To some, crispy restaurant potato skins have virtues of their own. But for me? They are merely a vehicle for shoveling sour cream in mixed company. If it were socially acceptable for me to eat sour cream straight out of the container with a spoon, I’d do it. I mock Shakespeare: sour cream, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways… consequently, I have adopted a love of all foods Mexican simply because they pair so well with my favorite condiment.

Even though I don’t have a drop of Mexican blood, I heart Cinco de Mayo because it gives me an excuse to create a fun Mexican menu (see below), dinner guests optional. Enchiladas will be the main course. I’ll present my dear husband with a perfectly tart, salted margarita when he gets in the door. We’ll nosh on guacamole with our favorite Green Mountain Gringo White Tortilla Strips (sour cream on the side). Now can I get a dollop of Daisy?

Recipe Review: Barefoot Contessa / Ina Garten’s Real Margaritas

Maybe I just have a plain old crush on the Barefoot Contessa, but for me she always gets it right. This is the perfect margarita recipe. Ina provides instructions for how to do it on the rocks or frozen, however you prefer, and the recipe itself serves six. If that doesn’t say “party time,” I don’t know what does!

There are two keys that make this cocktail truly spectacular: one is fresh lemon and lime juice (a snap if you have a citrus juicer) and the other is using white tequila. Patron is a good example. It’s a little more expensive than the standard Cuervo, but when you’re using just a few star ingredients, it’s smart to buy the best you can afford.

Whether you like your rim plain, sugared, or salted, whether you like your drink frozen or on the rocks… just say tequila.

Robin Horrigan is a stay at home mom to a 6-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter. She is the cruise director for her busy family, keeping the calendar full of the stuff that makes life worth living, but leaves plenty of time to shop for shoes. When they’re all at home, you’ll find the Horrigans knee-deep in chocolate chips and cookie racks, baking treats together that celebrate the four seasons and even the silliest of holidays.