I’ve always bragged about my step-mom’s cooking to the team, and it just didn’t seem right that they all hadn’t had the privilege to experience it for themselves! So, last week, I invited my her over to teach myself and the gals how to make some of her tried-and-true dishes she’s been making for years.

On the menu was barbacoa tacos, cheese enchiladas, queso flameado dip, beans, rice, pico de gallo, guacamole, and flan for dessert. I know what you’re thinking, ‘that sounds like a lot of food for a small group of girls!’, but I promise you we had no problem finishing it all… You’ll understand when you try these recipes for yourself! 😉

For our Cinco de Mayo tablescape, we kind of went in the opposite direction of what you normally would think for this holiday! Instead of the typical explosion of bright, vibrant colors, we decorated the table with earthy tones and focused on natural textures like wood and clay. We wanted the flowers and food to be the focus and bring the color, and we loved the way it turned out.

One of our favorite features on the table is the natural “runner” we created with an assortment of cacti and succulents. We picked them up from our local garden center and simply planted them in terra cotta pots of many different sizes.

We also picked up so many great wood serving bowls and plates that we know we’ll be using all through the summer. This one was perfect for serving our taco toppings and we can envision ourselves using it again for a cheese or veggie board. Typically, for our ceramic platters and and bowls, we tend to go with neutral colors so that the focus is on the dish. Some of our go-to’s is this black tray and this white bowl — we love that they work for almost any occasion!

We had a such a fun time celebrating Cinco de Mayo as a team and we’re thinking we should make it a tradition every year. Everyone raved over these recipes and we would love to know what you think if you try them at home! Happy cooking!

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Additional Credit: Photography by Reyna Meinhardt.