February 15, 2025

WEEKLY MENU 02.16.25

We’ve got permission to celebrate during the Weekly Menu 02.16.25~ and it’s Tequila-based!

Drum roll, please: National Margarita Day shows up during the Weekly Menu 02.16.25. Yippee!! I told you it was huge! I’m just going to say it one more time: I love tequila. And I am really not alone:

According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the US, agave-based liquors like tequila and mezcal were the fastest-growing spirits category of 2022 and are now poised to overtake vodka as the best-selling liquor in the United States this year after knocking whiskey into third place in 2023. Time May 5, 2023

And I’m not being a bandwagon jumper here – I have been a massive fan since college. Hell, I played dimes with tequila when we were snowed in and ran out of beer. That might not have been my best idea, but I made it through. I don’t usually drink tequila straight anymore, but that was the only casualty.

I’ve extolled the virtues of tequila before – this stuff is actually good for you.

7 Health Benefits of Tequila That Are Worth Another Shot

1. Diabetics can drink it. The agavins, natural sugars in agave, are non-digestible so blood sugar levels won’t spike. In fact, it can lower glucose levels and increase insulin production.

2. It cleanses the colon. Tequila is made from the blue agave plant. This plant contains fructans which aren’t digestible. This is good news for fighting colon disease. Researchers have used fructans to help deliver drugs to the colon to fight diseases such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome.

3. It can aid in weight loss. A report, which was part of the 247^th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, found that the same agavins that help diabetes are also good for obesity. The reason is those agavins act like dietary fiber, which if you have ever tried to slim down your waistline know that fiber promotes weight loss. Get your metabolism right!

4. It helps fight dementia. Studies have shown that drinking alcohol like tequila in moderation may aid in the fight against dementia. Too much though, and you’ll be back on stage next Friday night singing who knows what.

5. It aids digesti on. A drink before a meal has been known to stimulate the appetite. And a drink after can help digest said meal.

6. It’s probiotic. Probiotics found in foods like yogurt and kimchi are praised for restoring good bacteria in the digestive system. And like yogurt and kimchi, tequila contains probiotics thanks to its fructans. But remember, in order to benefit from these probiotics, you will have to drink in moderation.

7. It’s a cold-buster. Tequila was prescribed by doctors in Mexico as a cure for the common cold during the 30s. While their version didn’t include Emergen-C, it did include tequila blanco, agave nectar, and lime. Voila, a great immune system. The idea here is that the agave would soothe a sore throat, the lime would add vitamin C, and the tequila, well, alcohol kills bacteria right?Wide Open Country Health Benefits of Tequila

Okay. The last one might be a little bit of a stretch – but you have to admit it’s worth a shot. (LOL)

Tequila is a little problematic for the environment.

To make tequila and mezcal, brewers harvest the whole agave plant once it reaches maturity (usually seven to 12 years, though some varieties can be harvested earlier), strip off the sword-like leaves and steam or roast the pina, or heart, until it releases a sugar-rich nectar that is then fermented and distilled. That processing generates a lot of waste: for every liter of tequila produced, about 5 kg (or 11 lbs.) of pulp and 10-15 liters of vinasse, an acidic liquid, are left behind. If disposed of improperly, the vinasse contaminates both soil and water supplies, leading to ecological dead zones. Time

**All pictures from the process are attributable to Photo by Mary West on Unsplash**

Look. Nothing is perfect. I hope somebody figures this out though! Meanwhile, I will continue drinking my Palomas, Margaritas, Tequila & Sodas. (Try this last one with white Casamigos Tequila. It’s pricy but so worth it. And we’re drinking it in moderation, so it will last and last.)

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One other note: part of the reason I like tequila so much is probably because of the glassware that it is often presented in. Margarita glasses, especially, are so versatile. Ice cream doesn’t ever look better than in a Marg glass. Try some lemon sorbet (lime, if you could find it) with a shot of tequila over it in one of these:

When it comes to margaritas, I am a purist despite the sheer quantity of different flavors you can add. And unless I’m reclining on a beach, I want my Margarita on the rocks. I will dabble a bit with a slice or two of fresh jalapeno, but that’s my only switch-up. This week, we’re celebrating Tuesday with a classic, salt-on-the-rim, lime juice-forward, down-and-dirty margarita.

WEEKLY MENU 02.16.25

What else is on the horizon on the Weekly Menu 02.16.25? Before we get to Taco Tuesday, we’re having a comforting Louisiana classic. Sunday dinner starts with the slightly decadent Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls and continues with gumbo. You would have thunk we’ve had enough chocolate, but nope. We’re finishing up with a crazy easy truffle made with Oreos. This might be the perfect meal to enjoy in front of the fire.

On Monday, we’re trying an Instagram recipe I saw: sausage-stuffed manicotti. It’s a casserole, and the manicotti is not pre-baked. Yay! The hard shells are stuffed with cooked sausage and placed in a baking dish, and then the whole shebang is covered with sauce and baked. Sounds reasonable. We’ll see how it tastes, but it has pasta, sausage, and cheese, so bets are that it will be gooood.

We’re having a Potato Taco Bowl with our Margs on Tuesday. Seasoned, cubed potatoes, seasoned ground turkey, and taco fixins (including avocado, tomatoes, onion, and sour cream) will finish the bowl. Sounds pretty good, huh?

Meatballs are making a show this week with Crockpot Swedish Meatballs. We’ll use store-bought meatballs and boxed mashed potatoes. You might as well go all in when you’re going for easy.

This week, Friday soup night is Cheeseburger Soup, and I’ve included a recipe. (Unfortunately, I don’t have mine written down.) They’re all pretty similar, and this one looks close to how I make it, except for my secret ingredient: a healthy splooge of ketchup when the heavy cream goes in. Don’t forget to add it!