What's a Mexican inspired dinner without some margaritas to start things off? My friend Dorothy brought all the ingredients to start the party. After making the margaritas as written, we all started feeling the effects right away. Even though we were all feeling pretty good, we thought the margaritas were too strong for us (wimps) so we added some Strawberry Limonade (as seen in the background of the above picture.) The result? Amazing margaritas. In fact, I'm craving one right about now!

"This is Rick’s favorite margarita–a strong, tangy, bright-flavored wonder that’s been shaken to iciness. Rick likes to serve it in old-fashioned 4-ounce martini glasses. Those, however, are difficult to find in this bigger-is-better world. So we wrote this version for the 6-ounce glass that’s common now. Just remember: they’re strong." - Frontera Kitchens

Pure & Simple Shaken Margaritas
recipe from Rick Bayless, which was made for a crowd

1 bottle (750ml) tequila
2 cups Triple Sec
1 cup fresh lime juice, plus a little extra for moistening the rim of the glasses
A little sugar if necessary
About 1/3 cup coarse (Kosher) salt for crusting the rim of the glasses
About 3 cups medium ice cubes

In a large pitcher, combine the tequila, triple sec and lime juice. Taste and decide if you think the mixture needs to be a little sweeter or a little tangier (keep in mind that it will taste a little tangier once it’s been shaken). Add a bit more lime or a touch of sugar, if necessary.

Spread out the salt onto a small plate. Moisten the rim of four 6-ounce martini glasses with a little lime juice (if you have a cut lime, even an already-squeezed one, moisten the rims by running it around them). One by one, turn the glasses over and dip them lightly in the salt, creating a thin, even crust all around the rim.

Pour some of the margarita mixture into a cocktail shaker, add a few ice cubes and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds (this is important to achieve the perfect strength–some of the ice needs to melt into the margarita–and the right degree of frostiness). Strain into the prepared glasses, then repeat with the remaining margarita mixture. Relax and enjoy.