For the Mixes- A Twilight Inspired Singles Party

Here are a few inspirations if you are thinking of throwing a Valentine's Day Dinner Party for all of your singles.

Start your base of the party as a traditional black and white party and add splashes of red twisted throughout everything.

Red Wine and Red Signature cocktails will get the drinks flowing. I love this recipe for a Red Snapper (not the fish). It will warm you from the inside out.

•1 oz. Amaretto
•1 oz. Whiskey, Canadian (Crown Royal)
•2 oz. Cranberry Juice

Gather everyone together for some fun games that will get your guests mingling and break the ice. Here are a few games compliments of party411.com

Proverb Partners - Before your guests arrive, write proverbs in two different pieces on index cards. For example, write "Honesty" on one card, and it’s match, "is the best policy" on another card. Tape a card to the front of each person who arrives at the party. Once everyone is there and has a tag, tell people to mingle until they find the person who completes their sentence! The last couple to find each other gets a "booby prize".

Here are some popular proverbs to get you started:

■A penny saved is a penny earned
■Beggars can’t be choosers
■Absence makes the heart grow fonder
■Every cloud has a silver lining
■He who laughs last laughs best
■Blood is thicker than water
■Handsome is as handsome does
■Make hay while the sun shines
■Haste makes waste
■Familiarity breeds contempt
■Let sleeping dogs lie
(This is also a fun game to play with classic movie lines or lyrics from your favorite songs!)

Pass the ‘Pick - Separate your groups into teams that are lined up man-woman-man- woman and so on (with at least 6 people per row, and as many rows as you would like). Put a toothpick in the mouth of the first person in each line, and the line to pass it the quickest from person to person wins a prize. This can also be done passing an orange under the chin, or a dollar between the knees.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker - For a fun way to find your perfect match, at your huge singles party, have everyone write down 5 things that are true about them, and 5 things that are important to them in a mate. Everyone has to walk around the party and find a person who fits at least 3 of the criteria on their list, or whose criteria they fit. It should be fun to see how long the game lasts before people start talking and forget about finding their "perfect match." This game is just a great way of breaking the ice and meeting new people.



Keep the energy up by plugging your iPod up to your sound system with a mix of sexy upbeat music. Take advantage of iTunes Genius or even Pandora.com for a great mix.

No Valentine's Day is complete without chocolate. Finish your party with an amazing dessert bar but that consists of all chocolate. You could do a chocolate fountain, cakes, cookies, and homemade chocolate truffles that guests will brag about until next year. This recipe for Chocolate Truffles by Alton Brown of food network will get you started.


Ingredients
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, and/or toasted coconut, for coating truffles
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
Click HERE to see full recipe
Make it a really successful turnout by inviting friends, men, women, co-workers, actually anyone who checks the single box. You never know who may meet their perfect match!