Sweet Red Sangria

With my cousin over to visit, we had to whip up some Sangria.  Our shared love for Disaronno led to the addition of it tot he Sangria, and we were not disappointed.  I have admittedly winged my Sangria recipes from the first one until now and it has all been delicious.


Ingredients: (makes about 7 or 8 large glasses)
1 1/2 Cups Malbec Rose' (I used 2012 Finca El Origen)
1 1/2 Cups Sangiovese (I used 2012 Rambouillet from the local Christoval Vineyards)
1 Cup Red Table Wine (I used Kitchen Sink)
1 Cup Brandy (I used E&J)
1/2 Cup Amaretto Liquor (I used Disaronno)
3 Cups Orange Juice (not from concentrate is best I used Simply Apple)
3 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Nutmeg
10-12 Dried Whole Cloves
2 Plums (Pitted & Sliced)
1 Apple (Cored & Sliced)
1 Orange (Rhine Removed and Sectioned)
10-15 Green Grapes (Seedless)
10-15 Blueberries

Directions:
Add all ingredients except fruit to a pitcher.  Stir thoroughly.  Add in the fruit and stir again.  Allow fruit to sit in sangria for at least 10 minutes before serving.  Serve & Enjoy!  (Feel free to eat the fruit and add to your glass)

Add all of the liquid ingredients and spices

Add in the fruit

Serve & Enjoy!

Memorial Day Recipes

With Memorial Day fast approaching I wanted to share the compilation of recipes that I am going to choose from myself to make something yummy on the long weekend!  Please feel free to share any of your great Memorial Day ideas. 



Deviled Eggs with Country Ham
I LOVE deviled eggs, and I LOVE Ham, let's put them together, why did I never think of this?

Recipe for Deviled Egss With Ham









Fire Roasted Berry Crostini with Honey Creme Fraiche
This looks very delicious and it has creme fraiche....  so it has to be good

Berry Crostini Recipe









Tarragon Lemonade
Homemade Lemonade and with one of my favorite seasonings: Tarragon

Recipe for Tarragon Lemonade









Beer Brats
YUMMMMMMM......

Beer Brats Recipe









Blueberry Thirst Quencher
It's so pretty and delicious sounding

Recipe for Blueberry Thirst Quencher












Grilled Orange Vinaigrette Chicken Salad
Light and Summery, delicious

Recipe For Orange Chicken Salad









Hearty Nacho Dip
What would an American Holiday be without chips and dip?

Nacho Dip Recipe











Mango Peach Sangria
You can't celebrate the start of Summer without Sangria, it's blasphemy

Recipe for Mango Peach Sangria

Smoked Gouda Stuffed Burgers

Today was an amazingly warm Texas winter day reaching up into the high 80s in temperature.  The warm weather had us longing for summer cookouts and gave Liam and I the craving for burgers...  However anyone who knows me knows that I can't just make regular burgers, I have to stuff them with cheese.  Today's cheese of choice was a delicious smoked gouda!  It melted very nicely and the flavor complimented well with the burger.  I tried a little different method with adding in the egg to help stick the burger to the cheese but abstaining from using the bread crumbs.  There was one burger that had too much egg and started to fall apart while cooking, but the rest stuck together very well and tasted quite succulent. 

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger
Seasoning (Barbecue, Hickory Smoked Balsamic)
1 Egg
Block cheese to be cut into cubes (amount depends on how many burgers you make out of your hamburger)
Hamburger buns if desired
Condiments as desired

Directions:
Put the hamburger into a bowl and season generously, add an egg.  Mix it all together with your hands.  Form into burger circles, add more seasoning on top if you prefer more flavor.  Cut the cheese into cubes for the middle of the burger.  Press the cheese down into the middle of the formed burgers and reform the burger to envelop the cheese.  Cook in a pan on med-high heat.  Press down with a spatula to flatten some for the hamburger bun.  cook until desired level of completion (you may have to cook in several batches depending on how many burgers you created).  Serve and enjoy!

Add burger, seasoning and egg into a mixing bowl

Mix it all together with your hands

Form into burger shapes

Sprinkle seasoning on top

Press blocks of cheese into the middle

Place in pan to cook!

Serve & Enjoy!