Peach Sangria & Our New Bar

We decided to break our new bar in right by having a Sangria night. It is actually a chest! It is on casters and is able to be displayed open or closed. I am so in love with it and think that it really adds a lot of character to our apartment. This recipe was inspired from when Matt and I used to frequent a restaurant called Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant while we lived in Indianapolis. Our favorite part of their menu was the Peach Sangria. It is so delicious! What we love about it is that they dice the fruit into small pieces that get wine soaked and super flavorful. Not often do I actually eat the fruit that comes with Sangria but for this particular drink it really is the best part. We even tried hard to obtain the recipe from the bartender–but unfortunately they wouldn’t budge! This recreation is really great though and I am wicked happy with how it came out. Our neighbor, Jenny, usually doesn’t like Sangria but had a few glasses! So I think it’s safe to say this recipe is a success. I added Crystal Light Peach Iced Tea to the mix and it really helped bring out the sweetness of the peaches and add a lot of great flavor to the mixture. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

The Ingredients:

• 1 bottle Red Wine–we used a Malbec
• 1 cup Crystal Light Peach Flavored Ice tea
• 1/2 cup Seltzer water
• 1/4 cup Peach Liqueur
• 1-2 tbs. sugar depending on your desired sweetness
• 2 peaches, diced
• 1 granny smith apple, diced

Individual Peach, Apple, & Cherry Crisp

My husband, Matt, was craving apple crisp so I decided to fulfill his request…and to mix it up a bit and create my own recipe highlighting the perks of summer. Since apple crisp reminds me of fall (and there is no way that I’m ready for fall yet), I knew I had to add my own summery twist to a classic. I have been obsessed with peaches this summer, so they were an obvious choice to incorporate into my recipe redo. I also have a huge (seriously–almost an addiction) to sweet cherries. We lived in MI for a while and the only perk of living there was how cheap the cherries were during the season. My habit has become quite expensive since we’ve moved–but I refuse/can’t give them up. A few of my favorite things all wrapped into one yummy, bubbling morsel? Yes, please.

I decided to make a small batch since we are trying to eat healthy/minimize junk…but still feed our cravings so we wouldn’t splurge elsewhere. I came up with a super yummy recipe that makes 4 individualized portions of Peach, Apple, & Cherry Crisp. Enjoy!

The Ingredients:

Necessary equipment: 4 large (about 4.5 inch) ramekins 

• 4 ripe peaches
• 2 apples
• Cherries
• Lemon juice
• Salt
• Butter
• Flour
• Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Old fashion oats
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

Refreshing Peach & Mint Iced Tea

A few weeks ago, Matt & I went out with two of our very great friends Greg & Katee. They brought us to a restaurant called Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in West Chester, PA. The food was great but the stand out item for me was the peach iced tea. I never used to like iced tea–but my very midwestern husband has converted me to a sweet tea sipping fanatic. Ever since Matt & I tasted the peach tea we have been obsessed with the stuff–seriously, drinking it by the gallons. I have since been working on a recipe and I think I’ve done it! It’s super easy too and stores well in the fridge for a few days…that is, if it even lasts that long.

Ingredients:

Recipe makes 1 gallon

• 2-3 Ripe Peaches
• Sugar
• Tea bags–I use the Lipton Cold Brew but definitely use your favorite
• Fresh mint—optional 
• Cheese cloth or a coffee filter