Is there anything better than hanging out for an evening with a close friend, watching an awards show for actors, starring actors, voted on by actors, and attended only by actors, while making catty comments about dresses, bushy eyebrows, and horrible hair dos? Of course. Doing all of the above while eating amazing food.

I think Hollywood is stupid. Don’t get me wrong, I love movies. What I also love is when

Hollywood-types think their work is somehow integral to society. “This movie is IMPORTANT because it shows the horrific atrocities suffered by the pigmy mushrooms in sub-Saharan Africa and their plight.” Uh, no, honey. Pretty sure you could not make that movie and I’d still wake up in the morning.

And so, in celebration of these crazy, over-paid, self-important stars (and the random actors who don’t take themselves seriously), I invited my buddy Missy over for dinner and a fun night of bitchy commentary and good food.

I give you…Oscar Night Shrimp ‘n’ Grits with Roasted Berries for dessert!

Bee tee dubs, I want to be Anne Hathaway when I grow up. Or at least wear her clothes

Oscar Night Shrimp’n’Grits

The Whats:

½ cup quick cooking grits

2 ¼ cup water

¼ cup mozzarella, grated

2 good sized tomatoes, chopped

½ a red, yellow, and orange pepper, chopped

2 jalapenos, chopped

½ onion, chopped

schlock of garlic

3 Tablespoons butter

Sprinkling of parsley, chopped

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Cayenne pepper, to taste

Olive oil for the pan

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

The Hows:

Missy was planning on being at the studio approximately 7pm, just in time for the Oscar

pre-show. I wanted to be able to visit with her rather while watching Tim Gunn’s gushing over beautiful dresses, not chopping in the kitchen while Missy chilled out on my couch. The solution? Prep it at 630! Everything got chopped, minced, measured, and portioned out ahead of time, so all I’d have to do is dump and cook.

Missy brought along appetizers of pita, sugar snaps and her boyfriend’s homemade hummus (note to self: get that recipe), so we enjoyed a leisurely snack during the Oscar’s pre-show. With a [couple] glass[es] of wine.  But with the stars beginning to take their seats, it was time to get this show on the road.

First, I brought the water to a rolling boil, then added the grits. A quick stir, then I brought the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 12 minutes.

I love grits. I don’t know if it’s the half-southern chick in me but damn, they’re good. I love how it’s the redneck’s polenta. There is absolutely nothing pretentious or pretending about it. It is boiled mush, maybe with a little cheese, in a pile, on the plate. Or a bowl. Whichever. A little butter, salt and pepper—that’s all you need and life is good.

While that was simmering, I set to work on the shrimp part. Two tablespoons of butter went into my new All Clad (I’m deeper in love now that I’ve used it!), then tossed in the garlic for a hot minute. Almost instantly, my apartment was filled with that beautiful aromatic music that just makes the time spent cooking 100 times better than grabbing a Big Mac.

Onions got to join the party next, and when those were nearly translucent, I added the peppers and jalapenos. After about ten minutes, they were perfectly soft and absolutely beautiful. In went the tomatoes—such gorgeous tomatoes—for another five or so, until they had almost melted into the rest of the mix.

I’ve disliked tomatoes for nearly as long as I can remember. My parents, always frustrated with their one-time picky eater daughter, would attempt to force me to eat them. Maybe they thought I’d take a taste and go “oh hey!! They’re not that bad!” Maybe they thought if I was eating something, I’d stop talking for a second and they could get some peace and quiet. Either way, I hated them for the first 26 years of my life. I didn’t start liking them until sometime last year, when I began doing the whole super healthy diet thing. I don’t think I so much started liking them as I just ran out of foods to eat and got bored. I’m still not a total convert—they have to be certain kinds, full of flavor, and usually cooked in some way.

By this time, the grits were done simmering. I moved them off the heat and stirred in the parmesan and remaining tablespoon of butter. I kept the lid on to keep it warm. Cold grits are the worst and should be outlawed.

With the vegetables on the edge of doneness, I tossed in the shrimp, spiced it to taste, and covered the pan. I don’t think I actually needed to cover it, I just wanted to do it because it’s new and it looks cool.

Nicely plated with a sprinkle of parsley, and it was time for some Oscar magic.

But no dinner party is complete without

dessert! I’m trying to back off on the sugar consumption again, especially considering the cold winter has put a pinch on my running, resulting in a little more squishiness than I’d like. My challenge was to put forth a great tasting, healthy dessert that wouldn’t make me hang my head in shame as Missy unfriended me on Facebook.

Baked Berries with Honeyed Granola

The Whats:

Handful of strawberries, sliced

Handful of blueberries

Granola

Drizzle of honey

The Hows:

A quick chop of the strawberries into bite sized pieces is really all you need. Fill small

ramekins with the berries, top them with as much granola as you’d like, and drizzle a bit of local, organic honey for sweetness. 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven, and that’s all you need.

I made this up almost last minute, and I was worried they wouldn’t turn out. I didn’t add any sugar or cinnamon to the fruit, so I was concerned they’d turn out flat. Or the granola would have that woodsy bark taste that would only be emphasized after baking.

But you know what?

It’s fricken amazing. And it’s so fast to make, I feel like that this might make me get out of bed in the morning for a warm breakfast or even a quick snack in the afternoon.

Someone once said, “to live well is to eat well.” If that’s true, I’ve got the best life around.