Rock Around the Christmas Tree

A group of friend's and I get together for each other's birthdays.  We go to lunch, get manicure's and pedicure's and have girls nights out.  Each birthday seems to be more fun to celebrate than the last.  I guess if you are gonna get older, you might as well live by the phrase, Rock On.
So since it is the holidays and my Christmas tree is up and decorated...I was on top of things this year :) ... I offered to host a Rock Around the Christmas Tree Birthday Party for our 2 December friend's birthdays.  They both love Mexican so the menu choice was easy.  And lucky for everyone, I didn't make the food!  I love cooking, but years ago I offered to have our neighbors over for dinner and decided to have a mexican night.  What was suppose to be simple turned out to be a kitchen disaster!  Although the food was good, we did not eat until 11pm and when the neighbors left, my husband and I turned to what was a white kitchen and said, "what happened to this place!"  I used every pot and pan and I think I dirtied every dish.  I have never made mexican again!  So, my friends housekeeper makes AMAZING mexican food and she offered to do the cooking.  The food was delicious and after eating her 3 homemade salsa's, I don't think I will ever buy another store bought jar of salsa again. 
Anyway, as the host, I was in charge of the "House Drink."  So I made Merry Margarita's.  A cranberry margarita made with a 100%Agave Tequila, Cointreau, Key West Lime Juice and Cranberry Juice, it was the perfect festive match for our Rockin Birthday Bash.  I like to make my drinks ahead of time and put them in ziploc freezer bags in my freezer and let them get nice and icy...a trick I learned from my Aunt in Florida.  Then, right before your company arrives, you can cut a slit in the bottom of the ziploc and pour the frozen drink into the glasses.  When your guests arrive, their drink will be just perfect. 
If tequila is not your liquor of choice, you can also make a Christmas Cosmo but substitute Vodka for Tequila. 
The evening was a night of great friends, fabulous food, delicious cocktails and a fun night of Rockin Around the Christmas Tree to celebrate 2 great friends birthdays!
Rock On and may all your Birthdays be Merry and Bright!
xo,
Heather