Ok kids, it’s crunch time.  I turn 31 in just 23 days, so I am going to make a strong effort to finish up with my 30-while-30 list before the official deadline.  I actually have made a bunch of items off of it, but just haven’t gotten around to blogging about them yet.  Get set for some rapid fire blog posts.

I love all kinds of Sangria, but I realized last summer when constructing my 30-while-30 list that I had never made it!  Weird.  Anyway, I figured that this summer I would have to go ahead and take the Sangria plunge.  I was particularly excited about giving a white wine Sangria a try as I figured it would look very pretty in a nice wine glass sitting on our porch.  I meant for this to be a July 4th post, as my concoction was very red, white & blue given the ingredients, but…well, that’s how summer goes I guess!  You can make it any day, really – it was that delicious.

I made a number of modifications to this recipe – first, I was assembling this drink down on the Jersey shore at my in-laws summer condo, and all of my kitchen appliances were not on hand – so adding pureed and strained watermelon was out of the question.  I just added cubed melon and it was great.  Also, sangria, turns out, typically calls for fortification with hard alcohol; I personally think my wine contains just enough ethanol as it is for a summer-time drink, especially on a hot day, and opted not to add any other liquors.  I think it came out great.  If you do try adding something stronger, I would recommend something like triple sec or a fruit-infused drink of some sort.  I also do not like carbonated drinks; some people would argue for adding a seltzer or tonic to sangria, but again this was not really up my alley.  The long and short of sangria is – it’s the fruit punch made with wine, so add whatever tickles your fancy, and enjoy!

Watermelon Sangria

adapted from bewitched via Allrecipes.com

• 4 cups cubed, seeded watermelon
• 1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry white wine
• 1/2 cup simple syrup (1/2 cup sugar dissolved in 1/2 cup water – helps to do this on the stove!)
• 1 medium lime, sliced
• 1 orange, cut into wedges
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

• Place watermelon into a large pitcher.  Over top, pour white wine and simple syrup.  Add in the remaining fruit ingredients.  Stir gently, and refrigerate for about 4 hours before serving.

It’s happened to even the best of us.  After a long day of work, you come home exhausted and don’t feel like cooking. What you do feel like doing is putting your feet up and relaxing with a glass of wine. And maybe a little cheese and crackers. And another glass of wine.

That’s where I come in. I am an unapologetic lover of all things cheese (bacon as well, but that’s for another post…). Melted, cubed, sliced, you name it– I’ll eat it.  I love going to restaurants and ordering a cheese plate to share; it provides a wonderful opportunity to try out new cheese selections and often a fruit or nut pairing that works really well.  The downside is that those delicious looking plates often come with a hefty price tag and a microscopic wedge.  Here’s my budget solution to a gourmet cheese display that takes maybe 10 minutes max to put together pulling things you probably already have in your pantry and your fridge!

Let’s break the plate down into a few categories: meat, cheese, bread, fruit/veggies, and spreads.  While you don’t have to have everything on your plate, it’s the combination of them that really elevates a fairly lazy dinner.

Start with the cheese you can find in the fridge. Think about what you’d naturally pair with it. Got swiss cheese? How about add a few cut up slices of deli ham? Cheddar? Pull out that salami or pepperoni and add a bit.  For both of those, pickles would go really well– giving a nice, salty bite. Add a few gherkins from the jar, or better yet– call them cornichons and you’re already getting fancy! Look at you!

Next– the crackers or bread. I like to keep a big variety of crackers on hand, for just such occasions.  You could even add a few slices of crusty bread if you’ve got it on hand.

One “must have” for a cheese plate in my home is fruit. Slice up an apple and serve with colby, cheddar, or muenster. Gouda is fantastic with dried apricots. Blue cheese? Use some dried cranberries, or any fresh berry in season. Grapes are an easy go-to as well. Brie pairs well with pretty much any fruit.

Spreads– this is where your display really goes above and beyond the standard. I’ve seen and enjoyed many a cheese plate that came with a bit of honey comb, but who keeps that around? Add a tiny bit of honey to a prep bowl, add a spreading knife, and it’s pretty much the same thing. Similar with figs– I love them, but I never (emphasize NEVER) have fresh figs on hand. What I do keep in my fridge is fig jam.  Not only does it keep much longer, it goes amazingly well with brie and it’ll make a spread for the best turkey sandwich you’ve ever had! A bit of spicy mustard is also an always-welcome addition for that cheddar and salami.

Finally, the extras. I usually pile a few olives and mixed nuts into the fray just for snacking.  Put everything on to a big cutting board that you used to slice the cheese, and voila! No dishes! Depending on your wine/beer leanings, pair the whole deal with a glass of sparkling Italian wine (prosecco) or a lambic-style beer; a decent bottle of either will run you no more than $10. A final note on cheese– the biggest problem with the delectable dairy product is cost. I have never failed to find an amazing selection of affordable cheese at my local Trader Joe’s.  While I’ve found plenty of bargains, quality double-creme brie for less than $4 is something of value.

Now go out there and rummage through your pantry for your own wine and cheese night! Let us know about your favorite cheese and fruit/snack pairings!

This fruit dip was so easy to make! It was a fun, tasty addition to my simple fruit platter. The dip was a little thicker than I would have preferred, but that didn’t stop us from eating it all!

I found the original recipe on allrecipes.com, but made some modifications. I halved the original recipe and tweaked some measurements. Even with the reduced measurements, I still had more than enough dip for the four of us. I used more cream cheese that called for, and added some confectioner’s sugar to make the dip a little sweeter. Based upon reviewer information, I made the dip the night before and allowed it to chill overnight. As the dip chilled, the sweetness became more pronounced and the dip thickened up a bit.

Creamy Fruit Dip

4 oz. fat free cream cheese
4 oz. reduced fat whipped topping
4 oz. marshmallow cream
2 tbsp. confectioner’s sugar

1. Combine the first three ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat together until smooth.
2. Add confectioner’s sugar as desired to attain desired sweetness.
3. Refrigerate in a covered container.