Squid Games Dinner

Have you watched Netflix's most popular show, Squid Games?  My husband and I decided to check out an episode after some friends were chatting about it.  We watched all 9 episodes of this series, and found it both disturbing and entertaining. I don't think I will ever think about childhood games like Red Light, Green Light or marbles the same!  With the show being a popular topic of conversation, I decided to theme this month's monthly dinner around the show.

Invite:  I kept the invite cryptic and simple to fit with theme.  I created a Squid Game card and sent it through snail mail to each guest.  The front of the card had just the circle, triangle, and square like the one in the series.  The back had just the date of the monthly dinner and the logo.  No other information.  Since these dinners are always at my home and always at 7:00, it was not a big deal to include no other information.  Once guests RSVP'd, I did send an email asking guests to arrive in a track suit if they had one or athletic clothing.

Decor: There is a pretty large color scheme you could have for this dinner.  You could do all neon bright colors like the stairs/doors the contestants go through in the show, or you could use the dark teal like the track suits.  I choose to use a mixture of colors and not stick with just one or two. I set the table with a red tablecloth and laid a tug-of-war rope along the length of the table to symbolize the Tug-of-War game in the Squid Games.

For a centerpiece, I filled various size vases with marbles to represent the marble game.  Out of the top of each vase, I included a character from the games - Gi-Hun (#456), the disturbing Red Light, Green Light robot girl, and one of the guards.

As guests entered the party, they were given a number patch much like the contestants are given a number.  I used the numbers of all the popular characters in the series, but since I had more than 8 guests, I made other numbers as well. I printed the numbers on sticker paper.  This didn't work really well as they had difficulty sticking.  Ended up just safety pinning them on.  

For place cards, I just printed out the same number patch.  I placed a small bag of 10 marbles next it them to represent the marbles game.  We didn't actually play a marble game, but you definitely could at your party.

For the place setting, I cut a black circle and a white triangle, square, or circle out of cardstock at set it in the middle of each plate to represent the guard masks used in the series.

I made my napkins to look like the coffins.  I cut the bow out of pink cardstock and lightly glued it to a black napkin folded into a rectangle.  I used a pink marker to embellish the bow a little.

If you have seen episode 7 of Squid Games, you will recognize the symbolism of the wine charms I made.  I cut a white mannikin out of cardstock and created a pink bib with black straps for the mannikin to wear. I had nine guests, so the bibs had numbers 1-9.   I lined these up on the beverage table in an arch like they are in episode 7.  I used these bib numbers for the order of our glass bridge game we played later in the night just like they were used for order in the episode.  (Keep reading to hear about this fun game later in the post).

I designed my wine labels to go along with the series as well.  For the red wine, I played off the Red Light, Green Light game and switched "Light" to "Wine" for the red.  For the white wine, I showed the guards with their common phrase of "you have been eliminated" and added the Drink Up above it.

Menu:  There are a lot of food references in the series, but I wanted my food to be extra creative and not just a Korean dish.  We started with just a simple calamari (squid) as an appetizer as guests arrived.

Next, I served a green salad with only green and red items to represent Red Light, Green Light.  I used romaine lettuce, spinach, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and red tomatoes.

For the main dish, I made beef turnovers, but shaped them into circles, squares, and triangles.  Each guest got two turnovers, each one a different shape.  I called them "Your Turn is Over Turnovers"!  These were super yummy as they always are when my family makes them.  Definitely a challenge to make them into these shapes, but worth it!

Along with the turnovers, I served peas.  I called this dish "Edible Marbles."

For dessert, I made the famous South Korean candy Dalgona.  I served each guest a metal tin with the Dalgona inside and of course the Dalgona had a shape.  I only had small cookie cutters in the shape of a star and a circle, so all of mine had one of those shapes for this party. I didn't have an umbrella or a triangle like they use in the series. 

It was fun to see the guests use a needle to try to cut out their shape without damaging it. 

A successful completion of the challenge!  The circle is intact!

Party Games:  There are so many games that could be played at a Squid Games party.  Besides a quick challenge with the Dalgona, we only played one game at this dinner party.  I recreated the Glass Bridge which was really fun, and definitely not such a "killer"!  

I bought 12 shirt boxes from Amazon and set bottom and lid next to each other down a line. I used giant bricks I already owned under one box at each set, and the second box had only bubble wrap under it!  Guests went in order of their wine glass mannikins just like they do in the episode.  If a guest stepped on the box that happen to have the bubble wrap under it, it popped like the breaking of the glass and the contestant was eliminated.  If they happen to choose correctly and picked the box with the brick, they were able to advance to the next step of the bridge, etc.  Just FYI - A normal size brick would have been dangerous, but the bricks were large and not wobbly at all.  I didn't want any guest rolling and ankle or anything.  Something to think about if you decide to do this game.

Favor:  Throughout the television series, the contestants look up at a huge glass ball that is filled with money each time a player is eliminated.  I wanted to play up this idea for this Squid Games party.  I purchased plastic ball ornaments that split in half from Amazon.  I bought chocolate gold coins and placed some yummy coins in each ornament.  The rest of the ball, I filled with mini South Korean bills (wen) I printed and cut out.  The tag on the ornament let each player know they were the "winner" with the same amount that is awarded in the series.

Just love these monthly dinners with these girls. Glad we all made it out of this Squid Games adventure in one piece!

Clue Party: A Dinner to Die For

I've always wanted to host a Clue themed party.  It was one of my favorite board games growing up, and my own kids love it now too.  I have always loved the mystery of the game, & there are so many fun aspects to the board game, I knew it would be fun to incorporate them into a dinner party.  Can't wait to hear what you think.

Invite:  The board game of clue (and the movie) centers around a group of 6 guests who are invited to a secluded mansion in New England.  When the guests arrive, they are given pseudonyms: Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlet, etc.  A seventh guest, Mr. Boddy comes and then ends up dead, so the mystery of "who done it?" begins.  I fashioned my invitation of the idea that Mr. Boddy had invited everyone to a "Dinner to Die For." 

For added fun, I asked the girls to dress up as one of the characters.  I let them pick the character so that it wasn't stressful trying to come up with something to wear in that color. This photo is of course Colonel Mustard! I was having 8 guests at this dinner, and I didn't want any character repeated, so I did invent two characters that are not part of the original game: Miss Black and Madame Maroon.

Decor: I hosted the party outdoors because of the uncertainty of the pandemic.  All the guests are fully vaccinated, but fresh air outside seemed like a better option.  I set up my outdoor patio as if it had 3 "rooms" from the game.  The first was the Dining Room. I set the table with a simple black tablecloth and a game of clue in the center.  On top of the game, I had all 6 weapons from Clue: the candlestick, lead pipe, revolver (a cap gun), wrench, knife, and rope.  I also designed the Dining Room card to put in a frame.

In the "dining room" on the centerpiece, I had all the player pieces sitting around the dining room table just for fun.  For the two players I had to invent so we didn't repeat, I just painted Hershey kisses!

For place cards, I made playing cards to match each of the characters the guests dressed up as.  I could have used the cards from the actual game, but decided to make them with images online instead.  This made them not as clear as I would have hoped for, but it was fine.

For my invented characters, I just looked up vintage dress in black and maroon, and then used Photoshop to create a card that looked like the real thing.

At each place setting, I had a napkin to match the character color.  On top of the napkin was a confidential envelope I created to look like the one from the game that holds the true "killer card, weapon card, and room card" that everyone is trying to guess in the game.  I made the envelopes on Photoshop, and then folded and glued them after they were printed.  This envelope was part
of party activities (keep reading to here more about it!)

I had fun designing wine labels for this dinner.  I used the white and red characters to weave into my wines.  I served Mrs White's Wine White and Miss Scarlet's Blood Red Wine.  The labels matched the invitation and other party details.

For wine charms, I used the weapon pieces from the board game.  I tied them onto the stem of the wine glasses with ribbon.  My family has 6 Clue games total as my husband picked many of them up for 50 cents from garage sales or thrift stores.  For the extra two pieces, I just used a set that was in gold rather than silver from one of the games.

I served my wine in the Conservatory and borrowed my daughter's violin to add to the decor.

Menu:  Beyond incorporating the names of the two characters into the wine, my menu was built around all 6 characters.  We started with bruschetta as an appetizer, and I designed a menu tag to display it as Miss Scarlet's Red Tomato Bruschetta.

For the main dish, I served a chicken and mushroom dish that I titled Miss Peacock's Poultry.  This is one of the delicious recipes I have made often for dinner parties as it is always a hit with guests.  

Mr. Green's Green Beans were a side dish.  Simple, but tasty.

Another side dish was Colonel Mustard's Potatoes.  I found this recipe online and decided to try it out.  I really loved the dijon and honey taste in this dish.  The guests loved it as well.

For dessert, I made a plum cobbler to go with Mr. Plum.  I baked it while we were eating the rest of the meal, so it was freshly baked and warm when I served it.  I served it a la mode with Mrs, White's Vanilla Ice Cream.

Party Activities:  We didn't play the actual board game, but I did want to incorporate part of the mystery and the who done it aspect.  I had my daughter put one character, one weapon, and one room card in the game's confidential envelope just as you would if you were playing a true game of Clue.  This left 18 cards to be given out to guests to use as they decipher and guess the who done it.  As each guest arrived, I gave them one card.  I secretly set the timer on my phone for 20 minutes.  When it went off, I instructed any guest that was actually speaking when the timer went off was to show their card to the person they were directly speaking to.  This was a fun way to guests to find out other's cards, but it didn't hinder our ability to just relax and catch up on girl talk.

When everyone arrived, we played a game a riddles to give out the next 3 cards.  I gave the girls 5 minutes to figure out the riddles.  The top 3 scorers earned a second card.  

This game took place in the "Lounge" as we were sitting on my patio furniture.

I also created a "Library."  When all the guests had arrived I instructed them that they may visit the library one at a time at any point in the night that they wished.  However, they could only peruse ONE book.  I told them I hoped the chosen a very rewarding book, but it was a mystery.  

I put the exact number of books to equal my guests in my fake library, and in three of the 8 books, I put another Clue card.

To give out the last of the Clue cards, I put three of them into the Confidential envelopes I made at each place setting.  I put them randomly.

For the other guests who didn't get the Clue Cards, I made just fake cards so you couldn't tell from the outside.  Toward the end of the evening, we went around the table making guesses and showing cards much like occurs in the real game.  Eventually, we found a winner and one of the guests was able to guess the character, weapon, and room correctly. 

Favor:  As a parting gift, I made spy glasses out of Oreos and Pocky sticks.  I dipped the Oreos in white chocolate (I suggest the double stuffed Oreos) and added a Pocky stick as a handle.  Pocky sticks are super tasty, but very fragile.  I broke many along the way, but they looked good!  A chocolate rim was piped on the white chocolate to make it look more like a spyglass.

I designed a tag that read, "I definitely have a CLUE what a good friend is...YOU!"

All in all, this dinner was a lot of fun to plan and fun to participate in.  I think all of us enjoyed the time together and the theme.  Definitely add Clue to your roster of fun themes to try with friends!

Road Trip USA: Navigating the Northeast

My family just completed a month long road trip visiting the Northeastern states - 21 to be exact!  It was a great trip, and we created amazing memories visiting historical landmarks, hiking in national and state parks, visiting family, and just enjoying time together.  We just got back at midnight Friday, so Monday came quickly for this monthly dinner! A bit stressful getting it all together, but a great time catching up with friends and sharing parts of our vacation.

Invite:  Of course the invitation was red, white, and blue for this theme of traveling the US.  I added some graphics of the more popular national landmarks that we saw on the trip to the invite as well.

Decor:  I really only had one day to prepare for this dinner, so my decorations stayed simple.  I decorated my dinner table with patriotic decorations I already had and souvenirs we bought on our vacation.  My husband loves to buy pint glasses from various places, so I used those.   I also added the 3 ornaments I purchased on our trip and a few of the magnets.

One of the places we visited on our trip was the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden were we saw the iconic cherry/spoon fountain.  Had to have a little fun with a photo.

I decided to recreate this for my place cards.  At first, my plan was to make a cherry out of red chocolate so it would be edible.  However, I could not find a chocolate mold that would work.  I bought two off Amazon, but one was massive (like a mini apple), and the other was tiny (like a pea)!  Instead, I used a real cherry and just hot glued them on to plastic silver spoons I bought at the dollar store.

I also used some of the many magnets we purchased on our trip to place on the napkins.

Above my drink table, I used a silver United States map I already owned and cut each of the 21 states we visited out of cardstock to place on it.  This took some time, but wasn't too difficult. I probably could have used my Cricut, but I was worried about matching up with how the states are drawn on the metal sign.

When we first started traveling with our kids, we started collecting pressed pennies.  The kids love trying to find these machines in the places we travel, and they take turns "pressing" the penny.  I love that this is a super inexpensive souvenir! We have the pennies from our vacations all in a jar on our travel mantle.  I decided to use a few of the pressed pennies from our trip as wine charms.  I glued them to cardstock and attached them.

When we visited George Washington's home at Mount Vernon in Virginia, we saw his vineyard and grounds.  We purchased a bottle of Mount Vernon red wine when we were there, and since we didn't drink it on our trip, it made a perfect beverage for this dinner.  We didn't purchase any white wine on our vacation in the northeast, so I just served a general white wine.

In addition to wine, I also had Sam Adams Boston Lager.  We are all wine drinkers, so the 6-pack went untouched for the night, but a couple of the guests took one home.

Menu:  My menu consisted of some of the most iconic foods from a few of the states we visited.  We started with an appetizer of Wisconsin Cheese Curds.  YUM!  I made these in my air fryer and served them with ranch and ketchup.  I used this recipe.  These take time to bread, but once that is done, the air fryer makes cooking and clean up easy.  I created a tag for each menu item, and incorporated a popular slang phrase from that state/city.  For the Wisconsin Cheese Curds, I used the phrase "yous guys."

For the main dish, I served Philly Cheesesteak Hoagies.  These were also easy to make and tasty.  I cut up the green peppers and onions early in the day and marinated the meat more than the 20 minutes the recipe calls for just so I could have a few more things done ahead of time.  In Philly, locals also use the word "youse," so I included that word on my menu tag for these hoagies.

Of course, french fries go great with Philly Cheesesteaks, and a popular food in Delaware is vinegar fries.  I have been using my air fryer to make fries for my family lately, but since I was using that for the cheese curds and this was a large batch of fries, I decided to use the oven instead.  These Salt and Vinegar fries worked out great.  I sliced the potatoes earlier in the day and kept them in water. Then just prepped them quickly and stuck them in the oven to bake.

For dessert, I made a Boston Cream Pie.  I haven't made this type of pie before, but the recipe was pretty straightforward.  It is a bit more time consuming to make than some other desserts.  I made it the night before the dinner and then assembled it the morning of the dinner.  Representing Boston, I had to call it "wicked good" for my menu tag.

Favor:  My kids LOVE to collect the sample bottles of shampoo and conditioner from the hotels on our trip.  My son's suitcase was practically full of them by the end of this vacation.  I decided to use these to create a fun and funny favor for our dinner.  I gave each guest a shampoo and a conditioner from one of our stops.  I created a tag that read, "Hotel Greetings from _____" and picked one of the cities we stayed overnight in on this trip to fill in the blank.  I also added a "Thanks for Coming. Love you!" message to the tag, but replaced the word love with the iconic love statue that started in Philly.  

While it was a bit crazy and a little stressful to pull off a monthly dinner only a couple days after returning from vacation, I haven't missed a month of these dinners in 14 years, so I didn't want to miss now!  Plus I got to see my amazing friends.  A win win to top off a fabulous vacation!