Many Americans believe Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day, but Mexico actually won independence from Spain on September 15, 1810. Instead, Cinco de Mayo is the anniversary of a historic battle on May 5, 1862, in which Mexican troops prevented French armies from taking control of Mexico. The holiday isn't widely celebrated in Mexico except in certain areas, but in the U.S. it's become significant as a time to partake of festive South-of-the-border food and drink. For this issue of Weekend Menu Planning, I'm suggesting margarita-themed foods that would be perfect for the holiday or to mark the imminent arrival of summer!

Of course margaritas have been a favorite adult beverage for a long time, but if you're celebrating with kids, there are plenty of margarita-themed dishes that are G-rated too. Grab a bag of limes, and let's celebrate.

(Photo of Margarita Ice Cream from The Barefoot Kitchen Witch.)
If you like key lime pie, you'd probably love Margarita Ice Cream, a dessert that sounds perfect for Cinco de Mayo. I found this version of Margarita Ice Cream at The Barefoot Kitchen Witch.

(Photo of Margarita Punch from Colorado Lady.)
Colorado Lady says her homemade Margarita Punch is so good you won't even miss the alcohol, but for a more adult version, she also tells when to add the tequila.

(Photo of Margarita Cheesecake from And So She Blogs.)
Another tasty sounding treat I thought would be perfect for Cinco de Mayo is the Margarita Cheesecake posted by And So She Blogs.

(Photo of Frozen Margarita Pie from Cookie Madness.)
The Frozen Margarita Pie at Cookie Madness also looks pretty outstanding, although when the pie turned out to be a little too boozy, Anna posted an update to the Frozen Margarita Pie recipe.

(Photo of Rhubarb Margarita from Andrea's Recipes.)
Finally, for a different twist on the margarita cocktail, how about this lovely pink-hued Rhubarb Margarita from Andrea's Recipes?

More Margarita-Themed Food from Around the Web:
Margarita Jello ~ from Use Real Butter
Margarita Sorbet ~ from Ice Cream Ireland
Granita Margarita ~ from Ideas in Food
Margarita Cake ~ from Recipegirl.com
Roasted Margarita Asparagus ~ from Green Lite Bites
Margarita Slaw ~ from Confections of a Foodie Bride
Lime-Margarita Cupcakes ~ from Cupcakes Take the Cake
Margarita Shrimp ~ from Cooking by the Seat of my Pants
Margarita Cupcakes ~ from She Craves

(Every Thursday night on BlogHer, we spotlight five recipes with a common theme for a feature called Weekend Menu Planning, hoping one of them might make it onto the menu at your house. You can find previous recipes shared by clicking the tag Weekend Menu Planning. If you have a favorite dish for Cinco de Mayo, margarita-themed or not, do share in the comments.)

BlogHer Contributing Editor Kalyn Denny also writes about food and shares her low-glycemic recipes at Kalyn's Kitchen. For Cinco de Mayo, Kalyn would probably serve Cilantro-Lover's Perfect Guacamole.