Celebrate the historic inauguration of the first African American President with some freedom food.

The Decor

Obama-rama! Do your house up like a White House banquet dinner, with 5 times the tacky
-Thick starched table cloths
-American flags
-Red, white and blue streamers
-Star confetti
-Barack Obama life-size cutout (only $34.99!)
-Red, white and blue roses
-‘Seal of the President of the United States’ napkin rings
-‘YES _________ CAN!’ place cards

The Dress Code

For the gentlemen, strictly Obama-approved sober suits. For the ladies, get inspired by Michelle’s Americana colour palette and love of emerging designers like Maria Pinto. Remember: Michelle isn’t afraid to match designer pieces with recession-friendly off-the-rack seperates. Or, why not have every guest take their inspiration from an inauguration ensemble from years past? Some standouts:

-Helen Taft’s embroidered champagne chiffon from 1909
-Mamie Eisenhower’s pink pearl clutch from 1953
-Hilary Clinton’s gold beaded Oscar de la Renta from 1997
-Jackie Kennedy’s simply chic cape, which she helped design herself
-Lady Bird Johnson’s canary-yellow silk in 1951

The Music:

1. Yes We Can –Will.I.Am
2. Chicago – Sufjan Stevens
3. Looking for a Leader – Neil Young
4. The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Bob Dylan
5. This Land is Your Land – Woody Guthrie
6. Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen
7. Runnin’ Down A Dream – Tom Petty
8. What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
9. A Change is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
10. Redemption Song – Bob Marley
11. The Star Spangled Banner – Jimi Hendrix
12. Via Chicago – Wilco
13. The People – Common
14. Black President – Nas
15. Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
16. Bitches Brew – Miles Davis
17. No Woman, No Cry – The Fugees

The Menu

Obama Family Chili:

1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
Several cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey or beef
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground basil
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Several tomatoes, depending on size, chopped
1 can red kidney beans

Saute onions, green pepper and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add ground meat and brown. Combine spices together into a mixture, then add to ground meat. Add red wine vinegar. Add tomatoes and let simmer, until tomatoes cook down. Add kidney beans and cook for a few more minutes. Serve over white or brown rice. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, onions and sour cream.

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

Shrimp Linguini

Michelle Obama’s Apple Cobbler:
Filling:
8 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced [or a bag of frozen peeled apples]
1-1/2 to 2 cups of brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup white flour
Mix these ingredients together in a bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight so the spice goes all the way through the apples.
Crust:
3 sheets refrigerated pie crust
1 stick of butter

Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Butter and flour the bottom of a large baking dish. Roll out three pie crusts real thin — as thin as possible. Layer the bottom of the pan with 1-1/2 of the pie crusts and prick a few holes in it. Pour the apples with the liquid into the pie pan. Dot 3/4 of a stick of butter around the apples. Use the final 1-1/2 pie crusts to cover the apple mixture entirely (let the pie crust overlap the pan). Pinch the edges of the dough around the sides of the pan so the mixture is completely covered. Melt final 1/4 stick of butter and brush all over top of crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Bake at 300 for up to 3 hours — that’s what makes the crust flaky, like Barack likes it. Put the cobbler in the oven and go for a walk, go to the store, or do whatever you have to do around the house. Start looking at the cobbler after two and a half hours so it doesn’t burn. Serve anytime.

Yes Pecan! Ben & Jerry’s Obama-inspired flavour

-Black Forest Berry Iced Tea
-Pabst Blue Ribbon
-Obamamericano: An americano with Campari and Sweet Vermouth