Lorelai and Rory Gilmore have a lot going for them. They’ve each found success in their professional lives, they have quality coffee within walking distance of their home, and perhaps most importantly, they can eat incredible amounts of food without gaining an ounce. The seven existing seasons of the Gilmore Girls have featured the mother daughter duo ingesting every sort of snack you can imagine. Though they eat the posh dinners at Richard and Emily’s every Friday, they prefer a smorgasbord of Pop-Tarts, pizza, and Red Vines. In short, they live the dream.
I don’t recommend eating like the Gilmores on anything resembling a regular basis unless you possess a set of fictional and magical organs to process it, but once in a while, you should indulge. Choose a movie or your five favorite episodes of Gilmore Girls, invite a handful of friends over, and cover your coffee table in a greasy, sugary spread. Don’t limit yourself to only takeout or only candy—balance your selection. Here are my tips on having a Gilmore Girls-inspired night of feasting:
Main Course
I’m not going to lie. I’ve had dinners that have consisted of nothing but candy. However, it’s smart to have some sort of substantial food at the center of your coffee table buffet. This will help temper the sugar you consume—I’m only talking about taste here. I can’t speak to how the body reacts to all of this, but maybe have Tums on hand just in case.
Pizza is a staple for the Gilmores’ movie nights and so is Chinese food. Either or both of these options would round out your presentation nicely. Feel free to get creative. My sister and I once had a Gilmore Girls evening with pizza-like or pizza-flavored items. Our menu had pizza rolls, pizza bread, pizza-flavored Goldfish, and pizza Combos. It was as glorious as it sounds.
Snacks
The rest of your “meal” is snacks. The snacks category is broad and can include anything from tortilla chips and salsa, to Skittles, to gummy bears. Obviously, variety is queen. Pull out every bowl or mug you own and fill ’em up. My suggestions: Trail mix, salted nuts, Hot Tamales, Twizzlers, Red Vines, chocolate M&Ms, fruit snacks, Starburst, BBQ-flavored potato chips, tortilla chips and cheese sauce, pretzels, cheese puffs, and/or French fries. I prefer to keep the candy separate, but you can unwrap candy and mix it up to make a candy salad—a friend of mine takes this to parties, and it’s always a hit.
Drinks
Look. You’re already loading a ton of sugar and artificial ingredients into your body, so if you’re going to show restraint in any area, do it with the drinks. Instead of tossing back soda or milkshakes, choose still or sparkling water or unsweetened ice tea. As an added bonus, something like water is less filling than syrupy soda so you’ll have room for more food. Yay!
When you’re preparing for your festivities, make sure you to check your stock of plastic bags. You’ll need bags or containers to send leftovers home with your guests because believe me, you do not want that much candy in your house.
Obviously, you should exercise your best judgment. Don’t overeat. Eat until you’re full and take a break. If you don’t want to commit to the bonanza that is snacking like a Gilmore, eat a salad and snack lightly on candy. I won’t tell Lorelai.
What snack, or snacks, would you add to your movie night spread? Share your picks in the comments.
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IMAGES: Warner Bros., Searching for Hogwarts, Material Mirage, Yulia
