Cinco de Mayo 2014 Food and Flair

As promised, here are the tidbits from our Cinco de Mayo "celebration". (Side note: I had many more plans but found out late Sunday evening that my hubby would have to work and would not be home until Wednesday...I opted out of some of the decorations and I put our engagement dessert in the freezer for a later date. I couldn't eat it alone...it just would not be right. I'll be sure to share as soon as possible.)

I'll begin with the simple, modest décor.

It began with a delightful bag of mini peppers in beautiful, festive colors. I put them in the base of one of my punch bowls...and it worked quite nicely. I discovered this adorable (free) Fiesta printable at The 36th Avenue. There are several fun printables that you could utilize at next year's Cinco de Mayo bash.

 The red candle holders added a little extra flair.

I ran across another fun printable by The Idea Room. I used these to make napkin rings for my cutlery. The plates and colorful cutlery meshed well with my red place mats.



Now for my favorite part...the food!!!

I chose to make one tried and true recipe while experimenting with another. I'll begin with one of my new favorite creations, Mexican Confetti Rice. Of course you can find oodles of recipes for rice under similar names consisting of various ingredients. I chose to go with some of my favorite flavors, mixed it in a pot, and TADA! To view and print this recipe, click here or on the picture below!

Mexican Confetti Rice

Ingredients: 2c brown (or white rice) 1 3/4c low sodium chicken broth 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies 1/2c whole kernel corn 1/2c black beans, rinsed 1tsp cumin 1 clove garlic, minced 1tbsp oil Directions: Cook the rice according to the package directions using the chicken broth instead of water. In a skillet, heat your oil and sauté the garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add the corn and beans. As they begin to heat through, mix in the tomatoes and chilies. Stir in the cumin. Allow the vegetables to cook through. Mix the vegetables in with the rice. Serve with a dollop or two of sour cream. Makes 8 servings.

It's not like the Mexican Confetti Rice isn't hardy enough to stand on it's own, but this girl likes a little more protein. I paired this rice with one of our favorites, Tequila Lime Chicken. It's super simple, easy on the waistline and oh, so good! You can find this delicious dish here or by clicking the picture below.

Tequila Lime Chicken

Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/2c tequila 1/2c lime juice 1tbsp honey 1tbsp minced parsley Directions: In a zip lock gallon size bag, combine the tequila, lime, honey and parsley. Seal the bag and squeeze the bag to mix the ingredients. Add your chicken. Allow to marinate at least 4 hours, although overnight is better. Preheat your grill to 400. Grill the chicken about 10 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear and there is no pink left in the chicken. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving. As much fun as it was to put this meal together, the highlight was watching my daughter become quite the pro with her fork. She may learn good table manners after all.

Cinco de My-oh-my

While many of you may be going out to celebrate with a margarita or two, we'll be eating in. Even so, we have a lot to celebrate!

7 years ago today, my amazing husband (then boyfriend asked the question that would change our lives. On bended knee at the base of the Clock Tower, the love of my life asked me to marry him...and of course I said "yes!"

The place of our proposal

All smiles!

Happily engaged!

Just a quick side note...just hours a part on that same day, one of my dearest friends and her boyfriend also got engaged. When we talked on the phone that night we could not believe we had the same type of news to share! She and I could not have found better men and to make things even better, the two of them clicked during our dating years and we've all been friends ever since!

One of our annual fall trips to a local orchard



It's hard to believe that it has been 7 years since that day. The Lord has blessed our lives immensely and for that we remain grateful.

I've put together a festive menu and some fun décor for tonight's dinner that I look forward to sharing with you soon. On the list is the same dessert that we had the night of our engagement (only it will be homemade, so let's hope I do it justice).

How will you celebrate the 5th of May?