Summer definitely paid us a visit this past weekend, and I was lucky enough to be home in NJ with my family to enjoy it. Celebrating three moms (my own, my sister, and my sister’s mother-in-law) along with my brother-in-law’s birthday called for a great dinner, margaritas, and cake. Perfect sunny weather was an added bonus that allowed us to enjoy dinner outside.
Over Cinco de Mayo weekend, we made a quick stop at Bin Ends in Braintree and ended up buying their margarita “kit” a bottle of Reposado Tequila, 12 limes, and a bottle of agave. The recipe was included on the bag, and we discovered a new favorite, easy, at home cocktail.
My sister loves margaritas, and the weather was perfect, so I mixed up a batch of these.
2 ounces Tequila
1 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce agave
1/2 ounce water
ice
Mix up and enjoy! My sister thought the drink was a little too strong, so she added some orange juice to hers.
Dinner was better than any restaurant. I picked up some fresh tomatoes and ended up eating them raw, topped with the sour cream/horseradish cream sauce we made for the filets. Yum.
My nephew, who is just learning to talk, kept grabbing tomatoes and saying “ball”. He’s too cute.
My brother-in-law also grilled up a ton of vegetables including red onions, yellow peppers, zucchini, and eggplant.
We also had filets and grilled scallops, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes.
It was an outdoor feast!
I love nice weather eating because it is so simple. Other than a little steak seasoning and the horseradish cream, all of the food was pretty much plain, allowing the freshness to shine through. As much as I love recipes, I find it kind of refreshing to enjoy bright colors and flavors of nature and high quality ingredients.
How have you celebrated the nicer weather (fleeting as it may be!)?
I arrived back in Boston after a stressful drive. I absolutely hate driving. I used to commute from Dorchester to Waltham every day and was fine with it, but since I don’t drive much anymore, it has started to terrify me. I am still uncurling my fingers from their steering-wheel shaped grasp.
