May 03, 2010

You Are Cordially Invited to Get the Party Started

I don't know how you all organize your recipes but I have four main systems.  I have a D-Ring binder (Down with the O-Rings!) in the kitchen for recipes I have printed out from the internet (that is overflowing by the way -- what did I do before food blogs?), I have an accordion file of family recipes and random 3x5 cards, and then I bookmark recipes I want to try at delicious.com.

The fourth system is, well...less of a system and more of a compilation of random scraps of paper scribbled from god knows what source, newspaper clippings, and ingredients to try scrawled on the backs of envelopes.  Cooking is sort of an organic process around here at times, what can I say.  So before I start with the cooking talk today, can we pause so you can tell me: How do you organize your recipes?  I'm dying to know, please please please enlighten me!

Whew!  Thanks!    

Ok so you probably saw this coming, but this following recipe is from that 4th Realm of Organization so unfortunately I can not politely tip my adaptation hat, but since I have made and tinkered with this recipe so many times I feel comfortable making its official name Holly's Refreshing YET DANGEROUS Sangria.  And may I suggest serving it anywhere you want to get the party started.  

Holly's Red Wine Sangria

Now I'll admit it starts off with some arbitrary ingredients:

P1020275 

Not pictured: a can of orange juice concentrate and sugar to taste.  I forgot to include those because I had already had a glass of this when I took these pictures, so sue me.  

After assembling this motley crew, the concocting couldn't be easier:

*Slice the following fruits in wedges and juice over a  pitcher:  1 lemon, 1 lime, 1 orange.  Throw them in the pitcher -- it looks pretty.
*Add one small can of chopped pineapple with its juices
*Add frozen berries to taste (any berries will work, pick your poison.  I like to get crazy and add a lot.)
*Add 1-2 cans of ginger ale (you could probably use Sprite too, but I haven't tried it.  If you do, let me know.)
*Add 1/2 cup of orange juice
*Add 1 bottle of red wine (my advice,  go inexpensive -- but not too inexpensive)
*Add sugar to taste (I usually add  a few tablespoons, if you like it sweeter, add more! This recipe is easy like that.)

****and here's where things get a little nutty*****

*Add 1/2 to 1 Cup of gin or vodka.  (My suggestion, Bombay Sapphire, and 1 Cup, but that's just me, your raging alcoholic hostess.  You can decide what's right for you.)

Stir, refrigerate until chilled, and enjoy with friends.  





I have never had anyone not like this Sangria, in fact quite the opposite.  I have received some pretty sloppy hugs and kisses over it, so my last warning to you is be careful who you serve it to.

Now drink up!

3 comments:

Meredith from PenelopeLovesLists said...

Oh, that sounds so good.

To answer your question: I have a family recipe book that contains recipe cards. And, in addition to that, I keep a large binder with plastic sleeves that contain the recipes I find online and want to try.

I really need to clean that big binder out, now that I think of it. It's huge and dangerous.

Melanie said...

That does sound fantastic!

I remember my college friend's first attempt at sangria. From what I can remember, it was tasty the first night. However, the hunks of citrus fruit and apple slices were left in it overnight in the fridge (we certainly weren't going to throw out the leftovers!), and GOOD GOSH if the whole pitcher didn't taste like orange and apple skin the next day! Awful! So never do that!

As for organizing recipes, my system needs a serious overhaul. I have an accordion file folder with random scraps and clippings, a note card box with hand-written adaptations and family recipes, a billion links bookmarked in Firefox, and a collection of cookbooks that I rarely use.

If I'm ever going to start meal planning, I need to do some serious organizing.

emily said...

Drink up? If you say so! Thanks, Holly. This looks delicious.

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