Festive Drinks & Cocktails for Cinco de Mayo Fiestas

“With a history steeped in battles and rebuilding, Mexico has earned every right to be proud.” Discovery News

Time to get out your sombreros and maracas – it’s almost Cinco de Mayo! This holiday celebrates Mexico’s freedom from French rule after defeating the French forces in the Batalla de Puebla on May 5, 1862. And each year, more and more Americans help Mexico celebrate on May 5 with the famed Cinco de Mayo fiesta!

Cinco de Mayo fiestas are all about tasty Mexican food and festive drinks. But instead of battling the Cinco de Mayo crowds at your favorite Mexican restaurant, why not invite your friends over and throw your own fiesta? We’ve found some fabulous ideas and inspiration for festive drinks and cocktails perfect for celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Here are some of our favorites.

Blend or mix a fresh and fruity margarita.

As Delish puts it, it’s time to “dust off your margarita pitcher and celebrate the warm weather.” Make it a frozen margarita and or serve it on the rocks. Get creative and make up your own fresh combination of fruits with oranges, mangoes, and even kiwi. Don’t forget to finish the rim with lime juice and rock salt!

Photo via Mind Over Batter

Stir up some scrumptious Sangrias.

Simple yet delicious, sangrias go perfectly with a Mexican-themed meal. And the best part is you can’t really make them wrong! This drink can be made any way you want. All you need is dry red wine and then you can add whatever fruits and flavors that are calling you. Apples, oranges, sugar, cinnamon, seltzer, and sparkling lemon and/or lime drinks are some popular Sangria ingredients you can start with.

Photo via The Kitchen is My Playground

Mix a tangy Tequila Sunrise.

If you want to test your bartender skills, this cocktail can be really fun and festive! The key is to get the coloring just right. This drink is made primarily with freshly-squeezed orange juice, but grenadine is used to add that touch of sweetness and that pretty coloring that reminds us of a stunning sunrise!

Photo via DrinkedIn

What are your favorite cocktails to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with? Share with us your favorite fiesta drinks in a comment below or on our Facebook page!

And don’t forget that you can find a wonderful assortment of fresh and delicious fruits at Hickory Farms including luscious Mandarin and Navel Oranges, juicy D’ Anjou Pears, crisp Fuji and Granny Smith apples, and even refreshing kiwis and mangoes! Head to our website to see more!

Savor the Weekend with These Great Brunch Ideas

If only we could enjoy the slow, relaxing pace of the weekend every day! But you can savor the weekend a little bit longer with a delicious brunch.

As we have shared before, breakfast quiches are always a savory option that can be created with leftover slices of gourmet cheese, eggs, spinach, and your favorite gourmet sausage.

Photo via Food Network

Breakfast casseroles are also a favorite choice of many brunch hosts and hostesses because you can prepare all of the ingredients the night before and then pop it in the oven first thing the next morning! Try our Ham, Egg and Cheese Strata recipe filled with HoneyGold® Ham and Our Smoked Cheddar Blend and Jalapeno & Cheddar Blend Cheese. It makes an excellent main dish for a brunch.

Fruit salads are a wonderful side for adding refreshing flavors and textures into your brunch menu. This Maple Citrus Coconut Salad sounds divine!

Photo via Country Living

Photo via Daily Dream Decor

Toast and assorted jams, jellies, and preserves are a perfect addition to any brunch menu. Hickory Farms’ Orchard Preserves Sampler offers six deliciously sweet flavors that are sure to satisfy.

Photo via Martha Stewart

Lightly buttered biscuits are also perfect with jams, jellies, and preserves, but ham is another delicious option. Leftover HoneyGold® Ham and biscuits make for a hearty brunch sandwich.

Who says dessert can only be served after dinner? Our Crown Comice® Pear Bread Pudding recipe is the perfect sweet treat to complete your brunch. Juicy seasonal pears are cooked to perfection and topped with remaining pear slices, sprinkled with a cinnamon mix and topped off with caramel sauce. Yum!

Don’t forget your breakfast beverages! Rather than stopping at coffee and juice, consider making your brunch even more special with breakfast cocktails like mimosas and sangrias garnished with fruit.

Photo via Cooking Channel

What are your favorite savory brunch recipes? Share them with us in the comments below.

Ham, Egg & Cheese Strata Recipe:

- 6 cups French bread (1” cubes)

- 3 cups Hickory Farms Smoked Cheddar Blend-shredded

- 2 cups Hickory Farms Jalapeno & Cheddar Blend-shredded

- 2 cups Hickory Farms HoneyGold® Spiral Sliced Ham (1/2 lb.), large diced

- ½ cup leeks, chopped

- 8 large eggs

- 2-1/2 cups milk

- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

- 1 tsp. seasoning salt

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Evenly layer bread in a lightly greased 9” x 13” baking dish. Sprinkle Smoked Cheddar Blend, 1 cup Jalapeno & Cheddar Blend, ham, and leeks evenly over bread. In a separate bowl combine eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning salt. Whisk to blend. Pour egg mixture over casserole. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of Jalapeno & Cheddar Blend Cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Serves 6-8 people.

Crown Comice® Pear Bread Pudding Recipe:

- 3 cups milk

- 3 cups day old bread – cut into 1″ cubes

- 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tbsp. sugar

- 1/4 cup butter – melted

- 3 eggs – slightly beaten

- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. almond extract

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 2 Hickory Farms Crown Comice® Pears (or other favorite), pared, cored and sliced

- 1 tsp. cinnamon

- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Instructions: Preheat oven to 325°F. In a small saucepan, heat milk until bubbles form around the edge of pan. Remove from heat and cool until lukewarm. In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, 1/2 cup sugar, butter, eggs, almond extract and salt; mix well. Butter a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Layer with half of the pear slices; pour bread mixture over pears. Top with remaining pear slices. Combine cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon sugar; sprinkle on top of pears. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Serves 8 to 10 people.

Let Hickory Farms Help You Get Healthy for National Nutrition Month

Many people make a New Year’s resolution to improve their health by eating right and exercising. But once they are back into the routine of work and family activities, it’s easy to backslide after a few months.

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why March is designated as National Nutrition Month. National Nutrition Month was formed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as a way to make the public more aware of the importance of making informed food choices, and establishing good eating and exercise habits. National Nutrition Month couldn’t come at a more perfect time, as many people are either renewing their resolution to become healthier or are looking to get fit as we move into spring and, later, swimsuit season.

Each year, National Nutrition Month has a theme, and this year’s is “Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day.” The idea behind the theme is for individuals to create personalized healthy eating.

Fruit Salad with Fruit from Hickory Farms

Photo via From My Lemony Kitchen

As we have shared before, Hickory Farms can help you achieve your goal of healthier eating. Our various fruit gift baskets are filled with juicy fruits like Crown Comice® Pears, apples, oranges, kiwis, and mangoes. Fruits are a wonderful source of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients that are necessary for a healthy body. Add them to a salad, create healthy side dishes, or simply enjoy them as nature intended.

If you prefer a little crunch in your diet, opt for nuts! They offer a number of cardiovascular benefits and are packed with energy-boosting protein. Several of Hickory Farms gourmet food gifts include crunchy nuts.

Photo via Saveur

Many people are also discovering the benefits of a gluten-free diet – not just people who have gluten intolerances. Gluten-free diets can help individuals reduce the risk of health conditions like diabetes and certain forms of cancer. They also strengthen the immune system in order to keep viruses and illness-causing germs at bay. Several of Hickory Farms gourmet food products are gluten-free and are great to keep on hand for worry-free entertaining on a moment’s notice.

What steps will you take to establish healthier eating habits during National Nutrition Month? Please leave a comment below to share with us.