Watermelon raspberry sangria

The only word I can think of to describe the weather right now is delicious. It is absolutely perfect outside. I want to put it in a dish and eat it. I have not been able to comfortably sit on my patio often this summer, so I have much appreciation for it right now. I am drinking it in. What else am I drinking in, you ask? Well, this light and refreshing watermelon raspberry sangria, of course! I have not made much sangria in my life and as I type this I am wondering WHY. I feel like I should pause this post to write down some other sangria ideas, but my brain is about as worthwhile as a giant ball of dough right now so I dare not stop what I have begun. 

Making this delightful drink is as easy as pie! Or, actually, it is way easier than making pie. Who came up with that saying, anyway? Maybe they meant to say, It's as easy as eating pie!? 

At any rate, this sangria is easy. It is also light and refreshing, but I think I already mentioned that. I need sleep.

Place into the bottom of a large serving pitcher:

Two 6-oz. containers fresh rinsed raspberries

1/4 of a seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup raspberry liqueur 

And last but not least, add two 750ml bottles of sauvignon blanc.

Chill for a minimum of 2 hours. Serve chilled, making sure to add some of the fruit to the serving glasses.

This girl who is sitting outside in lovely weather enjoying a glass of sangria is officially shutting down her computer and her mushy brain. 

Printable recipe: Watermelon raspberry sangria

Raspberry dip

I love Family Days! With Dan working so much in the summer, we have limited days together as a family and we really try to make the most of the time we have together. This morning we took our boys to the Minnesota Zoo and we all had a great time. Sammy is still recovering from a sickness, but he did well, considering. Elijah thoroughly enjoyed himself and could have spent the entire day running around that place!

I am so thrilled to not be working full-time this summer so that I can do a ton of fun things with my boys while they are still so little and sweet and wanting to spend time with me. I hope the wanting-to-spend-time-with-Mama lasts for a few more years.

I want to give a shout-out to my stepmom's friend Mary who provided me with this wonderful recipe. I made this dip for Sammy's birthday party last week and it was a total hit. As you read through the ingredients, you will likely say, "HUH?!" like I did at first, but trust me! This is insanely delicious and it is a crowd-pleaser! Thank you, Mary, for the delicious recipe!

In a medium bowl, combine:

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

(See? Strange! But trust me!)

Mix well and spread evenly into the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan.

Spread an 18-oz. jar of raspberry preserves over the top in an even layer.

Chill for a minimum of 1 hour before serving. Serve with Ritz crackers. Your guests will love you, I promise!

Thanks again, Mary! I am looking forward to trying the rest of the recipes you sent to me!

Printable recipe: Raspberry dip

Chicken raspberry salad with lemony vinaigrette

In typical Megan fashion, I have not even begun to plan Sammy's birthday party for this coming weekend. I am an incredible procrastinater. However, I always get things accomplished, and I have learned to trust that about myself. The presents and the cake and the balloons will all get taken care of. What have I been doing in the meantime? Ohhhh eating salad, in between stepping on Legos and chasing Sam out the door and down the driveway.

I made this salad in a huge batch and ate it for every meal for four or five consecutive meals and never once wished I was eating something else. Of course, I am kind of a crazy salad girl. 

Drain two 14-oz. cans of quartered artichoke hearts. Pat them dry with paper towels and chop them up!

Remove the meat from one Rotisserie chicken and shred.

Rinse 2 cups of fresh raspberries.

Peel 2 avocados. Remove the pits and chop them into little pieces.

In a large bowl, combine all of the above ingredients along with 12 cups of assorted greens, rinsed and broken into small pieces.

Toss all of those delicious ingredients together, and cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Now for the dressing!

In a small bowl, whisk together:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat!

And now I must go plan a birthday party! Orrrr maybe I'll do that tomorrow. 

Printable recipe: Chicken raspberry salad with lemony vinaigrette

Apricot-raspberry jam and a giveaway!

Giveaway time! It has been far too long since I have thanked you all for reading, so here we go. THANK YOU! I appreciate every eye that peruses my little blog, and one set of eyes will be randomly chosen to receive these cute silicone measuring bowls!

Full and half measurements are included in each bowl and the set includes 5 total bowls: 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 cup, 1 1/2 cups and 2 cups. They are dishwasher and microwave safe, and they make prep-work super easy. Aren't they fun?!

 

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post saying anything at all! Tell me what color socks you are wearing or what song you have in your head today or what your favorite kind of jam is.

For extra entries (please leave separate comments for each entry):

- Friend me on Facebook.

- Post about this giveaway on Facebook.

- Subscribe to my RSS feed.

- Follow me on Twitter.

Giveaway closes February 14th at midnight.

I have a recipe to share today, as well! Thanks to the cooking challenge I just completed, I learned that making jam really isn't so scary. In fact, it's as easy as pie! Except, pie isn't easy. 

Since becoming a jam-making fanatic, we have jam all over our fridge. I'm not the only person in this house who loves having jars of jam bumping into the milk container and the butter and the celery and the blueberries. Every one of my family members eats my jam, and that is saying a lot. It is just about the only food that we all love. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do!

In a large saucepan, combine:

8 to 9 apricots, seeded and cut into small pieces

2 cups raspberries

2 cups sugar

Stir, smashing the raspberries with the back of your spoon. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Add 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes.

Divide the jam between 3 pint-size jars. Close the jars and allow the jam to cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Thanks again for reading, everyone!

Click here for a printable recipe!

Mixed-berry jam

This is Week #49 of my 2011 cooking challenge! Click on the above graphic to view all P&TC recipes. All recipes created for this challenge come from the Food and Wine Annual Cookbook 2010: An Entire Year of Recipes.

Well well well. I am weeks behind in this challenge. The one that was supposed to end back in 2011. Please forgive me. I have been a bit preoccupied with sweets! But I'm back on track. In fact, I hope to post the last of the recipes for this challenge this week!

This is the first time I have attempted jam, so I didn't know what to expect. Well guess what. I am head-over-heels in love, and I'm not the only person in this house who fell hard. My four-year-old ate every single bite of his pb&j for the first time ever! 

In a large saucepan, toss 1 pound of hulled and quartered strawberries with 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is mostly dissolved. This takes about 1 hour.

Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon (seeded) over the strawberries and add it to the saucepan. Bring to a boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the strawberries are just softened, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 pound of mixed blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. 

Cook over moderate heat until the liquid runs off the side of a spoon in thick, heavy drops, 20 to 25 minutes. Skim any scum that rises to the surface.

Discard the lemon.

Spoon the jam into three 1/2-pint jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of space at the top. Close the jars and let cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

This stuff is seriously delicious, you guys. I hope you enjoy!

Click here for a printable recipe!