Decor | Lifestyle | Design
Looking for beautiful fall entertaining ideas? This fall harvest dinner party is an easy but elegant way to celebrate the bounty of the season.
One of my favorite times of year to entertain is in the fall. It’s not as casual as the summer, but it’s also not as fancy and involved as the holiday season. It’s relaxed without being too laid back, and the bounty of the season makes for a perfect night of food and wine.
This Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is light and delicious, and full of fresh banana flavor. Perfect for a snack or dessert!
Fall is definitely the season of baking. Just the mention of fall has me busting out the mixer!
But who wants to slave over a hot oven during a pretty fall day? I love dessert, but I also love simple, and this banana cake is exactly that. It’s light and delicious and easy to throw together. As perfect for an after school snack as it is for a dinner party!
It seems the Spaniards have got summer down. Wake up to fresh coffee. Work a little. Have a leisurely lunch with sangria. Work a little more. Nap. Have a leisurely dinner with more sangria. Repeat. 😉
Sangria has always been one of my favorite things to drink in the summer. Ever since my husband and I found an amazing tapas restaurant that served the most delicious sangria, it’s been something I’ve wanted to recreate at home.
And since that restaurant has since closed, and I didn’t get to Spain this summer, I thought I’d bring Spain to us with this deliciously fruity (and easy) sangria recipe!
It’s hard to beat it as a summer cocktail. It’s boozy. And fruity. And refreshing. And oh-so-good!
So good in fact, that it’s quickly become one of my favorite summer drinks. And of course, it’s perfect for serving in my favorite French wine glasses!
Of course, any summer cocktail needs to be easy. And it seriously doesn’t get any easier than this! It’s like a cocktail version of a dump cake. 😉
You basically combine the alcohol, fruit juice, and wine in a pitcher. Add some sugar or simple syrup and the fruit. And stir.
That’s it!
The key, at least to me, is the fruit. Not only does it infuse the wine with lots of fresh fruit flavors, but the fruit itself makes for a great little bonus ‘snack’. Kind of like a summer version of the celery in a Bloody Mary!
There are about a million sangria recipes out there, but I wanted to start with a traditional red wine version. If you’ve never had sangria before, it consists of only a few basic ingredients.
Red wine.
Brandy (or rum).
Fruit juice.
Fresh fruit.
Sugar or simple syrup.
The only difference comes with the balance of ingredients, and which alcohol, juice or fruits you add.
And though this is a pretty traditional version, you can really change it up however you want. If you don’t like orange juice, feel free to use pomegranate or cranberry juice.
If you don’t care for brandy, use rum.
If you don’t have nectarines or peaches, switch to more plums, add apples, or even strawberries.
There are endless possibilities and they’re all delicious!
I like to use an inexpensive light to medium bodied red wine, like Garnacha (Grenache), Beaujolais or Tempranillo. Traditionally Garnacha is used in Spain so I used Grenache here (who am I to break with tradition?!)
As long as the wine is inexpensive, fruity and tastes good on its own, it’ll work well in sangria.
Sangria is a good match for most summer meals. BBQ, grilled meats, seafood, Mexican food, spicy dishes, and even charcuterie or cheese plates all go well with it.
And the recipe can easily be double or triple-batched making it one of the easiest things to serve at a summer party. Believe me, there is nothing more festive than serving a pitcher of this to friends on a warm summer night!
Cheers!
Sheila
xo
Now be sure to check out more fruity recipes my friends are sharing below!
Summer Peach Tart | Wild Maine Blueberry Pie | Blueberry Crumble Kit | Summer Fruit Crostata
Summer Peach Salad | Peach Crisp | Raspberry/Strawberry Shortbread Cookies | Fresh Strawberry Cheese Cake
I’ll be honest, I don’t drink a ton of cocktails the rest of the year. But there is something about summer that calls out for them. It’s hot. And muggy. And sticky. And nothing hits the spot quite like an icy, refreshing cocktail!
One of my favorite summer cocktails? A mojito! If you’ve never had one, they’re a delicious mix of mint, lime juice, and rum. And they lend themselves to variations very easily.
A couple of summers ago I shared this Watermelon Mojito Recipe which we love. And now seemed like the right time to do another variation on this summer favorite. And since strawberries are the quintessential summer fruit, I decided to share a super yummy Strawberry Mojito recipe!
It’s got lots of mint, lime juice, and rum, and of course, fresh strawberries. The lime juice and the mint make a for a refreshing combination, and the sweet strawberries really take it to the next level.
To me, it’s a perfect summer cocktail!
If you’ve never made a mojito before, you’re going to be ‘muddling’ the ingredients. All this really means is mashing the ingredients together in the glass. You can use a wooden muddler like this one I have, a cocktail spoon, or even the back of a regular spoon.
The idea is you want to break down the elements into smaller pieces so no one is swallowing large chunks of strawberry or mint.
In this recipe I called for whole mint leaves, but if you want them smaller, feel free to cut or rip them into smaller pieces before muddling. The same goes for the strawberries. I usually slice them and with that I’m able to break them down sufficiently, but you can always cut them smaller if you like.
You might notice that I used only one tablespoon of sugar, but you’re welcome to increase or decrease that to suit your taste. Many recipes are much sweeter than this one, but I encourage you to play around with it until it’s perfect for you.
And if you’re wondering about using frozen strawberries, I wouldn’t do that in this recipe. The strawberries really are the star and the freshness will show through. Same thing for the lime juice.
The cocktail will be infinitely better tasting if you use fresh squeezed juice vs. bottled.
And there’s nothing quite like a made-from-scratch cocktail to cool you off during the dog days of summer!
These are also easy to double, triple or even make a large batch. You can muddle the ingredients together right in a pitcher, and then add the alcohol. Fill each glass with ice and top off it off with the sparkling mineral water or club soda.
Not only is this drink ultra-refreshing, but it’s also pretty to serve!
Happy Sipping!
Sheila
xo
And now be sure to visit my friends below who are also sharing yummy summer recipes!
Blacked Green Bean & Shrimp Quinoa Salad | Basil & Corn Cakes with Tomato and Avocado Salsa | Peach Rhubarb Muffins
This lemon cheesecake is rich and delicious yet also light and refreshing, making it the perfect dessert for Easter or any other spring gathering.
Growing up my mom didn’t make a lot of fancy desserts on holidays. In fact, she basically made one, a rich and decadent cheesecake. We had it every Christmas and Easter and it’s always been a favorite of mine.
When I was a little girl, we made batches and batches of Christmas cookies to take to neighbors and friends, and I’ve continued that with my kids as well.
It’s one of those things that really makes the holidays feel special, and I love continuing the tradition. However, I’ve pared down our baking from what we did back then.
Rather than doing dozens of sugar cookies with lots of messy decorating (ie; frosting and sprinkles, oh my!) I pick one favorite each year and make that one for everyone.
This means there are only a handful of cookies that pass the test – but these are one of them!
These Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies are truly one of my all-time favorite cookies, combining two of the most popular holiday flavors. And every time I’ve brought them to friends or neighbors, I’ve gotten tons of compliments.
I’ve made a lot of holiday cookies in my life, and I can honestly say these are in the top five for sure!
Bringing together the delicious combo of peppermint and chocolate – these cookies are reminiscent of peppermint bark. In fact, they’re like peppermint bark but in cookie form!
These start with a double chocolate base, using both melted dark chocolate and cocoa powder which makes them extra rich and delicious.
The peppermint flavor also makes a showing twice, both in the batter and in the crunchy candies on top.
And yet, as ‘fancy’ as these look, they’re actually one of the easiest cookies to make! There’s no refrigerating dough in between, and they are easily made (and eaten) in one morning or afternoon. 😉
But be careful – I ate quite a few just when I was shooting them – they’re that good! I challenge you to eat just one! 😉
These are perfect for gifts for neighbors, friends or teachers, or for bringing to a cookie exchange.
Or of course, you could just make them for yourself. It is the holidays after all! 😉
Happy Holiday Baking!
Sheila
xo
*adapted from Epicurious
Now be sure to check out some of my friends who are also sharing yummy holiday cookie recipes below!
Classic Sugar Cookies For Christmas // My 100 Year Old Home
Christmas Cookie Hack // My Sweet Savannah
Mexican Christmas Cookies // Just Destiny