Well, we've got it all! Here's a fun post that has food, fun, things to do and more to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!
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Cinco de Mayo is a festive holiday and fabulous way to celebrate learn about the Mexican culture!
From Mexican food, to art, history and music-just to name a few- there is so much to learn about and enjoy!
Read on for some fun ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!
For us, guacamole is an absolute must on Cinco de Mayo!
Here's a little backstory on my guacamole obsession:
It's kind of funny that the first time I ate guacamole was before Cenz was born-- and I loved it! I was teaching at the time, it was the end of the school year and us teachers had the (rare) luxury of a one hour lunch break!
It must have been one of those conference days, because lunch breaks were never long enough to go out for lunch!
Anyway, our school was located downtown and there were a number of great restaurants nearby. Someone suggested Mexican food and off we went!
I remember the warm, sunny day and sitting outside on the cafe patio with my coworkers and enjoying every minute and appreciating the moment!
Well, as we prepared to order, the guacamole appetizer on the menu caught my eye! I had never tried it before!
Well, for some reason two of us- I, who was expecting, and my other co-worker (who was also expecting!) thought it sounded really good! I didn't really have any cravings in my pregnancy, but this was the closest I came to one and both of us just couldn't resist!
The two of us tried it and agreed that this guacamole was nothing short of amazing!
To this day, I think it was the best guacamole I've ever had in a restaurant! The very accommodating waitress gave us the exact recipe and it made a lasting impression!
We have a pretty good recipe too if I do say so myself!
So, if eating out or doing takeout is not in the cards this year for Cinco de Mayo, give our little guacamole recipe a try!
Now, I thought I was a pretty big fan of guacamole, but the number one fan was born about five months after eating at that fabulous Mexican cafe!
Coincidentally, avocado was the first food Cenzia ate and liked. (We tried applesauce as per some advice but it didn't go well!)
To this day, one of Cenz's fave foods hands down is avocado and guacamole! Guess she knew what she liked from early on!
Here's a site with a little guacamole history for you! It answered my question why I had never tried it before that afternoon lunch with my teacher friends!
A Fun Book Feature for Cinco de Mayo...!
When we were planning what books to highlight in our Cinco De Mayo post, this fiesta-filled read immediately came to mind as being the perfect choice to star!
Chicks and Salsa is a fun, colorful picture book that's definitely one of the reasons I (Cenz) love Mexican food so much! Featuring a cast of whimsical cast of farm animals and a hilarious, - story, Chicks and Salsa has long been a favorite on our bookshelf!
On Mr. and Mrs. Nuthatcher's farm, the flamboyant rooster, tired of the same chicken feed day in and day out, decides to take matters under his own wings!
With a splash of salsa and a dash of hot sauce, the rooster whips up some Mexican fare that sends the other animals on the farm on a wild quest to do the same!
Meanwhile, the farmer and his wife remain blissfully oblivious to the chaos happening right outside their own front door- although, the rooster may have unknowingly set a trend...!!
With recipes included to make your own guacamole and other tasty treats, Chicks and Salsa is a delightful read that's guaranteed to have you enjoying a bit of Mexican fare while you read this book again and again!
Great illustrations and a funny, witty story makes this book a perfect read-aloud!
Looking for some other books to add to your Cinco de Mayo celebration?
Here are some more fun and interesting titles to read!
History of Cinco de Mayo
For a complete history of the Cinco de Mayo holiday, click here!
Learn a Little Spanish!
Want to learn to speak a little Spanish for the holiday? Duolingo is one great app/program, to use, and it's fun, too!
Play a Game of Mexican Kick Ball!
This is a fun relay race that is a traditional game played in Mexican villages!
Here's how to play a fun game that is a cross between a relay race, obstacle course and soccer!
Divide into two teams.
One person from each team starts and kicks a ball through the obstacle course as fast as they can.
After they finish, they may pick up the ball and run it back to their team to pass it to the next player.
The first team whose members complete the course wins!
Ideas for obstacles:
through a tunnel
around a tree
in and out of cones or logs
under tables or chairs
over a low net
backwards
Who can forget 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey?' The quintessential party game!
Try Some Mexican Food!
We love Mexican food! Just the thought of it is festive- and makes us hungry!
As mentioned above, our Guacamole is the perfect recipe to go along with Cinco de Mayo! It also goes along great with quesadillas!
We love making quesadillas because they're quick, delicious and satisfying!
They're great for lunch, but they're also are a great snack, appetizer or dinner option too!
Quesadillas can be made with every combination of fillings you can think of and whatever you choose, it will be delicious!
A Quick and Easy Quesadilla Recipe
Serves 2
Ingredients: 2 large tortillas, shredded cheese, coconut oil/butter/oil of choice for griddle or pan and additional ingredients of choice.
Optional Ingredients: refried beans, corn, black beans, chopped spinach or kale, sweet potatoes (cooked and cubed), black olives, mushrooms, cut avocado, roasted or fresh red peppers cut up, etc.!
Directions:
Heat griddle/pan and brush/melt oil of choice (about 1 t.) to keep tortilla from sticking.
If using flour tortillas, heat tortilla on both sides until they brown and puff a little. If using gluten free brown rice tortillas, you can skip this step.
Add about 1/2- 1 cup filling on one half and fold other side on top.
Heat over medium low heat for 3 minutes.
Gently flip and heat for 3-4 more minutes.
When cheese is melted and outside quesadilla shell is nicely (lightly) browned, it's ready!
Remove from heat, place on plate and use a pizza wheel like this one to get a quick, clean cut!
Take a Virtual Trip!
Be an armchair traveler and take a virtual tour; it's a fun way to enjoy this amazing destination!
Here is a fantastic site that offers a 360 degree virtual tour of the ruins at Teotihuacan, Mexico.
Note: If it's not loading, just make sure you don't have a pop-up ad blocker on your device/desktop since the tour may not work with one turned on.
Another great option is this site, if you're in the mood for a slideshow view of some incredible locations!
Cactus Painted Rocks!
Minimal materials, maximum fun!
Grab some rocks and paint and see below for fun inspiration!
Photo Credits: 1. Stonzie 2. Cheerful Mess 3. Cherryflavoredgoomba 4. Yogisowl
Decorate With a Fun Piñata DIY!
You can't celebrate without some Mexican flair, and who doesn't love the look of a fun, festive piñata?!
Even if you're not having a party, piñatas are both an adorable decoration and a classic game that will round out your Cinco De Mayo festivities!
Here is a great DIY piñata that's both easy and a blast to make yourself! Want a little twist on the traditional piñata style? Here's a great site with DIY piñatas, including a doughnut!
Don't Forget the Mariachi Music!
Okay, this music is a must for your celebration! It's super fun and perfect for that fiesta feel!
While we were enjoying our quesadillas and guacamole, we found this mariachi music and it really rounded out our Cinco de Mayo fiesta at home!
Well, there you go! Plenty of ways to have fun celebrating the Cinco de Mayo holiday!
Love to pin things so you have it for the future? So do we!
Be sure to Pin this post to make it easy to find for your next Mexican-inspired fiesta!
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Olé!
Cenzia & April
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Updated 05/05/2023 originally published 05/04/2020