Favorite Ingredient Friday (Margaritas)

In case you don't already have it on your calendar, this Sunday (February 22nd) is National Margarita day! Can it get any better? Here is a bit of useless information about Margaritas: Tops in 2008. The Margarita was the most popularly ordered drink in 2008, representing 18 percent of all mixed drink sales in the U.S., followed by the Martini, Rum and Coke, Vodka and Tonic, and the Cosmopolitan . We must really be thirsty! On average, Americans consume 185,000 Margaritas per hour. Margarita-Mad Metropolises. Atlanta, Miami, St. Louis and Nashville are among the best major metro cities for the Margarita. Vanilla, Chocolate, or Margarita? The first frozen margarita machine was invented in 1971 and it was based off a soft-serve ice cream machine. We’re Number One! The U.S. is the number one tequila market – larger and more important than Mexico. In honor of Sunday, I decided that I would take the time to post a really great Margarita recipe.

Margaritas

• 1 (6 ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate
• 6 fluid ounces tequila
• 2 fluid ounces triple sec
• Lime juice
• Margarita salt

• Fill blender with crushed ice.
• Pour in limeade concentrate, tequila and triple sec.
• Add lime juice, to taste.
• Blend until smooth.
• Dip the rim of your glass in water, and then into the margarita salt (if desired).
• Pour into glasses.
• Garnish your glass with a slice of lime. Enjoy!

Favorite Ingredient Friday

This recipe, single handedly got me through the holidays! I know all of you are expecting some wonderful no-fail gravy recipe or something fantastic to wow the in-laws with. The truth is, after fretting about gravy and impressing the in-laws - it was this recipe that I turned to!

Frozen Mudslides

Ingredients:

• 3 cups vanilla ice cream
• 2 jiggers vodka
• 2 jiggers coffee flavored liqueur
• 2 jiggers Irish cream liqueur
• 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
• ½ cup whipped cream

Directions:

1. In a blender, combine ice cream, vodka, coffee liqueur and Irish cream liqueur.
2. Drizzle in Chocolate syrup.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. Pour into glasses and garnish with whipped cream and some more chocolate syrup.

Ok, this really is a phenominal recipe for mudslides. Trust me! You can substitute the vanilla ice cream for ice if you want, but I don't recommend it because the ice cream really makes these delicious.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!