Planning Your Movie Night Menu

Sometimes it\'s fun to just stay in and watch a few good movies with a bunch of friends. But that takes a bit of planning-after all, no movie night is complete without the right mood and a table full of munchies. That\'s not as hard as it sounds; often, it\'s just about knowing what your friends like and preparing in advance. You don\'t even have to spend a whole lot to get good food on the table. If you\'re not sure what to serve, read on for some cool movie night suggestions.

You\'ll want to start off with some finger foods-something people can just pick up and go. Stay away from soup, pasta, or anything that requires utensils. Finger foods help keep up the casual mood and are usually easier to prepare, so they work for both the host and the guests. Some of the most popular finger foods are meatballs, cheese sticks, chips and nachos. Just set them on the table with a bunch of different dips, and you\'re good to go.

If you want something sweet to go with it, try serving cupcakes instead of the usual candy bars. When you\'re serving five or more people, that\'s a lot of candy-and you can usually spend less by just making your own. Cupcakes work well for movie nights because they\'re small, cheap and easy to customize. It only takes about 30 minutes to whip up a simple batch of cupcakes-just dab on some frosting and toppers and you\'ve got the perfect treat for your guests.

Of course, a movie night menu follows the same basic rules as any other. Make sure to keep a good variety of foods on the table. People like to have a choice, but it has to be balanced-a bit of salt and sugar, something nice and light, and a few rich flavors. The easiest solution is to serve a few basic dishes and offer a variety of dips, so that you can mix and match as you please. Take note of each person\'s tastes and make sure there\'s something on the table for everyone.