The Kentucky Derby is next weekend, and even if you're not a horse-racing aficionado, getting into the spirit for this big Spring event can make for a seriously fun party. Let's be real: who doesn't love an excuse to wear over-the-top Spring fashions and drink pretty bourbon-filled beverages? If you're needing a little inspiration, here are some tips for ways to bring the Derby spirit to your home.

Set the Scene

Before the race, you've got to set the mood. In the décor department, channel the Derby's nickname "Run For the Roses" with big bouquets of lovely fresh flowers. For a modern take on traditional bluegrass music, look to the bands Railroad Earth and Assembly of Dust to provide the soundtrack. Everyone will be asking whose music is playing.

Assemble a Southern Spread

Make traditional Derby dishes that are indicative of the race's legacy. Indulgent pimento cheese, Benedictine cheese tea sandwiches, and Southern-style biscuits are all solid, easy to make options.

Keep reading for dress code and drink suggestions.

While there's nothing tastier than a big schmear of cream cheese on a freshly toasted bagel, this tasty spread can multitask in some amazing ways. Whether you're going for something savory or sweet, cream cheese can add a layer of delicious decadence that won't go unnoticed by the people who love to chow down on your food. Ready to get inspired? Here are five creative ways to make the most of the cute cream cheese tub in your fridge.

1. Add it to a dip. The addition of some cream cheese to your favorite dip can give it a whole new depth of flavor. If you haven't added cream cheese to a dip recipe before, we're partial to these tasty mushroom goat cheese queso and caramelized vidalia onion dips, both starring cream cheese.
2. Create a creamy marinara. Throwing together a last-minute weeknight supper? Take your traditional marinara sauce to the next level by adding a heaping helping of tasty cream cheese to the pan when you're heating up your red sauce. This is an easy way to make your basic sauce a little more exciting to everyone at the table.

Keep reading for three more tasty ways to enjoy cream cheese.

While fresh-squeezed orange juice has graced America's breakfast lineup for years, there are lots of methods for incorporating its delicious flavors and properties into other culinary traditions, too. If you need some ideas for how to make the most of a fresh squeeze, here are five ways to help bring OJ to your table.

1. Bake it into brunch. Take a twist on traditional brunch favorites with recipes that call for orange juice. Giada De Laurentiis has a recipe for a sweet berry strata that's sure to be a crowd-pleaser at any big brunch spread.
2. Construct a creative cocktail. While we love the classic mimosa, this Spring, you can get even more creative with some orange juice cocktails. We're partial to the Rossellini, which pairs fresh orange juice with white wine and vermouth, or a colorful tequila sunrise.
3. Add it to cooked vegetable. Bringing new depth of flavors to veggies like roasted beets is easy when you switch up the water and roast them in the juice. Also, there are tons of veggies that are complemented by a squeeze of citrus. For a fresh take, try a squeeze of orange instead of lemon.

Keep reading for two more fresh orange juice ideas.

We've all been in this predicament: you opened a fresh bottle of wine, poured yourself a glass, then realized weeks later that you wasted tons of vino. This may have been a bummer in the past, but it's time to rethink this age-old problem. Leftover wine does not need to go to waste down the drain; it can be repurposed for sheer culinary delight. Here are three easy ways to make the most of your old wine.

1. Make homemade vinegar. Pour your leftover wine into a covered container (make sure it's not airtight!) and set it in a cool, dark location to allow it to ferment. The solution will start off murky, but you'll see it clarify with time. Once you see a white skin at the bottom, a bacterial culture known as the "mother," the homemade vinegar is ready to incorporate into your favorite recipes.

   The first time you make wine into vinegar, you'll have to wait several months. But after the initial cultivation, you can whip up new batches of vinegar every few weeks using the original mother.

2. Deglaze your pan. Deglazing may seem like an intimidating term, but chances are you're deglazing your pan all the time without even knowing it — that is, adding a bit more liquid and cooking off the goodness at the bottom of the pan. If you're typically adding stock in this process, add some wine instead to bring a whole new richness and complexity of flavors to your dish.

Keep reading for the last way to make the most out of leftover wine.

When you first step into the kitchen and prepare a dish you love for the first time, things can be a little overwhelming; often the last thing you want to do is translate what a technique actually means as you're knee deep in the kitchen. I get it: there are some French cooking methods and terms that scared me so much when I started cooking that I let go of the dream of creating a certain recipe and moved on to something that felt more accessible.

Truth is, fancy words aside, you'll be surprised how many of these techniques are actually fairly simple concepts once you get a little confidence in the kitchen. Like most things we're afraid of, it's never as bad when you tackle the problem head on and figure out what you need to succeed.

So don't sweat the technique right away; once you get into the swing of these, you'll feel like a kitchen queen. Get acquainted with these French terms and techniques, and they'll soon seem like no kitchen biggie.

Living in a small, city apartment, I've learned that I can go without a lot in the appliance department while still managing to create delicious food. The oven, however, is not one of those things; in the modern kitchen, it's the king.

Two cooking methods — roasting and baking — are nearly synonymous with the concept of the oven itself, yet they are seemingly identical techniques. They both take place in the oven; they both use dry heat. So what's the difference? Keep reading to learn the difference between roasting and baking.

Thanksgiving is one of those rare occasions where entire families gather, appreciate one other's company, and chow down on some seriously decadent dishes. But with so many dishes happening at once and tons of hustling and bustling busybodies in the kitchen, there's room for a lot of minor (and major!) Turkey Day snafus. While we should never expect the worst, being prepared for whatever predicament presents itself will only make you more grateful.

• Is your turkey still frozen? There's a solution for that.
• What to do once you've brined your turkey.
• Find out a cooked turkey's internal temperature.

Keep reading for solutions to have in your arsenal in case your Thanksgiving feast is falling apart.

While fun-sized Halloween candies really hit the spot, there's only so much one stomach can handle. You can always store those Halloween goodies and save them for a rainy day, or you could try a different approach.

There's no better way to make use of leftover Halloween goodies than cooking up a delicious dessert everyone in your house can enjoy. If you have a trick-or-treater living under your roof, it's even sweeter if you get them involved. Here are three recipes that will help make the most of your leftover Halloween candy.

1. Use peanut butter cups to make these delicious Halloween blondies.
2. Shortbread bars can be topped off with any leftover chocolate candy you have on hand.
3. Curious about channeling your inner chocolatier? Basic chocolate bark is a great place to start. This recipe utilizes leftover candy corn, but the sky is the limit here. Don't be afraid to get creative with your candy choices!

Have any favorite recipes or traditions that make the most of leftover Halloween candy? Be sure to share them in Savory Sights. We may wind up featuring your recipes.