Blackberry Pineapple Sangria

This may end of being the perfect summer drink. I am not sure because I have so many more I probably need to taste just to be certain. I do know that this one got off to a good start. It is light and refreshing and so easy to make.

The idea for this drink was born one night at dinner while we were on vacation in Miami. The restaurant had pineapple blackberry salsa on their menu and bells just went off in my head. I grabbed Wiki's phone and texted the idea to myself and he just shook his head.

Till he drank it and then thanked my genius. So there

Ingredients

2 cups rum (I used light rum)

1 bottle champagne or sparkling wine

3 cups pineapple juice

1 to 1 1/2 cups diced pineapple

1 cup blackberries

Place the pineapples and rum in an airtight container and leave in fridge overnight(or at least 4 hours) Once it has soaked, put pineapples and blackberries in a pitcher. Pour the pineapple infused rum and pineapple juice into the pitcher and add the chilled sparkling wine.

You can serve immediately  but I think it tastes better if it sits in the fridge a little and the flavors marry together. If you really like the bubbles, you could add a little more sparkling wine to each glass as you pour.

Enjoy.

notes**** I have made this a few different times. I added less rum once and less pineapple juice and I still liked the flavor. I also added sprite once and it made it a little sweeter and I liked that way too, but this was my favorite version. This is a drink you can play around with to your taste preference.

I have been on a major pineapple and blackberry kick lately and you will know what I mean by the end of this week. If you come back;)

These would pair well with my pineapple and malibu whoopie pies

via here

Linking Up With

Taste of Tuesday

Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake & Apple Cider Sangria

 Hello, Monday...back so soon? And with this Monday...Hello December, feels like just yesterday you were visiting last year...Anyways.

So, remember how I said last week that I was finished posting Fall recipes. Guess what? I lied. and so today you have more pumpkin and more cider. In my defense...Fall is not officially over until December 20th! See people...this means you have 17 days left to gorge yourself on pumpkin whip up some quick tasty treats! It can't be helped. I need to share this with you. 

and by now you should learn...sometimes when I say "tomorrow I am posting this" it can loosely be translated to say "at some point...in the future" haha ugh. I'm trying to be better. Life is just hectic, as it is for everybody!

Anyways, are you familiar with  The Country Cook? Oh. My. Goodness. If you're not, do yourself a favor and check her out. She has such a sweet personality and I love her recipes. And if you've ever been on pinterest before then more than likely you have pinned one of her recipes and not even known it. My favorites are her "poke cakes. Hence...my title and what I whipped up.

As I have always said...I get my ideas for recipes from lots of different people and sites...but many I make up are completely on a whim and all mine. Obviously I didn't originate whoopie pies or mudslides...but many of the flavor combinations are all my own and that's the case w/this cake. When I first stumbled upon a caramel cake mix and a pumpkin pudding, the idea was pretty immediate. It is rather tasty and I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients
1 box caramel cake mix
ingredients used to make cake(eggs, oil & water)
2 boxes pumpkin pudding mix(if you can't find, check my notes & I'll have alternate)
2 cups caramel coffee creamer
2 cups milk
1 container whipped topping(the cinnamon one was perfect for this) or 1 cup whipping cream
1 package heath bar bits

Prepare cake according to directions for a 9x13 cake, allow it to cool for a few minutes. Then, w/a handle of a wooden spoon or something similar  poke holes in the cake. They should be big, so the pudding can "poke" down in there...but really there is no rhyme or reason to this.

In a separate bowl, whisk together pudding using the coffee creamer & milk, then pour directly over the cake into the holes, reserving a 1/2 cup into the fridge to set up. Once you have poured into holes, making sure to "seep"  down into the holes, use the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly and place in fridge to set up, at least 2 hours.

To make "icing" use remainder of pudding and mix w/a container of whip cream. Sprinkle some heath bar bits over the cake and top with the "whipped icing"

Set back in fridge till ready to eat.

***notes.
if you want to use all milk, feel free. I just am a big fan of using flavored coffee creamers to completely change up the flavoring of something. I rarely make pudding w/out one. If you can't find the pumpkin pudding, you could always use cheesecake/or vanilla pudding and use pumpkin spice coffee creamer to make it instead. and the second time I used this...I just got an extra packet of pudding and mixed the dry packet it/w a cup of whipping cream to make my "icing" really easy and so tasty!

Now...if only I could get mine to be as pretty as hers! Or I can just be content in what my inadequacies are;) haha and yes...my recipe varies a little from hers. It's b/c I did hers from memory and I was a little off...but mine came out great too. or so I decided.

And b/c why not I ask...a tasty drink to get you through the week. I love sangria! I abhor apple cider. Somehow together I adore it. I don't make sense. I know. But I love what I love. haha The only reason I came up w/this idea was stumbling upon the bourbon at a party. and nobody hearts bourbon more than me!

Ingredients
1 bottle dry red wine
1 bottle sparkling apple cider
1 cup apple cider bourbon
3 apples cut up(I used a mix)

Combine all ingredients together in a pitch, stir to marry the flavors together. All that's left is to bask in the glory of this tasty beverage.

I have partaken in this from both the fridge and room temp.

***Notes
If you can't find the apple cider bourbon, use 1 cup of bourbon and one cup of apple cider. 

Funny story...the whole time I was typing this as I was reading to myself, pudding sounds like "puddin" I am a word nerd. I love words, ones that are interchangeable  I get made fun of so much for this...So when my accent creeps in, no matter how hard I try, I can't squash it. 

The reason I am so amused is b/c just this weekend a friend of mine from TX and I were talking. She said something to the effect that when she pictures "my South" it's "debutante balls and big dresses" and "her South" is "daisy dukes and cowboy boots" I howled and laughed till I almost cried...

Yes, I love MK and Kate Spade, my Frye boots, and Paige denim. I love fancy restaurants and good wine. I adore fruity martinis and I have worn high heels to grocery shop on more than one occasion...but

~I grew up on a tobacco farm in the middle of nowhere
~if the boondocks had a backwoods, Gladys, VA would be it!
~I learned to drive in a 25 year old jeep and a tractor
~my nearest neighbor was almost 3 miles away
~the only store we had was "Burls Market" 
~I am pretty sure the "penny candy" was original to it's 1943 store opening
~I am fully aware that camo serves a purpose & it isn't a fashion one
~I love cowboy boots
~I prefer bourbon/whiskey to wine and I like it hot...and straight out the bottle;)
~Wide open spaces rock my world
~I realize that everything just tastes better in a mason jar
~I know the difference between a ruger and a remington

Just funny how in life...even our friends can have a completely different picture of us than we do of ourselves!

linking up today with Lisa

and

Fuzzy Navel Sangria

I am in a perpetual state of searching for that perfect twist to a cocktail. I was having a get together recently and was undecided whether to make sangria or fuzzy navel mimosas, due to the fact that I am an intelligent woman, I drew upon the conclusion to combine the two...Fuzzy Navel Sangria. All I can say is "You're Welcome" Yes, I am very humble. haha please grasp that written word is oft misconstrued, I like funny sarcasm, so please take it as such. or don't;)  A couple of summers ago I was at a gathering with some of my favorite ladies and they had prepared peach mimosas. Uber tasty and this is when I was introduced to the fabulous world of Arbor Mist Sparkling wines. Yes, I just read your minds "Arbor Mist? Is she kidding? " No ladies, I am, most assuredly, not. It makes yummy things become the yummiest of yums, pinky swear. Since some of you are still confused and now quite skeptical...notice I said sparkling wine, I'm not such a fan of their regular wine, but if I was...so what? Some of my friends are shaking in horror. I find this amusing. You know who you are...

Ingredients
1 bottle white wine
1/4 cup citrus vodka
1/2 cup O.J.
1 bottle sparkling peach wine)arbor mist or peachtini)
2 oranges
2 peaches

Directions
slice oranges and peaches and put in bottom of pitcher or punch bowl(save a few for glass garnish)
pour wine, vodka & O.J. into pitcher or punch bowl. Stir together and place in fridge for a few hours letting flavors meld together. Pour into glasses 3/4 full and top off with sparkling wine
then sit back and allow the happy juice to make your day that much better. Unless you made this for the Super Bowl as I did...it did nothing to make mine better. I'm sure this will tell you the team with which my heart lies.

If you can't find the sparkling peach you could always use 1/4 cup peach schnapps and any sparkling wine or champagne.

*Origin*

the mind of one Maddie and if someone else has done this before me...to this I say congrats, your genius came to fruition before mine;)