Throw A True Blood Viewing Party Complete With Blood & Louisiana Cooking

Admit it. Last Sunday night, you were one of the 5.2 million viewers tuned into HBO for True Blood's anticipated Season 5 premiere. And you weren't watching it alone. However, you and your friends felt kind of awkward munching on Pizza Bagels and popcorn while watching Bill and Eric attempt to escape from the Authority.

Convinced that your basement can never give off the eerie vibe of Fangtasia or an Ukrainian coffin restaurant? Think again. Just follow some of these tips to make next Sunday's True Blood viewing supernatural.

Let's be realistic here. Vampires don't eat, so unless you are planning on serving up some humans on a platter, we would suggest avoiding featuring any vampire-themed foods. However, if you want to cater to your vampire friends, order some True Blood from the HBO store. A cheaper alternative to the synthetic blood ($96 for 24 bottles) is to make your own red-colored concoctions. May we suggest a Bloody Mary?

All of the humans, fairies, werewolves and witches at your party are bound to get hungry, though. For them, feature some good ol' Southern cooking. Make them feel as if they are watching the show in Sookie's hometown of Bon Temps, Louisiana. For next season, the True Blood cookbook will have you covered on this front. Until then, pretend you are the chef at Merlotte's, or you're Gram's protégée, and whip up some burgers and blueberry cobbler. 

All that's left to do is dim the lights, turn on the television, and embrace what happens next.