saturday we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and had some friends over for a bbq, we are loving the yard! hosting is by far one of my favorite things to do; jack handles all the cooking to ensure folks walk out of here happy and alive and i handle the cocktails to make sure they leave happy and not remembering i didn't do any cooking! sangria is my go to drink during these sun filled days; it's yummy, i have control over the flavor & strength, it's so pretty, and numero uno…it's easy! this time around i made my best sangria to date…ask anyone who was there, for once people are asking me "what's your recipe?"…that's ground breaking because i don't have recipes. there were two key ingredients that made this sangria a knockout - arugula and cider! what?! i know, i know…it sounds odd but trust me it was amazing! the arugula added a peppery kick and the cider gave it the bubbles (that usually comes from club soda), added flavor, and more alcohol (duh!). oh and nobody woke up with a hangover not sure if that was because i'm a mixologist master or pure luck, but whatever the case…no hangovers!

jacqueline lizzette cider-gria recipe:

what you need

4 bottles of dry red wine (i used yellow tail cabernet sauvignon, inexpensive and yummy)
2 cups of brandy (pretty sure jack snuck another cup in behind my back, but it worked)
1/2 cup of orange triple sec
2/3 cup of sugar (originally i didn't add sugar because i hate sweet drinks but because of the massive amount of citrus it was necessary to kill some of the tartness)
3 limes sliced thin
3 oranges sliced thin
3 lemons sliced thin
1/2 case of strawberries
4 cups of arugula
stella artois cidre (we had 2 6 packs, personal preference according to your taste buds)

how to make

pour the wine, brandy, and triple sec in a pitcher or serving bowl (we got amazing stackable pitchers from the dollar store, even though they weren't a dollar)
add in the sugar and stir
add the arugula and stir with a wooden spoon (mash the arugula to release the flavor)
add in the fruit and give a light stir
put in the fridge to chill and set over night (personal preference)

how to serve

put a few ice cubes in a mason jar (that's how i roll)
pour some cidre in that bad boy (i did about 1/4 cup, jack did 1/2 cup…your call)
fill the rest of the cup with sangria
enjoy the shit out of the glass of wonderfulness
thank me later

happy bbq season my friends.

please note there are no pictures of my gorgeous display due to very thirsty guests.

on valentine's my love walked into the house with a gorgeous orchid and a bag of groceries, only good things can come from those two things! see my boyfriend is kind of a big deal in the kitchen, homeboy throws down; he can be handed a kit-kat bar, soy sauce, and chicken and make absolute magic happen!! i learned he could cook about a week after i cooked for him (scrambled eggs and pancakes), he asked me what my favorite breakfast dish was and 20 minutes later a beautiful garnished plate of strawberry stuffed french toast was served...yes he even garnishes the plate! he loves to cook and he's damn good at it so he does the cooking over but i started getting annoyed when people would laugh at that set up so i told him i wanted to learn! lesson one took place on valentine's day and like any other starter course we kept it simple.

homemade fresh pasta! here are the directions and some pictures, prepare to salivate:

ingredients:

2 cups of all purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 tablespoon of olive oil
rolling pin

pour the flour on a clean dry surface. make a well in the center of the flour. crack the two eggs into the center of the well and add the salt, pepper, and oil. break the eggs and mix them together and slowly incorporate the flour until the dough starts to come together. sprinkle some more flour on the counter to prevent the doe from sticking and some on a rolling pin. roll the dough until it's flat and thin. roll up the dough (like a fruit roll up). with a knife cut the dough into 1/4" strips. unravel the rolls and you will see the linguini shape form. place the pasta in boiling salt water with a little more olive oil. cook for 2-3 min toss with you favorite pasta sauce and enjoy. (click the pictures for the slideshow)

believe it or not it was super easy, quick, and ridiculously delicious...say farewell to pasta in a box! we opted with a vodka sauce and shrimp to go with our pasta but you can do whatever tickles your fancy! oh and those rolls of bread, he made those; yeah like with yeast, flour, and an oven! i'm one lucky gal! but he gets love too i made him this pancake the next morning! :)