Musical Meal Gets a Standing Ovation

Tuxedo-themed dinner honored young musicians on a high note. It also would be great for a prom-night dinner at home.

By Cindy Morris, Coyle, Oklahoma

Hosting a tuxedo party to honor our twin sons’ 17th birthdays was a notable experience. The firstborn, a classical violinist, and the second born, a classical violist, gave us the idea to harmonize the music theme with top hats, bow ties, tuxedo shirts and scores of delectable food.

Our dinner began with a mouth-watering main dish—tender strips of Celebration Roast served with Cracked Pepper Gravy and bow tie pasta. We didn’t miss a beat by accompanying this entree with Bow Tie Wheat Rolls and "Top Hat" tossed salad.

To keep our crowd whistling a happy tune, we then switched to "D" major—decadent desserts. Tuxedo Cheesecake, a family favorite, was dressed to impress with a sandwich cookie crust, creamy center and a chocolaty topping gussied-up with a rose boutonniere.

Semiformal Evening Truffles not only tasted divine but also created an appealing accent when placed in long-stemmed glasses on the table. Also inspiring applause were chocolate-dipped Tuxedo Strawberries.

To dress up the table, we draped stunning black and silver fabric down the center of a classic white tablecloth. A striking red candle centerpiece and a scattering of twinkling tea lights added razzle-dazzle to the set-up.

My oldest daughter placed our exquisite menu on music-themed poster board and set it on a music stand near the table. We also made black bow-tie name cards out of construction paper and placed one next to each plate.

After dinner, the children played "pin the bow tie" on the tuxedo-clad conductor we’d drawn on poster board.

This distinguished celebration received a standing ovation and a hats off!