Skinny Avocado Margaritas

One of my fondest memories from the time that we lived in Colorado is from last summer (2012) with my girlfriends Amanda and Abbey.  Amanda and her husband were in the process of packing to move to Missouri, something that was truly bittersweet for all of us.  The three of us girls and our husbands were all part of the group of 5 leadership couples within the church that we were in Colorado to help plant.  When the church shut down there was a great deal of hurt, and the 6 of us became really close as we all dealt with the grief that came with losing something we all loved so much.

 

So a few nights before we loaded Amanda’s house into a truck and said ‘bye for now’, we had a girls’ night complete with Amanda’s homemade skinny margaritas and loaded veggie tostadas.  We giggled and talked and ate and drank – all the good things that come from being with people you love around food.  It was beautiful.

 

I remember driving home that summer night with the windows rolled down, blaring country music and gulping up the fresh warm air.  Life was changing – fast – but that moment in time with my girlfriends and that drive home, it helped bring me back to life.  Living in the world of new moms can be hard sometimes, and it’s really easy to isolate yourself.  I finally felt like I was close to being me again after that night.

A few weeks ago when we were in Dallas we were having drinks and dinner with our families, and my sister and I were talking about wine and alcohol for the first time that I can really remember.  We both never drank when we were younger, and since she left for college we never had a chance to actually drink together.  There’s a lot of really good and a lot of really bad that can come from imbibing alcohol, but it is – just like food – a shared experience that, in my experience, brings people closer together.

 

So that night we’re chatting over a glass of wine and she tells me that there’s some place in Austin (OH HOW I MISS THE HILL COUNTRY) that makes an avocado margarita that will forever change my life…I need only get down there.  While I am hoping beyond hope to get myself down to Austin this summer for BlogHer Food, I don’t exactly know when I’ll be able to join my sister for an avocado marg.

 

So I decided – why not marry together two of my favorite margarita memories and make them into something new to hold me over til the next time I see my sister and my dear friends?  And that is how this drink was formed – from love, friendship, and a little tequila.  I think I’ll be happy dancin’ with this one for a while 😉

SKINNY AVOCADO MARGARITAS

For the sweet and sour mix:

• 2 large oranges
• 4 large lemons
• 6 limes
• 2 Tbsp stevia (or your favorite sweetener of choice)
• water

To make the sweet and sour, juice all of the fruit into a large measuring cup.  Whatever the amount of liquid you get, add that much in water (i.e. mine yielded 2 cups of juice, so I added 2 cups of water).  Stir in the stevia and allow it to dissolve.  Refrigerate for at least an hour if time permits.

 

For one margarita:

• 1 cup sweet and sour mix
• 1/2 very ripe avocado, cubed
• 1 ounce tequila of choice
• 1/2 cup ice (more if you want a thicker marg)

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.  Serve in a glass (with salt if you want) COLD!