Well, hello there! It’s been a minute. Or, you know… almost three years.
I certainly didn’t intend to disappear from Diva di Cucina for that long. I’ve missed this little corner of the internet. Sharing recipes, taking way too many pictures of food, and connecting with all of you. But somewhere along the way, life got busy. Really busy.
And the truth is, as much as I love blogging, my family, friends, and work will always come first. Between all the things that fill my days (and nights and weekends), the blog just kept getting pushed a little further down the list. You know how it goes. You tell yourself, I’ll get to it next week. And then suddenly three years have passed. How does that even happen?!
At the beginning of this year, I made a vision board and set an intention to make my way back here. Nothing crazy. I wasn’t going to promise myself weekly posts or some ambitious content calendar I knew I couldn’t keep up with. My goal was simply to find a better balance and start sharing recipes again, even if it was only once a month.
So here we are, with just four months left in the year, and I am barely making good on that intention. But you know what? I’m here! And I can’t think of a better way to toast my return than with a cocktail. Cheers to that!
This margarita is the perfect combination of spicy and sweet, and it is ridiculously easy to make. You literally just throw all the ingredients into a shaker and mix vigorously. That’s it! Somehow, though, the finished drink feels fancy enough that people will think you put in way more effort than you actually did. My favorite kind of recipe.
The sweet, tropical pineapple balances out the kick from the jalapeño, while the lime keeps everything bright and refreshing. You can easily adjust the heat depending on how spicy you like things.
It’s the perfect drink for a lazy afternoon by the pool, a summer BBQ with friends, taco night on the patio, or simply celebrating the fact that you finally did the thing you’ve been saying you were going to do all year.
So cheers to finding balance, following through on intentions (even if it takes a little longer than planned) and making time for the things that bring us joy.
And cheers to being back. I’ve missed this. Now, who wants a margarita?
Note: If you don’t like things spicy and just want a mild jalapeno flavor, do not put the jalapeno slices into the drink shaker, just add them to the glasses. Shaking the jalapenos with ice in the shaker releases those spicy oils and infuses the flavor into the drink.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 c pineapple juice
1/2 c silver tequila
1/4 c orange liqueur (I prefer Grand Marnier or Cointreau)
2 tbsp lime juice, fresh squeezed
1 jalapeño, sliced
lime wedges (optional)
tajin or salt for the rim (optional)
STEPS
- Pour some tajin or salt on a small plate.
- Rub a lime wedge around the rim of two glasses and dip the glasses into the tajin or salt to coat and fill with ice.
- In a drink shaker, combine the pineapple juice, tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, half of the sliced jalapeño, and some ice and shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds.
- Strain the margarita into the prepared ice filled glasses and garnish with the other half of the jalapeno slices.
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