Game of Thrones season finales mean eating like a King

If you can't win the Iron Throne, you should at least pretend by eating like a King. It's a good rule for life.

I'm lucky enough to watch Game of Thrones with a group of awesome people who enjoy a themed feast. For the second year in a row (cause the show's been around two seasons, see) we decided to celebrate the finale in style. Why not have another reason to look forward to the finale? Our feasts have less blood loss than any meal in Westeros, but we enjoy it just the same. Everyone brings a dish or beverage, and we dine like royalty.

It's surprisingly easy to put a meal together like this when there are six or more people contributing. You just have to be willing to sacrifice and hour or two in the kitchen. Trust me, it's completely worth it. It may seem silly, but if you've never attempted a themed meal - just try it. As far as Game of Thrones, there are plenty of recipes to choose from at The Inn at the Crossroads. Many of them are quite easy to follow and don't differ much from food you'd prep for your standard dinner. Don't be intimidated to experiment... I used to worry over every little detail when I'd have food parties. I still worry more than I should, but mostly I embrace this attitude: if whatever you try to make doesn't turn out, pizza is just a phone call away.

I digress.

The menu for this year's finale feast included: pork pie (holy crow was it delicious), stuffed grape leaves, honey cakes, oat cakes, beer bread, stew, Roman buttered carrots & other vegetables, and green bean, onion, & beet salad. Everything I tried was tasty, and I somehow made room for a little of everything with the exception of the beets. I keep trying them and no matter what sort of sauce they're served with, beets always taste of dirt to me.

We had wine, beer, and assorted beverages with our food and it was all perfect. Eating that hearty is good for the soul. And for me, it puts me in a mood to eat like that all the time. Winter is coming, I should eat all the food I can now before it's gone.

Read about last year's feast here.