Spiced Apple Cider Sangria

Drinks are necessary during the holidays. And I'm not talking about just ones with alcohol. Of course, a little adult beverage makes the holidays more fun. Holiday drinks are always full of warm spices that'll make you feel all soft and toasty on the inside. So why not combine the two? I mixed [cooled] hot spiced apple cider with some red wine to make an easy to drink, but super flavorful cocktail for any holiday party! I made my spiced apple cider in the slow cooker. If you're worried your slow cooker pot smells like last week's pot roast and don't want beef flavored apple cider, I've got a tip for you. Quick Tip to cleaning and removing smells from your slow cooker: Add about 1/4 cup baking soda to the pot. Add just enough water to make a paste (a few tablespoons or so). Then take a soapy sponge and rub the baking soda paste into every crevice of the pot. Let it sit overnight. Rinse the next day. Voila! No more weird pot roast smell. Now, get to brewing that cider!

Spiced Apple Cider Sangria

What you'll need:

• 4-5 medium to large apples (I used a variety of Fuji, Red Delicious, Green, and Ambrosia, but use any or one combination)
• 1 medium orange
• 2 cinnamon sticks + 1-2 additional for sangria
• 1/2 whole nutmeg 
• 2/3 cup maple syrup + more to taste
• a pinch of whole cloves
• one star anise (optional)
• water
• extra apple and orange slices
• 1 bottle (750mL) red wine (I used a cheap cabernet from Trader Joe's aka "Two Buck Chuck")
• 1/3 cup orange liquor

What to do:

1. Quarter the apples and remove the stems and seeds. Add to the slow cooker pot. Quarter the orange, add to the pot. Add 2 cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, maple syrup, cloves, and star anise (if using). Cover the fruit with just enough water to cover. 
2. Cook on low for 8 hours. After about 7 hours, mash the fruit with a potato masher. Taste. Add more maple syrup if preferred. Let it cook for another hour on low. Strain. Save the pulp for another use, like apple butter!
3. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 5 days, serve warm for just the cider. 
4. In a large pitcher, combine the red wine, 2 cups of cider, 1/3 cup orange liquor, apple and orange slices, and cinnamon stick. Stir and cover over night to cool in the fridge. 
5. Add a splash of seltzer water before serving. 

Sangria - 2 ways

Sangria and sangria blanca are super simple to make and can easily be made ahead of time, perfect for all those holiday parties you're hosting right? While you're slaving away making all the holiday fixings, make sure to throw together either, or both of these delicious and refreshing cocktails for sipping while you work. I've made sangria two ways here, for those that like red wine and those that prefer white. Both are flavorful and delicious! For the red sangria, I went Sandra Lee Semi Homemade (I loved that show on the FoodNetwork. Her "cocktail time" at the end of every show was my favorite for these reasons alone.) and bought a bottle of Trader Joe's pre-made sangria. It is delicious on its own, but I classed it up a bit by adding some tasty winter spices. For the white sangria, I kept it light and refreshing by mixing a reisling and some hard apple cider.

Apple Ginger Cider Sangria

What you'll need:
- Reisling, or other semi-sweet/dry white wine
- Hard apple cider, ginger flavor
- apple, sliced thin
- pears, slice thin
- oranges, cut into wedges

What to do:
1. In a large carafe, combine 3 parts reisling and 1 part hard apple cider, ginger flavor, and fruit slices. Refrigerate overnight and serve chilled with ice.









Vanilla Cinnamon Sangria


 What you'll need:
- Trader Joe's Pre-Made Sangria
- apples, sliced
- oranges, wedges
- berries (I used blackberries)
- cinnamon sticks
- whole star anise
- fresh vanilla bean or 2-3 tsp vanilla extract

What to do:
1. In a large carafe, combine the sangria and fruit. Add the star anise. Break the cinnamon sticks in half before adding. If using fresh vanilla beans, cut bean lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Add the seeds, then the remaining bean pod. If using extract, add 2-3 tsp of vanilla to preference. Refrigerate overnight and served chilled over ice.

Happy drinking!

5 Ingredient Creamy Hot Chocolate

I got a package of Christmas goodies from my adorable pen pal Sarah, of @primalbites on Instagram. She really is the best. Of course, I could not wait to dig in. I stuffed my face with one of each cookie and the homemade marshmallows she had made, as soon as I opened the box. When I saw the marshmallows, I knew I had to make my 5-ingredient hot chocolate. This hot chocolate is no ordinary hot cocoa, it is essentially a custard. It is rich, creamy and decadent. You could even chill it overnight and throw it in an ice cream maker the following day and voila! you've got chocolate ice cream. 

5-Ingredient Creamy Hot Chocolate

What you'll need:

• 2 oz chocolate (I used 85%), chopped 
• 1 TBSP cocoa/cacao powder
• 2 TBSP/6 tsp coconut sugar or other granulated sugar (If using semi-sweet chocolate, reduce sugar by 1-2 tsp) 
• 2 1/4 cup milk (dairy or nondairy)
• 2 egg yolks

What to do:

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg yolks, 1 TBSP coconut sugar and cocoa powder together until combined. In a sauce pan, heat the remaining 1 TBSP coconut sugar, dark chocolate, and milk over medium heat. 
2. Stir the milk mixture together until the chocolate and sugar have dissolved. Don't worry if not all the chocolate has melted into milk mixture. Remove the milk mixture from the heat when it starts to steam but not boil. 
3. Slowly pour a little bit of the heated milk mixture into the egg yolks all the while whisking. This will temper the eggs and prevent hot chocolate scrambled eggs. Continue whisking and pouring the heating milk into the egg yolks. When about 1/2 - 3/4 of the heated milk mixture has been added to the eggs, return the egg yolk/milk mixture (now a custard) back to the sauce pan. 
4. Turn the heat down to medium low and using a wooden spoon swirl a figure 8 pattern to keep the custard from curdling. The mixture is done when the back of your spoon is coated nicely with a layer of the custard. 
5. Serve with homemade marshmallows, coconut whipped cream, a shot of espresso and a drizzle of melted chocolate for some ultra decadence. Makes 2-4 servings.