Watermelon Agua Fresca to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

I discovered agua frescas during a recent trip to San Francisco. I was standing on line at Mijita in the Ferry Building, looking over the menu, when I spied three massive drink dispensers filled with delicious looking fruit drinks in strawberry, melon, and watermelon flavors. I chose watermelon and it was served non-fussily in a large plastic tumbler. The watermelon agua fresca was fruity without being cloyingly sweet, the perfect complement to my pork soft tacos.

Cinco de Mayo tends to be an excuse to indulge in way too many margaritas, something I've definitely been guilty of doing in years past. But this year, why not take your version of this healthy and refreshing fruit drink? We made Watermelon Agua Frescas last night and fought over the last drop in the pitcher. Watermelons in the supermarket are incredibly cheap right now: $3.50 at Trader Joe's and $5.50 at the Jewel for a large seedless watermelon. It makes whipping up a pitcher of agua fresca cheaper than pouring a glass of Tropicana.

We enjoyed our agua fresca with grilled lamb chops and Mexican style roasted corn. My mouth is still all tingly and happy from all those zingy fresh tastes!

Watermelon Agua Fresca
Ingredients
Half of a regular (not baby) watermelon
juice of 2 lemons
2 cups of water
1/3 cup of sugar

1. Cut the watermelon into large chunks. Don't worry about seeds.
2. Put the watermelon in a blender. Pour the water in the blender. Pulse to liquify.
3. Add the sugar and the lemon juice. Pulse a few more times to mix.
4. Strain into a pitcher. Use the strainer with the tightest mesh you have, you will have a lot of pulp and you want to remove it all, leaving only the fresh juice.
5. Put some ice in your pitcher and serve immediately.

Nutella Hot Chocolate

Nutella and hot milk together in a cup. This is happiness.

Snow goes hand in hand with hot chocolate. That goes without saying. When the kids come trooping back into the house, peeling off their snow-covered clothes, they expect me to greet them with steaming mugs of hot chocolate. And while it would be easier to just use the instant, just add water stuff, or reach for the can of Nesquik, I sometimes whip up a batch of homemade Nutella hot chocolate. The extra effort is well worth their red-cheeked thank yous.

Nutella hot chocolate is as good as it sounds: rich, creamy chocolate taste with just a hint of hazelnuts. It's also very easy to whip up. Not as easy as ripping open a pouch of Swiss Miss and adding hot water, but pretty close to it. Just heat up some milk, throw in three ingredients and wait for the standing ovation. They might even be grateful enough to pick up their own snow clothes without nagging.

I've even seen some recipes that call for mixing just Nutella and and hot milk, but I like adding a little cocoa to boost the chocolate flavor and a little sugar to round out the flavor. Hot chocolate should be a rich treat, and this little dessert in a cup is a snack you won't soon forget.

Nutella Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
1 Cup of 1% or 2% Milk
3 tablespoons of Nutella
1 Tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan on medium heat.
2. Add the cocoa and brown sugar. Stir until blended.
3. Spoon in the Nutella, one tablespoon at a time, resisting the urge to feed yourself a spoonful in between. You may need a second spoon to scrape the Nutella off. 
4. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture just begins to boil and the Nutella is fully disolved.
5. Serve immediately with a big fluffy marshmallow on top. As it cools, the Nutella taste will become more pronounced.

Happy World Nutella Day! The lovely Ms Adventures in Italy and
Bleeding Espresso have compiled recipes from around the world, all celebrating our love of Nutella. Head on over to drool, without gaining any weight.

Jazz Up your Holiday Drinks with these Sauza Tequila Recipes

When it comes to making drinks when I entertain, I tend to be pretty traditional. Boring even. Wine, beer, and maybe a little sangria if I'm feeling adventurous. But a couple of weeks ago, I attended an event hosted by Food Network Chef Marcela Valladolid and Sauza Tequila that really inspired me to ditch the dull drinks this holiday season.

And the best part about the drinks? None of them required a blender. Just pour, stir, and serve.


I'd had the opportunity to meet Marcela at a couple of promotional events in the last year, and each time I was struck by her warmth and genuineness. During one luncheon in New York City, I sat next to her and we swapped picky eater strategies. She is not only an accomplished chef and the author of a beautiful cookbook, but also a single mom. At this Chicago event, she took the time to walk around and talk to each of the guests, and was cracking jokes and laughing.

If you haven't checked out her cookbook, Fresh Mexico, that I reviewed here last year, definitely add it to your Christmas wish list. I'm often a little scared to tackle Mexican food because of the unfamiliar ingredients, but Marcela makes Mexican dishes easy and approachable, with ingredients that can be found in your local supermarket and substitutions if you can't.

My favorite drink was the warm winter margarita. Warm drinks are popular at Christmas time, but I am no fan of mulled cider with its grating, overpowering cinnamon. This drink made me rethink hot drinks completely. It went down easily, almost seductively.


Warm Winter Margarita
Serves 4
Ingredients:
28 oz apple juice
1 cinnamon stick
2 cups dried fruit of your choice
2 tbs granulated sugar
6 oz Sauza ® Silver Tequila

1. Combine apple juice and cinnamon in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick carefully.
2. Add sugar, dried fruit, and tequila. Mix well. Serve warm.

I was also a fan of the Raspberry Mint Margaritas, which had a refreshing sweet and sour combination. This would definitely be a talking point for any holiday gathering.

Mint Berry Margarita
Serves 4
Ingredients:
16 oz of cranberry/ raspberry juice
8 mint leaves for garnish
8 oz. cup lemon soda
6 oz of Sauza ® Silver Tequila

1. Combine all ingredients except mint leaves in a pitcher. 
2. Serve each glass with 2 mint leaves. Serve cold or iced.

And because I can't give up my sangria completely, I'll also share Marcela's adaptation of Sangria:
Citrus Cooler Margarita
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1/2 part white wine
1 part limeade
1 part lemon lime soda
1/2 part Sauza ® Silver Tequila

1. Combine all ingredients in a pitcher. Mix well. 
2. Serve cold or iced.

A huge thanks to Beth Rosen who organized the Chicago Sauza Ladies Night In event and to Sauza for making it all possible, and sending me home with 2 bottles of Sauza Tequila to dole out to my friends this holiday season. I have a feeling that our annual cookie exchange is going to be a little livelier than usual thanks to these exciting new drinks.