How Exciting, It's MAY!

May probably has to be one of my favorite months.  No, it is not just because it is my birthday, ok maybe that is the reason I like it so much, but there is also Cinco de Mayo!  A day we all claim as our own, celebrates Mexican heritage and pride as well as commemorates the cause of freedom and democracy during the first few years of the American Civil War.

Growing up I was adverse to any type of Mexican food or anything containing mint flavor.  I know, growing up in Southern California, how could I have avoided such delicious cuisine?  My aunt would tease me and say we were having tacos and mint chip ice cream for dinner.  Well, times and taste buds have definitely changed and I now crave Tex-Mex, Mexican food, and of course mint ice cream!

To start off the celebrations, I threw together a quick "Fiesta Salad" with black beans, lettuce, guacamole (compliments of Trader Joe's Avogadro's Guacamole), baby tomatoes, salsa, and some grilled chicken strips.  I could have included some frozen corn I had sitting in the fridge but I was pretty hungry by the time I got all the ingredients in the bowl.  To pair it all off, I grabbed the bag of "Reduced-Guilt" tortilla chips, another favorite from Trader Joes and was in 7th heaven.  This was a new product I was testing out and they seem to have won my heart out.  I don't try to rave about every product that I try and believe me, if something is not up to par, I will let you know.  But these chips seemed to have the most crunch.  They do tend to break easily under the pressure of the guacamole, but were not as flimsy as Tostitos and were much more satisfying.

But enough of this weak attempt at a Mexican meal.  I'm really ready for my sister's homemade tacos, where she makes the taco shells by placing fresh tortillas from (yep, you guessed it...) Trader Joes in a pan of oil and magically removes them, crispy to perfection.  I've heard my uncle Rob makes amazing tacos, but I have yet to see him in action.  We will have to have a taco throw down this summer.

Here are some great ideas from Sunset to celebrate your own Cinco de Mayo celebrations this week, month, or YEAR!  Wherever you can pick up a bag of tortilla chips and avocados, it's a fiesta.

From main dishes, drinks, even tutorials on making the best guacamole, check out some 

Favorite Mexican Recipes

{Some of the favorites? Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, Tortilla Soup, Grilled Skirt Steak, Yucatecan Tostadas, Baja Fish Tacos, Mexican Chopped Salad with Orange Cream, Halibut Tostada with Yogurt-Lime Sauce}

Someone has already taken on the task of searching out the best burrito.  There happens to be a few spots along the California coast I might try to search out

"The Hunt for the Best Burrito"

And if you can't seem to put the perfect menu together, try this one!

Cinco De Mayo Taco Party

Fiesta Dinner Menu

I plan on testing these bad boys out very soon and definitely stay tuned for the Tres Leches Cake.  When we traveled to Costa Rica a few years ago, we were introduced to the fine sweet treat and I've been searching out the perfect recipe ever since!

*Another Costa Rican favorite was the delicious and omni-present Arroz con Pollo.

My compliments, as always, to Trader Joe's and Sunset, two quality institutions :)