Tag: Poolside

Beverages

I’m Back! Let’s Celebrate with a Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita

Diva di Cucina
Pineapple jalapeño margaritas served over ice in glasses with Tajín-rimmed edges, fresh jalapeño slices, and pineapple leaf garnishes.

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?

Pineapple jalapeño margaritas served over ice in glasses with Tajín-rimmed edges, fresh jalapeño slices, and pineapple leaf garnishes.

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.  
Beverages

Recipe—Summertime White Sangria

Diva di Cucina

So I have this incredible friend named Brandy. We have many things in common. One of which is our fabulous taste in refreshing adult beverages. A few weeks back I was at her home for a summer birthday party, and she made this white wine sangria. It was incredible! I would define it as being the perfect summer drink. I have had red sangria before but found it to be a bit heavy for a warm summer day. (I’m more of a white wine gal anyways.) This could not be further from the traditional sangria. It is light and super refreshing. I decided to make Brandy’s recipe for 4th of July for my aunt who says she doesn’t like sangria. (She had a bad experience.) Well guess what, my aunt could not get enough. Who am I kidding? No one could get enough! We had the pitcher wiped out within an hour. It could have been the 100º+ day that had us drinking glasses hand over fist, but either way every drop was enjoyed. This is the perfect drink for a summer party or just a lazy day by the pool. And don’t forget to eat the fruit. That is one of the best parts! Gotta get in your vitamins.

Note: For the white wine I used Pomelo’s sauvignon blanc (one of my favorite summer wines). It has a nice refreshing grapefruit flavor. Anything with citrus notes will give you wonderful results. I recommend using a pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. I actually bought two bottles and made ice cubes with one of them. This way rather than get watered down as the ice melted, the sangria just got better. 😉

INGREDIENTS
750 ml bottle of sweet white wine (see above note)
2/3 c peach schnapps
1 peach, sliced
1 mango, sliced
1 orange, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 1/2 c raspberries
2 c ginger ale

STEPS

  • In a large pitcher combine together the wine, peach schnapps, and all the fruit.
  • Place the pitcher in the fridge and allow it to set overnight. (This step is not necessarily but it is highly recommended. Sitting overnight will allow the fruit to soak up some of the boozy goodness and allow the fruit flavors to infuse into the wine.)
  • Add the ginger ale to the pitcher right before serving.
  • Top off the pitcher with ice.
  • Pour. Relax. Enjoy.