Ok, so picture the scene. You have your brand new, top-of-the-range HD television, complete with dedicated home cinema system.
You have comfortable seating and the latest Blu-ray of that film you've been dying to see - the one with added deleted scenes and additional director commentary.
And best of all you have awesome company in the form of your spouse/date for the evening/group of friends/cat (delete where appropriate) and you are ready to settle down to enjoy the film.
But wait? You're missing something. Where are the awesome cinema snacks? The humongous hot dog? The freshly popped popcorn? The pick 'n' mix? The drinks?
Don't worry, we have you covered.
Here's our selection of fun alternatives to the popular cinema snacks that you can easily make at home:
An alternative to pick 'n' mix:
Film night is the perfect time to indulge a sweet tooth so how about replacing the pick'n'mix with something a little more exciting?
These coconut balls from VDeep - craft beer & curry bar in Edinburgh - are easy and fun to make and perfect for impressing those enjoying your cinema experience with you.
Ingredients:
• 2 litres of whole milk
• 200ml yoghurt
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 500g caster sugar
• 100g desiccated coconut
• 100g coconut cream
Method:
Boil the milk and yoghurt in a thick bottomed pan. Add the lemon juice until the mixture curdles.
Pour into a sleeve lined muslin bag. Press out of the liquid, while holding the muslin over a sink or bowl. Pop the mixture into a food processor and blitz with the caster sugar and coconut cream. Put the pureed mixture into the fridge to chill. Once cold, roll into balls and dust with desiccated coconut.
Creating an alternative to hotdogs and nachos:
For those who prefer their cinema snacks to be a little more filling, we asked Martin Capaldi at gourmet hot dog specialists Surf Dogs for the best way to spice up your hot dog.
The Chilli Dog
Martin says: "Why not combine your two favourite cinema snacks to create your very own chilli dogs? At Surf Dogs we use the best ingredients, our own special chilli recipe and the finest grilled Jalapeños to create a flavour that really stands out. You could even sprinkle on some crumbled nachos on top for extra flavour. "
For a fun alternative to cinema popcorn:
Ok, so who doesn't love popcorn and beer? How about combing the two?
Drygate stout flavoured popcorn
Ingredients:
• 200 to 300g of popcorn (this can be store bought or for a more authentic flavour you can make your own)
• 55ml golden syrup
• 200g sugar
• salt
• 55 grams of butter
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 120ml of Drygate Rin stout (plus an extra 100ml for adding later)
Method:
Put all ingredients into a pot with the exception of the extra 100ml beer, the baking soda and the butter.
Heat and stir for a couple of minutes.
Then remove from the heat and add the other ingredients, stirring until it thickens up, before adding around 200 grams of popcorn and stirring it in.
Scoop the pop corn out and allow to dry on some grease proof paper. Drizzle some of the extra coating on top for extra flavour - the thicker the coating the punchier the taste.
For a fun alternative to cinema 'slushies':
The cinema slushie is always a fun idea but why not have a little fun with it?
Edinburgh Gin have released a set of fun Fruit Gin Liqueurs in flavours such as Raspberry, Elderflower and Rhubarb & Ginger; perfect for making over the humble slushie.
Edinburgh Gin liqueur slushies
Ingredients:
• 3 cups of cubed ice
• 1 cup of sparkling water
• 1/2 cup of Original Edinburgh Gin
• 1/2 cup of Edinburgh Gin Raspberry Fruit Liqueur
• 6 tablespoons of caster sugar
• Juice of 1 fresh lime
• 1 punnet of fresh Scottish raspberries
• Lime for garnish
Method
1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Blitz until the mixture takes on a 'slushy' consistency.
2. Serve in tall glasses with thick straws and a lime garnish.