Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is on Thursday; how are you celebrating? I think it is fun to have themed nights (whether on holidays or not) and have a whole night of food, entertainment and learning centered around one country, ethnicity, subject, etc. Serve traditional food and drinks, decorate accordingly, and play regional music or watch documentaries about those places. These are great ways for you and your children to learn about other cultures and new subjects. Below is an article I wrote for meal planning/recipe site Food on the Table with some fun tips on how to throw a fantastic fiesta this Cinco de Mayo!

Like many holidays, Cinco de Mayo celebrations center around food and fun!

Cinco de Mayo should not to be mistaken for Mexico’s independence day, which is celebrated on September 16. Cinco de Mayo actually celebrates the 1862 Battle of Puebla, a victory for the Mexican army, which was an embarrassment to French troops. Even though France ultimately won enough conflicts to occupy Mexico until 1867, the victory at Puebla is remembered as an example of the spirit of Mexico citizens. Thus, Cinco de Mayo, allows millions of people to celebrate Mexico history.
Cinco de Mayo celebrations can be a fun way for all to learn about Mexico history and have a fun celebration with friends and family. Follow these tips to create a festive Cinco de Mayo celebration:

• The food: No celebration is complete without a lovely spread of holiday themed food. Usually around specific holidays you can count on popular seasonal food to be on sale at the grocery store. Some great options to serve at your Cinco de Mayo dinner are tacos, taquitos, enchiladas, chips and salsa, quesadillas, burritos, Spanish rice or nachos. And to finish off your delicious meal try sopaipillas, tres leches cake, or churros for dessert!

• The drinks: For any party or gathering, choose just one or two drinks to serve to keep costs down. For Cinco de Mayo, try a Mexican beer or margaritas.

• The décor and party activities: Decorate with bright colors and patterns, chili peppers and sombreros. Print off copies of the Mexican flag and have the kids color them appropriately and use them as placemats or hang on the wall. You can also decorate with piñatas and allow children to take turns breaking it open while Mexican themed music plays in the background.

These Southwestern Chicken Tacos are an easy and affordable dinner and a perfect way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo or to enjoy any night of the week!

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Southwestern Chicken Tacos
by Heather of Kitchen Concoctions: www.kitchen-concoctions.com
Printable Version
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 4-5 hours on high 7-8 hours on low Serves 8

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
3 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded or thinly sliced
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
12 – 14 flour tortillas

To prepare chicken:
Place chicken breasts in crockpot. Add entire jar of salsa. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low 6-8 hours. When chicken is done cooking, use two forks and shred into pieces.

To form tacos:
Heat corn and black beans in a medium size sauce pan over medium heat until warm. Warm tortillas in microwave for 10 seconds. Top each tortilla with prepared chicken and remaining toppings.