Recipe: White Sangria

I obviously have never thrown a baptism reception before, but I knew what I wanted it to look like. Pink & white; fresh, crisp and clean; more luncheon and less backyard bbq. Somehow With the help of my best friend, I was able to achieve exactly what I was going for. It was feminine but adult, minimal but not haphazard. And the best part was that everything was done when we left for the church, so all I had to do was pull things out of the fridge and the party was set.

I will never not take off the Friday before I host a party, Amen?

I'm going to break the reception down into several posts because there were several good recipes, but here's the first (and arguably the most important):

Strawberry Lemon White Wine Sangria
(you could probably just call it "white sangria")

Ingredients

• 2 lemons, thinly sliced
• 2 apples, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 cup strawberries, tops cut off and quartered
• 1 750 mL bottle Sauvignon Blanc (or other white wine)
• 1/2 cup Bacardi (or other white rum)
• 4 cups Sprite (or other lemon-lime soda)

Directions

1. Add fruit to pitcher
2. Pour wine and rum over top of fruit
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight or longer (I made it Friday night and served it Sunday morning)
4. Add soda immediately before serving

So refreshing! Even though it was October, it was still delicious. And it wasn't too strong! This would be great for a girl baby shower or wedding shower, and you could customize the fruit to your theme (blueberries and lemon for a boy baby shower, etc).

Photo credit: Alina Patel

Recipe: Garlic Shrimp Bake

Another Pinterest find - you know you love it. I should note, in case I haven't already, that I have a phobia of under-cooked poultry and other proteins. Don't get me wrong, I love(d) a good medium rare filet, and I cannot wait for a seared ahi tuna steak (#pregnancyprobz) but when it comes to chicken, and apparently shrimp, I err on the side of paranoid over-cooking. I think this has rubbed off on Ben, judging by the "Are you sure those are done?" comments I normally get. Really boy? Have I ever served you even remotely under-cooked chicken? ;)

We had some shrimp in the freezer from God-knows-when and I thawed it Sunday thinking I would make it for dinner. Then woke up in a panic at 4am when I realized it was still sitting in the sink ... luckily, still partially frozen. So, into the fridge it went and then into our bellies it went last night.

This was a super simple recipe that I paired with some steamed french-cut green beans (Gosh I'm so glad I can eat vegetables again, thank you L for not making me throw them all up anymore) and mashed potatoes. Let me just tell you about these potatoes. I LOVE some good homemade mashed potatoes but really, who has time for that on a week night? Not this girl, that's for sure. So I resort to the box of instant fun - don't judge me.
a) I made them stove top, not in the microwave
b) I used heavy cream instead of milk and garlic salt instead of table salt
c) I added a pack of Papa John's garlic butter

Ahem, DID YOU HEAR ME BLOGGIES? Papa John's garlic butter. Is there anything better on Earth than that greasy butter garlicy goodness? Methinks not.

So whatever, here's the shrimp recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 lb raw shrimp, deveined and peeled and whatnot
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp white wine
• Salt & Pepper to tast
• 1/4 cup (4tbsp) melted butter
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (you can use Panko but I never have those, so I used regular ones)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Half a lemon (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
2. In a medium bowl, combine shrimp, garlic & wine and stir
3. Pour evenly into a baking dish (I used a 9x9 glass dish) and season with salt & pepper
   
4. You can use the same bowl to mix the melted butter, bread crumbs & parsley.
   
5. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the shrimp in the baking dish
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until shrimp are pink and opaque

Craft Corner: Hand Painted Wine Glasses

It's a general consensus that Whitney over at The Pink Elephant must never sleep. Somehow, between working 75-hour weeks, hitting the gym, and attending 34 weddings a year, she finds time to craft, paint, cook, create, refurbish and dress up her little dog Olivia in hilarious costumes. I don't know how she does it!

But, lucky for us, she shares her secrets. And lucky for me, I'm a pretty good copy-cat. So here you have Whitney-inspired hand-painted wine glasses, that I made as my secret seashell gift for other Aubrey.

What You'll Need

• (4) Wine Glasses (I got mine from the dollar store!)
• Glass Paint & Sealant (available at A.C.Moore)
• Thin Paint Brush
• Print out of monogram you wish to paint

1. Tape the monogram inside the wine glass, with the letters facing out toward you
2. Using the print-out as a stencil, paint with your desired color of glass paint
3. Let dry for recommended period (I think it's probably overnight, but the paint should say)
4. Repaint with sealant
5. Let dry for 10 days

Whitney used these as a bridal shower favor, mine was a gift for a friend who's about to get married ... either way, it's an inexpensive yet thoughtful - and useful - gift!

Craft Corner: Wine Cork Monogram

Even before I knew it, I loved pinterest. I had girlfriends send me photos, ideas, recipes, etc. from there all the time. The Wine Cork Monogram I made for Aubrey is a perfect example.

Before we go any further, I should mention, in case I haven't already, that yes - my name is Aubrey. And yes, this is a relatively unusual name, especially for women, and especially for women of my general age range. And yes, one of my best friends from age 15 until present is also named Aubrey.

Now then, back to the Wine Cork Monogram. This was a gift from me to other Aubrey for homemade Secret Seashell. And I think it's a-dor-a-ble (and so is other Aubrey) and so easy to make. 

What You'll Need:

• Cardboard
• Scissors
• Print-out of letter(s) you wish to make
• Glue Gun + Glue Sticks
• A Shit Ton Lot of Wine Corks
• Picture hanger, available at any craft store

sawtooth picture hanger, should come with 2 nails

1. Cut the cardboard to fit the template of the letter you want. Hint: The thinnest part of the letter should be slightly thinner than a wine cork, so the cardboard doesn't show.
2. Place the corks to ensure you have enough
3. Fire up your hot glue gun and get to work!
4. Once complete, place a heavy book or other flat object on top to ensure they're drying flush to the cardboard
5. After they're totally dry (shouldn't take more than 15-20 minutes but you can leave for a few hours just to be sure), nail in the picture hanger to the back

Again, I must give credit to The Elephant's Trunk, the blog that originated the idea for me, put in my field of knowing by Caroline. Also, to Sara Cobaugh who supplied 99% of the wine corks.