EASY ENTERTAINING

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Kristina Morgan and Deandra Brooks - Special to The Plain Dealer

Pop culture is a great source for party themes. And few things are more recognizable from a pop-culture perspective than Elvis Presley. We know it's been about 30 years since the man released a record, but for whatever reason, from Eminem videos to TV miniseries, Elvis has a grip on popular culture that cannot be denied. Call it camp, call it kitsch or call it Americana; any way, an homage to the King provides a fabulous built-in theme perfect for the town where rock 'n' roll was born.

Decorations

An excessive amount of pictures of Elvis

1 roll of tape

Blue plastic tableware

1 white tablecloth with black musical notes to cover the food table

Honor the King by transforming your party space into a museum-quality display of all things Elvis. How can you do this without breaking in to Graceland? When in doubt, there is no party problem that cannot be solved through clever use of the Internet. In this case, hunt the 'Net for public-domain photos of the King, suitable for printing. Present the entire spectrum of Elvis: young Elvis, Army Elvis, Priscilla and Elvis, Vegas Elvis and overly sequined sweaty Elvis. Hang these photos throughout your party space with tape. As for the cups, plates and napkins, they should be "Blue Suede Shoes" blue. Blue, in general, is VERY Elvis. Think "Blue Hawaii," the movie, or that Christmas classic, "Blue Christmas." A white tablecloth with black musical notes on it, even if it is paper, will complete your kitsch approach and also will be a great reference to the famous gates of Graceland.

Menu

Elvis is synonymous with Southern favorites. For your main snack, serve barbecue sandwiches, either homemade or doctored up from the grocery store. Accent with a side of greens and baked beans. For an added mood point, serve an Elvis favorite: the fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, and round out the event with a rum punch named after an Elvis classic, the Blue Hawaii.

'Nanner Canapes

Makes 12

6 slices of white sandwich bread.

1 ripe large banana or 2 ripe smaller bananas.

3 to 4 tablespoons peanut butter

3 to 4 tablespoons honey

Butter-flavored, fat-free cooking spray

Begin by heating a heavy skillet, sprayed liberally with butter-flavored, fat-free cooking spray, over medium heat. (Elvis liked his fried in butter, but that seems a bit much in light of our New Year's resolutions.) Cut the banana into coinlike slices, aiming to get at least 30 slices. Smear a tablespoon of peanut butter onto a slice of bread. Place six to nine of the banana slices on top of the peanut butter. Drizzle a tablespoon of honey over it. Top the sandwich with a second piece of white bread. Fry the sandwich in the hot skillet, using a spatula to press down on the sandwich to do it quickly. The sandwich will need to fry for about 90 seconds on each side, until the bread is golden brown. Slice the sandwich into quarters, and declare it a canape. Repeat twice more, and don't forget to keep the skillet sprayed down with the cooking spray.

Blue Hawaii

Makes 20 cocktails

20 ounces of light, white rum

20 ounces of blue Curacao

40 ounces of pineapple juice

1 large bag of ice

For hostessing ease, serve this cocktail punch-bowl style. Mix rum, blue Curacao and pineapple juice together in a punch bowl. Stir thoroughly and serve next to an ice bucket filled with ice.

Setting the mood

Make the mood come alive by celebrating the King's legacy of entertainment. You will need at least three Elvis movies and several hours of Elvis music. For movies, consider "Viva Las Vegas," "Jail House Rock" and "Blue Hawaii." For music, try compilation CDs such as "Elvis' 30 #1 Hits" and "Elvis 2nd to None." But if your parents still have their original records, you must do what it takes to have them at your party -- even if this means inviting mom and spiking her first cocktail with extra rum so she leaves early.

Morgan and Brooks are the founders of The Society of Recovering Sorority Girls, an organization devoted to a life less ordinary. Check out more easy entertaining ideas at www.recoveringsororitygirls.com.