Ready for Summer Red Sangria

Hello!  Summer is finally here!  Well not officially, but temps here in Greenville, SC have been hovering between 80 and 90, so I'm down with that.  One of my favorite things about Summer is sitting out in the yard (mosquito free--hollaaa!!) with some tunes playing and a nice glass (let's be honest--a pitcher) of cold sangria in hand.  I even picked up some great outside drink holder stakes from Target!

I'm so lucky to have a Trader Joe's right in town, so needless to say, I stock up on "Two ($2.99) Buck Chuck" every now and then.  I have also been on a Shiraz kick.  I'm not a wine expert by any means, I've just been enjoying the flavor lately.  It might help that T.J.'s has a very classy box o' Shiraz for $9.99...  Anyhoo, here we go with my super easy, make-it-your-own sangria recipe:

• Begin with some sliced fruit-- a small orange, lemon, and some strawberries will do.  Make sure to wash your fruit before slicing!! 

• Toss the fruit in your pitcher (if using a large dispenser for a par-tayyy, just double everything)
• Pour the wine over the fruit, so it begins marinating right away. 
• Add about 1/2 cup of pineapple coconut rum (or liquor of your choice--most traditional red sangrias use a few ounces of brandy)
• Top it off with about 3/4 cup of orange juice (pineapple juice works great, too!) and a splash of fruity seltzer for a little fizz. 
• Stir it up gently, and serve over ice...umbrellas optional!  Enjoy!

That's it--so easy, right?  I get tons of compliments on this every time we host guests.  There is never a drop leftover.  Oh, and just a reminder, be careful opening your seltzer bottle.  Mine exploded alllllllllllll over me and my living room while I was making this batch.  Whoops!  

What are your favorite sangria additions? I'm always looking for new ideas! 

Thanks for reading and Enjoy!!

--meghan :)