La Fiesta...Mexican Night

AY AY AY AY!!! Lets have a Fiesta! Party like a Mexicano! I love love love all things Mexican! 

Here is an awesome Party Idea brought to you by #AbbyGiaLoon! 

Food! Drinks! Sombreros && even how to make your own PINATA 

MEXICAN FOOD! #YUM 

Chicken Chimi in the Oven

SERVING: 6

PREP: 25 mins

COOK: 25 mins

READY IN: 50 mins

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

 1/2 cup chopped onion

 2 cloves garlic, minced

 2 cups salsa

 3 tablespoons water

 1/4 cup chili powder

 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 1 pound cooked, shredded chicken breast meat

 1 cup re-fried beans

 6 (10 inch) flour tortilla

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish. 
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in salsa and water. Season with chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Return mixture to the saucepan, stir in the chicken, and cook until heated through. 
• Spoon an equal amount of re-fried beans down center of each tortilla, and top with equal amounts of the chicken mixture. Fold tortillas over the filling, and secure with toothpicks. Arrange seam-side down in the prepared baking dish, and brush with the remaining olive oil. 
• Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, turning every 5 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

Bean Quesadillas

PREP: 15 mins

COOK: 30 mins

READY IN: 45 mins

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

 1 onion, finely diced

 2 cloves garlic, minced

 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

 1 green bell pepper, chopped

 2 tomatoes, chopped

 1/2 (10 ounce) package frozen corn

 12 (12 inch) flour tortillas

 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion and garlic until soft. Mix in beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, and corn; cook until heated through.

Spread 6 tortillas with equal amounts of the bean and vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with equal amounts of the Cheddar cheese, and top with the remaining tortillas to form quesadillas.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place quesadillas in the skillet and cook, turning once, until cheese is melted and both sides are lightly browned.

How to make your own taco shells 

Working with 6 tortillas at a time, wrap in a barely damp cloth or paper towel and microwave on High until steamed, about 30 seconds. Lay the tortillas on a clean work surface and coat both sides with cooking spray. Then carefully drape each tortilla over two bars of the oven rack. Bake at 375°F until crispy, 7 to 10 minutes.

Chicken Taco Filling 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

250g chicken mince

410g can chopped tomatoes with roasted capsicum

125g can kidney beans, drained, rinsed

125g can corn kernels, drained, rinsed

1 teaspoon Mexican chilli powder

1 teaspoon caster sugar

12 taco shells

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

1 carrot, peeled, grated

2 small tomatoes, finely chopped

1/2 cup low-fat grated tasty cheese

METHOD

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Increase heat to medium-high. Add mince. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up mince, for 5 to 6 minutes or until browned.

Step 2

Add canned tomatoes, beans, corn, chilli powder and sugar. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 minutes or until mixture has thickened.

Step 3

Bake taco shells for 5 minutes or until browned. Spoon mince mixture into shells. Top with lettuce, carrot, tomato and cheese. Serve.

DRINK UP! 

Sangrita  

2 cups  tomato juice

1/4  cup orange juice with pulp

3   teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1   tablespoon grenadine

5   teaspoons soy sauce

1   teaspoon hot sauce

Kosher salt, pinch

Coarse ground pepper to taste

watermelon agua fresca

4 Cups coarsely chopped seedless watermelon flesh

Juice of 1 medium fresh lime

1   cup crushed ice or 1-1/4 cups ice cubes

1   tablespoon superfine sugar (or to taste)

Orange slices and mint sprigs for garnish

mock margarita

Lime wedge (optional)

 Coarse salt or coarse sugar (optional)

1  6  ounce can frozen limeade concentrate

3/4  cup orange juice

2/3  cup unsweetened grapefruit juice

25 - 30   small ice cubes (about 4 cups)

Lemon or lime slices (optional)

YUM DESERTS 

Churros

SERVING: 4

PREP: 10 mins

COOK: 10 mins

READY IN: 20 mins

1 cup water

 2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar

 1/2 teaspoon salt

 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

 1 cup all-purpose flour

 2 quarts oil for frying

 1/2 cup white sugar, or to taste

 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball.

Heat oil for frying in deep-fryer or deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Pipe strips of dough into hot oil using a pastry bag. Fry until golden; drain on paper towels.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll drained churros in cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Baked Flan

Serving: 8

PREP: 20 mins

COOK: 1 hr

READY IN: 1 hr 20 mins

2/3 cup white sugar

 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

 2 cups heavy cream

 1 cup milk

 5 eggs

 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a small nonstick saucepan, heat the sugar over medium heat. Shake and swirl occasionally to distribute sugar until it is dissolved and begins to brown. Lift the pan over the heat source (4 to 6 inches) and continue to brown the sugar until it becomes a dark golden brown. You may slightly stir while cooking, but continually stirring causes the sugar to crystallize. Pour caramelized sugar into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish or a large loaf pan, and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan evenly.

In a blender, combine sweetened condensed milk, cream, milk, eggs and vanilla. Blend on high for one minute. Pour over the caramelized sugar.

Place the filled casserole dish into a larger pan and add 1 inch of HOT water to the outer pan. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until set.

PINATA TIME

How to Make a Pinata

Tools:

• Scissors
• Measuring cup
• Bowls
• Mixing spoon
• Saucepan
• Serrated knife
• Artists' brushes
• Ice pick

Materials:

• Large and small balloons
• Newspaper
• Flour
• Water
• Cardboard tubes from toilet paper or paper towels
• Transparent tape or masking tape
• White glue
• Poster paint or colored tissue paper
• Construction paper, crepe paper, yarn, or pipe cleaners, as desired
• Sturdy string
• Hard candy and small toys, as desired

Time: About 2 to 4 hours, plus 2 to 3 days drying time

Use a large balloon to build the piñata on, roughly the same shape you want the piñata to be. Use a round balloon for a round fruit or vegetable or a funny head; use a long balloon for a plane or ship. Make sure you get a balloon large enough to hold candy for the whole party; a diameter of 12 inches is usually adequate. To make a head, if you need one, get a 6 1/2-inch balloon. Just in case, get at least one extra balloon in each size.

Making the Papier-Mâché

The piñata is built up of papier-mâché strips smoothed over the balloon. Before you blow up the balloon, cut or tear newspaper into 1 1/4-inch-wide strips. Prepare more strips than you think you'll need; the balloon must be covered with several layers of paper. Spread newspaper on your work surface to protect it.

When you have enough newspaper strips, make a flour and water paste for the papier-mâché. Mix 1/4 cup of flour and 1 cup of cold water, pressing out all lumps; set it aside. Measure 5 cups of water into a saucepan and bring the water to a boil. Add a spoonful of boiling water to the flour-and-water paste, and stir to mix well; then, stirring constantly, slowly pour the paste mixture into the boiling water. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let the mixture cool.

Now Follow the step in the pictorial below

Easy DIY Decorations 

Mexican wall decorations 

MATERIALS

10-inch-by-14-inch sheets of brightly colored tissue paper

Decorative hole punches

Iron

Craft scissors or pinking shears

String

Glue

STEP 1

Make eight equal sections: Fold one sheet of tissue paper in half the short way, then fold it in quarters, then in eighths. Unfold the paper and refold it accordion-style along the same folds. If desired, you can iron the paper now to make it flatter and thus easier to work with.

STEP 2

Create a repeating pattern by punching holes in the folded tissue paper using a variety of decorative hole punches. Do not use the punch on the folded edge or it will jam. Use scissors or pinking shears to cut shapes along the folded edge. Cut a curve that will make a scallop-shaped bottom edge. Leave a little room at the top. Open the folded paper. Using a warm iron, iron out the creases.

STEP 3

To hang the decorations as banners, fold the top 1/2 inch over, and crease. Run a string across the sheets, just under the fold. Carefully glue the folded edges down over the string.

Mexican paper Flowers 

Materials:

6 Sheets tissue paper

1 Pipe cleaner

Scissors

• Layer the tissue paper or crepe paper 4 sheets thick. Cut a rectangle that is 6 inches (15 cm) by 12 inches (30 cm).
• Fold the 4 layers by starting on the short end. Make the paper folds 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide, as you would fold a paper fan. Fold one direction, turn and fold in the other direction. When complete, your folded paper will be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) by 6 inches (15 cm).
• Cut the pointed corners of the paper with your scissors to round the corners.Use the scissor to cut a v-shaped notch on each side of the folded paper as close as you can to the middle. Be careful that you do not cut all the way through the paper and cut the flower in half.
• Stack the colored paper on top of the green paper, so that the edges are aligned perfectly.
• Twist one end of a green pipe cleaner very tightly around the middle of the paper where you cut the notches.
• Separate the layers of colored tissue paper or crepe paper by pulling up from the base. Be very careful and gentle so that you do not tear the tissue paper. Do not separate the green leaves. They will remain together. You can fan out the green paper to resemble leaves.
• Fluff the flower to your liking. You can place the green pipe cleaners of the flowers in a vase. You can use them as party favors by placing them on a table. You can add a pin to the back and wear them on your lapel.

WOW!! Doesn't all of this look great && delicious?? its all simple & easy dishes to make && making all these decorations can be a lot of fun, for young && the young at heart. This is also a great birthday party idea.  Invite your friends && family, Have yourself an awesome FIESTA!!! #ENJOY my #LOONERS 

With Never Ending Love

Abby Gia Loon

Keep following on Twitter/Instagram: LUN9A

or 

Facebook: Luna Gabriella Groepe

or 

Right Here @ Abbygialoon.blogspot.com
or 
Pinterest: LGroepe 
or 
Email me @ rockfairy_4@live.com

Send in your awesome "BONUS FIND" through any of theses social media platforms!