Are You Doing Anything Special for Cinco de Mayo?Cinco de Mayo means the 5th of May and celebrates the Mexican Army’s victory against the French at the battle of Puebla – a battle that took place on May 5, 1862.
Serve any of your favorite Mexican delicacies such as tacos, fajitas, nachos with salsa and guacamole.
Breakfast Burrito:
You will need bacon strips, diced; 2 tablespoons chopped onion; 1 cup frozen cubed hash; brown potatoes; 1/4 cup sour cream; 6 eggs; 2 tablespoons taco sauce; 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided; 4 flour tortillas (10 inches), warmed; sour cream; and chopped tomatoes. Initially cook the bacon strips on low heat till they are browned. Drain out the drippings from the bacon keeping a tablespoon of it. To the bacon drippings, add onions and potatoes and cook the mixture until the potatoes are browned.Take a large bowl; add sour cream and eggs. Add taco sauce, pepper and ¼ cup of cheese and stir the mixture uniformly. Transfer the potato and onion mixture to this and add the cooked bacon. Continue cooking until the eggs are fully cooked. Fill up each tortilla with the cooked bacon mixture in desired quantity and top it with cheese. Roll the tortilla with the bacon filling and close the bottom fully. Optionally tomatoes can be added on top. Sprinkle sour cream on top of tortilla and finish serving
Make Maracas:
Folk music and dancing are a distinct part of Mexican culture! You can join in the rhythm with these maracas. You will need: 9-inch paper plate, markers or crayons, handful of dried beans or rice, stapler, five or six strips of colored crepe paper or streamers. First, decorate the outside (bottom) of the paper plate- use bold designs and bright colors. Fold the plate in half and put a handful of beans or rice inside. Staple it shut. Then staple the colored streamers to the curved side of the plate. Now shake your maraca, and make your own music.
Make and Wear a Serape:
A traditional Mexican serape can make a wonderful addition to your Cinco de Mayo attire! You'll need a large brown grocery bag, scissors, masking tape, and poster paints. Cut straight up the seam on the back of the bag, branching into a "V" and then a hole in the bottom of the bag (this is the neck hole). Next, cut about a 5-inch wide strip from each side of the bag. This makes the open sides of the serape. Now make fringe around the bottom by either cutting slits all around the edges, or by punching holes along the bottom and threading pieces of yarn through. Now, turn the serape inside out, so that the print in inside, and the side that is showing is plain brown. You may need to secure the shoulder area (the bottom of the bag) with masking tape. Finally, lay your serape out flat, and paint with bright colors!
Make a Pinata:
This is a wonderful project to make and then "break" to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! You will need: A large balloon, lots of newspaper, flour, masking tape, colored tissue, paint (optional), glue, scissors, string, pencil. Blow up the balloon and tie tightly. Then tear the newspaper into long, thin strips (about 1 inch wide and at least 12 inches long). You'll need lots of strips. In a large bowl, mix 5 cups of flour with water- adding the water slowly until it is the consistency of pancake batter. Dip the newspaper strips in the flour and water mixture, wetting them completely. Remove any excess moisture from the strips by running them through your fingers, and then drape them over the balloon. Continue overlapping strips until the balloon is completely covered. Add more and more layers of newspaper until you have applied 5 -10 layers.
To decorate your pinata, let it dry completely, then either paint it, or cover it with colored tissue paper attached with craft glue. Overlap the tissue like roof shingles. To fill the pinata, cut a small flap in the top, bend it back carefully and drop in small wrapped candies or goodies. When the pinata is full, fold the flap back in to place.
Hang the pinata in a designated place that has plenty of room for kids to spin and swing a stick without hitting anything but the pinata, a minimum of 15-feet radius is recommended. Organize the kids in a line and start wit the smallest child. Blindfold the child (young children don't need to be blindfolded). Allow them to swing a stick or bat at the pinata. Allow kids to strike the pinata with the stick a few times. If the candy does not spill out, the turn passes to the next player in line.
Children's Books for Cinco de Mayo:
1. Mexican Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo
2. Let's Go Traveling in Mexico
by Robin Rector Krupp
3. Saturday Market
by Patricia Grossman
4. Mario's Mayan Journey
by Michelle McCunney
Reference: http://mailjust4me.com/play/cinco1.htm
Serve any of your favorite Mexican delicacies such as tacos, fajitas, nachos with salsa and guacamole.
Breakfast Burrito:
You will need bacon strips, diced; 2 tablespoons chopped onion; 1 cup frozen cubed hash; brown potatoes; 1/4 cup sour cream; 6 eggs; 2 tablespoons taco sauce; 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided; 4 flour tortillas (10 inches), warmed; sour cream; and chopped tomatoes. Initially cook the bacon strips on low heat till they are browned. Drain out the drippings from the bacon keeping a tablespoon of it. To the bacon drippings, add onions and potatoes and cook the mixture until the potatoes are browned.Take a large bowl; add sour cream and eggs. Add taco sauce, pepper and ¼ cup of cheese and stir the mixture uniformly. Transfer the potato and onion mixture to this and add the cooked bacon. Continue cooking until the eggs are fully cooked. Fill up each tortilla with the cooked bacon mixture in desired quantity and top it with cheese. Roll the tortilla with the bacon filling and close the bottom fully. Optionally tomatoes can be added on top. Sprinkle sour cream on top of tortilla and finish serving
Make Maracas:
Folk music and dancing are a distinct part of Mexican culture! You can join in the rhythm with these maracas. You will need: 9-inch paper plate, markers or crayons, handful of dried beans or rice, stapler, five or six strips of colored crepe paper or streamers. First, decorate the outside (bottom) of the paper plate- use bold designs and bright colors. Fold the plate in half and put a handful of beans or rice inside. Staple it shut. Then staple the colored streamers to the curved side of the plate. Now shake your maraca, and make your own music.
Make and Wear a Serape:
A traditional Mexican serape can make a wonderful addition to your Cinco de Mayo attire! You'll need a large brown grocery bag, scissors, masking tape, and poster paints. Cut straight up the seam on the back of the bag, branching into a "V" and then a hole in the bottom of the bag (this is the neck hole). Next, cut about a 5-inch wide strip from each side of the bag. This makes the open sides of the serape. Now make fringe around the bottom by either cutting slits all around the edges, or by punching holes along the bottom and threading pieces of yarn through. Now, turn the serape inside out, so that the print in inside, and the side that is showing is plain brown. You may need to secure the shoulder area (the bottom of the bag) with masking tape. Finally, lay your serape out flat, and paint with bright colors!
Make a Pinata:
This is a wonderful project to make and then "break" to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! You will need: A large balloon, lots of newspaper, flour, masking tape, colored tissue, paint (optional), glue, scissors, string, pencil. Blow up the balloon and tie tightly. Then tear the newspaper into long, thin strips (about 1 inch wide and at least 12 inches long). You'll need lots of strips. In a large bowl, mix 5 cups of flour with water- adding the water slowly until it is the consistency of pancake batter. Dip the newspaper strips in the flour and water mixture, wetting them completely. Remove any excess moisture from the strips by running them through your fingers, and then drape them over the balloon. Continue overlapping strips until the balloon is completely covered. Add more and more layers of newspaper until you have applied 5 -10 layers.
To decorate your pinata, let it dry completely, then either paint it, or cover it with colored tissue paper attached with craft glue. Overlap the tissue like roof shingles. To fill the pinata, cut a small flap in the top, bend it back carefully and drop in small wrapped candies or goodies. When the pinata is full, fold the flap back in to place.
Hang the pinata in a designated place that has plenty of room for kids to spin and swing a stick without hitting anything but the pinata, a minimum of 15-feet radius is recommended. Organize the kids in a line and start wit the smallest child. Blindfold the child (young children don't need to be blindfolded). Allow them to swing a stick or bat at the pinata. Allow kids to strike the pinata with the stick a few times. If the candy does not spill out, the turn passes to the next player in line.
Children's Books for Cinco de Mayo:
1. Mexican Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo
2. Let's Go Traveling in Mexico
by Robin Rector Krupp3. Saturday Market
by Patricia Grossman4. Mario's Mayan Journey
by Michelle McCunneyReference: http://mailjust4me.com/play/cinco1.htm
We are having tacos for dinner :)
ReplyDeleteI think it’s one of those things were people need an excuse to party. Think about how many people who celebrate St. Patrick’s Day that isn’t Irish. BTW, Colorado has the biggest Cinco de Mayo celebration, outside of Mexico.
ReplyDelete