an evite is an evite smeared with ROB! You gotta get your guests pumped!
Step 2. Build the Excitement
My party featured a special guest. And that's all I revealed until the day of the party, when my friends were greeted by......a life-size cardboard cutout of Edward! (Chris Rob-ified him by creatively positioning our mullet wig to capture that unkempt, rugged mop Rob usually sports. P.S. Chris is a genius).

Step 3. Pick a theme and serve yummy food
Use the movie/book to draw inspiration for your decorations and menu. I chose to celebrate the Italian feast Edward's family whips up for Bella when they meet her and since this was a girl's night, I served lots of pretty hors d'oeuvres, aka: The food was served on clean white platters which I splattered with blood (because, HELLO, the movie is about vampires).

My menu included:

- blood orange soda
- sun-dried tomato bruschetta
- caprese salad (on a stick)
- stuffed mushrooms
- arancini di riso (aka fried risotto balls)
- prosciutto-wrapped asparagus
- bite-sized (blood) red velvet cupcakes

(Maybe everyone wanted to eat the bruschetta because it was delicious [it was!]
and maybe because of the sexy label I gave it). (See the blood drips?)

Step 4. Make it pretty
It's easy to make your table look appetizing when you label the food with Rob's gorgeous pictures! That's really all it took! (Oh and I filled my heart-shaped bowls with hot tamales, to honor Rob's hotness!) The details make all the difference.

Step 5. Focus on Rob; keep the favors simple
I sent guests home with a couple of heart-smattered love notes (since they would be feeling so amorous after watching the movie). Simple!

I also displayed all of my Rob-related reading material. I promise I'm not that obsessed -- most of these magazines were gifts. Okay, one was a gift.

Step 6. Turn on the Flick and Commence Giggles/Swooning/Sighs/Awwwwws
Watching the DVD with a room full of girls was definitely a treat! Don't forget to check out the special features (especially that deleted kissing scene).

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Scott's cuisine reigned supreme!

On Saturday night, Casa Wickstrom's very own Kitchen Stadium was home to an epic dessert battle. Four teams competed for the title of Iron Chef!

The dinner party/dessert competition was the ultimate culinary adventure. You should try it! Here's how:

1. Determine a theme for your Iron Chef battle
We served a light dinner (baked potatoes with a million toppings, retro sodas, green salad and warm bread), which was followed by the dessert battle.

We managed to incorporate the dinner into the festivities, though, by taking a cue from Top Chef. In a "Quickfire Challenge," each guest was tasked with creating their dinner by assembling a delectable and irresistible baked potato using the ingredients provided. Before consuming the masterpiece, the Chairwoman (moi) evaluated the creations on plating and originality. She (I) then named a winner who had the advantage of determining the order of contestants for Battle Dessert.

Toppings included greek yogurt/sour cream, fresh veggies, olive tapanade, green chili-cheese sauce, homemade chili, etc. My centerpiece was my utensil container (tied with a red grosgrain ribbon).

A blurry picture of the ever-gorgeous Kara, pre-battle.

Rachel chose asethetics over taste (and ate it as shown).

Harley gave a colorful description of his tater tower and broccoli gardens.

And Scott and Bethany worked together (though only one potato was a masterpiece).

Behold, Scott's "Quickfire Challenge"-winning spud.

2. Write a script!
I watched an entire episode of Iron Chef with my pause button at the ready to carefully record commentary from the show (Host Alton Brown has some serious zingers). I then chose a host (husbands love this!) and made him wear a bow tie (and this). The colorful commentary was especially fun during the actual battle.

E-mail me at heywickstroms@gmail.com for your very own copy of my script.

Sadly the fake mustache was forgotten in the final pre-party rush.

3. Assemble the secret ingredient(s)
Choosing ingredients was definitely fun! We provided a multitude of choices and access to anything in our kitchen. We also allowed guests to bring one secret weapon to incorporate into their dish. Contestants brought marshmallow fluff, chocolate bars, bacon (suck ups!) and peanut butter.

4. Organize the battlefield
We allowed chefs five minutes to check out the kitchen and ask questions before competing. I also labeled the cabinets which housed critical tools and ingredients for easy access.

5. Set ground rules
Each team was given a time limit of 20 minutes and did not see the secret ingredients until just before the battle began. Two teams then battled and presented one plated dish each, which was tasted and rated by secret ballot. Each judge (everyone who wasn't cooking) could award the teams up to 20 points: 10 points for taste, five points for plating and five points for originality in the use of the secret ingredient(s).

The two teams who battled second were not allowed to discuss stragegy with one another before competing.

At the end of the night, the points were tallied, averaged and an Iron Chef was named.

In the heat of battle.

A giant "sundae" with ice cream, half-baked brownies and cookie dough, homemade caramel, apples, white chocolate and a cherry. It was "artfully" presented in my punch bowl.

The "Chocolate Brick Road" with a berry/banana smoothie.

Krispie Kreme islands in paradise with chocolate-dipped popcorn and hand-mixed ice cream.

6. Details make it special
All of our chefs wore magic chefs hats (which made them cook better) and I kept my table setting simple -- graphic red and white checked dishes, tablecloth and napkins, and white serving dishes.

The ultimate trophy (a reproduction Oscar purchased at the Party Store) even sported a matching red checked apron (with the caption "Kiss the Chef").

Even Anderson loved the costumes! See, everyone likes to dress up.

In the end, it was Scott's cuisine that reigned supreme. He's the Iron Chef to beat:

Breakfast: a twinkie with whipped cream over a chocolate pancake and chocolate-dipped bacon (surprisingly delish!) and apple/pineapple "hashbrowns on the side."

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Recipe for a Girl's Night: definitely my FAVORITE THING!

Thanks to inspiration from the fabulously talented Wendy, I hosted a girl's night out (GNO) on Friday. It was super fab!

Here's my recipe for a killer girly holiday get-together:

1. Send an e-vite.
It's paperless, hassle-free, hip and tracks your RSVPs for you!

2. Pick a theme.
Wendy and I came up with the idea for A Few of My Favorite Things party (a la Sound of Music + Oprah) where guests brought a favorite to share (and I was Oprah?). Some favorites were homemade, store-bought, edible, non-edible, Christmas-y or not -- anything was acceptable. For me, the theme was especially appropriate as my favorites include my girls, parties, Christmas, purple (yes, I wore a purple dress), girl talk and, well, you'll see what else.

The theme became the jumping off point for every other party detail.

3. Invite your favorite friends.
(Aren't they gorgeous?) I tend to forgo worries of whether my guests already know each other. If I like you, I'm pretty sure you'll like her!

4. Prepare a few of your favorite foods.
I opted for a killer Pancetta-roasted Butternut Squash Soup, breadsticks, warm spinach dip and a crudite platter with the best lemon-thyme dip ever. (Recipe here). I was going for simple, elegant and savory (guessing that someone would pick a sugar-y treat as their favorite). I also served chilled Italian sodas and hot cocoa.

5. Share your favorite treats as favors.
Mine included swedish fish in cute containers (all hail Container Store!), bowls of gourmet candy, reading material (swoon!), and a custom-designed CD of my (current) favorite songs.


6. Make it personal.
I wrote each guest a note listing three of my favorite things about them. I wanted to celebrate each woman's amazingness and importance in my life.


7. Mingle, chat, swoon over celebrities, plan more parties, share misadventures and enjoy!
We indulged in everyone's favorites, including treats and candy, killer hummus, orange-scented craisins, "THE Cookies" from Jessica's family, decoratable train cakes, homemade holiday CDs, Christmas stories and more! It was a blast!

Clearly Kara and I have the same taste in men:

And because these girls are beyond amazing, I got some adorable hostess gifts (you shouldn't have!) including Rudolph Rootbeer! Love it!

You've got the recipe - what are you waiting for?! Time to throw your own GNO Holiday Bash!

Do you need my e-mail address for the e-vite?

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Even more from the Office

I have seriously talented friends, which means you get a few more amazing pictures from our Office party. Thanks, Andrea! (I need you to follow me around with your camera so my life can always look so glamorous!)
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