"All our dreams can come true
if we have the courage to pursue them."
Walt Disney


 

2008 Oscar Awards

 

THIS FEBRUARY 24TH, BENEFIT DREAMS CAN BE FOUNDATION  WITH YOUR OSCAR PARTY CELEBRATION
 
 
 
Dreams Can Be Foundation would like you to consider dedicating your 2008 Oscar celebration to our cause by having an Oscar pool for all nominees in all 24 categories (or as many as you choose) and donating half of the pool to the impoverished youth of Brazil .

HERE'S HOW:

1) Print off the 2008 nominations ballot and pass them out to your guests. (2008 Ballot)

2) Print out a few Dreams fliers so your guests can have an understanding of the benefit. (Dreams Flier)
 
3) After they pick their winners collect the ballot with any given amount ($20, $50, $100, etc.)
 
4) Watch the ceremonies live February 24th 5PT/8ET and cheer for your picks.
 
5) The winner who gets the most picks correct receives half the pot (along with respect from everyone else).
 
6) The other half can be donated to Dreams Can Be as a tax deductible contribution. (Donation Form)

 

Oscar Party Suggestions:

 

For Decor:
Comfort is key. The evening is perhaps four or more hours long, so make sure you have enough comfortable seating for your guests. You may need extra cushions on the floor. Since the living room or TV room will serve as your setting, use your coffee table as the dining table. A sideboard or console could perhaps function as a side bar. Also, consider an elegant chocolate brown and gold color theme associated with the Academy Awards.

For Food:
Remember, as host, you'll want to be glued to the sofa with your guests, not chained to the stove, so preparation is essential. Ready-to-go foods can either be pre-prepared, store bought, or ask your favorite restaurant to fill up a serving dish of yours that you can then simply preheat before serving.

Cocktails/Beverages: Preset a do-it-yourself bar for guests to refresh their own drinks throughout the evening. Include assorted liquor and mixers, ice, lemon and lime wedges, green olives, and a shaker. Choose one pre-made cocktail. Cowie suggests Sangria. Also, have champagne on ice with glasses ready for a "Best Picture" toast.

Nosh Foods: On your coffee table preset something for everyone to snack on: crudite platter (with only green & white vegetables), assorted cheese and sliced baguette, spiced nuts, popcorn, and a big bowl of M&Ms.

Courses: During commercial breaks, retrieve trays of ready-to-go foods from the kitchen

Appetizer: Layered Cobb Salad preset in bowls on tray and refrigerated
Entree: Lasagna can be prepared days in advance. Either refrigerate or freeze, then bake on the day of the party.
Dessert: Chocolate Pot Au Creme served in espresso cups preset on tray and refrigerated

For Fun:
As guests arrive during the Oscar pre-show, pass each a printed ballot for them to give their winning predictions. During the announcement for "Best Picture" serve champagne and toast to the celebrations, as well as the winner of the Oscar ballot.

 
Cocktails Suggestions:
 
Cocktail Du Jour: Sangria

 •    One bottle Dry Spanish Red Wine
 •   3 oz. Orange Curacao
 •    1 oz. Lemon Juice
 •   3 oz. White grape juice
 •    3 oz. Orange juice
 •   2 oz. Sugar or Simple Syrup
 •   Fresh f rui t Garnish- Orange, Lemon & Lime wheels, Slices of Melon
 
Rob Roy
 
 •   1 1/2 ounces Scotch Whiskey
 •   1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
 •   1 dash orange bitters
 
Stir with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist. Also known as: Santiago Scotch Plaid Bitters: Orange bitters was an original ingredient for this drink, but with this often being difficult to find Angostura bitters can be used instead.
    
 
Cocktails Named After
 
Hollywood Legends …
 
 
Douglas Fairbanks Cocktail
 
Father and son actors, both named Douglas Fairbanks, each made their mark on the classic Hollywood movie scene. The senior Fairbanks rose to fame by starring in over 40 films including The Mark of Zorro . He later co-founded the United Artists studio and was the first president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences which awards the Oscars. The son made his rise in Hollywood by starring in films such as The Prisoner of Zenda and Gunga Din .
INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 oz Plymouth gin
  • 1 oz French vermouth
  • orange peel for garnish
  • lemon peel for garnish
PREPARATION:
  1. Pour the ingredients into a shaker with ice cubes.
  2. Shake well.
  3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass .
  4. Garnish with the orange and lemon peels.
 
Garbo Cocktail
 
The silent film star Greta Garbo was one of the first glamour girls of Hollywood. She made her speaking debut in 1930 in the film Anna Christie in which she uttered these unforgettable words...
"Gimme a whisky with ginger ale and don't be stingy, baby."
INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 oz brandy
  • 1 oz dry vermouth
  • 1 oz orange juice
  • 1/4 oz grenadine
  • dash of crème de menthe
PREPARATION:
  1. Pour the ingredients into a shaker with ice cubes.
  2. Shake well.
  3. Strain into a chilled highball glass .
 
Ginger Rogers Cocktail
 
Many lavish musicals of the 30's featured the dancing, singing and acting of Ginger Rogers. Best known as Fred Astaire's dancing partner, the two starred together in many classic films like The Gay Divorcee and Top Hat . Her acting was also noted when she won an Oscar for her role in Kitty Foyle in 1940.
INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 oz dry gin
  • 1 oz dry vermouth
  • 1 oz apricot brandy
  • 4 dashes lemon juice
PREPARATION:
  1. Pour the ingredients into a shaker with ice cubes.
  2. Shake well.
  3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass .
 
Jean Harlow Cocktail
 
Jean Harlow was the first platinum blonde that brought sexuality to the Hollywood scene. Her short career was highlighted by her starring roles in Red Dust with Clark Gable and Libeled Lady with Spencer Tracy. Harlow's untimely death of a brain hemorrhage at only 26 years old caused her to miss out on what could have been her biggest role, that which was filled by Fay Wray in King Kong .
INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 oz light rum
  • 2 oz sweet vermouth
  • lemon peel for garnish
PREPARATION:
  1. Pour the ingredients into a shaker with ice cubes.
  2. Shake well.
  3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass .
  4. Garnish with the lemon peel.
 
Johnny Weissmuller Cocktail
 
Johnny Weissmuller is best known for his role as the original Tarzan. He put his Olympic swimmer physique to good use in the African themed movies of his day including a dozen Tarzan films and the later Jungle Jim series that ran for another 16 films.
INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 oz gin
  • 1 oz light rum
  • 1 oz lemon juice
  • 1 tsp powdered sugar
  • dash of grenadine
PREPARATION:
  1. Pour the ingredients into a shaker with ice cubes.
  2. Shake well.
  3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass .
 
Mae West Cocktail
 
Mae West was the sexy seductress who was the object of many young men's dreams. The voluptuous actress challenged many of the decency laws set by the early Hollywood censors with her self confidence and risquè wit. West's sense of humor often came out when she wrote her own scripts for films like She Done Him Wrong and I'm No Angel and she was briefly imprisoned for the play she produced titled Sex .
INGREDIENTS:
  • 3-4 oz brandy
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp powdered sugar
  • cayenne pepper for garnish
PREPARATION:
  1. Pour the ingredients into a shaker with ice cubes.
  2. Shake vigorously (more so than normal to mix the egg yolk well with the other ingredients).
  3. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice.
  4. Top with cayenne pepper.
 
Marlene Dietrich Cocktail
 
Marlene Dietrich is a Hollywood legend who starred in films like The Blue Angel , Morocco and Just a Gigolo from the 1930's to the 70's. The actress played a sultry temptress in most of her roles and starred along side many of the greats of classic films including Cary Grant and James Stewart.
INGREDIENTS:
  • 3 oz rye or Canadian whiskey
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 2 dashes curaçao
  • orange and lemon peels
PREPARATION:
  1. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
  2. Shake well.
  3. Strain into a wineglass.
  4. Squeeze orange and lemon peels on top.
 
Mary Pickford Cocktail
 
This petite blonde star of silent movies was known around the world as ' Little Mary ' because she often played the roles of little girls and boys well into her 30's. A monumental figure in the beginning of the Hollywood scene, Mary Pickford was instrumental in forming the United Artists studio and won an Oscar for best actress in Coquette in 1928.
INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 oz light rum
  • 2 oz pineapple juice
  • 1 tsp grenadine
  • 1 tsp maraschino cherry juice
PREPARATION:
  1. Pour the ingredients into a shaker with ice cubes.
  2. Shake well.
  3. Strain into a cocktail glass .
 
Roy Rogers (non-alcoholic)
 
Did you actually expect that a drink named for the clean-cut singing cowboy to contain alcohol? Known as 'King of the Cowboys,' Roy Rogers is one of the most recognized cowboys in the world and often appeared with cowgirl Dale Evans. His majestic singing voice, charm and good guy persona was portrayed in all of his movies and TV shows including Tumbling Tumbleweeds , The Cowboy and the Señorita and The Roy Roger and Dale Evans Show .
INGREDIENTS:
  • 6-8 oz cola
  • 1/4 oz grenadine
  • maraschino cherry for garnish
PREPARATION:
  1. Pour the ingredients into a collins glass filled with ice.
  2. Stir well.
  3. Garnish with the maraschino cherry.
 
Shirley Temple (non-alcoholic)
 
Of course the drink named for the biggest child star in history contains no alcohol. Shirley Temple sang, danced and smiled her way into hearts during the Great Depression in movies such as Bright Eyes and Stand Up And Cheer . She was awarded a miniature Oscar and later became a notable politician and diplomat.
INGREDIENTS:
  • 3 oz lemon-lime soda
  • 3 oz ginger ale
  • 1 dash grenadine
  • maraschino cherry for garnish
PREPARATION:
  1. Pour the lemon-lime soda and ginger ale into a collins glass with ice cubes.
  2. Add a dash of grenadine.
  3. Stir. Garnish with the cherry.