On the Homefront: Quietly Colorful Cinco de Mayo Table

Dalmatians Cinco and Mayo are back this year to help
celebrate, along with their little donkey pal Burrito!

My Cinco de Mayo table was inspired by a table runner I bought from Crate and Barrel at the same time I got my Easter bunny plates.  The striped Mercado runner is full of color, but the stripes are so narrow that the color seems muted.  Since I set an exuberantly bright table last year, I decided that a more subtle approach would be fun to do this time.

Natural woven round placemat from Kmart years ago; yellow dinner plate and salad bowl (Block Basics by Cerind of Portugal); natural cotton fringed napkin; faux wood-handled flatware; colorful stemmed wine glass; Tuscana Colored Stemless Wine Glass used as a water glass, from Stein Mart this year; striped Mercado Table Runner from Crate and Barrel.

The large lime green candle in my centerpiece is surrounded by,
of all things, Japanese peanuts!  (They happened to be the size
and color I was looking for, and they taste great too!)

My cactus candleholders (from Target a long time ago!) make a
return appearance, this time joined by sweet donkey Margarita
and some bright tulips.

Since Cinco de Mayo is on a Monday this year, the menu is fairly simple.  If you have the time, use my recipe links for the main dish and salad.  If time is really tight, simply stop by your favorite Mexican restaurant for the Shrimp in Chipotle Cream Sauce (or whatever you prefer) and use a bagged salad mix for the Mexican chopped salad (our local Kroger and Walmart both have southwestern versions that would work).  The dessert can be made a couple of days in advance (if you have the will power to save some for Cinco de Mayo!).  You could serve Mexican beer or margaritas with this meal, but I prefer sangria or wine spritzers, even though they are not really Mexican (I just don't like beer or margaritas).

Cinco de Mayo menu:

Tortilla Chips/Guacamole and Salsa

Mexican Chopped Salad

Shrimp in Chipotle Cream Sauce

Lime Cilantro Rice*

Carmelitas

From The Learning Curve

*Lime Cilantro Rice

2 C. chicken stock or water

1 C. long grain white rice
1 T. butter (optional)

salt to taste (optional)

1 tsp. lime zest

2 T. fresh lime juice

1/2 C. minced cilantro

Bring the stock or water to a boil.  Stir in the rice, then butter and salt to taste, if desired.  Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients just before serving.  Serves 4.

Lovely Dalmatian Rosarita surveys the Cinco de Mayo table
from atop her lofty perch in a corner of the dining room!

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo todo el mundo!