Title: Award Winning Snacking
Recipe: Savory Popcorn de Provence
Author: The Popcorn Board (no credit needed)
Suggested Feature Month: February (Academy Awards)
Word Count: 446, including recipe
Supporting Photo: Savory Popcorn de Provence
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The Academy Awards® are the perfect excuse for hosting a party, not that you really need an excuse. Gathering your best bunch of pals for an evening of good-natured cattiness and competition is a guaranteed good time. You can make the party as high or low brow as you’d like, but having a specific theme in mind will make the evening an affair to remember.

Theme:
The most popular theme for the Oscars is glitz and glamour, and it’s easy to make your guests feel like a star. If you have a large automobile, have your spouse or a friend act as “chauffeur” for the evening. When guests arrive, roll out the red carpet, literally! If you don’t have a red carpet or sheet, you can purchase red material from the remnant bin at the local fabric store for a few dollars. Use your old karaoke machine microphone to announce guests as they arrive and recruit your kids or friends to pose as paparazzi, snapping plenty of pics from disposable cameras to add to the atmosphere.

Attire:
Ask your pals to arrive in themed attire. The obvious is pure glam with tiaras, rhinestones, boas, high heels and the like. Or have them raid the closet and dress in those “items you bought but have never had an occasion to wear” because they’re too divine or too hideous. Make it a pajama party, preferably of the Doris Day variety. Or come dressed as your favorite Academy Award winner, male or female, living or deceased.

Décor:
You can set the décor stage with objects that represent the contending movies, for example, airplanes for the movie “Aviator” or pirate paraphernalia for “Finding Neverland.” Haul out the holiday twinkle lights and hang them around the room. Bring out the silver and crystal to serve equally glamorous hors d'oeuvres or snacks.

Food:
Variety is the key. Offer foods that range from spicy to savory to sweet; hot to cold; and healthy to decadent to satisfy all. Here's an elegant popcorn recipe that'll prove an award winner for your crowd.

Savory Popcorn de Provence

8 cups popped popcorn
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoon herbs de Provence (a blend of dried marjoram, thyme, summer savory, basil,
rosemary, sage, and fennel)

• Melt butter in small saucepan; add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in herbs de Provence.
• Place popcorn in large bowl. Toss flavored butter mixture over popcorn; serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings

Nutritional Information:
(Based on 1 serving)
Total Calories 110; Total Fat 9g; Cholesterol 15mg; Sodium 40mg; Carbohydrate 7g; Fiber 1g; Sugars 0g; Protein 1

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