Happy Cinco de Mayo! Not only is today a Mexican holiday, it’s also Kaiser’s birthday! He turns 2 today (14 in dog years?). Happy Birthday, Kaiser!

One thing that’s pretty necessary on Cinco de Mayo? Margaritas, of course!

One of the best margaritas I’ve ever had was a habanero margarita from SushiTeq in Boston. It’s a sushi bar and tequileria. Best combination ever? Yes. I love all things spicy, the hotter the better. Actually, the night I met Nick, I impressed him with my jalapeno-eating abilities. Yep, I’m talented. Anyways, I couldn’t resist ordering the habanero margarita, even after the waitress warned me it wasn’t for the faint of heart. Of course, I loved it. It definitely was HOT, but the spice just went perfectly with the tequila and lime.

Although I love a good standard lime margarita, I figured if I was going to make them from scratch, I might as well get a little creative! With spicy peppers in mind, I began my recipe search. I should have known Bobby Flay would have the answer. He’s always spicin’ it up!

I subbed mango for the pineapple in the original recipe because I couldn’t find frozen pineapple, fresh was a ridiculous $6.49, and canned didn’t sound so good. Tropical fruit is tropical fruit, so it worked. I’d never heard of a Fresno chile, so I went to the grocery store thinking I’d sub in a jalapeno. Surprise! They actually had Fresno chiles! A new-to-me food. 🙂

Sweet and Spicy Margaritas

(adapted from Bobby Flay’s Pineapple Chile Margarita)

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 3 oz tequila
• 1/2 cup mango chunks
• 1 Fresno chile, seeded and chopped

Combine all ingredients in a blender.

Blend until smooth and serve over ice!

I liked the margaritas, but thought they needed to be spicier. Since I’ve never had a Fresno chile before, I didn’t know what they’d be like. I’d say definitely less painful than a jalapeno. Next time I’ll look for habaneros! It also needed some more tequila… I’m one of those people who actually likes the taste of tequila, and it didn’t shine through much in this. That’s an easy fix, though! A few tweaks and this will be killer!

Remember how I told you today is Kaiser’s birthday? Well, we got him a little present.

Meet the newest member of our family, Cali!

Cali is about 8 months old and a mix between an orange and gray tabby. She enjoys feather toys, tuna treats, and tormenting dogs.

Kaiser would like to return his present.