since more often than not, you can eat better food by cooking at home vs braving one of the restaurants in jasper, we decided to take matters into our own hands on mother’s day. my contribution? margaritas. recipe is below but i have to tell you, i really don’t measure anything. i have ratios in mind when i start dumping, but it comes down to taste in the end. also, i used to be a firm believer in using nothing but patron (silver), but upon a recent visit to my local big red, was challenged to try milagro. great taste for far less bones. my verdict: yummm. my wallet’s verdict: let’s buy some extra limes with these extra bones.

classic margaritas

3 parts tequila

1.5 parts triple sec

1.5 parts sour mix (with water to dilute a bit)

glug of orange juice

juice of 3-4 limes + extra for garnish

-mix in a pitcher and serve over lots of ice. garnish with a lime wedge. enjoy. and try not to hit the floor.

the grilled salmon we had has become something of a tradition. as far as i know, it’s pretty easy and tastes amazing. the only catch? do.not.overcook! per franny: put on the grill meat side down for 2 minutes and return to foil, skin side down to finish cooking. but don’t cook too much. in fact, take it off when you think it’s a little undone (or medium rare in food-talk). also with the salmon, we had grilled asparagus, which was nothing more than straight-out-the-garden asparagus, thrown in a bag with olive oil + salt and pepper and grilled to yumminess. seriously, that easy.

maple salmon

1/4 cup maple syrup (the real stuff!)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pound salmon

-mix all ingredients in a sealed bag and allow to marinate for a couple hours. follow grilling instructions above. can also be used in the oven, but let’s face it: everything is better on the grill.