Food Archives - Southern Couture

Taco Bar Party Ideas

Get ready for a fiesta with these taco bar party ideas any day of the year!

Wherever you may live, schools are either out already or almost out. Thank goodness, right? Well I have a fun idea for you and your family to celebrate with the kids with these Taco Bar Party Ideas.

The great part is that if your kids are having their friends over on the last day, tacos are the perfect dinner solution. Your kids will also love building their own tacos with all the different toppings.

Taco Bar Party Ideas

I usually just start with an empty table and start building from there with a tablecloth or no tablecloth depending on how I feel. For this party I decided on no tablecloth and to keep it simple. With the temps warming up, I moved it outdoors on our back porch for a little more fun.

For my taco bar I included all the essentials:

Meat of choice
Tortilla shells
Cheese, shredded
Lettuce, shredded
Tomatoes, diced
Refried beans
Mexican Rice
Salsa*
Guacamole
Sour cream
Limes, sliced
Cilantro
Tortilla chips

*I have a homemade restaurant style salsa recipe that I shared on the blog recently that you should definitely try. It’s so easy to make and has a special ingredient that really takes it over the top.

I start placing all of my ingredients into different serving dishes and then place them on the table moving things around until I’m happy with the results. To label each item (even though we know what everything is, it’s just more fun), you could also place chalkboard stickers on the table beside each dish and then write with a chalk marker what each one is.

Be sure to add different heights on your table as well for not only looks but also to make it easier when guests are trying to reach for all the deliciousness.

To really add a pop of color, try making sombrero decorations made from terra cotta pots and pom poms or even some tissue paper banners that are perfect for a fiesta. You can find them here where I shared my Cinco de Mayo Party: Decorations and Recipes. I hung some of the tissue paper banners around the table for some extra color.

And if that isn’t enough goodness, the great news about a taco bar is that you can usually just buy everything you already need premade to make your life so much simpler and just place it in serving trays if you are pressed for time.

And that’s all there is to it. This is also a perfect idea for a dinner party or game night with the family.

Also if you have not already, please join me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. I would love to hear from you with any comments, suggestions, or ideas you may have.

P.S. Please share this post with others if you enjoyed it and found it helpful. We love when you pass on goodness to others.

This post was originally published on Fantabulosity on April 20, 2016.

May 24, 2016/1 Comment/by Bethany

Food, Party Ideas

Tres Leches Cake for Cinco de Mayo

Mexico has a special place in my heart. This is where I and Mark spent our honeymoon in Riviera Maya. The place is gorgeous, and I have been wanting to go back ever since.

We were actually there during Cinco de Mayo, and I was surprised to find out that it is just an American holiday, and they actually celebrate their Independence Day during another time of the year. Maybe y’all already knew that, but I didn’t.

In order to keep the memories alive, I make a tres leches cake every few years around our anniversary which is actually tomorrow. It is also a great timing since Cinco de Mayo is just the next week too.

This recipe is easy to make and is made in 3 different steps. It turns out moist after all since it is a three milk cake so you really can’t mess it up. Now let’s get to baking.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

2 cups cake flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

For the glaze:

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
1 cup half and half

For the whipped cream topping:

2 cups heavy cream
½ cup powdered sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla
Cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Directions:

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13”x9” baking dish with cooking oil spray.

In a bowl whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until well combined. Set aside to use later.

Put unsalted butter into mixing bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Beat the butter on low to medium until fluffy.

Add the sugar and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add one egg at a time until all are mixed in thoroughly.

Mix in the vanilla and then pour batter into pan. Bake for about 20 minutes until cake is lightly browned.

Let the cake cool completely and then poke holes in the top of the entire cake using a fork.

For the glaze:

While the cake is cooling, whisk together completely in a bowl the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and half and half.

Once the cake has completely cooled, pour the glaze over the entire cake and let sit overnight or at least for several hours to allow the cake to completely absorb the glaze.

*At first when pouring, it will seem as if there is too much glaze but letting it sit gives the cake time to absorb the glaze.

For the whipped cream topping:

Combine the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on low to medium speed until stiff peaks are formed.

*Be patient. It will take more than just a few minutes for the peaks to form and make fluffy whipped cream.

Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake once the glaze has absorbed and sprinkle with cinnamon.

You are now ready to enjoy a delicious and sweet tres leches cake and celebrate good times with family and friends.

Enjoy your Cinco de Mayo party. Come back later this week where I will be sharing some fun tips and crafts to make to decorate for your party too.

Also if you have not already, please join me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. I would love to hear from you with any comments, suggestions, or ideas you may have.

April 29, 2015/11 Comments/by Bethany

Food, Party Ideas

Halloween Themed Snacks and Treats Your Kids will Love

A Halloween party just cannot be complete without having these Halloween food ideas for kids which makes for a lot of fun. Kids love seeing their favorite snacks turned into something fun and creepy especially at Halloween. Plus it’s so much fun to make them and get creative as well.

Even if you aren’t having a Halloween party at your house, your kids can take them to school for their parties and enjoy with their friends. Also a cute idea would be to include some of these snacks in their lunch when you pack it for Halloween day. Make a few of these treats for your children as well for them to enjoy and snack on before going trick-or-treating to maybe help keep them from filling up on just candy. I don’t know if that is possible but hey it is worth a try.

Ghostly Marshmallow Pops

Marshmallows

Cake pop sticks

Black edible marker

These are the cutest and probably one of my easy dessert recipes for kids for Halloween that I have. Just place two marshmallows on a cake pop stick. Use a black edible marker to draw the eyes and mouth. Now you have a spooky ghost that your kids will enjoy eating simply because it is now on a stick and resembles a ghost.

Halloween Trail Mix

Candy corn

Pretzel sticks

Peanuts

Pumpkin seeds

Yogurt covered raisins

Corn chips

If you are looking for easy to make snacks, then look no further than trail mix. Combine equal parts or divide in your own desired portions of the above ingredients and mix together to combine well. This trail mix is something fun with the candy corn really making the Halloween theme pop. Trail mix is always a great snack for kids in their lunchboxes and any outings with the family. It is also not loaded down with just the sugar but some other healthy items as well.

Bloody Band Aids

Graham crackers

White sliced cheese or cream cheese

Strawberry jelly or any jelly with red coloring

Break the graham crackers in half for the actual band aid. If using white cheese slices, cut the cheese into small squares and place in the middle of the graham cracker pieces. I preferred the cheese slices due to lying flat on the cracker. You could also use cream cheese and spread it out evenly if you would like. Spread some strawberry jelly or any other jelly with red coloring on the cheese squares or cream cheese to resemble the blood. This band aid snack has to be one of my favorites.

Bloody Finger PB&J Sandwiches

Sliced bread

Peanut butter

Strawberry jelly or any jelly with red coloring

Peanuts

Spread peanut butter between two slices of bread. Trim of the edges and then cut into long sections resembling a finger. Cut a diagonal line at the top of each section on both sides of the “finger” to give it a point. Place a dot of peanut butter on a peanut and place on the point for the fingernail. I used a peanut that was sliced in half that would lay flat. Take a knife and make several cuts toward the top and bottom of the finger for the knuckle joints. Spread some strawberry jelly at the bottom for the blood and you have yourself a bloody finger PB&J.

Cheesy Witch’s Broom

String cheese

Pretzel sticks

Cut a string cheese stick into about 1” sections. Place a pretzel stick in the top. Then start pulling the cheese in small strands and basically shredding it. It’s that easy!

Bloody Finger Coffins

Hot dogs

Hot dog buns

Ketchup

Cut several slits in the hot dog toward the top and middle to resemble the knuckle joints. I cut about 1” off the bottom to shorten the length some. I found baking the hot dogs worked best to help the knuckle joints split open some to make them more noticeable. Once you are happy with the color of the hot dog, remove them from the oven. Let them cool and then cut a small layer off the top to expose the inside of the hot dog for the fingernail. Place the hot dog in a bun and then squeeze some ketchup around the finger for the blood. I just love the way the bun resembles a coffin. Plus what kids don’t like hot dogs? It can be a simple and fun dinner before heading out the door to trick-or-treat.

Also if you missed it, last week I posted a tutorial on how to make some eyeball cake pops. They turned out great and are also delicious. Be sure to check out those too.

So now just get in the kitchen and start cooking up some fun Halloween treats that your kids and guest will love. I love easy holiday desserts and hope you will enjoy them too. These recipes are also very simple and easy that your kids would love to help you make them and give them a special job. Some of my best memories of my childhood are in the kitchen with my mom creating yummy and special treats.

Also Christmas will be here soon even though I can’t believe it is already almost here which means I hope to be sharing some Christmas baking ideas with you as well.

Enjoy your spooky but fun Halloween snacks but ultimately enjoy the little things in life this Halloween.

I can’t wait to see what your kids and you will bake up this year so please share your recipes and pictures with me too.

Also if you have not already, please join me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. I would love to hear from you with any comments, suggestions, or ideas you may have.

Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.

October 13, 2014/29 Comments/by Bethany