Cocktail of the Month: White Wine Peach Sangria

It's been a while since we've talked booze.  Well, let me clarify that.  It's been a while since we've talked booze on the blog.  It's a pretty regular topic of discussion in our household, especially in the summer. 

So.  I've got the perfect summer punch for you.  This is a riff off of a DELICIOUS white wine sangria that my beautiful friend Alicia made as the "appetizer" drink for my Baby #3 shower back in Kansas.  I could not fully enjoy it back then of course, being great with child, so I was pretty excited to remember it this summer.

Made a double batch of this for a pool party last week, and it was a hit.  Made a single batch of it for me and the Gutsy Dad the following night--also a hit.  Though, honestly, one batch is quite a lot of alcohol for just two people.  I'm wondering if you could store leftovers in the fridge and enjoy it the next day...

White Wine Peach Sangria Punch

one bottle white wine (750ml), I like to use cheap Pinot Grigio

one can of Fresca

12 oz vanilla vodka

12 oz peach nectar

frozen peaches

frozen raspberries

Assembly is easy.  Get out a big pitcher or bowl.  Pour in the bottle of wine.  Pour in the can of Fresca. Fill the Fresca can with vanilla vodka and dump it in.  Fill the Fresca can with peach nectar and dump it in.  (My peach nectar came in a larger bottle.  If you can find it in 12 oz cans, then you're all set.)  Add in the frozen fruits -- they help kick start the cooling of the punch.  Use as much or as little as you like when it comes to the fruits.  I had one bag of each that lasted for the three aforementioned batches of this recipe.  I think it is always nice to have a lot of yummy fruit in there, but this is also because I love to eat the drunken fruit.  Keep the pitcher chilled until ready to serve.  Fill glasses with ice, pour, and enjoy.

Of course you can use fresh fruit.  But that's pretty labor intensive for a summer drink, don't you think?

You recall how my man loves his girly drinks?  This one is no exception.

P.S. The wine glass in the first two pictures is from Curly Girl Designs.  I love love LOVE the things she designs.  I have four of her cards clipped to drawers in my creative space.  When Jillson saw my wine glass she said "you have that card upstairs!"  I'm always amazed at the details kids pick up.  The artwork on my wine glass is this one.  But I also love this one.

May in Pictures, aka The Blog Post That Never Ends

When I sat down tonight, I couldn't remember much about May.  I remembered that school let out.  Then I looked through my photos and recalled just a wee bit more.  In the interest of time, I'm refraining from editing the photos.  And I will try not to be too wordy.

So....

We went to the beach.

I banged up the car four days after I got it back from the shop where it had been for two weeks being repaired for an almost identical ding.  (Same area, same driver, same bad eyes apparently. Minivans are very wide. A lot wider than I give them credit for.)

I made 31 layouts.  A few of them appear in this post.

We dressed up in strange clothes and went to a ladies-only Dining In event.

Mother's Day performance at preschool.

Another selection from my layouts this month (only one I've ever made about my/our first dog):

Bath time.

Family photo.

Ready to rock on field day.

Bye bye Kindergarten!

There was a debilitating flu.

I ran 26.2 miles over the course of the month, participating in an online "virtual" marathon.

A tribute to a favorite poet:

Daisies bridging to Brownies.

Slip-on fingernails. Ha ha ha!

A favorite:

Modeling new pajamas.

Paper work.

Last day of preschool.

Last day of Kindergarten:

Talking to Papa.

Family photo.

Eight months.

Final ballet performance (spontaneously outside).

Happy Seventy!

Awkward family photo.

Another fave.

And all the while, the Gutsy Dad was here:

Stay tuned for June...

Summer Crazies

I really should have thought to say that I wouldn't be blogging over the summer. I had every intention.  I mean, I was under the impression that summer VACATION meant time off, more time for silly things like blogging.  But somehow it feels like I had less time. The days rolled quickly from one to another. And suddenly the whole thing whizzed by.

Summer ends (for us) on Friday.  Jillson, who somehow turned 6 while I wasn't looking, starts 1st grade on Friday.  And I've already had my first work event of the year.

I have so much to share from the summer. There were a LOT of laughs, a LOT of special events, travel, visitors, visiting, copious tears, many celebrations, a lot of sweating and swimming, dancing and singing, running and drinking, reading, swearing, missing, reuniting, heartbreak, happiness, milestones, insanity, firsts, lasts, and trying desperately not to stuff every morsel of food I encountered into my mouth.

I learned what Steakhouse Syndrome is, what sebaceous cysts are, and how difficult it is to remove warts (14 of them) from a 3-year-old's toes. I watched dance performances, karate performances, gymnastics performances, and cheer performances.

I managed not to kill Jillson's tomato plant which has borne 8 edible, gorgeous, delicious tomatoes. She consumes them whole, plain, like she is eating an apple.

I broke down and purchased running skirts, furthering my foray into middle-aged suburban stereotyping.

I discovered and consumed many Lime-a-Ritas, the ultimate low-brow summer cocktail.  

I finished my AFAA re-cert exam, and if I can just get my butt in gear to take a CPR class, I will be able to teach step again.  (What?! I know.)

I've kept up with most of my 2012 projects this summer.  But I haven't kept up with SHARING them.

This -- the start of school -- is when I get my Spring Cleaning fever.  I've started in on the playroom.  I am predicting many blog posts (related to Spring Cleaning or not) simply because I'll be eager to procrastinate.

More than anything, I have soaked in the family time and the friend time. I have felt, as I so often feel, almost embarrassed to be so richly blessed in life.

xoxo,

The GM