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Toni’s DIY Holiday Spice Sangria

By on December 17, 2013 in Beverages, DIY, Holiday Recipes, Recipes, Saving Money

Homemade Sangria Recipe

Have a holiday drink on hand for last-minute entertaining, or to give away as a Christmas gift.  I love homemade sangria, and here’s my recipe with a twist of holiday spice.

Homemade Holiday Sangria recipe

 

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Toni’s DIY Holiday Spice Sangria

Toni’s DIY Holiday Spice Sangria

Ingredients

  • Basic Red Table Wine- I use a gallon of a basic red wine that I find in bulk at Costco. Trader Joe’s also has great deals for basic red table wine over the holidays.
  • Cranberry Juice- 1 bottle
  • Brandy- a little more than half a bottle (save some for your eggnog!)
  • Oranges- 3 or 4 large; sliced and halved (into half-moon shapes)
  • Pears- 3 or 4 large; sliced
  • Cinnamon Sticks- 4 or 5 whole
  • Cranberries, fresh- 12 oz.
  • Whole Cloves- put into a tea bag

Instructions

  1. Combine ingredients in large mason or Sangria Jar
  2. Let this mixture “steep” for a 2-3 days in a cool place. If you live someplace cold, you can just leave it outside, unless it will freeze.
https://tonispilsbury.com/tonis-holiday-spice-sangria/

 

Eat, drink and be thrifty!

If you enjoy serving wine to guests for the holidays, at anywhere from $20 to $100’s per bottle, the money you spend can certainly add up.  Having a batch of this holiday wine elixir on hand is not only affordable, it makes a visually stunning holiday presentation and it’s absolutely delicious.

homemade holiday sangria recipe

 

The Gift of Wine

Many of my friends like to give and receive wine for the holidays, and this too can get costly.  Get creative with ribbons, tags and metallic pens by bottling your own Holiday-Spice Sangria.

 

Toni’s Holiday Spice Sangria Recipe

You will need a big pitcher, mason or sangria jar.  I don’t like sugar in my sangria even though so many recipes call for it; I can’t even drink it.  Instead I use fruit juice.

Combine:

  1. Red Table Wine- I use 2 gallons of a basic red wine that I found in bulk.  Trader Joe’s also has great deals for basic red table wine over the holidays.
  2. Cranberry Juice-  1 bottle
  3. Brandy- a little more than half a bottle (save some for your eggnog!)
  4. Oranges- 3 or 4 large; sliced and halved
  5. Pears- 3 or 4 large; sliced
  6. Cinnamon Sticks- 4 or 5 whole
  7. Cranberries- 1 12oz. bag
  8. Whole Cloves- put into a tea bag

Let this mixture “steep” for a few days in a cool place.  If you live someplace cold, you can just leave it outside, unless it will freeze.

Serve and enjoy.

Happy Holidays!

 

Chardonnay Cake Recipe:

Chardonnay Cake

Easy Chardonnay Cake Recipe

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The Underestimated Mashed Potato

By on November 2, 2013 in Holiday Recipes, Recipes, Saving Money, Side Dish Recipes

Homemade Mashed Potatoes

A Stitch In Time Saves Nine. A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned. Waste Not, Want Not.

Probably one of the most versatile, frugal and efficacious dishes is the mashed potato.  Gracing our Thanksgiving dinner table each year, mashed potatoes are wildly overlooked for the remaining 364 days of the year.

At just pennies per serving, Homemade Mashed Potatoes are not only inexpensive, they’re one of the most versatile side dishes.  By adding a few cloves of fresh garlic during boiling and then mashing with the potato, the gourmet Garlic Mashed Potatoes are created.  By substituting milk with buttermilk, you have Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes.  And, Herb Mashed Potatoes can be made by adding some fresh or dried herbs like rosemary, thyme and parsley.

 

Rosemary Chicken with Herb Mashed Potatoes

Herb Mashed Potatoes

Five Recipes To Make with Leftover Mashed Potatoes

Homemade mashed potatoes can be cooked in bulk to freeze for future use, or stored for use in other recipes- or, like I call “Reincarnate The Leftover”.  Here are some of my favorite recipes using leftover mashed potatoes.

Potato Cake Recipe

Festive Potato Cakes Recipe

 

Bangers and Mash

Bangers and Mash with New Castle Gravy

 

Twice-Baked Cheesy Potatoes

Twice-Baked Cheesy Potatoes Recipe

 

Cottage Pie Recipe

Cottage Pie Recipe, is allegedly a favorite dish of Prince Williams-  a tasty version of the Shepherd’s Pie.

 

Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

 

A Stitch In Time

Homemade mashed potatoes freeze and reheat well, so I like making extra and storing for a busy day’s side dish.  I recommend using glass storage containers like Rubbermaid’s Glass Food Storage or Ziploc’s Versaglass that go from the freezer and into the oven or microwave to reheat.

Check out our Homemade Mashed Potatoes Recipe here:

Homemade mashed potatoes recipe

Homemade Mashed Potatoes Recipe

 

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Toni’s Homemade Holiday Spice Sangria

By on December 17, 2012 in Beverages, DIY, Holiday Recipes, Recipes, Saving Money

The Holidays Enjoyed

Christmas Eve.  New Year’s Celebration.  Hostess Gifts.  Last-Minute Holiday Entertaining.  My recipe for Homemade Holiday Spice Sangria is perfect for all holiday occasions.

Homemade Holiday Sangria

Eat, Drink and Be Frugal

If you enjoy serving wine to guests for the holidays, the cost for bottled wine can certainly add up.  Having a batch of this holiday wine elixir on hand is not only more affordable, it makes a visually stunning holiday presentation and is absolutely delicious.

Homemade Holiday Sangria

Toni’s Homemade Holiday Spice Sangria Recipe

Print
Toni’s DIY Holiday Spice Sangria

Toni’s DIY Holiday Spice Sangria

Ingredients

  • Basic Red Table Wine- I use a gallon of a basic red wine that I find in bulk at Costco. Trader Joe’s also has great deals for basic red table wine over the holidays.
  • Cranberry Juice- 1 bottle
  • Brandy- a little more than half a bottle (save some for your eggnog!)
  • Oranges- 3 or 4 large; sliced and halved (into half-moon shapes)
  • Pears- 3 or 4 large; sliced
  • Cinnamon Sticks- 4 or 5 whole
  • Cranberries, fresh- 12 oz.
  • Whole Cloves- put into a tea bag

Instructions

  1. Combine ingredients in large mason or Sangria Jar
  2. Let this mixture “steep” for a 2-3 days in a cool place. If you live someplace cold, you can just leave it outside, unless it will freeze.
https://tonispilsbury.com/tonis-homemade-holiday-spice-sangria/

 

 

 

Homemade Holiday Sangria recipe

 

This year I found the perfect carafes from Rubbermaid to bottle my sangria in to give to friends, neighbors and family.  It made great hostess gifts this year for holiday parties I attended.

Homemade Holiday Sangria

 

Simply add a ribbon with a gift tag and you have a beautiful hostess gift for holiday parties.

homemade holiday sangria recipe from Toni Spilsbury The Organized Cook

homemade holiday sangria recipe from Toni Spilsbury The Organized Cook

 

For an added touch, place a copy of the sangria recipe on the back of the gift tag card.  To download a copy of the recipe for your gift tags: DOWNLOAD SANGRIA RECIPE

homemade holiday sangria recipe from Toni Spilsbury The Organized Cook

 

 

Serve and Enjoy!  Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year To You!

 

Sincerely,

Toni Spilsbury, The Organized Cook

 

 

 

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Easy Dinner Idea of The Week

By on April 7, 2012 in Making Dinner, Saving Money

Easy Dinner Ideas

Our Easy Dinner Idea of The Week is our Berry-Good Pork Tenderloin.  This meal looks so gourmet, nobody will know this recipe took just a few minutes to prepare!

Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Berry-Good Pork Tenderloin Recipe

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