Rachael Ray

Ok, so the Oscars are around the corner, literally, hours away and counting, and while I am scrambling around trying to fix a few festive things for me and Stephen to enjoy (he is a HUGE film buff), I figured I would just let you guys know what we plan to do.

After sending off this blog I am going to run out to our closest liquor store to buy a few bottles of champagne, to toast the Oscars on with, Moet is the official champagne of this years Oscars, but I will probably pick up whatever is on sale. When mixing cocktails with Champagne it’s not really necessary to get the top of the line champage, the good stuff is meant to be drunk naked, only chilling is required.

Recently I have been all about the Champagne cocktail. It makes a less tasty champagne taste delish and it stretches your buck. Here are the few that we plan to try tonight.

Black Velvet
Mix in a 4:1 ratio Champagne to Guiness or black Irish stout of your choice

(Stephen’s All About the Black Velvet. It sounds crazy, but a mixologist friend of mine highly recommended it.)

Classic Champagne Cocktail

INGREDIENTS

* 1 dash of angostura bitters
* 1 sugar cube
* Cold, dry champagne
* Twist of lemon peel

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the dash of bitters to the sugar cube in the bottom of a chilled champagne glass, and slowly pour in the champagne. Garnish with the lemon peel.

Champagne ‘rita

* 1 ounce tequila

* 1 ounce triple sec

* 1 ounce lemonade or limeade

Article continues below...

Shake tequila, triple sec and lemon/limeade with ice. Strain into margarita glass and add bubbly to fill.

Here are my tips for making sure your Champagne Cocktail is delish!

- Chill your sparkling wines. Keep them about 42-45° F.

- As most sparkling wine drinks are on the sweet side, try to find a dry sparkling, like many Bruts to mix with, the final flavor of your cocktail will be cleaner.

- Chill the glasses or flutes ahead of time. Champagne cocktails could never be too chilled!

- Pour small amounts of sparkling in at a time to prevent foam over. Repeat until the glass is filled.

And since we don’t want to be complete champagniacs tonight for a delicious Oscar Night snack I turned to my pal Katie Lee for one of her delicious Chex Mix recipes. Seriously, when do you go wrong with Chex Mix?

Katie Lee’s Spiced Nuts ‘n Chex Mix

Start to finish: 15 minutes
Makes: 16 Servings (1/2 cup each)

Ingredients:
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
¼ cup butter or margarine
2 cups Corn Chex cereal
2 cups Rice Chex cereal
2 cups Wheat Chex cereal
1 can (11.5 oz) mixed nuts

1. In small bowl, mix sugar, chili powder, and red pepper; set aside.

2. In large microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on High about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in cereal and nuts until evenly coated. Stir in sugar mixture until evenly coated.

3. Microwave uncovered on High 5 to 6 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes, until mixture just begins to turn brown. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container.

Note: The large bowl may become warm in the microwave—use hot pads and handle with care!

Will you guys be watching the Oscars? What are your picks? Rach and I would LOVE to know!

SEE WHAT EVETTE IS UP TO! FOLLOW HER ON: