Ole! It’s almost time to fiesta Cinco de Mayo-style.
Fortunately, throwing a party to celebrate El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (The Day of the Battle of Puebla) doesn’t have to cost you plenty of pesos. Instead of heading to your local party shop to purchase fancy games and decorations, look around your house for items that can be given a Mexican twist.
For example, you can pull out an old “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” game, make some minor changes with a Sharpie and play “Pin the Sombrero on the Burro.” The Mexican hats can be sketched by hand and copied on a home computer or you can print out clip art versions and pass them out to players to place on the donkey’s head.
Another idea is to fill a jar with Mexican pinto beans. Place the jar on a table and have guests guess the exact number of the popular south of the border side dish without going over. If you have young children at your fiesta, grab a large chili and play “Hot Chili Pepper” instead of “Hot Potato.” The same rules apply; the only difference is the type of item being passed around, and perhaps the music. Consider playing festive Mexican songs during rounds of “Hot Chili Pepper.”
Don’t forget the piñata at your Cinco de Mayo party. You can make your own by using a balloon and paper mache or buy an inexpensive piñata at a discount store. Then, fill it with candy and small toys that can be purchased from the Dollar Store.
If you are entertaining older guests, have an eating contest. Fill a table with hot chili peppers and see who can eat the most in five minutes without taking a sip of water. Adult guests may also enjoy making their own margaritas. Offer a variety of flavors, including strawberry, mango and watermelon and let guests create their own in a blender or cocktail shaker. If you have shy guests, have someone man the bar and give your thirsty visitors the job of wetting the rim of their glass with lime juice and dipping it into coarse salt to coat the top edge.