Today I’m so thankful to have amazing friends who are willing to spend hours in the kitchen, on a Saturday afternoon non-the-less, perfecting recipes, and providing valuable feedback as I work on my cooking class ideas. Since Cinco de Mayo was only a few days away I went with a Mexican menu for this class test run.

You know it’s going to be a good time when you combine crazy good margaritas, maybe the best sangria I’ve ever had, hand-made tortillas, fresh guacamole, some pretty out of this world peasant pork and beef brisket tacos, and some seriously fun people!

A few tips from the day:

-Don’t drink too many margarita’s before the cooking is done! Thankfully this wasn’t an issue, but man they were good and I can see how things could get burned or forgotten really quick.

-Be ok with the possibility that something will escape from the blender and end up on the ceiling…that didn’t happen, but it was so close to hitting the ceiling!

-Don’t be afraid to try new things! I broke the rule and we tried two new taco meats, two new margarita’s, new sangria, and we were new to tortilla making. That’s a lot of potential for something to go wrong, but I/we went for it and it was so worth the risk!

-When the kitchen gets crowded set up a cooking station outside!

-When all the burners on the stove are in use move it to the grill! Cast Iron is so versatile and can be used on almost any surface/heat source.

-Put on your official apron and make sure everyone knows what their task is. This was my first time “managing” people, several main dishes, sides, and different finish times. You know what…turns out I’m pretty good at it and everything was done (and done well) when it needed to be. It helps that my two helpers are foodies that know their way around the kitchen!

-Improvise as needed. I didn’t have a shaker for the margarita making, so I snagged one of our wide mouth Hydro Flask and it worked perfectly! P.S. if you don’t have a Hydro Flask…get one! We each have one and we use them daily…this is not a sponsored plug for them, just me sharing my two cents worth. We also ran out of counter space so I opened up my laundry area and we used the top of the washer & dryer since they are right there by the kitchen (behind Jake and Elya in the picture below).

-The best part of a dinner party is the kitchen part. Invite your friends over early, serve some drinks or good wine, and put them to work. (It’s ok to let them see the mess behind the magic)! By the time the meal is ready you will have laughed, shared stories, learned something you didn’t know before, and when you sit down to eat together it’s going to taste that much better!

We had so much fun, and I can’t wait to test run another class idea!

But, first I have more tacos and margarita to enjoy today! Happy Cinco de Mayo!