mexican fiesta party

When we decided to combine B1 and B2's 18th and 16th birthday parties  

(lots of the same family and friends would be coming to both so this just made it easier),
I looked for a way to make it easy on everyone (particularly moi) cooking wise,
I didn't want to do a BBQ for a large number of guests and then have to prepare half a dozen different salads, a sausage sizzle was a little too casual, so it got me thinking about what would be easy and involve minimal preparation but still be yummy.

I hit on the idea of serving tacos, minimum prep - maximum flavour.

This then lead to the party having a whole Mexican theme.

I chose lots of bright colours and decorations to give impact but also keep it all very simple and low key.

 

I ordered some bright paper lanterns from eBay and we put them up in the entertaining area.

I picked up the pinata at Big W.

Each table was covered in a bright coloured tablecloth with a striped cloth used as a table runner
(I bought 2 of these as table cloths off eBay and then cut them into 4 to create 8 table runners. 

I added a coloured tin with some succulents that I planted about a month ago,
a coloured glass citronella candle from Bunnings,
and a bright coloured water bottle to make the table centre pieces.

I mixed up the colours on each table to give a bright eclectic feel.

To continue the theme I used purple plates, green cups and red napkins.

We started with some corn chips and dips:

guacamole, hot spinach salsa queso dip, and a cucumber salsa.

Then moved onto our DIY taco bar.

 I borrowed some crock-pots from friends as well as my own and did a bean mix for the vegetarians, beef for the traditionalists and my taco chilli chicken was in the other for those wanting something a little different.

I kept it simple by serving it with grated cheese, sliced tomato and sliced cucumber and shredded lettuce (took only a minute with my v-slicer).

Some sour cream, guacamole and sauces completed the tacos.

For drinks we made a non alcoholic sangria and a pineapple sangria, then later on a lemon-lime punch.

We also served some flavoured waters and had bottles of water on the table.

We made the party alcohol free as B1 has for the time being decided not to drink and we didn't want any problems with any of their underage friends drinking.

For dessert I served ice cream- I know I have an obsession with ice cream!

It is so easy to make and has maximum impact, you just need to be organised to start far enough in advance.

But it literally takes about 5 minutes prep time and then when it is cold enough you throw it in the ice cream maker and voila it is done- dead easy!

We had: 

Vanilla,

Mint Choc Chip- everyone's favourite

Mexican Chocolate

Liquorice (I will do a recipe of this soon)

Ginger

Coffee

Lemon-lime cheesecake (wasn't overly impressed with this- tasted too cream cheesey)

and for the dairy free Pina Colada Sorbet.

I also served a variety of teas, coffee and some yummy biscuits- I will share these in a post soon.

Every thing was very much do ahead, even the cake I did a week in advance and just froze it, got it out on the morning, iced it and it was good to go.

The photo of the cake has a weird yellow tinge because the lights in our entertaining area are yellow to discourage the insects.
After I wrote their names and ages in brown M&M's B4 covered the rest of the cake in diagonal stripes- an idea I got from pinterest.


Here they are cutting the cake.

We got the pinata down and VCH hooked it to the basketball hoop.

Here The Girl is having her turn- we didn't bother with blind folds.

A collage of the festivities

Happy Birthday in Spanish.

So ends our first party in the new look entertaining area- I will be back with the low down on the area very soon, pinky promise!