when light just isn't the better choice

I've been doing Weight Watchers for a bit over a year now and have lost 52 lbs. to date. I have changed the way I look at food and how I make my choices. Even though I have changed some items to low or no fat, low or no sugar, some things can't be messed with.

Prepared margaritas are one of those things.

I love to have a drink once in a while, and we all know that alcohol can really pack on the calories. Naturally, I try to find a way to still get flavor and kick without paying for it in the waistline. My weakness is a good Margarita. Oh, margarita how I love thee. Now, your typical margarita packs in 500 calories a serving and I, my friends, can drink *many* margaritas. The two light products I am reviewing here are only 100 calories per serving, and that is *wonderful*. Alas, I can honestly say that that is the only tasty part of either one.

That being said, here we go:

#1: Bethenny Frankel's "Skinny Girl Margarita"

I was super excited when I saw that our local grocery store finally decided to start carrying this product. I have watched Real Housewives Of New York since the day it began, and have always loved Bethenny. I am also a fan of Bethenny Getting Married and Bethenny Ever After. She is a super cool woman who overcame a childhood of shit, has amazing business savvy and a wonderful home life. All that being said...

this drink...

is flat out...

without a doubt...

vile.

Cute bottle, fantastic marketing, but that is where the flair ends. This stuff is bitter and selzery, like drinking carbonated water with too much lemon added. Not even a touch of sweetness and absolutely no tequila flavor at all. It isn't overly expensive, around $13 a bottle, but it is $13 of my money, gone. It will be loved by people who aren't margarita snobs, and I, my loves, am a *huge* one. In the long run, I will find a way to doll it up and make it consumable, but other than that, I will never purchase it again or recommend it.

Sorry Bethenny.

My rating: half a tequila glass out of 5

#2: Jose Cuervo Light Margarita

Now, I *love* me some Jose Cuervo, and have always been a fan of their Gold Margaritas. This stuff...

err...

not so much.
It has that sad lo-cal sugar flavor that sticks with you, and it seriously drowns out the tequila. It is still relatively consumable except for one little thing.

The headache.

Holy shit.

The *headache*.

I didn't even drink enough to get a good buzz because the aftertaste started to eat at the flesh on my tongue. The headache started as a little pain in the temple and by the time I woke up in the morning it was like a hangover you would get after drinking MD 20/20.

For me, I will never consume this stuff again, but I would be willing to say "give it a try" to others. Just don't expect to be blown away.

My rating: 2 tequila glasses out of 5 with an Excedrine Migraine chaser

The moral of this story:

I'll use butter spray instead of Country Crock spread...I'll eat whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta. When it come to my prepared margarita craving, I'll stick to the straight up love of Jose Cuervo Gold. Yes, I know that when you cut out the calories in any thing, the flavor is going to change. Duh. But for the love of goddess, it doesn't have to make you cry.

Peace, Love and (i'm sorry jose...please forgive) Zombies \IiiI