Can-Do Attitude: Cabernet Sauvignon Jelly

 This is a combo recipe, taking from Canning for the Next Generation and Blue Ribbon Preserves.  I met them in the middle, so follow quickly because this is an EASY recipe that ANY ONE can do!  Ingredients: 1 Bottle of a dry wine (like Cabernet, Chardonnay, or a Brut Champagne). 1/4 C strained fresh lemon juice, 5C sugar, and 2 liquid pectin packets.

To create: Boil your wine for 25 minutes to help reduce.  Then, add the lemon juice and sugar until it is all dissolved.  Boil for one more minute, then remove from heat, stir in 2 liquid pectin packets completely, then jar quickly.  Follow standard jarring procedure (leave 1/4" head space, add your vacuum seal lids, and process in boiling water for 10 minutes.  This will make about 6 half pint jars.

The final product is a beautifully clear jelly that is sweet, and not at all what you'd expect from a dry wine.  I really don't think you can even taste the wine once it's done.  Thomas expected it to go well on cheese, but it's great on a slice of bread, just like any other fruit-y jelly!

(I also followed this recipe with "Champagne" - brut.  I used only 3 cups of sugar and it was still outstanding!)

Happy Thirsty Thursday, everyone!

Work week got you down?  Thinking that the three day weekend we had only three days ago is now just a figment of your imagination?  Ready to kick off the weekend grad school style?  (I have to say grad school instead of college, since I think the college weekend began on Wednesday.)

Well, have no fear: Thirsty Thursday is here!!  It's almost time to kick off from work for the day (although you lucky East Coasters may already be on your way), so let's have a virtual sip with an awesome summer beverage that is easy to make, and quite simply refreshing...

The Sparkling Sangria!

Ingredients for fun!

I have to admit, this recipe took me a little longer to make than necessary, because I was trying to preserve my manicure, which made peeling the fruits difficult.  However, the fruits of my labor (haha) were well worth it.

The recipe calls for non-alcoholic red wine.  I went fully loaded (the Barefoot Sweet Red is on sale at the Jewels/Albertsons), and threw in an extra orange for good measure.  I also used the Splenda Sugar Blend equivalent (2 TBS) instead of sugar (1/4 C), and Sprite Zero.  This doesn't make this a diet drink by any stretch of the imagination, especially when two people drink the whole batch, but I have to imagine that it helps a little.

Also, you're supposed to let the fruit sit in the alcohol for 3-4 hours, but dinner only took an hour to create.  I'm sure it would be even more impressive if I didn't have the patience of a two year old crack baby.

That's all I have for this week, but I have a few other drink recipes I'm dying to try out.  Until then,

Cheers!