Sangria Senorita

That pretty much sums it up - I love sangria !! I always find myself humming and  dancing when I make a pitcher of sangria. I think it's because I'm creating. There are tons of recipes out there, and I do check them out, but I end up winging it when it's time to make a sangria - and I'm also usually in the mood to do some serious cooking...and laughing.


Sangria is particularly fun for me because there are so many possibilities. From the wine you choose, to the fruits and even how you choose to serve it. I will confess that I prefer sweet wines anyway and sangria allows me to convert any wine of my choice into a sweet fruity smile inducing concoction. My latest incarnation of a sangria is my Peachy Ria-Ritas...


Start with one large bottle of Barefoot Moscato
Add: 1/2 to 1 c sugar (depending on how sweet you like your sangria)
       1 c of Peach Nectar
       1 c of your favorite Margarita mixer
       2 healthy shots of your favorite Tequila (just enough for people to go 
          hmmmmm......)
       Diced strawberries, mangoes, and pears
       (if peaches were in season I would have used white peaches instead of      
        pears, and kiwis are another nice punch of color) 


I lean toward using white and rose wines, mainly because the red wines are often too strong for my taste, even though they are the traditional base for sangrias. But there are ways to adjust how strong the flavors are and extend the servings of a pitcher of sangria. You can serve the sangria mixed with a lemon-lime soda - spritzer style. you could make a two tone Ria-Rita by freezing the sangria and topping with portion of frozen margarita. 

There are so many possible combinations of wines, fruits and serving options, my head spins and I just want to get back in the kitchen to experiment. 

If you're afraid of experimenting with foods and seasonings, but like a cold drink from time to time, then sangrias may be your thing. The point of cooking is to have fun, to explore and experience the world through taste and smell, colors and textures. Put your heart into cooking - cook things you love, things your family and friends love. Try new things just to try them. 


Tonight for example, my sangria went along with Chicken & Shrimp Tacos and grilled squash. I found a new seasoning packet by Grillmates - a Mojito seasoning for grilling that I used on the chicken and shrimp. Since it was new I just followed the directions. And although it was really good, the next time I fix the marinade I'll try the other option on the packet which was a lime and honey version. From there I'll play around with it.
I have favorite dishes that I wouldn't change, but for most things I love to tweak the recipes.

Here are fruits I would consider for sangria:
Strawberries
Kiwis
Peaches
Nectarines
Oranges
Blood Oranges
Plums
Honeydew Melon
Star Fruit
Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries
Mangoes
Green or Gala Apples maybe Pink Lady if you can find them (something sweet/tart though)
Pineapples
Cherries
Red Grapefruit
Limes
Lychee
Essentially, you want to used fruits that don't disintegrate in the mix, so although banana is a wonderful flavor, you may not want to put the fruit in your sangria. 


There are lots of fruit nectars on the market that you can play with in your sangrias. And as I mentioned, you can serve it in different ways. Straight out of the pitcher, topped with a lemon-lime soda, soda water, or a sparkling white wine if you've made a red sangria. They can be frozen and mixed with margaritas.


You can add tequila, amaretto, flavored rums, etc. You can use agave nectar to sweeten your sangria if you want to use less sugar. The possibilities are endless !!!


Before I pour myself another glass of sangria, here's one recipe I may just have to follow and try ~

Sangria Edible Shots
(That's right - a sangria jello shot)

Edible Cocktails: Sangria
1 3/4 cups Reál Sangria
1 1/2 cups Limeade
3/4 cup Cointreau
4 packets Knox Gelatin – one whole box
zest of one lime for garnish

Mix the first 3 ingredients in a small sauce pan. Add Knox and let sit 3 minutes until gel softens. Turn on heat to medium and heat for a few minutes until gel is completely dissolved, no need to boil or get very hot. Pour into a 9 inch square pan that has been lined with plastic wrap. Chill covered overnight. To unmold, turn cocktail over onto a cutting board, remove plastic wrap and cut into 36 equal sized pieces. Top each piece with a small bit of lime zest. Place on pretty tray and serve immediately. Makes 36 pieces.

Tips on Making Edible Cocktails
1. Before adding the Gelatin, taste the cocktail first and adjust flavor if needed.
2. Keep chilled at all times! These will dissolve into puddles if not kept cold. Mine got soft on the car ride over to the party, which a quick trip to the freezer fixed them up just fine, but oh the puddle they made in my lap on the warm car ride home!
3. Remember the ratio to turn your favorite cocktail into an Edible Cocktail- one packet (7 grams) Knox Gelatin to every 8 ounces (240 ml) of fluid. More Gelatin will make the cocktails even more firm if necessary.

Cheesy Beef & Spinach Pasta

The first recipe I'm posting is one that my son Logan and I invented tonight. We're in the middle of moving right now and the pantry is a little bare, so we scrounged around and worked with what we had. 

Cheesy Beef & Spinach Pasta is what we came up with.....

Step 1: Fixing the Pasta

1 Box of Whole Wheat Rotini Pasta cooked al dente and drained

  (you'll have some leftover pasta- about 1 1/2 cups - for the picky eaters)

Step 2: Browning the Meat

1 lb. Lean Ground Beef browned in a skillet with 

   a Drizzle of Olive Oil (for heart healthy MUFAs)

2 Tbsp Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1/4 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Raw Sugar (all of the dry seasonings are easily adjusted to taste)

Step 3: Heating the Cheese Sauce

16 oz Whipped Cream Cheese

5 oz Shredded (not grated) Parmesan

1/4 c heavy cream

1/4 c chopped spinach (you can either drain canned or frozen spinach, or use fresh - we used canned and served the remaining spinach as a side dish)

Shhh.....here's the secret ingredient for my white cheese sauces.....

A Sprinkle of Nutmeg

There's no need to get the cheese mixture really hot, just get it mixed well, you don't want to scald it.

Mix all the parts together and it's ready to serve. We were thinking of adding some fresh Mozzerella to top it off but a quick taste test by Logan said we didn't need more cheese. He said, and I quote, "This is the BEST thing we've made together so far."

Since kids are typically the picky ones, I asked Logan to give it a taste rating using the 5 Star scale. 

His verdict? 

4.5 Stars - because he thinks the types of cheeses we used may not appeal to the youngest family members.

I also asked him to give it a star rating based on how easy it is to cook.

He gave it 3 stars for easiness because you're working on 3 steps at once, it requires some side-by-side effort.

This recipe also passed the hubby test, I'm pleased to say.

Hope you guys enjoy it and let us know what you think.

Food Is Love

"Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon or not at all." ~ Harriet Van Horn


Although my appearance (big tits and tattoos, black hair and tight clothes) isn't necessarily southern by nature - unless of course you count the town tramp - there is no mistaking that I am a true girl of the South once you get close enough. Aside from my Southern drawl, if my cowboy boots, ball caps and torn jeans don't give you you a clue, then my cooking will. The things I love to eat, I also love to cook and I tend to cook for a small army, something trained into me thanks to being from a large country family who came together weekly over Sunday dinners that lasted all day. 


My mom has several things that she cooks very well, but she's not fond of cooking. If she cooks now, it's either that she's taken a notion that she wants one of those things that are her specialty or she's attending a party or dinner where she either feels obliged to bring food or has been asked specifically to bring one of her dishes. My dad honestly cooks as much as she does now, the torch of everyday cooking passed to him when my brother and I moved out. Sunday dinners were at her mom's, where she and most of her 7 sisters always ended up bringing along copious amounts of food to add to what Grammaw was all ready cooking, and it was always a fairly standard country meal served on a mix-matched collection of melamine. Those meals may have been - fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, hoe cakes, potato salad, green beans cooked in bacon grease, deviled eggs, chocolate pies, etc. My dad's family had dinners once a month when someone had a birthday and on holidays. There were usually foods, though still Southern, that seemed "fancy" to me and we always ate from one of Grandma's matched sets of dishes. Her meals were more like - spiral cut ham, sweet potato casserole topped with a brown sugar and pecan crust, baby gherkin pickles from the cellar, white corn, rolls, and red velvet cakes.


Neither side of my family was really the huggy-feelie type. The words "I love you" weren't said much at all. But there was always kinship and sharing around the food. There was no mistaking amidst the chatter, laughter and sound of dishes in the sink that love was all around.


As I've moved through the last 20 years of my life, food was a constant. Meals with friends and family, trying new foods outside of my traditional Southern fare, the glorious introduction of the Food Network, and a lack of other hobbies to ignite my passions all lead to a confidence in the kitchen. (Even when I was lacking confidence in other things.) However for the purpose of actually writing down a recipe, that confidence is a problem. I'm unafraid to try new things, I taste test and taste test as I cook. I add seasonings, I alter recipes to suit my taste, I often throw things together last minute to create a meal. Probably the only things I don't play around with are baking such things as cakes and cheesecakes. Just because I haven't played in the kitchen with those nearly as much - although I do like playing with traditionally high fat desserts to find a healthier version. I just don't know the "science" behind baking to completely invent recipes.
(*Note to Self: Learn!!)


I can't say my cooking is what sold my handsome, younger husband on me, but I know it didn't hurt. As a bonus, my son has taken an interest in cooking. We have something to really bond over now. He's spent most of his years as an incredibly picky eater, but since he's heard the hubby rave over my meals and I've been getting him to help me prep the meals, his eating habits are slowly improving, he's even eating the cooked options in sushi restaurants (one of our favorite treats), and we talk as we cook. 


I struggled a bit with the title of my blog - mainly because all of the best ideas that I and friends came up with were all ready being used. But if you think about it, this works well. Cooking was one of the few passions I never gave up on, I love cooking for my husband and surprising him with meals, and it's definitely sparking up my relationship with my soon to be teen-aged son. Sometimes I spend all day in the kitchen cooking. I often heat up my meals with spices, it definitely heats up the house when I go on one of my all day cooking jags, and  whenever I post pics of my dishes on Facebook the interaction on my page heats up. So here it is...my new blog, Heating Things Up !! 


I'll share my family recipes and my own, recipes I love to make (giving credit where it's due and noting any tweaking I do) and my son will be helping out with the blog suggesting things even picky eaters will enjoy. We'll add pics and videos too and our favorite outdoor recipes as well.


Now to decide where to start...........