Can you hear that? The sound of a cocktail shaker in the distance? Sounds like Cinco de Mayo is fast approaching! If you’re planning on throwing the ultimate Cinco de Mayo fiesta, we’ve got you covered. All you need to do is follow the four D’s for the perfect party: Decorations, Dip, Desserts and Drinks. It’s fiesta time!
1. Decorations
Deck out the party spot with Fiesta Flowers. (Idea found here)
Supplies: Tissue Paper, Stapler, Scissors & Tape
Follow these simple directions and tape your flowers to the doorframe or wherever else you wish!
Try this festive blindfold for the piñata portion of the party! (Idea found here)
Supplies: Cardboard, White Duct Tape, Pen, Scissors, Tissue Paper, Tape, Hole Punch & String
Directions:1. Cut the front of a cardboard box off2. Cover front of box with white duct tape3. Draw the shape of your mask—feel free to get creative!4. Cut strips of tissue paper and make them fringy5. Start adding them layer by layer to the mask starting from the bottom and working your way up. Make sure they overlap.6. Cut around the edges to get the mask shape back7. Punch a hole on either side of the mask and try to keep them even8. Attach some string to both sides and trim it up.
Papel picado streamers are a must-have! (Idea found here)
Supplies: Various Colored Streamers, Scissors & a Variety of Hole Punches
Directions:1. Start by cutting rolls of crepe paper into sections to create 3 inch wide ribbons. Cut each length in half and fold every 4 inches. Trim away any excess. You will end up with a bundle that measures 3 inches by 4 inches with about 10-12 folds.2. Cut a small, rectangular section out of each folded side but leave the top attached so the bundle looks resembles the shape of a t-shirt.3. Add shape by cutting a scalloped edge along the bottom.4. Use a couple of hold punches to cut out patterns. You can use a binder clip to help keep all the sheets aligned.5. Open the bundles apart and connect the segments with clear tape to make each streamer longer if necessary. Hang and enjoy!
2. Dip
What’s ANY party without the guac? (Recipe found here)
Ingredients:
- 4 avocados
- 2-3 Roma tomatoes
- 1 medium jalapeño
- 1/2 purple onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 handful fresh cilantro,
- 1-2 limes, juice from
- sea salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:1. Start by chopping the avocados, tomatoes, jalapeño, onion, garlic cloves and cilantro. Do not chop too finely as the guacamole is best with larger chunks of ingredients.2. Combine all the chopped ingredients in a large bowl, carefully mashing up some of the avocado.3. Add the lime juice and sprinkle with a little sea salt and black pepper.4. Serve with your favorite vegetable sticks or tortilla chips!
Get spicy with some salsa! (Recipe found here)
Ingredients:
- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1- 10 oz can orginal Rotel
- 1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded or not (depends on how spicy you like it)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- small to medium size handful of cilantro, washed
- juice of 1 lime
Directions:1. Put all the ingredients in the base of a food processor or good blender and pulse to combine for 30 seconds or so until all the ingredients are finely chopped and salsa is desired consistency.2. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste.3. Serve with chips or over tacos.
3. Desserts
How about some festive Sombrero Cookies? (Recipe found here)
Ingredients:
- Store bought sugar cookies
- 1 can of white icing
- Gum drops
- Nonpareils or sprinkles
Directions:1. Start by putting about half a can of store bought icing into a Ziploc bag. Then cut off a tiny piece of one corner to make squeezing the icing onto the cookie easy.2. Using your homemade icing bag, squeeze a small bead of icing all the way around the cookie. It doesn’t have to be perfect, once it is covered in sprinkles no one will even notice.3. Pour your nonpareils into a shallow dish and then place the iced cookie face down in the plate of nonpareils.4. Turn them back over and add a drop of icing in the center of the cookie.5. Add a gum drop to the icing then sprinkle on a few extra nonpareils to cover any extra icing.
Did someone say Churro Cupcakes? (Recipe found here)
Ingredients:
For Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups milk
For Cinnamon Sugar Crunchy Topping
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk (if desired)
Directions:
For Cupcakes:1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.2. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.3. Whisk together both flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.4. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.6. Beat in vanilla.7. Reduce speed to low.8. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.9. Fill each cupcake liner three-quarters full.10. Bake 20 minutes.11. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.12. Top with cinnamon sugar crunchy topping and cinnamon cream cheese frosting.13. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
For Cinnamon Sugar Crunchy Topping:14. In a small bowl melt butter.15. In another small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon.16. When cupcakes are completely cooled brush melted butter on the tops and dip into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
For Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:17. In a medium bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until light.18. Mix in vanilla and cinnamon; add confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time until all is incorporated.19. If the frosting gets too thick, add milk a few drops at a time until it reaches desired consistency.
For a healthier dessert, try Mexican Fruit Cups! (Recipe found here)
Ingredients:
- 3 mango
- 1 cantaloupe
- 1 small seedless watermelon
- 1 pineapple
- 4 limes, divided
- Chili powder for sprinkling
- 8 plastic cups
Directions:1. Cut mango, cantaloupe, watermelon and pineapple into thick strips.2. Arrange an even mixture of various fruits strips into each cup.3. Cut the limes into quarters and squeeze 1 lime wedge over each up of fruit.4. Use the remaining 8 wedges for garnish and sprinkle chili powder over each cup to taste.
4. Drinks
Mexican Bulldog Margarita (Recipe from here)
Ingredients:
- 5 Cups Ice
- 1 Cup Tequila
- ½ Cup Grand Marnier
- 5 Limes, more for garnish
- 1 Orange
- 1 Cup simple syrup
- 6 Beer, Corona
- ⅓ Cup coarse Salt
Directions:1. Place 5 limes and 1 orange–which should be at room temperature–on the counter and roll them with your hand, back and forth, while applying pressure. Be careful, you don’t want to break them open, do it semi-gently. They’ll feel like a sem-filled water balloon when ready. This way the citrus will yield more liquid when you juice them.2. Juice the limes and the orange in a large measuring cup, then add in 1 cup of tequila, 1/2 cup of grand marnier, and simple syrup. Mix together.3. Add a heaping cup of ice to the blender and just enough of the margarita mixture that the ice is not covered. Blend, adding more ice or margarita mix until the desired thickness is achieved.4. Pour the frozen margarita into a salt-rimmed glass, pop open a Corona, and place it upside down in the glass, submerging it into the margarita. Repeat for each glass.
Red Wine Sangria with Strawberries (Recipe found here)
Ingredients:
- 2 bottles red wine—Most red wines will work. Suggestions for Spanish: Rioja, Tempranillo, Grenache; and non-Spanish: Shiraz, Merlot, Pinot noir, Syrah.
- 3/4 cup brandy (preferably Spanish, but any kind will do)
- 1/2 cup orange-flavored liqueur (e.g. Cointreau)
- juice of one large orange, strained (approx. 1 cup)
- 1 large orange, sliced into rounds (optional: reserve a couple slices for garnish)
- 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
- 1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced lengthwise (optional: reserve a few for garnish)1 large bottle of carbonated water (e.g. Perrier)
- ice cubes
Directions:1. In a pitcher, combine all ingredients except for: any fruit reserved for garnish, carbonated water, and ice cubes.2. Stir to combine. Cover the pitcher with plastic wrap and allow to refrigerate for at least 12 hours, and up to 2 days.3. Stir the sangria before serving. Pour some sangria into each glass, over ice, leaving room for fruit and water. Transfer some of the fruit form the pitcher of sangria into each glass (e.g. a slice of citrus and a few strawberry slices). Top glasses up with a splash of carbonated water.4. Optional: garnish glasses with a slice of strawberry and orange.
Cinco de Mayo Jello Shots (Recipe found here)
Ingredients:
- 6-8 limes
- 3 ounces fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 package Knox unflavored gelatin (2 teaspoons)
- 3 ounces good quality tequila
- 1 ounce Grand Marnier or Cointreau (or Triple Sec if you must)
- sea salt and/or large crystal sugar, for garnish
Directions:1. Hallow out the limes by cutting a small slit at the top of the halved lime2. Gently juice the lime and collect it in a measuring cup3. Peel the pulp away from the peel. You can use a paring knife or grapefruit knife (or your fingernail)4. Repeat until you have 12 lime halves and enough lime juice to equal 3 ounces. You only need 6 limes for the shots, but you might need extra for more juice and/or in case you tear a few5. To keep limes secure, place them in a mini muffin pan. Combine lime juice, an ounce of water and sugar to small saucepan.6. Sprinkle with gelatin and allow it to soak in a minute or two.7. Warm over medium heat, stirring until sugar and gelatin dissolve.8. Stir in tequila and Grand Marnier and pour into lime halves.9. Allow to refrigerate at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. Once jello has set up, cut into wedges.10. Serve with a small bowl of sea salt.
One last note: If you have the funds for a caterer, check out Haggen Market Street Catering at marketstreetcatering.com. They can cater your fiesta with Posole Stew, Beef Fajitas, Chicken Fajitas, Chicken Enchiladas and Tres Leche Cake…YUM!