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For those of you who like any excuse to dress up and have a good time, throwing a retro party is a sure-fire way to have fun. We’ve got you sorted with costume, drinks, food and music. Now all you need is the guests!
What To Wear As the host, you should go all out with your costume. Think paisley headscarves, big hoop earrings, massive aviator sunglasses, funky floral prints and lots of bangles. Retro Drinks A good host will have a signature cocktail for the evening, and will give one to each guest as they arrive. This one is yummy with or without alcohol:
Mint Julep: In a tall glass, crush a few sprigs of washed fresh mint into one teaspoon of caster sugar. Fill the glass halfway with crushed ice and then add a dash of lemonade. The drink will fizz a lot, which is why you don’t fill the glass up! Now add a shot or two of your desired alcohol. Feijoa 42 Below is really tasty, but Bacardi or any plain vodka is just as nice.
Retro Food to Serve To make your party extra-kitsch, try sourcing tacky orange or brown paper plates to serve the food on.
The awesome spiky pineapple & cheese dome: You will need: A packet of toothpicks, two oranges, a block of cheese (Edam is good), tin of drained pineapple chunks and a small amount of salami.
Method: Cut two oranges in half. Place each half upside down on a plate. Cut the cheese into cubes of approximately 1cm x 1cm. Skewer one piece of cheese and one chunk of pineapple onto a toothpick, then stab into the orange. Repeat until each orange vaguely resembles a colourful hedgehog. Try alternating pineapple with small pieces of salami for variation. 2007 update: Try cubes of camembert cheese with stuffed olives instead of pineapple. Yum.
Lasagne: It’s hard to believe, but this now-staple dish was once tres chic. You still can’t beat a great lasagne, and it’s dead easy to make. Click here for Food In A Minute’s Easy Lasagne recipe.
Prawn Cocktails: Once the height of fashion, these babies are still quite tasty. Increase the recipe for more people. You will need: Four cocktail glasses, a handful of crispy lettuce, two tins of cooked and peeled small prawns, 200ml mayonnaise, two tablespoons tomato sauce, two teaspoons lemon juice, a few drops of Tabasco/chilli sauce (optional). Paprika powder to garnish.
Method: Drain your prawns in a sieve. In a large bowl, stir the mayo, tomato sauce, lemon juice and Tabasco sauce (optional) together until it makes a pinkish dressing. Add the prawns, mix well, cover and refrigerate.
Finely shred your crispy lettuce into strips, and arrange it artfully at the bottom of the cocktail glasses. Garnish with paprika. Dollop the chilled prawn/sauce mix on top of the lettuce, and serve to guests with spoons.
Fondue Dessert: An oldy but a goody... hmmm chocolate! You will need: Packet of marshmallows, block of cooking chocolate, dash of cream, bamboo skewers and various diced fruit like watermelon, rock melon, pineapple, strawberries.
Method: Microwave block of chocolate on low heat. Once fully melted, stir in approximately one tablespoon of cream. Put fruit and marshmallows on bamboo skewers, then dip into the sauce. Drool. Retro Music For a lazy poolside BBQ, crank up the best of Simon and Garfunkel. During the late afternoon you can chill out reggae-styles to Bob Marley (dreadlocks optional). As the day turns to night, put on the Forrest Gump soundtrack. You’ll have people singing along to classics like Respect and Sweet Home Alabama. During the later hours, music by Queen, Abba and the Jackson Five will keep people grooving until the sun comes up.
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ood time, throwing a retro party is a sure-fire way to have fun. We’ve got you sorted with costume, drinks, food and music. Now all you need is the guests! 
A good host will have a signature cocktail for the evening, and will give one to each guest as they arrive. This one is yummy with or without alcohol:
You will need: A packet of toothpicks, two oranges, a block of cheese (Edam is good), tin of drained pineapple chunks and a small amount of salami. 
Method: Drain your prawns in a sieve. In a large bowl, stir the mayo, tomato sauce, lemon juice and Tabasco sauce (optional) together until it makes a pinkish dressing. Add the prawns, mix well, cover and refrigerate. 