Cocktails

Sangria For One!

When a stay-at-home-mom has wine and fresh fruit in the house, what’s she going to do? Make sangria of course! And this isn’t any sangria, this sangria is for one person. Yep! For me and me only. What’s great about this recipe is you can make it your own with the type of fruit and wine you like. I used chardonnay because that’s what I had but a red wine would work, too! So come on! Have a cocktail with me…

What you will need:

Wine glass (or mason jar if you have one)

6 oz. wine, white or red
2 oz. Brandy
Fresh fruit, I used strawberries, blueberries and lemon
Lemon-lime pop (I used Sprite and yes, I say pop. True Chicagoan here!)

I made this early in the day and then stuck it in the fridge until I was ready to drink it. But, if you drink it right away, it’s just as good! The fruit just won’t have time to soak up all that booze 😉 So, you can make this a few hours before drinking or right when you want one.

In your glass, pour the wine. Add the Brandy. Cut up the fruit you are using and add that. Stick in the fridge and add the pop just before drinking OR if drinking now, add it! As much or as little as you want. I think I added about 1/4 cup. Garnish with fruit if desired. Cheers!

Yes, I had fun taking pictures of this beauty.

Bottoms up!

 

Autumn Apple Sangria

I found this recipe from southyourmouth.com and knew I had to make it! I did change it a little as I went, and you can too, depending on your tastes. Vodka? Hell yes. Apple cider? Hell yes. AND white wine? Can I get an Amen?! All topped with crisp apples, yum yum. So easy, so perfect for fall, and great for gatherings as the recipe can be doubled. Here we go, people!

What you will need:

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1 pitcher
1/2 cup vodka
2 cups apple cider
1 bottle white wine (I used Chardonnay) and make sure it is chilled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 apples cut into bite sized pieces
You can also add pears if you so desire. I would have, I just didn’t have any.

In the pitcher, combine all ingredients except the wine. Stir well and refrigerate for several hours. Before serving, add the wine and stir. Pour into wine glasses and enjoy! Cheers, y’all 🙂

This made enough for 4 people to have two glasses each.

 

 

Hot Toddy Recipe

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If you’re like me, you dislike cold weather so much that as soon as it gets below 50 degrees, you literally start freaking out. Depression, blues, cold/flu, and dry skin are a few things that happen to me. So, here is a nice hot beverage to soothe some of those feelings and issues. There are many variations of this drink, but the recipe I’ve posted here is my favorite (mainly because I’m loving whiskey right now. Who knew?). Feeling a cold coming on? MAKE THIS! And drink every last drop. Guaranteed you will feel better. No more sore throat, and for me, lemon is a very relaxing scent. So here we go… how to make a Hot Toddy…

What you will need:

Coffee mug
Green Tea of your choice
1 cup of water
1 1/2 – 2 ounces of whiskey of your choice (the one pictured above is super delicious and I highly recommend)
Lemon wedge
1 tablespoon of honey

To make:

Place water in coffee mug and microwave until boiling. Then, put in all your ingredients; tea bag, whiskey, honey and squeeze in the lemon juice. Stir. Sip. And enjoy!

Funny side note: We did not have any lemons when I made this just now, so I used a couple drops of pure lemon extract. Still delicious!

Tipsy Arnold Palmer

I thought I would do something different and easy today. It’s Monday and we all could use a little pick me up, right? This drink is so good and perfect for the summer months. The following recipe is for a single serving, so go ahead! Drink up 😉

What you will need:

1/2 cup lemonade
1/2 cup iced tea
2 oz. vodka (I prefer either Grey Goose or Belvedere)
Ice, crushed or cubed
1 clear glass

Place ice in glass. Cubed works best but I personally like crushed better. Pour in lemonade and vodka, mix. Slowly pour in the tea, it should rest on top of the lemonade. Serve with a lemon wedge and mint leaf. Cheers!