May 1, 2014

Cinco de Mayo

By: Amberly Asay

Cinco de Mayo is upon us, and there are a lot of really fun things that you can do in order to have a great party.  We have gathered some great ideas and recipes.  But the most important thing is to have many different types of salsa and to have lots of friends!

Big hats and mustaches for a photo booth. 
Parties these days tend to have a photo booth.  You can't just go to the party. You have to go and have proof that you were there.  Putting mustaches on a stick and providing big sombreros will help set the mood for your party pics.

Homemade Piñata - Or you can just buy one
What would be a party without a piñata? It is really easy to make and it can be loads of fun for you and your friends.

What you'll need:
  • Flour
  • Water
  • Salt
  • Balloon
  • Newspaper
  • Colored tissue paper
  • craft glue
  • design accessories
Directions:
You'll need enough flour to be able to mix 5 parts of water for every 1 part flour.  Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in am medium saucepan.  Mewanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix 1 cup of flour with 1 cup of water until the lumps are gone.

Once the water is boiling, add the separate flour/water mixture to the pot and stir constantly with a silicone spatula while it boils for about 3-5 minutes.  The mixture should be smooth and thick like glue.  you can add more flour/water in small amounts if needed to achieve desired consistency.    Add 1-2 Tablesppons of salt to help prevent mold and stir.  Remove from the stove and cool.  Once it's at a comfortable temperature you can use it for your paper mache piñata! 

Use your homemade paste to glue strips of newspaper to the balloon until it is covered all over with the paper mache.  Let it dry.  When it is dry, you can cut a hole in it and pop the balloon leaving the cavity free to fill with candy and toys.  Fill it up, plug the hole.  Then use your favorite craft glue to attach colored tissue paper to your piñata, and decorate it however you like.  You can embellish your design with things you have around the house or add crafty bits like rhinestones, glitter, and buggy eyes.  Remember to add a hook, wire, or some means of attaching the piñata to a rope.


Mexican Parfaits- 7 layer dip
Lots of people know how to make the delicious 7 layer dip, but here is an even better idea.  Make the 7 layer dip in individual parfait cups.  That way everyone can get one and you won't have to worry about double dipping!  You will need: refried beans, olives, salsa (or pico), cheese, sour cream (mixed with taco seasoning) and guacamole.  In each cup but the ingredients down in order.  A layer of beans,  a layer of sour cream, a layer of guacamole.  Then sprinkle cheese over the top, add your pico and top with olives.  Then you have your delicious Mexican parfaits and an easy clean up for you!


Mexican "Unfried" Ice Cream 
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
5 cups coarsely crushed corn flakes
2 Tbls butter, melted
4 Tbls sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine corn flakes, butter, sugar and cinnamon.  Mix well and spread on the baking sheet.  Bake for 5 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.  It amy help to stir it around or turn it once while baking.  Remove from oven and cool.  In a 9x13 casserole dish, spread 1/2 of the corn flake mixture evenly across the bottom.

Open the cardboard ice cream box and lay it flat.  Cut ice cream into seven slices that are almost one inch wide.  Lay the slices in the pan to cover the entire pan.  As the ice cream will soften a bit in the process, use a knife or spatula to smooth the pieces together.  Cover the ice cream with the remaining corn flakes mixture and pat it down.  Cover the ice cream with the remaining corn flakes mixture and pit down.  Cover the pan with tinfoil and freeze for 2-3 hours until firm.  Serve with honey on top.

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