How to Host a Voter Registration Party

Put the "party" back in "political party" with a Voter Registration Cocktail Soiree!  Here are some great ideas to guarantee a good turnout as well as spreading the all-important message - Register to Vote!

How to Set the Mood
Set the scene by conjuring up the excitement of a political convention!  Position American flags and placards with candidate's names throughout the room.  And if any time was the right time for streamers, balloons, and confetti, this is it.  More is definitely more when it comes to celebrating the right to vote!

Want to create more of a subtle mood?  For an eye-catching tabletop display, arrange tightly gathered white peonies in square glass vases, some filled with blue marbles and others with red marbles. Add three white pillar candles of varying heights around the bouquet for a warm glow. 

Send Them Off with a Mission
It doesn't matter if you're in a blue state or a red state - everyone's voice needs to be heard.  And everyone at your party needs to receive a party pack that helps them do just that!  Put together voter goody bags that include voter registration forms for your state, President Regan's favorite confection: red, white and blue jellybeans and a flag to wave proudly!

Drinks
What better way to get the political discussion started than with a few signature cocktails!

Stars and Stripes Sangria
1 Bottle of white wine (Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc)
2/3 cup white sugar
3 oranges
1 lemon
1 lime
Sliced Strawberries
Handful of fresh blueberries
1/2 liter of ginger ale or club soda (ginger ale for those with a sweeter tooth!)
Shot or two of brandy or rum

Pour wine in a pitcher and squeeze the juice from the orange, lemon and lime into the wine, add sugar, strawberries and blueberries. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving.

Liberty Lemon Drop Martini
(Serves 20)
8 cups chilled vodka
1 cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup superfine sugar
Lemon for garnish

Combine vodka, lemon juice and sugar. Stir well until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until cold.  Pour into glasses, garnish with lemon peel.

American Flag
(Serves one)
1 ounce rum
2 ounces pina colada mix
1 cup crushed ice
2 ounces red grenadine
1/2 ounce blue curacao
Maraschino cherry for garnish

Pour rum, pina colada mix and ice into blender, then blend. Pour grenadine into a 16-ounce hurricane glass. Add the blended pina colada mix on top. Then pour the curacao over top. Garnish with a cherry.

The Hanging Chad
2 shots Parrot Bay Coconut rum
2 shots Malibu rum
1 part Cranberry juice
1 part Pineapple juice
1 part Orange juice

Pour the shots into a glass of ice. Then fill the glass with equal parts orange juice, cranberry juice, and pineapple juice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge, an orange slice, and an umbrella.

 
Appetizers
Dress your table with red, white and blue snacks!

Stuff-the-Ballot Cherry Peppers

(Makes 36 pieces)
6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup minced shallots
1 red bell pepper, minced
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk
2 (14 ounce) jars cherry peppers

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until bacon is browned. Move bacon to paper towels. Keep bacon drippings.
2. In drippings, cook shallots and red pepper over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Cook about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and let cool for 20 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and milk with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Stir bacon and shallot into the mixture.
4. Spoon cream cheese mixture into a heavy weight plastic bag. Cut a small hole in one corner to squeeze the filling from. With small knife, cut out the stem and of each pepper. By squeezing the bag, pipe cream cheese mixture into peppers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to one day.

Freedom Fingers

8 boneless skinless chicken tenders, cut in strips
2/3  cup Bisquick baking mix
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray. In 1 gallon plastic resealable food-storage bag, mix Bisquick mix, cheese, salt and paprika.
2. Dip half the chicken strips into egg; place in bag of Bisquick mixture.
3. Seal bag; shake to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat using remaining chicken. Drizzle butter over chicken.
4. Bake 12-14 minutes, turning halfway through bake time with pancake turner, until no longer pink in center.
5. Serve with honey mustard or barbeque sauce.

Blue Waves of Grain with Homemade Guacamole

3 avocados, peeled and diced
1/2 tomato, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/2 habanero or jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Dash of lime juice
Salt to taste

1. In a bowl, mash avocados until slightly chunky.
2. Add tomato, onion, peppers, garlic, lime and salt. Mix together.
3. Serve immediately with blue corn tortilla chips.

 
Desserts
Every candidate hopes their campaign ends on a sweet note - a win!  Well you can guarantee your party's a winner with these sweet delights!

Campaign Cake
So easy a presidential candidate could do it!

1 can cherry pie filling
1 small can blueberries or 1 cup fresh blueberries
1 box white cake mix
2 sticks butter, melted
1 cup nuts, chopped

In a 9- x 12-inch greased pan, layer the ingredients in the order listed. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

Trickle Down Trifle

2 (12oz.) containers whipped topping, thawed
1 5.9 ounce package vanilla instant pudding
1 whole angel food cake, cut into 1 inch cubes
Sliced fresh strawberries and blueberries
Slivered almonds

Prepare instant pudding according to package directions. Layer ingredients as follows from bottom of trifle bowl to top; 1/3 Cool Whip, 1/2 of cake cubes, 1/2 of pudding, strawberries, 1/3 Cool Whip, remaining cake cubes, pudding, blueberries, remaining Cool Whip, and top with slivered almonds.

Political Parfait

1 8-ounce carton vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 of an 8-ounce container frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed
3 cups fresh raspberries and/or cut-up fresh strawberries
3 cups fresh blueberries

1. In a large bowl, stir together yogurt and almond extract or vanilla. Fold in whipped topping.
2. To serve, in six 12-ounce glasses or dessert dishes, alternate layers of the berries with layers of the yogurt mixture.
Make-Ahead Directions: Prepare parfaits as directed through Step 2. Cover and chill for up to 1 hour.