Fiesta Forever

Turn on the salsa music, deck out your garden or patio with bright, breezy colors and bring the fresh flavors of the season to your table. Why? Because it’s time to raise the roof and have some fun!

Party Plan
Menu: tacos,salad,frozen margaritas, and sorbet
Stage Setter: green,orange, and yellow tissue paper lanterns and flowers
Favor: mini maracas

A FIFTH OF FUN Set mini maracas atop each guest’s place setting (you can find them at most party stores). Cue the music, say the word, and you have a playful jam session. Serve tacos, of course, and, for a fresh take on “cake,” finish up with
Sorbet-Fruit Refreshers: Freeze mini scoops of coconut,
raspberry, and man- go sorbet. At dessert time, toss diced fresh mango with a little lime juice and sugar, then spoon into bowls and top with sorbet balls. Garnish with flaked coconut.

Chicken, Bean, and Guacamole Tacos

Makes 6 servings

• 12 extra-large hard taco shells

• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken, heated

• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning

• 1 1⁄2 cups refried beans, heated

• 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce

• 1 1⁄2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

• 1 cup guacamole

• 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place taco shells on a baking sheet and heat for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. In a bowl, toss chicken with taco seasoning.
3. For each taco: Spread 2 tablespoons refried beans in bottom of a taco shell. Top with, in this order, 1 cup lettuce, 1 cup chicken, 2 tablespoons Monterey jack, and 1 heaping tablespoon guacamole. Divide chopped tomato evenly among tacos.
4. Arrange tacos on a platter and serve immediately.

Margarita Trio

Frozen Cantaloupe Margaritas
Makes 5 cocktails

Lime juice and coarse salt
2 cups crushed ice
1 cup chilled or frozen cubes cantaloupe
1 cup frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
6 ounces tequila
2 ounces triple sec
4 thin slices cantaloupe

1. Dip rims of 4 margarita glasses in lime juice, then in coarse salt. Set aside.
2. Pour ice into a blender. Add cantaloupe, limeade concentrate, tequila, and triple sec. Blend until smooth.
3. Divide mixture among prepared glasses. Garnish each with cantaloupe.

Frozen Melon Limeade Margaritas
Makes 4 cocktails

Lime juice and coarse salt
Crushed ice
2 cups Sandra Lee Cocktail TimeTM
Key Lime Margarita
1 1/2 cups honeydew melon chunks
1 cup frozen limeade concentrate
4 lime wheels

1. Dip rims of 4 margarita glasses in lime juice, then in coarse salt. Set aside.
2. Fill a blender with ice. Add margarita, melon, and limeade. Blend until smooth.
3. Divide margarita mixture among prepared glasses. Garnish each with lime.

Frozen Tropical Sunshine Margaritas
Makes 4 cocktails

Lemon juice and coarse salt
Crushed ice
2 cups Sandra Lee Cocktail TimeTM Key Lime Margarita
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 cup frozen mango chunks
4 lemon wheels

1. Dip rims of 4 margarita glasses in lemon juice, then dip in coarse salt. Set aside.
2. Fill a blender with crushed ice. Add margarita, pineapple, and mango. Blend until smooth.
3. Divide margarita mixture among prepared glasses. Garnish each with lemon.

Tequila-Lime Dressing

Makes 6 to 8 servings

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons tequila
1 tablespoon honey
1 bunch cilantro, trimmed
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

In a processor or blender, combine lime juice, tequila, and honey, and blend for 30 seconds. Add cilantro and process until smooth. With processor on low, slowly add olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad.

TISSUE CAPER Pepper your party with piñata-inspired projects. Lively Lanterns: gather eight paper towel tubes. Fold a 6-foot piece of thin ribbon in half and insert the ends into each tube until 6 inches of ribbon is sticking out the bottom. Glue each side of the ribbon to the inside of the tube. Cut 3-inch pieces of crepe paper in different summery colors. Cover tubes with overlapping pieces of alternating colors; glue. Fringe the layers; string to an umbrella or tree. Festive Flowers: choose five 10-inch squares of colorful tissue paper. Fold each in half again and again until the width is 1 inch. Round the ends of each strip, unfold pieces, and place one on top of another. Fold all pieces at once, accordion style, until you have a single, thick strip. Tie center with pipe cleaner, then fan out each side of paper, butterfly style. Pull pieces up, separating and scrunching to form petals. Hungry now? Spice up a simple salad with Tequila Lime Dressing.