The Best Sangria Ever

Why, hello!

Fancy meeting you here!

I decided that I am officially growing my hair back out.

Ben and I circa 2006 – holy buckets, look how young he looks!!!!!!

I figure this is my last shot at having long locks before I start getting grey hair (anxiety alert!) and will want to keep it short. Plus I have found a million different hairstyles for long hair on Pinterest that I want to try out – like this:

(source)

Cool, right? Ok, so now I just have another 12 inches or so to go…

I’ll get right on that.

In other news, I’ve been in and out all day long, starting with a trip to the gym with Eloise, where I completed this 3-2-1 Treadmill Routine:

Time	Speed	Incline
0-2	4.0
2-5	6.0
5-8	6.5
8-10	7.5
10-11	8.5
11-29	Repeat minutes 5-10 three more times.
29-40	4.0	3.5%
Total:	4 miles

Followed by a 15 minute walk at 4mph with a 4% incline. My Mom and I had to skip our morning stroll today because I stayed up too late on Pinterest last night it was thundering and lightening out, so I tacked the extra mile on at the end to compensate. Our usual route is 1.5 miles, but after 50 minutes on the treadmill, I start to go a little cuckoo.

A trip to the grocery store to get the ingredients to make The Best Sangria Ever was next!

Sooo, I may have spoken to soon when I said the central Iowa heat wave had broken yesterday, as we got slapped with a 1-week excessive heat warning today. It being Friday and all, the thought of an ice-cold glass of fruity sangria sounded like the perfect way to sit back, cool off, and usher in the dreadfully hot weekend ahead of us.

Now, I’ve tried a ton of sangrias in my day, but I always come back to the same recipe. It’s quick, easy, versatile and packed with delicious fruits and berries.

It actually comes from my friend Dylan’s, Mom. This is Dylan.

She made it for his college graduation party (which feels like a million years ago!) and I made him get me the recipe for it immediately. It’s been my go-to ever since!

All you do is combine a bottle of red wine (you could prob use white – I’ve never tried it though!) with a sliced lemon and orange in a large pitcher.

Ooo, check out those pretty colors.

Next, add a wee bit of sugar,

followed by a shot of rum. The recipe calls for 1 shot, but I was feeling frisky today and threw in an extra one for good measure.

Next, muddle the fruit with the back of a wooden spoon to help release its juices, and to help the sugar dissolve.

Whee!

At this point, stick the wine mixture in the fridge until it’s ready to be served. When it’s servin’ time, gingerly add in club soda. Dylan’s Mom uses Ginger Ale in hers which is AMAZING – I just felt like saving a few cals today.

Finally fill a cocktail glass up with ice and fruit, then slowly pour in the subtly sweet & luscious concoction.

The Best Sangria Ever

Print this recipe!

Ingredients:
1 bottle merlot (can use cabernet or zinfandel)
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 orange, cut into wedges
2-3 Tablespoons sugar
2 shots rum
2 cups Club Soda (could use Ginger Ale)
Other fruit: strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, peaches, raspberries

Directions:

1. Combine wine, lemon slices, orange slices, sugar and rum into a pitcher. Muddle with the back of a large spoon to get the fruit to release some of its juice, and to dissolve the sugar. Put into the fridge. Just before serving, stir in club soda. Serve over ice and fruit.

 

As licensed joyologist Helen Madden would say, I love it! I love it! I love it!

Go ahead and take a big ol’ gulp, I don’t mind.

I actually found frozen strawberries hiding out in my freezer, so I used those as fruit ice cubes to keep my drink cold.

Seriously – give this Sangria recipe a whirl sometime. MMMM! It cannot be beat!

I’m off to go enjoy my glass while Ben and I grill some cheeseburgers for dinner. Yeeep, the ol’ veg train made a pit stop at Burgerville, so I’m hopping off for a bite.

Happy Friday everyone!

Oh, and in case you missed it – check out the pictures of dogs (and 1 cat) that will make you smile.

See ya!

~~~~~

Team red, white or NO wine?!