Fresh Squeezed Lime Margaritas

What’s better than a fresh margarita on a hot summer’s day?

Years ago, I was properly introduced to the world on high-end tequila and real margaritas by my friend Channing, the owner of a western wear boutique, and the restaurant Tamayo.  [This was a welcome introduction after my first impression, in Cancun, where tequila was served from a squirt bottle.  It still makes my stomach turn.]  I don’t know who knew who, but I was able to taste some very expensive, very rare, and very quality tequilas on that day some ten years ago.  It stuck with me.  That was also the day I was lectured on how one should not ruin these tequilas by using sugary margarita mixes and other flavors that distract from the simplicity of what a margarita should be.  It’s not like I’m an expert or anything, but what they said made sense.  Thus, my love for the lime margarita was born.  Simple ingredients, simple pleasure. I’m paying it forward.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh squeezed lime juice

1 cup high quality tequila

1/3 triple sec

2 tbsp sugar or agave nectar

lime slices for glass rims and garnish

kosher salt for rims

Directions:

1. Grab a hand juicer and juice your limes ( I used about 15 limes).  Make sure the limes are room temperature before juicing.

2.  Mix tequila, triple sec, and sugar with the lime juice.

3.  Chill the mixture for about one half hour.

4.  Wet the rim of your glasses with lime juice.

5.  Pour some kosher salt on a plate and dip the wet rims in the salt.

6.  Add 3 or 4 large ice cubes to eat glass and pour margarita mixture over the cubes.

7.  Garnish with lime wedges.

Enjoy!!!!

Post-Christmas Overnight Eggnog French Toast

Looking for a festive holiday breakfast?  Perhaps you have leftover eggnog (shame on you!).  Or maybe someone gave you some “sugar cookie eggnog” and you thought, “what am I supposed to do with this?”.  As it turns out, I know the answer to these questions.  A couple days after Christmas my sister-in-law, Kim, served up some delicious Eggnog French Toast.  Not only do you make it the night before for simple cook-and-serve in the morning but, it’s good.  Real good.

I think for the eggnog itself, you can use regular eggnog, Silk nog (see these lovely waffles), or “sugar cookie eggnog”.  Let’s be honest – what is sugar cookie eggnog? Kim didn’t know either.  It’s all they had left in the eggnog world when she went shopping.  She took a chance and it worked out for the best Eggnog French Toast ever.  So was it the recipe itself or was the sugar cookie eggnog the secret to this festive holiday breakfast?  I don’t know. If you find the answer to this question or understand the origins and reasons for sugar cookie eggnog, please let us know.  We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Ingredients:

1 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of buter

2 cups of eggnog

8 eggs

2 tbsp of light corn syrup

1 loaf of French Bread cut into 1 inch slices

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1/2 tsp of nutmeg

Directions:

1.  Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

2.  Heat the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat.

3.  Cook and stir until the mixture begins to boil; remove the mixture from heat, and pour into the prepared baking dish.

4.  Place the bread slices atop the brown sugar mixture.

5.  Whisk the eggs and eggnog together in a large bowl; pour over the bread slices.

6.  Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, and refrigerate 8 hours to overnight.

7.  Preheat an oven to 325 degrees.

8.  Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator.

9.  Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.

10.  Increase heat to 375 degrees.

11.  Remove the aluminum foil, and continue baking until the the top begins to brown, 5 to 7 minutes more.

12.  Remove from the oven and serve warm.

It’s so delicious!!!!

 

Adapted from Allrecipes.com.