cinco de mayo

Cinco de Mayo- What it’s really about.

May 5, 2020 16 Typical Life

Cinco de Mayo is a national American holiday, (predominately American holiday) that everyone celebrates with margaritas and tacos. But do we really know the real meaning of Cinco de Mayo?

Cinco de Mayo (the fifth of May) celebrates the Mexican’s Army 1862 victory over France at the battle of Puebla. This was during the Franco-Mexican War. The battle only lasted one day and it was a turning point for Mexican government, and this in return is what people now recognize as Cinco de Mayo or the Battle of Puebla Day.

Mexican- American Holiday

Turns out this is a pretty small and minor holiday in Mexico, but America has turned it into a lets celebrate Mexican culture and heritage day. This happens all over America especially in higher areas of Mexican-Americans. We celebrate by going to most local Mexican joints and drinking margaritas, listening to live music, and eating REALLY good Mexican food.

In other places, they pull out all the stops and most will have parades with beautiful women dressed in Mexican culture appropriated outfits and dancing to authentic Mexican music while celebrating all the awesome accomplishments from over the years by the Mexican- Americans while trying to keep their culture alive.

A Few Things to Do for Cinco de Mayo:

  • Support a local taco truck. (Most of the time, these are the best tacos/food you will ever have in your life. Also 99% of the time, it’s all 100% authentic.)
  • Support your local Mexican restaurant. (If quarantine is over)
  • Drinks some MARGARITAS! Get that tequila and come out with some new margarita recipes, I’d love to hear and try them!
  • Please correct someone if they say its Mexico’s Independence Day because it isn’t.
  • Have a fiesta at home, and make some real street tacos.
  • Make some salsa! (Real salsa, not the joke stuff you buy at grocery stores.) You can find my recipe here for my mama’s salsa!
  • Craft a pinata with your kids! (If you are in quarantine this is a great craft to do! Hang them up outside to show you support, plus they make for a cool summer decoration!)
  • Learn how to count pass 10 in Spanish or at least how to order your meal in Spanish, or better yet how to order a cerveza (beer). Most Mexican- Americans are bilingual, but most American’s aren’t. Plus, something new learned is ALWAYS a good thing.

Overall Take

Sometimes on Cinco de Mayo, I see a few people who don’t understand why we celebrate it. We are celebrating something other than our every day culture and we learn knew things all at the same time why doing so. Just because you live one way, doesn’t mean that everyone else does or has to. So go to that local Mexican restaurant, or taco truck, celebrate your margaritas, because in all HONESTY, where would you be or what would you do if we didn’t have Mexican- Americans or Mexican restaurants? You’d be depressed, that’s what. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Thanks for reading!

Homemade Salsa- My Mama’s Way

May 3, 2020 23 Recipes

Cinco De Mayo is finally here and we are all basically in quarantine. This would happen in the year that Cinco de Mayo finally falls on Taco Tuesday. Just a little devastated about it- reason being is I have my baby here now, and I CAN FINALLY DRINK A MARGARITA! I’m really starting to miss when they would bring my hot plate and say my favorite words “hot plate, don’t touch, hot plate.”

This will be a fairly short blog post, because I am going to let you in on a secret; my mama’s salsa recipe. It isn’t hard to make, and there isn’t really anything THAT special about it, other than it’s the best dang salsa you’ll ever eat. Not to mention, it literally costs like 5 bucks to make a small batch and $10 bucks to make a big batch. Honestly, probably not even that much if we are thinking about different prices and sales.

I finally had just learned to make this last year after my husband having begged a few times for me to learn, so that we wouldn’t have to drive to my parents house to eat it or pick some up.

I make it for all kinds of occasions. Every time we have people over, big parties, birthday parties, etc. People kill for the salsa. Just pair with some tortilla chips or some spicy chips.

  • 1 Tomato
  • 1 White Onion Peeled
  • 1 Can of Original Rotel Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 Bunch of Cilantro
  • 1 Jalapeno or if you want really spicy, (1 habanero or serrano pepper)
  • A Blender
  • Tortilla Chips/Chips
  • Chop up half your onion, and chop your full tomato, and chop up the head of cilantro, also chop up your pepper, if you decide to put any in there. Throw it in your blender.
  • Next, open your can of rotel diced tomatoes. Put that in the blender also.
  • Blend everything together till it is liquid consistency with no chunks.
  • You can place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours for coldness, or serve straight out of the blender.

I really hope you enjoy this salsa as much as my family and I do! Happy Cinco de Mayo! Stay safe and healthy, and enjoy some yummy salsa at home!