Doo doo doot, da-doo DOO! Doot! My husband is a *little* obsessed with Nintendo. (See the picture toward the end of this post for a peek at our Nintendo museum.) When the new Super Mario Bros. movie was released, I KNEW I had to make it something special! On a side note, the movie is amazing and everyone who has ever loved Mario should go see it. You won’t be disappointed!
The Decor
My main focus for this Super Mario Bros inspired dinner was to make it colorful and fun!
HOT TIP! Keep the paper decorations you buy! Most of them fold flat and can be kept in a bag or folder taking up minimal space. The paper Mario decorations you see here were purchased for my husband’s birthday years ago, but I got more use out of them today! The toys and other decorations were collected from various yard sales, flea markets, and retail stores over the years. They live in our Nintendo museum. Like I said, he’s obsessed.
I love an excuse to use up any extra things I have leftover from other dinners. In this case I had four light blue paper napkins and a whole stack of red. I did some very simple folding to create this napkin mushroom! These were a hit with my family! I also got extra use out of floral arrangements that I had/was gifted for Easter.
The Food
Jump up, Superstar and try this bright and citrus-y salad. It’s my absolute favorite! It’s PERFECT for summer or anytime you’d like something light and refreshing. The bright citrus dressing pairs so well with the slightly bitter arugala. Add roasted pumpkin seeds and feta for a bit of salt. I used segments of a cara cara orange for star power, but you can also use starfruit if it’s in season.
Who doesn’t love getting an extra life? Our entree was 1-Up Mushrooms with pesto pasta to celebrate our favorite Italian plumbers’ roots. I made sous vide pork tenderloin that I seared and sliced into 1 inch thick medallions. Each slice of pork was topped with garlicky sauteed spinach and dotted with fresh mozzarella to create a green topped mushroom. I made a quick pesto of basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, and olive oil and mixed it with pasta as a side. If your pesto is too thick, thin it out with some pasta water.
Our princess is in another castle! But no worries, she left this amazing strawberry panna cotta in her place! Strawberries roasted with honey is such a happy flavor. Mix it with some cream, sugar, and gelatin for a dessert as pink and cheerful as Princess Peach herself. I garnished these with mini jawbreakers to represent Peach’s tiara and jewels, but you can also use fresh fruit or other garnishes.
Our Nintendo Museum
As promised, here’s a look at the room in our house completely dedicated to video games, most of which are Nintendo. Do you love video games? Let me know what video game theme you’d like to see next!
Your creativity is amazing!