Strawberry-Orange Margarita - and Sandra Lee

If there's one thing we can all agree on about Sandra Lee, it's that she knows her way around the cocktails. So when a mystery package containing two bottles of Sandra Lee pre-made margaritas showed up at my door, I knew it was ...

... Cocktail Time.

I decided to avoid the whole concept of tablescapes, so I followed the instructions on the neck of the bottle to chill and serve. Well, I chilled the strawberry margarita. The key lime is still unopened. One at a time, yanno.

And then I spied some information about using the margarita mix as an ingredient in a cocktail. So ... use a cocktail to make a totally different cocktail? Sure, why not?

I decided not to go too far afield with the margarita, but I wanted to add some more tartness and freshness to it. Orange juice was my choice. It added zing I wanted, and it changed the color from pink to more of a dark salmon color. And, obviously, it cut the alcoholic content a bit, so I could have a little extra.

I like my margaritas on the rocks rather than blended, but this would be just as good blended.

Strawberry-Orange Margarita

Equal parts of:
Sandra Lee Cocktail Time Strawberry Margarita
Orange juice

Plus:
Dash of orange bitters

Add ice to your glass. Add the margarita and orange juice, then add the dash of bitters.

Stir and serve.

If you like, garnish with some fruit - lime would be nice, or a slice of orange or a whole strawberry. A sprig of mint would also be appropriate.

I received the margaritas as a surprise from the manufacturer, at no cost to me. I like surprises!

Watermelon-Berry Margaritas

While local watermelons won't be available for a while, there are plenty of nice-looking watermelons at the grocery store. From giants to personal-sized watermelons, they're all represented. Seedless and yellow, too.

I love watermelon. It's so ... cooling. Refreshing. Bright. Crisp.

And, the flavor makes a great cocktail.

Yes, I said cocktail. A nice, fresh, summery cocktail.

This time around, I combined the watermelon with some strawberries - might as well keep the color consistent - and then there was tequila.

To make the watermelon-strawberry juice, I used a juicer. I suppose you could use a blender to make a beverage with a smoothie-like texture, or you could blend then strain to remove seeds and excess pulp. My juice had a little body to it, but it wasn't super-thick.

Watermelon-Strawberry Margarita

1 ounce tequila
1/2 ounce agave syrup
1/2 ounce lime juice
Watermelon-strawberry juice, as needed (recipe follows)

You can make your margarita three different ways - blend with ice in a blender for a frozen margarita, serve it over ice, or shake with ice in a shaker, then strain. How you make it is up to you.

And ... of course you can adjust the sweetness or tartness by adding more or less agave syrup or lime juice.

But I think this formula is a good start. Then give it a taste and adjust to your liking. Once you've got the exact formula, mix up a pitcher or two.

Garnish your glass with a slice of lime. Some chunks of watermelon on a skewer would also be great. Or just have a small bowl of watermelon chunks to munch on. It's amazing how quickly they disappear.

Hint: if your watermelon isn't as sweet as you'd like it to be, add a teeny sprinkle of salt, and it will taste sweeter. You don't want salty watermelon, so be conservative.

Watermelon-Strawberry Juice

1 pint strawberries
6-8 cups chunked watermelon.

Process the berries and watermelon through your juicer. Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate until needed.