Big ol Birthday Cake! Happy Birthday!

Margaritas? With salt, please.

Party at Robo's house! Cilantro lime rice (like Chipotle) would be good. Seasoned black beans. Birds Eye just came out with a really good frozen fiesta lime corn. I am sure that it would be easy to make at home (and less salty). Some queso too.

I love shredded cabbage on tacos.

Here is a salad that goes really well with Mexican:

Fresh Jí­cama and Orange Pico de Gallo

8 servings
Pico de jí­cama y naranja Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 small jí­camas, 1 1/2 pounds, peeled and cut into sticks
• 3 oranges peeled and separated into segments or sliced
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 tablspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or more taste
• 1 tablespoon dried ground chile Piquí­n or Tají­n, or to taste
• 1/2 cup shelled roasted peanuts, chopped and toasted, not salted

To Prepare

• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to create a vinaigrette.
• Place
  the jí­camas and oranges in a salad bowl. Toss with the vinaigrette.
  Let it all marinate for about 10 minutes, either inside or outside of
  the refrigerator. Sprinkle with the peanuts and serve.

Have a Happy Birthday!

if you include fish, include shredded red cabbage for filling! i find tacos so messy and hard to eat that i would choose a soft flour tortilla every time instead of a crunchy shell- don't know if many feel as i do, but have enough of both just in case!

i would have some jalapenos too if your friends like some spice! (but i wouldn't use canned- i would small dice fresh...)

happy birthday!

Excellent suggestions above, although I think your own list was pretty comprehensive. As a Tex Mex devotee, I will say that I don't think you need to go totally overboard with more "exotic" (or at least they may be considered "exotic" up there in the frozen north!) ingredients. Keep it simple and just have fun! (Happy birthday!)

Thanks so much for the ideas so far! The jí­cama and orange salad looks amazing!!

As for what's available we have one "latin American" market here in our entire city (mostly Colombian food I think), so I may have to get creative.

Anyone have a great salsa recipe they would like to share? (fresh or cooked)

The sad part is I won't be able to drink at my own birthday party...but I am going to have the blender rolling!

Maybe a corn salad? I just made this today if you want a recipe. It has oven roasted corn, green peppers, red peppers, and red onion. The dressing is yum as well and has fresh cilantro , fresh lime and more.

I've given up on the taco shells too. I make tostadas now. The Mexican food trucks here lay two small steamed corn tortillas on top of each other for tacos, but you probably won't find those in Nova Scotia.

I make beans in my crockpot from dried pinto beans and they are so much more flavorful and creamier than canned. I add a halved onion and let it cook for about six hours, then take out the onion and puree the beans in my Cuisinart. You'll want to reserve the bean juice so you can make the consistency right. The beans made by the Mexicans here in Oregon are much soupier than the ones in California. They should spread when they hit the plate. It's also easier for spreading on tostada shells. Add salt and hot sauce and return to crockpot to keep warm.

I prefer soft warm corn tortillas instead of crispy or flour. Crispy is a hassle and they shatter so easily and ingredients fall everywhere. Fun, but messy. In fact, where I live in the Bay Area, tacos are served in soft corn tortillas unless you specifically ask for crispy.

We like crispy shells when we make tacos at home, but they can be messy. Soft tortillas are true "Mexican style". The crispy things are more of a gringo invention. ;-)

Someone introduced me to crispy wrapped in soft which is definitely not for the faint of heart when it comes to carbs...but is a great taste sensation!

If you would like to serve a side dish or have any vegetarians, this salad is delicious. While I'm not sure if this is the exact recipe I used, it has all the same ingredients except that I added diced red bell pepper to mine. The dressing is what makes it stand out. I used frozen grilled corn from Trader Joes in mine.

Black Bean & Corn Salad with Honey Chipotle Dressing

You can't have a drink at your own birthday party? Quelle idée!

Mexican beer

kswl2: I know, it stinks! Temporary issue with meds.

Thanks for that recipe 4kids, it looks beautiful! I definitely want to serve some salads and be veggie friendly (2 veggies at the party, but one already told me she hates tacos which has me VERY puzzled because who could hate tacos?)

C'mon, who hates tacos?

This dip is a favorite at our gatherings and so simple.

chili without beans.....homemade or you can use Hormel...a few cans

sour cream

shredded cheddar, Jack, or Mexican cheese blend..I usually use the blend

no exact measurements.....just mix all together and microwave. Serve with tortilla chips.

Robo, my lunch today with the corn salad. Delish!

Yum, Im making tacos for dinner tonight. It's the most popular dish at home.

A few possible Items…

sangria

Black bean corn mango salad: cooking light

for taco seasoning, Alton Brown's recipe

for shredded pork, Jeff Mauros crockpot recipe on the food network

lastly, and I don't know if this would be too much trouble to add to your menu… But I've been making a tortilla chicken soup recipe from the food network that's very good and very popular. It's especially nice because it is kind of light. Depends if you have seating for everyone or not

I don't have much to add to the many great suggestions.. but what a great and fun idea when the winter weather is still lingering! I love tortilla soup and I think it's a great addition to the menu-- especially if you have some non-taco eaters. I havent made the food network's recipe but I often make mexican soup recipes veggie by swapping out chickpeas for the chicken. You could also do a posole! The salad recipe sounds great too-- the oranges are perfect for "not quite spring" temps!

Hope you have a smashing party! I am also an Aries.. mine is this weekend but no party. Nephew turns 1 next weekend and the weekend after that is my dad's 75th. My not-so-interesting 52 will slip by with minimal festivities.

Tres leches cake!

Did anyone mention fresh chopped Cilantro? Not everyone likes it, so don't go over the top with it. Our family likes black beans(whole)rather than refried. What about Queso and chips when everyone arrives? Do several small bowls of the Queso, but larger bowls of chips. It's better w/o meat, but a little chopped tomato and jalapenos adds a bit of color. I prefer one made with white cheese.

Will definitely be trying the salad recipes!

Another thought… The few times we've had Mexican theme parties,we picked up fresh chips and shells from our favorite local Mexican restaurant. Barring that I love the XOchtil brand, but nothing beats fresh stuff if you have a good source.

eta ... Robo, where is that cute cartoon from? And happy birthday

funky, happy birthday to you too and funny that you should mention oranges ....was it you that mentioned oranges?. I love oranges but so often they're only "eh". But lately we've been getting fabulous oranges. The label on them says "SK". Elsewhere on the label they also mention Sunkist, but SK appears to be a special type of Sunkist? They are navel oranges and they come in a net bag. Hope you can find some, they are just fab

I've done similar parties. Some thoughts/suggestions

• Instead of shredded beef, you might marinate and grill a tri-tip.
• I always put out lime wedges to squeeze over my taco fillings before eating.
• I tend to prefer black beans to refried beans.
• I'd probably serve a green salad (I like the idea of a corn or corn/bean salad as well)

Mtn.. I have been getting good oranges too (and I don't always like them). I don't know if mine are SK.. I don't think they are labeled as such but they are navel (and rather large).

And I also get chips from one of the local places that make them! They are especially good heated. Another thing I used to buy from a local restaurant was black bean sauce -- they went out of business and now I make my own (black bean nachos are a favorite here).

(and thanks for the wishes!)

You could do a green salad (as someone mentioned) pretty basic, but people could add toppings to it instead of a taco, a taco salad. Which is what we eat at home more often than actual tacos. Happy birthday and enjoy! Sounds like loads of fun.

I'm in Manitoba...think you a province or 2 over...I can come over and help sample :)

Thanks for the birthday wishes! The cartoon is from Natalie Dee -- http://www.nataliedee.com/ and she also does Married to the Sea http://www.marriedtothesea.com/

My husband wants to make stuffed jalapenos so I think I might be down to only one salad plus all the taco fixins plus beans and rice. That's okay though cuz I think we'll be feeding about 20 people.

I need to make stuffed jalapenos for a party later this month .. do you have a special recipe you love? I'll be grilling them-- but I have a nice rack to hold them upright.

We discovered horchata a few years ago if you can find a central american grocer that carries it. I also second the tres leches cake - yum!

Hi. We are a family that makes extensive Mexican food at least weekly and for parties.

Empanadas are a great appetizer and can be made ahead of time and frozen and reheated. I make my own dough but you can get it at Latin markets premade. I stuff them with ground beef with taco seasoning and cheese. This is the favorite appetizer at all family get togethers and they disappear quickly I put some sour cream with a little taco sauce mixed in as the dipping sauce.

Instead of ground beef, I slow roast a few chuck roasts on 275 degrees for 4 hours. I brown it and deglaze the pan with onions and tequila, add seasoning and top with the sautéed onions before I roast it. I hand shred it and serve it up. It always gets eaten first.

Also about 7% of the population can't eat cilantro because it tastes like soap. I always have a jar of commercial salsa for those unfortunate souls and don't put it on all the food.

Sounds like a great party!!!

For nonalcoholic drinks, you could make agua frescas. They are basically water pureed with fruit, perhaps some lime juice and a touch of sweetener depending on the fruit. There are many, many variations online.

This Mexican shrimp cocktail is a favorite of mine for parties. It can be made well in advance, it is different enough from "traditional" shrimp cocktail to be somewhat of a novelty and also looks great in a soup terrine or punch bowl. Hope you have a wonderful birthday!

I think you are wise to pare down some options. Taco parties are very simple in concept and easy to let get out of control with options. It is very easy to fool yourself and think this will be easy and then bleed into the need to have everyone's favorites and plenty of everything. Then it gets complicated -- more to prepare, more dishes, more places for things on the table, harder to judge how much of everything, so you can do too much of everything and eat nothing but tacos and such for a week. Not that I'd have a problem wth that last one. But enjoy your birthday -- edit your options.

I'll be a great big party pooper here...just because I'm lazy! What sounds like fun to you all strikes me as a lot of work for everyone, hosts and guests. I do Mex. often, usually for brunches, and with a frittata or a casserole.. My favorite dinner, if not formal, is with two appetizers, one casserole , a salad and dessert. In winter, a tureen of yummy soup, salad, and hot, crusty french bread is always a hit with girlfriends. I'd suggest one large chicken enchilada casserole, and because you want to do tacos, make your set up simple with just a few varieties of fillings: grated cheese, black beans, diced tomatoes , lettuce and salsa. Heat the tortillas and keep warmly wrapped in a heated towel in a basket or bowel. Oh, chips, guacamole and salsa are a must for one appetizer. Happy birthday, and have a wonderful party!

reporting back! Sorry that I didn't reply to the last few posts on this thread.

The taco party happened and was a big success and martinca - it was a lot of work for us although our guests were all happy! We had about 25 people and about 120 tacos were eaten based on shell consumption.

we ended up making a grilled chicken filling, barbacoa beef, and homemade chorizo/pork/potato filling. Plus refried beans and a rice and bean salad. We rented a buffet server to hold the meat and heated up shells at different points during the evening.

The big tragedy of the night is that despite many fillings, we forgot the guacamole and the mango salsa (both homemade) in the fridge!!! Couldn't believe it the next day!!! We also did a layered dip for chips and forgot to put out the second batch of that. I think we got started on the blender drinks a little too early.

funkyart - I made the stuffed jalapenos on a whim and just used what I had on hand. So I cut the jalapenos in half and scraped out the seeds, then made filling that was about 50% sour cream, 50% softened cream cheese, bunch of grated cheddar, some grated parmesan, some chili powder, lime juice, pepper, and crumbled turkey bacon. Then slathered into jalapeno halves, topped with more grated cheddar and grilled. They were very tasty!!

I think I based the proportions on this recipe: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-stuffed-jalapenos

I was completely exhausted by midnight and had to start cleaning to get my stragglers out. Some guests ignored the 7:00 start time and came at 11:00pm so they were ready to party all night long and I certainly was not!

I love a happy ending!

Glad it all went well.

Something forgotten in a fridge happens -- usually the last miniute things that are staying cool until guests arrive and then it gets busy so quickly. I remember some event where it was the dessert -- obviously no one was still hungry or we'd have thought about it. Sounds like you had plenty of food too (though 5 tacos per person suprises me). Hope you were able to enjoy and share some of the guacamole and salsa.

does 5 seem like a lot or a little? Seemed like a lot to me - although some people may have done the crispy+soft shell while others were eating filling with no shells.

Glad it went well and belated Happy Birthday! If you ever do it again, you might try Pioneer Woman's Restaurant Salsa. Super easy and tastes divine.

I am so glad to hear the party was a success.. and that you liked your stuffed jalapenos! I ended up doing my own version-- as stated, sans cream cheese. I was able to get a small quantity of a very nice serrano ham by buying "the ends" from a good quality meat store. It seriously saved me more than $20!! I also cut the jalapeno in half (i don't usually because I use a rack that holds the pepper upright), lined the jalapeno with serrano ham, filled with fontina cheese and garnished with a sliver of jalapeno. No herbs, no nothing else. I never did taste one but the family loved them and there were no leftovers!

5 tacos/person sounds like a lot but across many hours of drinking, I could see it! It's a sign that they were GOOD.