A Big Kids Slip 'N Slide Party

I have a very visible scar on my left leg from my childhood. I was approximately eight or nine years old at the time, living my Cali life in good ol' San Jose. My older cousin, Phung, was visiting from Vancouver, B.C.

Since it was summer, we decided to get one of those cheapo slip and slides and make a go of it in our backyard. We were cautious though; we made sure we picked up all the nails in the backyard (why did we even have nails in the backyard is beyond me!). Can you see where this is headed? Well, the first slide I did, SLICE! I guess we missed a nail, because that sucker cut my knee open. Probably should've gotten stitches, but we're Viet, so we don't do that.

My lovely cousin managed to bandage me up and we ended up scrapping the whole slip and slide idea... UNTIL NOW!

Even before Micah and I bought the house we're currently in, I had already envisioned an awesome slip-n-slide on the steep hill in the backyard! What else would you do with that? Roll down it? Pfft.

After working on our lawn the past few months, we finally had the grass and time to make the slip-n-slide party happen. After scouring the internet, we settled on the 50 foot Wahii slide. It fit the backyard perfectly -- just enough space where our guests wouldn't smack their head against the fence.

{50 feet of pure fun!}

Micah -- the engineer -- rigged the system to withstand our fat adult asses and we were ready for a party.

 

{fixing things}

I kept the menu simple: nacho bar (queso dip, fresh guac, pico de gallo, lettuce, turkey taco meat, and jalapenos), Mexican corn, watermelon aquas frescas, sangria and water with fruit floating in it. Oh, of course, there was homebrew on tap (Witty Calily and Z'Hefe were the new ones).

• Recipes for the turkey taco meat, corn, watermelon aquas frescas, and sangria after the video

{nacho bar}

Shout out to my sister for being an awesome sous chef! Thankfully, Micah was able to persuade me to NOT make quesadillas -- he's right (I don't say that often) -- that would have been a lot of work.  And I didn't want to spend the whole time working, I wanted to play.

Grown Ass Adults + Delicious Drinks + 50ft Slippery Slide = This Video:

Turkey Taco Meat
A few years ago, I stopped buying the packaged taco seasoning and decided to make my own. It's easy and better for you!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground turkey (or whatever meat you like)
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. garlic power
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Heat pan on high and add turkey meat.
2. Add all the seasonings into the pan and make sure you break up any big chunks of meat.
3. Season and adjust to your liking. I usually tend to like it a little bit spicier.

Grilled Mexican Corn
from America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

• 4 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 oz. queso fresco
• 1/3 cup Mexican crema
• 3 tbsp. cilantro minced
• juice of one lime
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 6 ears of corn, husks and silk removed 

1. Heat the grill until very hot.
2. Meanwhile, combine the queso fresco, crema, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, pepper, and cayenne in a large bowl. Toss the cleaned corn with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and a pinch of cayenne. 
3. Grill the corn until lightly charred on all sides, 7 to 12 minutes total. Place the corn into the cheese mixture and toss. Serve and enjoy!

Sangria!: I like to use this one from allrecipes.com, but I do omit the maraschino cherries and sugar. Instead I top the drink off with a splash of lemon/lime soda.

Watermelon aquas frescas: I had a 9lb. watermelon which made about 1.5 gallons.

 

{got these containers from Sam's Club for $20 a piece!}