09/15

Fresh Kumquat Margarita

Happy Labor Day Weekend! As you may know, I have spent the past week moving into my new house and I could seriously use some nice rest and relaxation. Since it’s the holiday weekend, cocktails will obviously be in attendance at some point or another.

Since I like to enjoy a drink every once in a while, I always try to keep it as healthy as possible. Alcohol can really rack up the calories! It’s important to be conscious of that and substitute natural ingredients whenever possible.

I’ve always loved having fruit trees in my backyard and it’s definitely one of the many reasons I love California! The weather makes it possible to grow yummy fruits and veggies all year long to enjoy. I actually just started growing my own veggie and herb garden in my new backyard (blog to come on that later!) Since my kumquat tree was looking ripe for the picking I knew I had to implement them someway, somehow. So, what better way to use your fresh fruits than add them into your cocktails?

Kumquats grow on a flowering tree that comes from the citrus family, which means they are jam-packed with vitamin C and potassium. They actually taste and smell very similar to an orange but kumquat peels can be eaten. When you replace fresh fruit with whatever sugar fruit substitute is normally found in drink mixes and cocktails, it definitely ups the health factor!

I love using whatever is grown in my backyard but you can use anything you can buy at a store or farmers market, too. For example, fresh strawberries, blackberries, and pineapple are DELICIOUS when added to the blender with a little dash of tequila! Keep them separate or have some fun and experiment with some fresh flavor mixes.