My Pal, Oscar

Today marks the start of one of my favorite weekends of the year.  Oscar weekend.

Oscar and I go way back.

When I was a kid, I would anxiously await the hour-long special where Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert wore tuxes and stood behind podiums to announce their own Oscar picks.

In college, I would camp out in the TV room around 4PM and "save" the TV for Oscar night.

In my thirties, I started to watch the televised red carpet with my fashionable friend, Sarika.  We still do that to this day via texts, both admiring and snarky.

My loved ones have known for years that I am unavailable on Oscar Sunday.  Talk to me on Monday.

So this year I've done the requisite homework as I've done for most of my adult life.  Started collecting the results of the critics' awards in early December.  Watched the Golden Globe awards.  The SAG awards. Tomorrow I'll watch the Independent Spirit Awards and then it's time for the Big Day.

I've seen five of this year's nine Best Picture nominees.  One of my favorite Oscar memories is when G and I attended an Oscar Showcase Day at AMC Theaters where we watched the best picture nominees from 2009:  Slumdog Millionaire; Frost/Nixon; The Reader; The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Milk.  I was in heaven.  That was the last year the Academy chose only five nominees so we could watch all the films in one glorious day.

We live in Naples, FL now and the closest participating theater is an hour and half away.  I am bummed but I think G is secretly relieved.

G has picked up the bubbly.  I'm in charge of snacks.

I usually make some popcorn.  Obviously a great pairing for a night about the movies, but also a favorite pairing of ours with sparkling wine.

I make a couple deviled eggs topped with bacon and chives for myself.  Not G's thing.

The current trend in the Nichols' kitchen is to look at what's in the pantry, fridge, and freezer and create something on the fly.  I have some shrimp in the freezer and some dumpling wrappers so I think potstickers will make an appearance on our Oscar menu.

If I feel ambitious on Sunday, I'll throw together some stuffed mushrooms as well.  My mom had a fantastic recipe for stuffed mushrooms that she only made at Christmas or New Year's so I associate them with major festivities.  You know, like Oscar Night.

Here's a fun link for your own Oscar snacks.