April in Plano…Pineapple Margarita anyone??

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Pineapple-Jalapeño Margaritas…served in my favorite glasses. If I had a sombrero and a couple of these, I’d be sleeping, too!

April in Plano…not quite as nostalgic as April in Paris.

Or is it? The trees are budding, the birds are singing – flying about happily chirping to one another – and the weather is in that rare zone of not-too-cold yet not-too-hot. Sitting on the patio with a cup of coffee in the morning is actually enjoyable. And equally enjoyable is sitting outside at the end of the day as the sun slips lower into the sky, perhaps with a chilled glass of wine (me, not the sun)…or maybe even a delicious Pineapple Margarita…

Yesterday, I came upon the most beautiful pineapples – fresh, organic, and wonderfully sweet! It was the aroma that first alerted me to their presence. Following my nose I soon found the sizable display around the corner. Pineapple after pineapple, piled one upon the other…a treasure trove just waiting for me to find ‘The Chosen One’. I will opt for the golden flesh of a perfectly ripe, juicy, sweet pineapple over 24K gold any day. Yes, I am that much of a food geek!

I instantly knew what I would create with my treasure.

My mind flashed back to last year at this time when I first bought my Vitamix. Pineapples were abundant then as well. Experimenting with the myriad ways I could use it, I discovered how well it purees even the toughest of fruits and vegetables.

I cut up my golden beauty and placed her glorious chunks into my Vitamix, added lime juice, tequila, Grand Marnier and ice…and with but a few pulses – voila! – my Pineapple Margarita was born!! A waiting margarita glass – with salted rim, of course – was soon filled, leaving just enough room for a fresh pineapple garnish. Mmmm….

Yesterday’s margarita was similar, only upon rummaging in my liquor cabinet I discovered a lack of the ‘cheap’ tequila I reserve for margaritas (how did I let that happen?)…so I pulled out the ‘good stuff’ – which happens to be a bottle of Manik Anejo 100% Agave. I proceeded to chop my pineapple and squeeze the limes and carefully [ahem] measure my tequila and Grand Marnier. My favorite margarita glass – you know, the one with the man sleeping under his sombrero at the base of the glass – was prepared and waiting for this special ‘nectar of the gods’ I was creating. A few passes in the Vitamix was all it took and my glass was soon full.

I’d like to leave you with this image: it’s a warm spring day in Texas, a soft breeze gently kisses your skin and the sun’s rays warm you to your very soul…you are soaking up every bit of it, all the while luxuriously sipping on a fresh Pineapple Margarita. Yes, Virginia, there is a Heaven…