Awhile ago, I hosted a Day of the Dead themed taco meal for my friend Renae, her family, and my friend Mark. It was mostly a gluten free and vegan meal. This was actually my first time making this theme! Renae or her husband suggested it.

Table setting

• Placemats – I made placemats with themed wrapping paper and clear contact paper. I found the wrapping paper at TJ Maxx. It had a 1 inch square grid on the back. The finished placemats were 11 x 17 inch.
• Napkin Rings – Tissue paper flowers tied with a thin wire made into a ring
• Lazy Susan – 21 inch

Menu

• Horchata
• Vegan Tortilla Soup with Skull Tortilla Chips – (see below)
• Taco fixings – Chipotle Lentil Taco Protein made with Homemade Taco Seasoning, Roasted Corn, Vegan Chipotle Aioli, cooked onions and peppers, tomato, lettuce, lime, avocado, salsa – served with heated corn tortillas in foil packets
• Skull Brownies – made with Vegan Gluten Free Brownies served with raspberries

Skull Tortilla Chips – Cut corn tortillas with a skull cookie cutter, cut out eyes with a tiny flower cookie cutter and nose with an upside down heart cookie cutter. Brush both sides of the skulls with olive oil, place on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.

My critique of the meal:

The Lazy Susan made this type of meal much easier for my guests. Horchata was new to all of us. We were not huge fans but it was good to try something different. I designed the Skull Tortilla Chips and they were a huge hit! Everyone enjoyed the Chipotle Lentil Taco Protein. The brownies did not turn out as cute as the original but I did use gluten free brownies. Overall, the meal was a success!