Holiday Sangria Recipe! Ole!

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Sangria for the Holidays? Really? you may ask?  Yep but not quite your traditional sangria.  This one will bring some festive vibes to your party.  In addition to the usual fruit suspects (apples and oranges), pomegranate and cinnamon steal the show in this amazing (and super easy) recipe.  Try it and print out a few copies of it because your guests will ask for it!

For about 6 people.

Ingredients

1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds
2 oranges sliced (keep the skin on)
2 apples sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bottle of red wine (mild is better.  I use a red Zinfandel)
3 cups of sparkling water

Place the pomegranate seeds in a pitcher and crush with a fork or a spoon

Add the oranges, the apples, and the cinnamon

Pour the bottle of wine and mix well

Cover with a plastic wrap and put in the fridge overnight

Serve in martini glasses for a vavavoom effect and don’t forget the sparkling water! Can also be served with the turkey, I swear they go really well together!

Non-alcoholic and kids friendly version: skip the wine and add a mix of apple juice and pomegranate juice instead!

Pomegranate and Honey Mulled Wine Recipe

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‘Tis the season!  I have so many goodies in stock for you this festive month!  Yay! From a handmade Holiday gift guide to recipes, I’ve got you all covered so this season will go a little smoother than you think, with no stress involved and a lot of fun! And because the holidays are nothing without food and drinks, let’s start this blog series wiiiiiiith… Drums rolling…  the booze!
You might be hosting a party this year or just preparing your holiday meal and want to pair it with good cocktails, I am sure. For the next two weeks, I will be posting a little more than usual, making sure you willet some good, easy, DIY recipes for this season.    I am happy to share my favorite (and unique) cocktail recipes (cold and hot!) that you will keep sipping all winter long because they are so delicious!  Be prepared to surprise guests and family with more elaborate (and easy I promise) Holiday cocktail recipes that will bring a touch of originality to your party.  They are all tested and approved by yours truly (I know, that was a tough blog post to work on…) and can all be prepared in their virgin forms so people who don’t drink alcohol (including kiddos) can enjoy them as well.  Oh and they can also all be savored in one evening: cold ones as cocktails before the meal and hot ones as digestives after the meal, sitting by the fire for example…  Your choice!  Falalalala!
Let’s start with the first one of this series: The Pomegranate and Honey Mulled Wine Recipe!
Very easy and simple recipe for a variation of the traditional mulled wine, using an in-season surprising ingredient: the pomegranate.  This warm beverage includes pomegranate juice as well as honey.  A beverage of choice that will please the crowds when it is chilly outside!
Ingredients:
1 bottle of red wine (not expensive and mild).  My personal choice is a red Zinfandel
2 cups of pomegranate juice
4 tablespoon of honey
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon of cloves
Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and warm up on the stove at low heat.  Don’t boil! That’s it! Now go enjoy by the fireplace and let me know what you think in the comments…
Cheers!

French Alpine Hot Cocoa Recipe

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This one drink brings me back to the place where I grew up, in the French Alps.  It is a delicious warm drink (for both vegans and non-vegans) that combines an old traditional European hot chocolate recipe and a delicious and surprising ingredient.  The beverage is enhanced with Chartreuse liqueur, which is produced by French monks from a 400-year-old recipe. Both Green Chartreuse and Yellow Chartreuse (we will use the green one in this recipe) use a secret blend of 130 herbs and plants and the entire operation is still overseen by just two monks (and manufactured near my hometown in the Alps).  The liqueur has a unique taste that you probably haven’t had before, but it is worth a try as it is considered one of the best liqueurs in the world.  Check with your local liquor store to see if they sell Chartreuse.  If not, I have linked an online shop below that sells it. Be ready for a cup of hot cocoa with a very pleasant twist!

For one cup:

Ingredients

8 oz of plant milk or regular milk for non-vegans
2 tsp of hot cocoa powder (I get mine from Trader Joe’s and it is inspired by a traditional European recipe).

1/2 or 1 tbsp of green Chartreuse (Shop here)
1 tsp of brown sugar

In a cooking pot, combine the Chartreuse, the hot cocoa powder, the sugar and the plant milk.  Warm up at low heat and remove right before boiling (do not boil really, I am serious here!)

Remove from heat and serve in a mug.  Sit back, relax and enjoy…

Non-alcoholic and kids friendly version: Don’t add the Chartreuse and add a cinnamon stick during the warm-up process!  Delicious!