My Grandpas Margaritas

Today I'm feeling like a gangsta. My In-laws had been gone for 2 weeks and were set to return the night I started writing this post. So we have had the house to ourselves all this time. In case you missed the post where I talked about this, yes, we have been living with my husbands parents while we build our new house. We were lucky enough to sell our old house and decided that throwing money at our new house versus rent a better option. Especially because I like my in-laws and they offered.

The last weekend started out fine. I woke up to find my son and husband watching "Planet Earth" the "great plains" chapter followed by "the mountains" chapter, and after the snow leopard had it's kill and fed the young, I decided it was high time for a cup of coffee. We watched a little more and then proceeded to clean the house. Next, we sat out in the sun even though it was very cold out, for the sake of soaking up a little vitamin D. No, really, we sat out there for the sake of vitamin D. That's how my family rolls. Nap time came around and I found myself with nothing to do. Normally I would read (which didn't appeal to me this afternoon) or bake something, but since I am trying to watch my sugar intake that option was out. So, after thinking it through long and hard, I settled upon making margaritas and sitting out on the deck longer, for you know, more vitamin D.

Yes, margaritas are sugary by nature and definitely not on my cleanse, but I'm sick of the cold and snow and wanted (if only for 10 minutes) to pretend like it was summer, so off to the kitchen I went. In hindsight, totally worth it. I sent my husband to the liquor store for some "top of the shelf" tequila. He came home with Jose Cuervo. I was thinking more along the lines of Patron Silver (I have no idea why, maybe because it is clear?) but I don't think we have ever deviated from Jose in the past, so I shouldn't have been surprised. I made my Grandpa Grillo's margaritas with a few tweaks to fit my taste, a favorite within our family since they are on the sour side and made with fresh citrus juice- lime, lemon and orange for sweetness. It's pleasantly tart, and the first sip taken makes you pucker up a bit, but every consequent sip from there on out is fantastically fresh and delicious. Trust me, with his ratios of tequila to juice, you'll have no trouble getting it down. :) Relaxation station.

The margarita on the snowy deck. If you could see my husband his shirt was off for maximum vitamin D absorption-told you.

And I'm not really feeling like a gangsta. I don't even know what that means. It's just the tequila talking...

My Grandpas Margaritas

My Grandpa likes his margaritas really strong, and he also adds triple sec to sweeten them up a bit and let me tell you, they are delicious but one is my limit. I opt out of the triple sec most times choosing instead to add a touch of honey if they are too tart. I also keep my margaritas pretty strong, but not as much as my grandpas (I prefer to have two). For his exact recipe make them like this- you're guaranteed a good time: 1 part triple sec, 2 parts citrus juice, 3 parts tequila.

FOR THE JUICE:

1 part fresh squeezed lime juice

1 part fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 part fresh squeezed orange juice (for sweetness)

Mix juices together to use for the margaritas

FOR THE MARGARITAS:

1 part mixed juice

1 part tequila

1/2 part triple sec (optional) or a drizzle of honey (about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon)

Ice

Put all your ingredients in a blender with plenty of ice (about a handful per serving) and blend until incorporated. This should only be enough ice to make everything cold, not to be a blended drink. Taste and add more tequila or honey as needed. Alternately, you can mix everything with a wooden spoon in a pitcher and serve over ice in a margarita glass.

One "part" could be any volume you wish. A cup, a shot, a coffee mug full. You be the judge knowing how many people you are going to serve. I've written the juice recipe and the margarita recipe using "parts" but it's just to keep ratios even. Basically, you are looking for half juice and half tequila with plenty of ice blended in or allowed to melt a bit to water everything down. If you are just making two drinks use a measuring cup and squeeze out 8 oz juice, then add 8oz tequila and plenty of ice to your blender. It'll be enough for two. Also, feel free to blend this up in a vita-mix or another powerful blender with even more ice for a slushier texture.