Tag Archives: cinco de mayo

Cinco de Mayo Sombrero Craft

5 May

Happy Cinco de Mayo Friends!  Have you ever wondered what exactly Cinco de Mayo is?  If so I’m about to tell you…  In 1862, the Mexican army defeated French forces (whose numbers were double that of the Mexican troops) in a huge battle in a town called Puebla. It was an unexpected victory and became the source of much excitement and pride, not just in Mexico, but also in many Mexican communities in the American West. When word of the May 5 victory reached mining communities in California, Mexican workers reportedly celebrated by firing rifles into the air and singing patriotic songs. That is said to be the very first Cinco de Mayo celebration…and they’ve increased in popularity ever since.  This is why  Cinco de Mayo is largely celebrated not in Mexico itself, but en los Estados Unidos!

Cinco de Mayo is not to be confused with Mexico’s official Independence Day, which is celebrated across Mexico on September 16. But here in America, May 5 has become a day to embrace Mexican heritage and pride, whether you have Mexican ancestry or not.

Tonight we are having a little family Cinco de Mayo celebration with delicious Mexican food, drinks and these lovely Sombrero centerpieces!  They were super easy to put together and the boys had a lot of fun with it.  All you need is a paper plate, paper cup, some pipe cleaners, puff balls and glue!  I twisted the pipe cleaners around the bottom of each cup for my youngest, but my older two were able to do this themselves.   I did cut off the ends for all of them to avoid any poking :).  We then glued the cup to the plate and decorated them to look like mini sombreros.   We just used colored puff balls and glued them around the edges of the plate!   We practiced patterns and counting while we were making them too!  The other idea I had was to punch a hole on either side of the cups and thread them with ribbon to make a cute banner…  What ever you choose I think they’ll be a hit at your fiesta too!

 

Cowboy Caviar Chip/Cracker Dip

29 Apr

 

I was trying to think of a recipe for an appetizer/dip that was a little bit more “healthy” and fresh than the ones I usually make.  I remembered a friend making “Cowboy Caviar” at a BBQ one time so I did a little research.  I found tons and tons of recipes online for cowboy caviar and no two were alike.  I decided to combine a couple, add some of my favorite ingredients and see what happened.   I made enough to feed an army, and if I had one over it would have been gone, it was yummy!   Here’s my recipe for Cowboy Caviar… Make it for Cinco De Mayo or your next BBQ, it really was a hit!

COWBOY CAVIAR- Mountain Style 🙂

1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 can of black-eyed peas (can use dried, just cook and drain)
1 can of black beans (can use dried, just cook and drain)
1 can of pinto beans (can use dried, just cook and drain)
1 can of  corn (can use frozen, just cook and drain)
Fresh Cilantro

OPTIONAL:

Chopped Pineapple, Avocado, and/or Mango

Drain and rinse all ingredients.  Toss in LARGE bowl.

DRESSING: Bring 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar and 1 c. oil to a boil.  Remove from heat immediately and dissolve 1/2 c. sugar into mixture. Cool. Pour dressing over chopped ingredients & chill.  Serve with dipping chips or really you could even eat it like a salad…  DELICIOUS

Cinco de Mayo Craft or Centerpiece

4 May

The boys and I made these sombreros today as a little craft for Cinco de Mayo.  We’re having a little FIESTA with some neighbors tomorrow afternoon and we thought they’d make cute centerpieces.  So not only were they fun to make, but they serve a purpose, as well….  They were also super easy to put together.  All you need is a paper plate, paper cup, some pipe cleaners, puff balls and glue!  I twisted the pipe cleaners around the bottom of each cup and cut off the ends for the boys.  They rest they were able to manage themselves…  We practiced patterns and counting while we were making them too!  The other idea I had was to punch a hole on either side of the cups and thread them with ribbon to make a cute banner…  What ever you choose I think they’ll be a hit at your fiesta too!

 

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