The summer is sizzling; so should your parties! Break out the margarita mix, your favorite tequila, lots of ice and a great blender or two. Let’s get this party started!
There’s even a blender that gives you the option of whipping up a big 80-oz pitcher of margaritas (or any sort of frozen concoction you choose) or using two different 16-oz cups at the same time. That lets you (or your guests) literally blend two different margarita varieties at the same time! 
I also found an inflatable sombrero cooler… seriously! Toss a couple of those into your party scene, fill with ice and Mexican beer and soft drinks. This lets your beverage cooler add to the festive atmosphere. Obviously, some cactus margarita glasses will pack some extra WOW into your party. 
Choose the plastic ones if you plan to host your event outdoors or poolside… OR if you want to send guests home with a great souvenir memento glass of your South of the Border party.
If you want to get really fancy, you could go for the amazing hand-painted Bird of Paradise margarita glasses… 
There are even matching Bird of Paradise pilsners. Both happen to be on sale now through Labor Day at http://www.partycentral123.com/specials.php
Decorate by tossing around a few maracas and colorful sombreros. Use festive napkins and paper plates to add inexpensive “bling” and easy clean-up, too! If you’re outdoors, light up some backyard tiki torches to sizzle the late night hours.
Here are a couple of recipes for you to consider. The first two come to you free from Volume 1 of the 2-volume set: “50 Years of Fabulous Family Favorites.”
Super Simple Cranberry Punch
It’s always great to offer a non-alcoholic or family-friendly beverage as part of your menu.
Per serving:
1 c cranberry juice cocktail
¼ c orange juice
¼ c pineapple juice
Serve in a tall glass over ice cubes made of any (or all) of the juices.
KISS Tip: Consider placing fresh berries in ice cube trays before adding water or your choice of fruit juices. Then you have decorative and flavorful ice! This works in individual glasses or a punch bowl.
Super Simple Chili Con Queso
This recipe, created by Cathy Burnham Martin in 1992, remains a timeless favorite. You can also serve it in a fondue pot quite nicely, which keeps it perfectly warm throughout your party.
Over low heat (or in a double boiler over simmering water) melt 3 T butter and stir in 3 T flour.
Gradually add 1 c milk, stirring until smooth.
Add 2 pounds grated Monterey Jack cheese (or any mix of Jack and Cheddars).
Heat until cheese melts. Stir in 1/2 c minced sweet onion, 8‑oz chopped canned green chilies, 10‑oz enchilada or picante sauce, and 1 T minced garlic.
Add just enough tomato juice (or V-8 type vegetable cocktail) to thin to a nice consistency.
Serve warm with tortilla chips, crackers, or raw veggies.
Obviously, putting out tortilla chips and salsa is easy and perfect. You could even have taco fixin’s lined up for some serve yourself simplicity. I love the idea of quesadillas, though for a couple of reasons. They let you offer something hot that is so easy to share and eat with your fingers, without the potential messiness of tacos. Plus, if you’d like, making quesadillas is so easy that they make a great dish to let guests prepare themselves. This can be a bit of a challenge if you are trying to prepare a LOT of them in one skillet. But you might look at one of those official Quesadilla Maker machines. They give you a no-fail system that more easily helps guests to whip up their own favorite combinations. Just put out the ingredients in bowls and let your friends have at it!
To give you a great start, here’s a special free bonus recipe:
Super Simple Grilled Shrimp Quesadilla Cozumel
This is a Café Martin original recipe creation for the Keep It Super Simple cookbook group.
Sweet onions, very thinly sliced or well-chopped & microwaved on high for 1 min
Grilled large or jumbo shrimp, halved lengthwise
Halved cherry tomatoes
Coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Shredded Monterey Jack, Muenster, and/or Cheddar cheese
Flour tortillas (your choice of size)
Place a tortilla in an olive oil sprayed skillet, preheated over medium heat.
Sprinkle half of the tortilla with some onion, shrimp, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese, in that order.
Fold the other half of the tortilla over the top to form a filled half circle.
Repeat with a second tortilla in the other half of the same pan; cook about 2 minutes, until golden.
Turn quesadilla over, using a spatula or two; cook another 2 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board; cut each into 3-4 wedges.
Serve hot with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.
KISS Tips:
- Sweet onions include varieties such as Vidalia, Maui, Empire, and Walla Walla, etc.
- Use any quantities and proportions that suit your party size and taste preferences. Or let guests prepare their own!
- Cut each quesadilla into larger wedges for lunch portions and smaller wedges for appetizers.
KISS Variations: Add some Caribbean flare by including small bits of fresh pineapple in with your fillings. Or replace shrimp with bite-sized chunks of leftover grilled chicken (boneless) or steak tips.
For lots more recipe ideas, peruse a great cookbook, such as:
Put on some sizzling Latin music, serve up some incredible edibles, and have an amazing and easy party!
Whether you are lifting a glass of bubbly, sipping red wine in front of a fireplace, or enjoying a beer during a favorite sports event on television, we have a Super Simple snack that is AWESOME! We absolutely love the spiciness of pepperoni, but we are not so keen about all the fattiness. 
KISS Variation: Microwave just 30 – 45 seconds to use on pizza, but without the excess grease. Partial cooking lets you double or triple up on the amount of pepperoni you load on your favorite pizza, but you don’t have to have pizza dripping with all that sloppy grease.
