Who hasn’t experienced that unfortunate party conundrum when one is forced to choose between a cocktail and a plate of hors d’oeuvres? My solution is to often to shove any offered food into my mouth so fast, that companions are left wondering why I am just smiling and nodding in silence. These finger food plates from perpetualkid.com attempts to solve the dilemma. The small plates slip onto your finger like a ring, creating a perfectly tiny perch for that little canape to rest while you speak your mind. At $10 for ten of them, I think they are worth buying just to as a conversation starter. (Warning, the fat fingered may be out of luck, they are one size fits all.) Click here for more info.

We don’t know which is more exciting, seeing the Hunger Games at the movies this weekend or finally getting Don Draper back into our Sunday nights with the return of Mad Men on AMC. True, neither will quite fill the cultural void left after the end of Downton Abbey, but we’re still psyched none the less. As far as menus go, deviled eggs and martinis sound much more tasty than roasted squirrels. We might be leaning more towards a retro party than a post-apocalypical one. For inspiration on a Mad Men themed party, check out this gallery on iVillage food (thanks @LisaCericola!).

Having just started season 2, I admit to being a happy passenger aboard the slow train to Downton Abbey. While the delay means I can’t talk about it with anyone, it has also afforded me the great fortune of stumbling upon the Kitchn’s Downton Abbey Cocktails series, which dedicates a drink to each Crawley daughter. Concocted by Nancy Mitchell of The Backyard Bartender, each recipe is fairly simple, containing only three ingredients each for Edith and Sybil, and four for Lady Mary, perhaps the most complex of the three. I’m excited by the splash of gin in Sybil’s St. Germain and Champagne combo, but for the sake of reporting will honestly will have to try all of them, probably multiple times, while I finish season 2. Have you been watching? Which daughter and drink is your favorite?

Season 1of Downton Abbey is streaming on Netflix and Season 2 is available on PBS.org, but hurry; it expires 3/6!

I went to the lovely Green Table for lunch the other day, and was immediately struck by a refreshing aroma when I walked in. No, it wasn’t the squash soup or the insanely good chicken pot pies, but something lighter. Sitting down I noticed little bell jars of rosemary on all the tables. It smelled better than any candle or oil you could buy. I replicated the effect last night during our Oscar shin dig, and it did wonders to get rid of the slightly doggy smell our house had.

What do you like to set out on tables to make your place smell good?

There are few things I look forward to more than the Academy Awards. I’ve been celebrating them for years in both high and low ways. I’ve rented hotel suites and made customized cocktails (I recall a “Babe” martini with a pink grapefruit rind tail). I’ve been to viewing parties where no one paid attention, and I’ve been to viewing parties hosted by Elton John. Yes, I’ve even been to the Academy Awards themselves, albeit in the nose-bleeds, the last year they were held at the gorgeous Dorthy Chandler Pavilion. My current mode for Oscar night is what I like to call “cozy red carpet.” Comfort food, good friends, and fuzzy slippers. Best of all, I have discovered the secret tool needed to having a truly fun Oscar night party: a DVR. Here’s how it works:

Forget the ballots, go for live betting. Rather than have all your invitees fill out ballots before the show begins, engage in live betting throughout the night. We give out ballots for reference only, so people can keep their own score on what’s been unveiled and what’s to come.

Record the show and start watching it late. Nothing brings down an Oscar party more than too many commercial breaks. Record the Oscars but don’t watch them live — at least not a first. Don’t worry, you’ll catch up as the night goes on. This way you can dive right in and fast forward through the dull parts.

No cell phones allowed. Because you’re not watching the show exactly live, don’t let cheaters check twitter or text messages that may be revealing the winners before you’ve seen them. Make reasonable exceptions for moms worried about babysitters.

Pause the show right before the envelopes are opened. This is the fun part. Just as Natalie Portman is fumbling to get that envelope for best actor open, hit pause. At that moment, instruct everyone to write down who they think is going to win that award only. Hit play.

Reward everyone who got it right. We like to give out little toys as tokens. Your guests can take them home, so everyone is a winner.

Winner takes all! At the end of the night, the person with the most tokens, wins the pool! (We got zoo animals and gnomes from orientaltrading.com.)

The day after the awards last year, everyone was grumbling about how long the show was, and how dull it was — that is, everyone but us. We all had a such a blast placing live bets throughout the night that the three plus hours fly by.

Of course the other important component to a good academy awards night is the menu. My menu for Sunday is still being debated, but right now I’m eying spiced popcorn, mini quiches, bite-sized pulled pork sandwiches, some kind of chocolate pots. I also am on the hunt for the perfect cocktail to make by the pitcher.

What about you? Are you planning anything special for Oscar night this Sunday?

Our fancy dishes were just put away after holiday entertaining, but already we are fantasizing about new dining time accessories. These swanky pepper grinders from The Pepin Shop bring the reclaimed wood trend to tabletop. Made from naturally fallen branches (mostly from wind storms!), they are rustically gorgeous. Maybe the next time a hunking piece of tree falls in your yard you’ll look at in a new way? Maple pepper grinder, $89.

Related previous posts:
My new paranoia, fear of falling trees

It feels like the past five days have been a blur of cooking, eating and cleaning. Here's roundup of some of the recipes I've been using over the holiday weekend.

1. Popovers. These are one of my favorite special treats. They’re great for breakfast, served warm with butter, honey and your favorite jams. On Christmas, I gave them the “Yorkshire” pudding treatment, plating them up alongside the main course of beef and gravy.