Tips And Solutions Detail

Time to grab your remote control and snuggle into the couch by yourself to watch the premieres of your favorite TV shows, right?  Wrong!   We all know it’s much more fun to share in the highly anticipated season premieres with a group of close friends.  So, rather than being embarrassed to admit that you’re a couch potato TV junky, flaunt it boldly and throw a Couch Potato Party!

What exactly is a Couch Potato Party? Well, in its most sincere form, a Couch Potato Party involves watching TV and eating… potatoes, of course!  It’s a simple party to host and the food is inexpensive and easy to prepare. Just buy a bag of spuds and follow these simple tips to sprout some tasty tater fun at your next TV premiere party. Here’s hoping you have a spudtacular Couch Potato Premiere Party!

CHECKLIST

• Lifetime Personal Tables
• Lifetime 6-Foot Folding table
• Lifetime Adjustable Height Folding Table (optional)
• Bag of Potatoes (large potatoes look great and are filling)
• Invitations - see free downloads below

STEPS

1. Call, e-mail or send invitations to your guests.  Encourage guests to wear pajamas or their favorite comfy couch clothes.
2. Let your friends help!  If you want to make the party as easy as possible for you, assign each guest a specific potato topping to bring.  Popular toppings include: Butter, Sour cream, Salt, Pepper, Crumbled , Chives, Grated Cheddar Cheese, Cheddar Cheese Sauce, Broccoli, Ham, Chili, Salsa, Pizza sauce , Cottage Cheese, and Sautéed mushrooms.
3. Bake the potatoes (see recipe below) and plan for them to be ready just after the guests are scheduled to arrive. 
4. Set up a buffet line on your kitchen counters with the beverages, glasses, plates, forks, napkins, potatoes and all of the toppings.  Or, better yet, move the food to the TV room so guests never miss a minute of the show!  Set up a Lifetime 6-foot Adjustable Height Folding Table at the buffet height right in the middle of the room.
5. Have Lifetime Personal Tables set up in the TV room so guests can take them to whichever seat they choose. 
6. If you have younger kids attending, set up a special kiddie table just for them. Use a Lifetime Adjustable Height Folding Table, it’s easy to clean to help prevent unwanted spills and stains on your furniture and carpet.

TIPS

If you buy large baking potatoes, the loaded taters will be quite filling.  However, if you’re craving some dessert, offer a potato dessert bar by following our easy dessert bar recipe below!

To extend the evening or to liven things up during the commercials, plan some fun themed activities, contests, and games for your guests.

• Mr. Potato Head Competition: 
Buy a Mr. Potato Head game and have a race to see which guest can assemble it the quickest.  To make it harder and funnier, blindfold the guests!

• Hot potato:
It’s probably been a long time since most adult guests have played this game, but it’s sure to get some laughs.  Forget how to play?  Put an actual potato in the oven to make it really hot…or just use a couch pillow, small ball etc. Turn on some music and start tossing the potato around the room.  (Have someone in charge of randomly turning the music off and on.)  When the music stops, the person with the hot potato is out.  Play continues until only one person is left in the game and that person is the winner.  For an extra twist, require that each guest throw it in a “crazy” way such as under their leg, over their head, with their feet etc.

Make TV night a weekly social event and rotate hosting responsibilities.  It’s a great stress reliever and a perfect way to get a free night out of your kitchen to sample some new recipes.

Add a tradition to your group night, such as always ending the night with ice cream and warm-baked cookies! (Hint: The pre-made dough cookies are yummy and are quick and simple to make during a commercial break!)

If spuds just aren’t your thing, don’t fret!  Go ahead and invite your friends to watch TV and try some of these ideas instead:

• Go super easy and order pizza or pick up a party sandwich platter from the deli.  After all, on TV night, the food is really secondary to the cliffhangers!
• Throw a theme party with food to match the show you are watching.  So, if you’re a Survivor fan, have your guests snack on candy gummy worms etc.

How to Bake a Potato

Baked potatoes are the perfect quick snack or easy dinner. Follow these simple steps to enjoy one now. Plan a party around the amazing and versatile spud, by having a couch potato party! 

Steps
1. Oven method:

a. If possible, buy russet potatoes for the best texture.
b. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
c. Scrub the potatoes with a brush to remove all of the dirt.
d. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and just slightly apart from each other.
e. Bake large potatoes for 1 hour.
f. If you like to eat the skin, bake large potatoes for 2 hours to get the thick, crackly skin.
g. Test for doneness by piercing potatoes with the point of a knife or fork.

2. Microwave method: If you’re in a hurry or just having one or two guests, you can also microwave a potato.  The taste will be almost the same; however, the skin will not be crispy.

a. Scrub the potatoes with a brush to remove all of the dirt.
b. Stab each spud with a fork in 3 places on each side.
c. Place the potatoes on a plate and microwave on high 6-7 minutes.
d. Turn the potato over and microwave an additional 6-7 minutes or until done.
e. Test for doneness by piercing potatoes with the point of a knife or fork.

How to Make a Potato Dessert Bar

Try this fun and different desert to get a laugh out of anyone! Finally, a tasty vegetable alternative for every sweet-tooth!

Steps
1. Soften vanilla ice cream slightly and roll it into the shape of a potato.  Make as many as you need.
2. Place “potatoes” on a cookie sheet and refreeze until the ice cream hardens.
3. Roll the ice cream in crushed graham crackers and – ta-da – ice cream potatoes!
4. Serve with “authentic” tater toppings such as:

• “Sour Cream” – Whipped Cream
• “Butter” – Yellow frosting
• “Salt and Pepper” – Colored Sprinkles
• Chocolate syrup
• Carmel topping
• Bananas
• Peanuts

Tip
Be sure to set out the spuds just before guests arrive to prevent them from melting. You may even want to put them in a pan, over ice to keep them cold.