Party Like It's 19[80-Something]

Anyone who knows me knows I love the 80s.  Everything 80s.  I really don't know why.  But I do. 

The movies:  Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, The Goonies, Dirty Dancing, Back to the Future, Batman... (the list goes on, but I won't)

The music:  Safety Dance (I hope this gets stuck in your head), You Give Love a Bad Name (if the first song isn't, then this one surely is...), Manic Monday, Walk Like an Egyptian, Mad About You... (the list goes on, but I won't...)

The TV shows:  Growing Pains, Just the 10 of Us, Who's the Boss, Major Dad, Quantum Leap, Charles in Charge...  (the list goes on, but I won't ;))

The Cartoons:  Smufs, Snorks, Shirt Tails, Garfield and Friends, My Little Pony, Rainbow Brite, She-Ra, and He-Man...

The Toys:  Popples, Cabbage Patch Kids (I preferred the Premies), the awesome Barbies (like Evening Glow and Peaches and Cream and Barbie and the Rockers), Rainbow Brite, She-Ra, and He-Man...

The Fads and Styles:  side pony tails, crimped hair, leg warmers, jelly shoes, leggings with lace...

It was just an awesome decade. 

So why not celebrate it with an 80s-themed party?  I mean, what can be better than combining all of that awesomeness with food?  Granted, it's been a few years since I've done this...  But even so.  Definitely some of the best times I've had.  These are from two different parties.

The first party was in Florida in 2009.  We wanted to come up with items that came out in the 80s.  It was harder than we thought, so we added a few extras like a Stromboli and chips and dip.  But our authentic 80s fare was pizza rolls (painted green for Ninja Turtles), fig newtons, pop rocks, oreo truffles (in awesomely bright 80s colors) and TAB soda (nasty stuff, but pure 80s) with Charleston Chews and Reese's Pieces candy.

Crimped hair, long dangly big earrings and pop rocks...  I'd already sloughed the jean jacket... It was hot in Florida.

The second party was in 2009 in Washington.  At the funeral home where I used to work.  A staff party, after hours, of course. 

Rather than go with foods that came out in the 80s (since we learned that was a challenge), we mostly went with naming various foods after something 80s-related.  Personally, I think it was bomb.

 We kept the candies, because apparently they were 80s.

 But we made Oreo Truffles [Shuffle] a la Chunk in The Goonies

 Lots of 80s candy:  ring pops, Now & Later, and Pop Rocks

A "Where's the Beef?" and Onion Cheeseball with Puttin' on the Ritz crackers (inspired by my sister's most favorite song by Taco). 

Someone who hadn't originally planned to come decided at the last minute to join us, so he provided grapes.  And I came up with the foodie tag:  The [Grapest] American Hero.
 

Some Bananarama Bread to help us get through that Cruel Summer. 

 And some Raspberry Beret Jam to top the Bananarama Bread.

Some He-Manwich.  I think it speaks for itself.  I also thought this was purely ingenious.

Some nice cold refreshing Pretty in Pink lemonade.

Along with some Breakfast Club Sandwiches.  (I feel like I'm playing the Now and Later category in Jeopardy.)

And, finally, some Cowabunga! Pizza Rolls.  To pay homage to those heroes in a half-shell who are green.  And love pizza.

Yep, call me a total food and 80s dweeb.  I'll wear the title proudly.  These were some of the best times.  And though I may not be able to yell, "Man I love being a turtle!"  I can yell, "Man I love being a foodie!"  And I love the 80s too.