I’ve been following Amanda’s blog, Easy Peasy Organic, for several years now and I’ve always loved her honesty, humor and laid-back vibe. She’s a strong lady who has survived breast cancer and is very honest about her struggles. I appreciate her taking the time to write a guest post while I’m hanging pictures and arranging furniture in our new house. I think when I’m done I’ll be making a batch of her white sangria to celebrate! Make sure to take some time to check out her blog.
I moved to Brisbane, Australia in 2004, never thinking I’d end up staying, but there’s something to be said for 300+ days of sunshine a year, perpetually-blooming flowers, and a cute Aussie boy who turns out to be a great dad and husband, too. It’s a great outdoorsy life, so far removed from my Iowan upbringings, I feel like I’m on holiday all the time. Not bad, right?
But even though my little family adores our subtropical city, we still try to escape to the mountains – the hinterland – when we can. Give us a cabin surrounded by trees, a wood-burning stove (for the winter) and a swimming hole (for the summer) and we are happy, happy, happy.
Give us that cabin with friends, and badminton in dress-up clothes, and a killer white sangria?
Even happier.
We recently visited an amazing holiday house in the countryside near Kenilworth, a tiny town two hours north of Brisbane known for its cheese co-op, a charismatic old pub hotel, and a crazy little thrift store. Before our daughter Nellewas was born, Robbie and I used to drive up to Kenilworth on weekends, stay in one of the old-fashioned upstairs rooms at the pub – a room as romantic and doily-rich as Grandma’s house – and hang out together downstairs at the bar, drinking cold pale ales and eating fried stuff. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to go back to Kenilworth again – to share the area with Nelle and ten of our sweet friends.
So we had our weekend in the hinterland, with a fire, and board games, and darts, and a trip to the thrift store for dress-ups – because who plays badminton without wearing awkward outfits?
A badminton tournament fueled by white sangria, served from tea cups.
Now, I don’t even drink white wine very often – I’m much more of a red kind of girl. But I find myself dangerously willing to drink this sangria – fruity and honey-sweet. I’ll be honest with you, there’s so much fruit, it almost seems healthy. And if that’s what you find yourself thinking, all I can say is be careful, or you’ll find yourself slumped in a fire-side chair at 4pm with an uncontrollable craving for popcorn. Not that I would know, of course.
White sangria is a beautiful summery drink, perfect for hot days outdoors – but this recipe, with its hints of clove and cinnamon, also makes a great mulled wine, too. (I do love a multi-functional beverage.) So if it’s been awhile since you enjoyed sangria, or took yourself to the country with friends, or played silly games in silly dress-ups, I think it might just be time.
Do it.
Before I go, I just want to thank Carrie for sharing her beautiful blog with me for this post. Carrie has been an inspiration to me since I started blogging 3 1/2 years ago, and I look forward to every single one of her posts. The food! The photos! Her sweet daughters! It’s all awesome, don’t you agree? I hope one day we’ll have the chance to catch up in person.
Amanda xx
White Sangria
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s mulled white sangria
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours 40 minutes
- Category: Drink
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 12 whole cloves
- Peel of one lemon (in strips)
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 2 bottles chilled white wine (an organic white wine from Badger Mountain would be perfect)
- 1 cup Cointreau or an organic orange liqueur such as Thatcher’s
- 1 whole lemon, scrubbed and thinly sliced*
- 1 whole orange, scrubbed and thinly sliced
- 1 whole apple, scrubbed and thinly sliced
- 1 cup sparkling water or homemade ginger ale
*In addition to the whole lemon, I also cut the rest of the skin off the lemon I peeled, thinly slice it, and use it in the sangria. Waste not! Also, it’s best to use organic fruit (when you can) since we’re using whole fruit, including peels.
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat the water, cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel and honey until just boiling – then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Mix everything but the sparkling water – the honey spice mix, the alcohol, the fruit – into a large jar or pot, cover and refrigerate overnight. Pour in the sparkling water or ginger ale just before serving.
- I’ve served this sangria out of tall jars into wine glasses and out of heavy pots into tea cups – it’s a stylish drink, so whatever you choose for serving, make sure the fruit is on show. Glass or white cups are ideal.
- I haven’t tried this recipe warm (yet), but if you do so, just leave out the fruit until serving so it doesn’t get mushy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Makes 2 liters. Serves 8-12.
Keywords: white sangria
12 Comments