Some info about our Gourmet Group:  We are 4 couples who enjoy cooking, entertaining, and most of all, each other’s company. 

We take turns hosting in our homes.  The hosts decide on the menu (theme) from appetizers to dessert for the evening.  The hosts cook most of the meal, but give at least one course (along with all the recipes) to the other couples to prepare.  We love trying new recipes and ideas.  So most of the time the recipes are ones we haven’t cooked before, but they don’t have to be.

Hola!

We hosted our Gourmet Group on May 5th this year for a “Cinco de Mayo” Themed Dinner Party.  Come take a look at our fiesta-filled evening.

SETTING THE SCENE

As I usually do when entertaining, I try to set the scene when my guests walk in the front door with the décor on my foyer chest (& also on my dining room chest).

For this evening, I kept the décor simple & pretty, as well as staying with my Cinco de Mayo theme.

Foyer Chest

Dining Room Chest

THEATRE OF MY TABLE

I had such fun putting this tablescape together!

~  A blast of color-full colors ~

Various colored ‘salad’ plates, napkins, & placemats

Drink umbrellas, and different colors of party hats and water glasses

I thought yellow flowers coordinated best with my table colors.  So believe it or not, I bought all the flowers for the night at Dollar Tree.

{We actually had another dinner party for 12 the following Saturday night.  I kept pretty much the same tablescape & used the flowers for that evening too, so I really got my moneys-worth out of those flowers!}

Baby bananas, lemons, maracas

Fun Place Cards

Place Settings

THE MENU

COCKTAILS & APPETIZERS

Shrimp Ceviche

I made this Shrimp Ceviche appetizer for both our Gourmet Group and our Dinner Party for 12.  It got rave reviews from both groups!  Recipe from Marcela Valladolid (Food Network).

Chorizo Quesadillas

Avocado Fries with Chipotle Dipping Sauce

Guacamole Bar With Chips

One of the guacamoles we served was a Bacon & Cilantro Guacamole

Others offered were Hatch Chile and Poblano & Pineapple Guacamoles, and a Tomatillo Salsa and a Chunky Traditional Salsa

DINNER IS SERVED

Mexican Salad

MAIN ENTRÉE

Grilled Skirt Steak Fajitas with Fillings of Their Choosing

{For our Dinner Party for 12 – which had many more fish foodies in the group – we also served Spicy Grilled Cajun Mahi Mahi Fajitas that our guests loved}

Sizzled Peppers & Onions

Black Beans with Rice

Black Beans

Mexican Roasted Green Beans

DESSERT

Margarita Cake