Lucky and I love throwing parties, celebrating with friends, laughing, drinking and eating. Lucky is the chef of the house and I am the party planner – but neither of us likes doing the dishes!
Here are our tips for a great fiesta with plenty of fun ideas for kids:
Mix up the guest list. Invite your most fun friends and your most interesting friends. Sometimes, these are the same people, but oftentimes they aren’t. Shake things up and invite different friend groups. Your kid’s soccer team would love playing with her Girl Scout troop. Mingle with magic!
Go all out with the theme. Hang lights and festive banners. Wear a fresh flower in your hair. Give the kids some maracas to shake. (The adults will love them, too!)
Set the table. Prepare delicious food, and lots of it. Everyone loves to eat yummy treats. It doesn’t have to be pricey. Throw some chips in a bowl and use Lucky’s salsa recipe (see below). Little ones love quesadillas. Place a tortilla in a skillet, spread with shredded cheese, top with another tortilla and heat over moderate heat. When the cheese melts, flip the quesadilla over for a moment, then place on a cutting board, cut into wedges and serve. For dessert, serve cupcakes with fiesta sprinkles!
Bring on the bubbles. Serve up bubbly drinks and make lots of toasts. Try sparkling cider, fizzy water, champagne (for the grown-ups) – anything that screams, “Let’s celebrate!” The kids will have fun raising toasts to people, events and happiness.
Go out and play. Make the birthday kid feel special by letting them have the first whack, whack, whack at the piñata (while playing our hit song “Pinata Attack”).
Turn up the tunes. Always, always, always have a dance party! Put on dance songs and shake your booty off. Not only is it a way to really feel joy – surrounded by your family and friends – but it also counts as your daily cardio workout, so you can eat more chips and salsa. Órale!
Here are our top 10 fave Fiesta Tracks:
- Piñata Attack- Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
- Moose on the Loose- Ozomatli
- Palmar- Caloncho
- La Bamba- Richie Valens
- Guacamole Boy- Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band (featuring Genevieve Goings Choo Choo Soul and Jon Beavers)
- Good Morning Aztlan- Los Lobos
- Speedy Gonzales- Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
- Me gustas tu- Manu Chao
- De Colores- Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
- Chuchi Chuchi- Los Amigos Invisibles
Lucky’s EASY Fiesta-ready Salsa Recipe:
1 can of stewed Mexican tomatoes
1 1.5 oz. can Mexican stewed tomatoes
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 fresh serrano or jalapeño chile
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Dash salt and pepper
Add ingredients to blender or food processor, process and serve.
Lucky’s Chile Colorado Recipe:
12 fresh Tomatillos shelled and boiled
1 large bunch fresh cilantro
1 clove of garlic
5 dried guajillo peppers
4 dried Chile de Arbol
Salt and pepper to taste
Add ingredients to blender or food processor. Serve with chips! Yum!
Alisha Gaddis is one half of the local Grammy-winning duo Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band. The other half is her husband, Lucky Diaz. They have a daughter, and are expecting their second child in January. Their latest album, released in June, is called “Adelante” and includes the single “Piñata Attack.”