Best of Both Worlds: Cocoa Eggnog

I hadn’t ever made homemade hot chocolate before and I can’t believe how easy it is! Four simple ingredients and I was on my way. Then I wondered what would happen if I replaced the milk with eggnog? Ohh wow. It was amazing. What a simple way to add some serious flavor to your drink!
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Ingredients:

1/4 cup Sweet’N Low
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup baking cocoa
2 cups eggnog

Directions:

Heat Sweet’N Low, water, and salt in a saucepan over medium low heat.
cocoa_nog_sugar_590_390Add cocoa and cook until all the lumps are smoothed out.
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Add eggnog and stir.
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Cook until heated through.
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It was so decadent and rich. I loved the chocolate flavor with the eggnog.
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This was probably about 435,687,289 calories, but the Sweet’N Low helps to shed a few. I love cutting a few calories when it doesn’t affect the flavor.

Full 3 Bite Rule Disclosure: I was selected to receive samples of Sweet ‘N Low as part of the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program. The product samples were completely complimentary but my experience, thoughts, opinions, and words are entirely my own.

Apple Cider Sangria

I made some hot caramel apple cider recently and expected to be floored. It was good, but not ground breaking (apple cider, caramel sauce, & cinnamon). Then, I turned the leftovers into sangria and it was the best sangria I’ve ever made. Ever. Seriously. Write this down.
Apple Cider Sangria

I saw the idea for apple cider sangria and adapted it to what I like/had around.

Ingredients:

½ gallon apple cider
2 tbs caramel sauce (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup simple syrup (1/2 cup water + ½ cup sugar dissolved)
1 cup cranberry vodka
1 -2 cups red wine
craisins and chopped apple

Directions:

Mix cider, caramel & cinnamon (optional), simple syrup, and vodka together.
Add craisins and apple and keep refrigerated for 24 hours before serving. Drink this as a cocktail or continue on for sangria.
Apple Cider Sangria
Add wine and serve.

Can I gush about how great this was? Ok, great! 😉

It was fall, and crisp, and sweet, and had a serious boozy kick to it. I loved it. The apple cider and cranberry flavors were great together. I liked how sweet and cool it was. Craisins absorb the liquid and plump up.
Apple Cider Sangria

Mr. J was introduced to sangria in Barcelona and and he actually loved it! He liked this one too. It was kind of a hybrid between a cocktail and sangria anyway. It packed a serious punch. I finished my glass and was bopping around totally feeling the wine and alcohol in there!

I want to make more. Already. It was fun to just have sangria around. I’m afraid I “save” thoughts and recipe ideas for special occasions. I think this was a good reminder that anything can become a special occasion.

Refreshing White Sangria

Seriously, I’m not drinking as much sangria as I’m blogging about lately. Lucky you! I’m back at it! I wanted to share this one too. This was a white one I made for Memorial day but it would be perfect for your 4th of July celebrations.

It wasn’t quite as amazing as the berry one but I liked it…and I wanted to be sure my fantabulous drink dispenser got some good blog exposure. I’m sure people saw it on my wedding registry and thought “like anyone would ever use that”. I’ve used it 4 times in just 5 months (Thanks Ms. M!). It is the hit of the party each time. I suppose I could always use it for something non-alcoholic. Crazy talk.

I started with a simple syrup
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Ingredients:

1 cup water
2 cups sugar

Directions:

Bring to a gentle boil until all the sugar is dissolved.
Allow to cool before adding to sangria.

I mixed moscato white wine, triple sec, champagne and orange juice with the simple syrup. It was a sweet one that wasn’t too strong. Simple syrup is a good way to sweeten up a drink.

Berry Sangria

This sangria is a long overdue but this intense heat makes it more appropriate right now. I love sangria and just wish I had it more often!

I made sangria for our housewarming, for my birthday, and for Memorial Day. The berry one for the housewarming was the best but the others seem to be hits too.
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The key is really letting it sit for at least 24-hours. I made a berry sangria one last year and it was ok, but it only sat for about 6 hours. We drank the leftovers the next day and were wowed at how much better it was.

Ingredients:

1 cup raspberries
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup blueberries
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 bottle white wine
1 cup cupcake vodka
1 cup cranberry vodka
1 lime
1 green apple

Directions:

Bring berries, cranberry sauce, water and sugar to a gentle boil until all the sugar is dissolved.
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Strain fruit from the liquid.
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Mix fruit syrup, wine, and vodkas. Refrigerate 24 hours before serving.
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Garnish with lime, lime zest, and chopped apple before serving.
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I added a bottle of prosecco just before serving.

Sangria Kickoff

Before the honeymoon, I’d never been to Spain before. I’ve been to England, France, Italy, Greece, and all sorts of random countries in Eastern Europe but never Spain. Barcelona definitely made me want to go back. I loved it! It’s such a beautiful city. We landed, checked into our hotel, and immediately started to explore. I chose a hotel just steps off Placa de Catalunya. What a lovely area! It was also a holiday so it felt like our honeymoon was really off to a great start.We were starving and strolled past a bunch of out door cafes on las ramblas. We found a spot at one and began with some sangria. Ohh. The. Sangria. This is a half order! Mr. J tried it as well only because a when-in-rome mentality and loved it too!
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We each chose a dinner option for 3 house tapas and our choices of paella, pasta, or pizza. The tapas was heavy on fish, but I didn’t mind at all. Mr. J didn’t seem to either. One was a warm potato wedge with a sweet & creamy dressing. I liked it. Another was a crustini with tomato and a sardine. The last was a cold pasta salad with tuna. The sampler was good since we would’ve spent forever picking piece by piece.
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I went with the seafood paella. It was so good! I don’t have anything to compare it to, but I’ve always wanted to try and and I got my most authentic chance ever! There were huge shrimp (with the heads), scallops, muscles, and some sort of tougher fish…calimari-esque but not exactly the same. I could definitely taste the saffron but it wasn’t overpowering.
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I loved it. I ate my first shrimp head since apparently that’s where all the flavor is. I’m not sure if that will happen again or not.

Mr. J got pasta that was good, but not as blog-worthy as paella!

I fell for Barcelona while sipping my sangria, munching on paella, and watching a street festival unfold before my eyes. I guess there were fireworks but I was too tired/jet-lagged to even stay awake until 9 PM (also known as when locals eat dinner).

Happy Halloween!!