Thanksgiving Fun Facts The Whole Family Will Enjoy

Most Of This Food Wasn’t Found At The First Thanksgiving Feast

You can never have too much useless information. This month, it’s time to learn (or relearn) some Thanksgiving facts that you can share with others.

• The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621, and included a three-day feast with about 50 colonists and 90 Native Americans.

• The first Thanksgiving probably didn’t include turkey. Historians believe that rabbit, deer, squash, and possibly lobster, seal, and swan were served at the first Thanksgiving feast.

• Although there were many days of thanks, it was not until 1863 that President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving to be an official national holiday.

• The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade took place in 1924. The first parade drew in a quarter of a million people. Balloons were added to the parade in 1927.Today, over three million people attend the parade annually, and another 44 million watch on television.

• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving was originally shown on CBS in 1973. It won an Emmy in 1974, and is now shown on ABC every Thanksgiving night. However, this year, it will be aired on Wednesday night.

• It may not be the tryptophan that’s making you tired after Thanksgiving dinner. Your lethargy may ultimately be caused by a large, carb-loaded meal, mixed with alcohol.

• The first Thanksgiving Day football game took place in 1934. The Bears defeated the Lions. The only time the Lions didn’t play on Thanksgiving was during World War II.

• The Average Thanksgiving turkey weighs 15 pounds.

• If Thomas Jefferson had his way, the turkey would have been America’s national bird rather than the bald eagle.

As always, if you’re looking for even more fun, be sure to check out Valley Party Rentals for all of your local party needs.

A Quick Easy Recipe For Dinner Tonight

Last night, I was asked to go to my parents house to go help put things back together after they had new carpet installed. I was glad to help, but before I left, my wife asked that I put a lasagna that she had prepared into the oven. As any good husband would do, I did as I was told. The problem is, helping my parents took longer than expected. I came back to a cold lasagna. But, I had only eaten one small meal much earlier in the day and I was starving. I didn’t even want to wait for the lasagna to be reheated. So, as any man in my shoes would have done, I ate the cold lasagna. It was delicious. Of course, with as hungry as I was, cold shoe would have been delicious too. With that said, it was so delicious that I thought I had to share the recipe. Before I do though, I should probably clarify one thing: When I said my wife had “prepared”, it’s more accurate to say purchased. If you’re looking to enjoy a great meal with the family, try this meal that’s a staple in our household.

Stouffers Lasagna Makes Any Dinner, Well, Easy

Ingredients:

• Stouffers Family Sized Lasagna

preparation:

If you’re anything like us, you’re too lazy to thaw the lasagna before sticking it in the oven. This is where it gets tricky. Ready? Make sure to follow the instructions on the box for frozen lasagna, not thawed lasagna.

That’s pretty much it. Of course, you could make a delicious salad to accompany this great dish…but why? That adds nutrients and takes time which are two things I was not looking to add to this meal.

If you like this recipe, you may want to try our other household staple: Home-made hot dogs. Buy a package of Nathan’s Hot Dogs, throw them on the grill and enjoy!

Of course, if you’re looking to have a seriously fun party in McAllen, make sure you check out Valley Party Rentals.

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Making The Perfect Cake For Your Birthday Party

Planning a birthday party can be a big deal. Everything needs to be planned well in advance. Entertainment, guests, and of course, food. Today’s post is all about making one of the decisions for your next birthday party much easier. Dessert. To sum it up in a nutshell, I’m going to give you the simplest, greatest recipe for a Tres Leches cake. You and your guests will love the light, airy, sweet, moist, deliciousness that is Tres Leches. For those of you that don’t know, tres leches means three milks in Spanish. Combined, these three milks make one of the greatest treats you can imagine. Well, I’ll let you try it for yourself. I’m convinced you’ll love it just as much as I do.

 

Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 1 box of white cake mix with pudding (I prefer Pillsbury brand)
2. 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
3. 1 can (14 ounce) of sweetened condensed milk
4. 1 can (12 ounce) of evaporated milk
5. 1 small tub of Cool Whip (or other whipped cream)
6. Cinnamon (Optional, but highly recommended)
7. Maraschino Cherry (Again, Optional)

Preparation:

1. Prepare cake according to the package using egg whites.
2. Bake cake and let cool.
3. Once cooled, poke shallow holes on the top of the cake being careful not to poke all the way to the bottom of the cake. This allows the milk mixture to seep into the cake.
4. Combine 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, and 1 can evaporated milk into a bowl. Mix together to create the tres leches mixture
5. Pour milk mixture over cake.
6. Once milk mixture is absorbed, frost the cake with Cool Whip
7. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of cake and top everything with cherries

Simple and delicious. What more can you ask for when planning a birthday party?

 

 

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Thank You Pinterest!

I never thought I’d actually say it. I never thought it would be me. As my wife has obsessed over Pinterest the past few months, I became increasingly angry with the latest craze in social media. Then it happened. The moment that changed my mind about Pinterest forever.

I came home from a long day of golfing (it’s a rough life, I know) to find that my wife had prepared dinner. I asked what we were having for dinner. With a large proud smile on her face, she said, “I made a taco braid.” “Huh,” I asked? You see, my wife isn’t known for great cooking. In fact, she’s known for quite the opposite.

I took one look at the Taco Braid and knew it was going to be delicious. Sure enough, it hit the spot! Thanks to Pinterest, my wife has stumbled upon some amazing recipes. This entire week has been filled with amazing meals that make the entire family happy. Last night, a homemade mac and cheese casserole that was amazing.

I have Pinterest to thank for my newfound love of my wife’s cooking. In fact, my entire family should be thanking Pinterest! So without further ado, here’s the recipe that started it all:

Thanks to 3 Moms and a Kitchen for this awesome recipe!

This is what your taco braid should look like when it’s done

1) Brown 1 pound of ground meet. Season the meat with taco seasoning. After meat is cooked through, add half of a small onion and let cook for a few minutes. Rinse and drain one 15 ounce can of black beans. Add the beans to the meat. Drain 1 can of rotel tomatoes and add to the meat. Heat until the mixture is hot throughout.

2) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out 1 package of crescent rolls onto the baking sheet. Mend the perforations.

3) Cut crescent sheet on both sides 1 inch apart. A pizza cutter works well.

4) Put cooked meat mixture of center of crescent sheet.

5) Put 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese on top of meat mixture

6) Fold crescent strips over meat mixture and press the strips together the seal the braid.

7) Bake in 350 Degree for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown

8) Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the taco braid to set

9) Serve, and enjoy

And enjoy you will! I guarantee it. Of course, if you want to enjoy your next party even more, consider adding some inflatable party rentals to this delicious recipe!

 

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11 Years Later

Thanks To The Fire Fighters Who Run In When Everyone Else Is Running Out

I can’t believe it’s been 11 years. It seems like just yesterday that I watched as the second plane flew into the Twin Tower. We normally didn’t watch television in the morning, but for whatever reason, my wife turned on the television as she was feeding our young daughter.

We were in shock as we watched the plane fly into the tower. We tried to go about our lives as if it didn’t affect us, but we couldn’t. Everywhere we went, people were crying as they were glued to their televisions. I remember going to church and listening to a sermon about whether the world was coming to an end.

It turns out it wasn’t. Eleven years have passed since that dreadful day in American history. For most Americans, life is back to normal.

But for thousands of victims, military members, police officers, and fire fighters, life will never be normal again.

Today, I am thankful for the men and women that lay their life on the line day after day so I can continue to live my normal life. Members of the military, police, and fire, thank you for all that you do to help keep me and my family safe. Thank you for not allowing the world as we know it to come to an end.

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Summer’s Coming To An End – Rent A Water Slide Before It’s Too Late

In South Texas, Summer’s quickly coming to an end. Sure, we have a few more weeks than our friends up North, but the reality is, before you know it, Fall will be here. Can you believe we’re less than one week away from September? Time is flying by! Are you wondering why I care about any of this? Because I’m a professional in the party rental business, and I know that time is running out for you to enjoy the inflatable industry’s best Summer renter.

The Wild Wave is One Of Many Great Water Slides That Valley Party Rentals Offers During The Hot Summer Months

A water slide rental from Valley Party Rentals is a great way to beat the heat of the Summer. When it’s hot and humid, the best way to cool off is with a cool dip in a pool after a great slide on a giant slide. In fact, I set one up for my own family this last weekend. We had tons of people over, and EVERYONE (adults included) had a great time slipping and sliding during the hottest part of the day.

Whether you’re in McAllen, Edinburg, Mission, or other surrounding areas, time is nearing an end. Before you know it, it’ll be too cold to enjoy a water slide rental. There are tons of reasons why water slide rentals are the most popular rental choice during the Summer months, but most importantly, because it’s a blast!

So, if you’re in San Juan, Harlingen, Pharr, Brownsville, or of course, San Benito, you have to get online now and rent a water slide before it’s too late! Are you still reading this? What are you waiting for? Get on it!

Valley Party Rentals is now blogging

Valley Party Rentals is constantly growing and evolving. We are on a mission to dominate the South Texas Party Rental world. In an effort to get the word out, we’re going to try our hand at this blogging thing. Our goal is to provide you with entertaining stories or insight into the party rental business that will keep you coming back for more week after week.

The Big Kahuna is just one of many great slides Valley Party Rentals offers

If you like what you’re seeing, and what we’re doing, please let us know by liking our posts, following us, and telling your friends. I can’t wait to see what exciting things this new blog brings, and I’m hoping that you’ll enjoy the ride!

Keep reading, and keep enjoying, then when you’re ready to schedule your next special event in South Texas, visit us at www.rgvpartyrental.com!