Sangria de la Gringa
Besote, the name I was certain I saw. Listed underneath a long line of the northeast bloggers group postings of the day, I read it, I know I did, and I even made note of it.
A tenderly written blog post filled with honesty, so life embracing you could feel it, a bit of tug to the heart with every line. I chuckled, I laughed, I may have even dabbed a small tear out of the corner of my eye.
A woman’s life with Antonio, her husband, in the state of Massachusetts, their summer travels to his homeland in Galicia, Spain, her sincere attempts to learn Spanish, gratitude for all things, big and small, life stories and tips, and uplifting messages suited for the day. I wanted to read more, the inspiration of this special blogger.
Daily I scanned the northeast bloggers post line up, nothing. Was Besote still part of the blogging group? Did Besote go to Spain and not come back? I Googled and I searched but to no avail.
Then one day on the groups daily stream I opened up a Post, I strained my eyes, there was not Besote, but there she was, Kelly Rodriguez, wife, daughter, friend, writer, school teacher, traveler, foodie, adventurer, it even said right there on her page, ‘she was glad that I was there’ well, she may not have said my name, but the kind spirit of her words made me feel as if she was. Kelly had kissed adios to Besote, the new name of her blog: A Lovely Life Indeed.com
Today on Spiced Peach Blog we offer a warm welcome to this special individual and blogger, Kelly Rodriguez of A Lovely Life Indeed.com. Today’s Post, however, is not of the emotional sort I shared in the paragraph above, well, it could be if you imbibe a bit too much on Kelly’s recipe, Sangria de la Gringa.
Perhaps I should warn you, I have now tasted Kelly’s Sangria and you may be inclined to accidentally or otherwise, well let’s just say, it is in fact, the best Sangria I have ever tasted.
When Kelly and I talked about this guest Post we agreed that I would prepare and photograph today’s full bodied fruity beverage and she would share the recipe and Post.
In full (partial) disclosure I only tasted two tablespoons when I prepared the Sangria, (well maybe a little more) and a small taste after photographing. OK, I also tried a couple of tablespoonfuls getting ready to photograph the final photograph, the ‘pitcher’, oops, the picture, the photo of the pitcher looks straight though, right? And then a few more teensy, tiny tastes afterward, and then a bit more, just a teensy bit, well I couldn’t let a neighbor friend stop by and taste it by herself could I? You get the picktsure, oops again, picture. Thank you to Kelly Rodriguez for sharing with us her fabulous recipe for Sangria de la Gringa from alovelylifeindeed.com Enjoy. Disfrutar!
Kelly:
When we have people over, or even when we go to a party, we bring the wine. My husband has a knack for picking good ones.
In the spring or summer, I bring the sangria. Where the original recipe came from, I’m not sure, but I change it up a bit every time I make it and it is the best!
Historians generally agree that sangria originated from the Romans, who planted vineyards throughout Spain as they conquered the Iberian Peninsula. Similar to the story of England and their beer, water was considered unsafe for drinking, so the Spaniards killed off the bacteria in their water with wine. Herbs, spices and fruit made the watered down wine, or wined-up water as it may have been, more palatable.
As hygiene conditions improved, sangria became more about using what was left, like over-ripened fruit and what was left in this bottle and that one.
So, don’t feel like you have to go out and buy an expensive red wine. Use what you have on hand. That’s what the restaurants do. I promise you…they’re not using their finest reds to mix in a decanter with some fruit. Sangria is all about re-purposing. It’s the leftovers of the cocktail world. And, like any other punch, add what you like.
So, now that spring has arrived, (seemingly everywhere but in our yard) sangria season is on its way.
Like spaghetti sauce and beef stew, sangria is always better after the flavors have time to cozy up and marry. Here are the basics from my kitchen, Kelly’s Kitchen, Sangria de la Gringa.
Sangría de la Gringa... from Kelly's Kitchen
Ingredients
- 2 bottles chilled red wine (Rioja, if using Spanish wine)
- 1 cup brandy...just plain brandy
- 1/2 cup sweet red vermouth
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup superfine sugar
- 2 oranges, quartered, if large sized cut into eighths
- 2 lemons, quartered, visible seeds scraped off
- 2 limes, quartered, visible seeds scraped off
- 2 apples, quartered, visible seeds and inner pith scraped off
- 2 cups club soda, optional, added to taste at the very last minute before serving
Instructions
- Add all ingredients Into a large glass sangria style pitcher or liquid vessel, mix it up, give it a little privacy in the corner of your fridge and let the magic happen. You can mix it up before work and let it be. It will already taste fabulous when you get home.
- After twenty-four hours as the Sangria ripens to full flavor, added fruits may be left in or removed. Sangria glasses may be garnished with fresh fruit upon serving, such as an orange slice.
- from Kelly Rodriguez of the blog, A Lovely Life Indeed
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