Cinco de Mayo - son's birthday party

Last week we celebrated my big boy's 2nd birthday on May 5th (his birthday), or Cinco de Mayo as it's known in these parts.  Since he was born on May 5th, I knew that this party theme would come up eventually, so I figured I'd jump the gun and go ahead and do it.  To wit, a feast:

I made a Tex-Mex dinner that consisted of some incredibly tasty things...thanks to all contributors for this beautiful table.  Menu consisted of:

• Mexican corn soup
• Slow cooker shredded beef
• Mango corn salad
• Mexican rice (recipe below)
• Taco-seasoned peppers
• Fixins - non-dairy sour cream, shredded lettuce, guacamole, salsa
• Chips + guacamole
• Dirty meringues
• Non-dairy tropical fruit ice cream
• All-occasion homemade yellow cake with TWO candles

Not bad, eh?   The leftovers lasted us through lunch today (no, we didn't eat this 5 days straight).

Mexican Rice: (recipe courtesy of a friend of mine)

1 or 2 cups of rice (depends if you have a lot of guests)
water (double the amount of rice you make)
1 medium onion
1 can tomato juice
fresh pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
dash of oregano
salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil (canola, safflower...not olive oil)
1 cup of mixed veggies (corn, carrots, green beans), if desired

In a large skillet or pot heat the oil (on medium heat) and then add the desired amount of rice and brown. Make sure you stir the rice constantly while it browns otherwise it will burn. The rice should be a light, even brown color. Then add the onions and saute until they are a crystalline color. Then add the can of tomato juice and stir quickly so it does not stick to the pan. Add the water and the chicken bouillon and bring to a boil. Add veggies, pepper, oregano and salt to taste. Cook uncovered for about 15 minutes and then turn heat down to a low simmer and cover. Cook rice until it is soft but not sticky.