Happy 25th, Adam! (And a to-die-for sangria recipe)

Tonight we're celebrating Adam's 25th birthday with a few friends. We haven't hosted in months because of the wedding and crazy busy schedules, so we're both looking forward to having some people over, relaxing, and catching up.

Since we'll also be hosting Thanksgiving dinner in just a few days, I wanted to keep things low-key for Adam's birthday. The holidays are a marathon, not a sprint, folks. But of course, I couldn't resist conjuring up a new drink! 

Apple cinnamon sangria

Keeping in mind my love of all things seasonal and my desire to keep it simple, I surveyed what we already had stocked up and made the best of it. And I have to say, this ended up being one of my favorite concoctions yet! Naturally sweetened, relatively low-calorie (who are we kidding, though), and yummy autumn goodness. I present for your taste buds' pleasure, my brand new apple cinnamon sangria recipe! 

Things you'll need*:

-1 bottle of white wine (I used chardonnay we received as a wedding gift)

-1 cup Mott's apple juice

-3 cups diet ginger ale

-3 apples (I used a granny smith, a red delicious, and a gala)

-1 TBSP honey

-1/2 TBSP cinnamon
-vodka to taste

Makes 4-6 servings - I recommend doubling!

1.  Uncork your wine and pour into a large glass pitcher. If you're a complete non-wino like me, break your bottle opener in the process.

Poor crooked corkscrew.

2. Rinse and cut up your apples into 1/2-inch squares. Don't peel them, though! You'll want the color of those peels to make your sangria look as good as it tastes. Immediately put the apples into the wine to keep them from browning. 

3. Add apple juice, ginger ale, honey, and cinnamon to taste. A note on the ginger ale: don't add it yet if you prefer a more carbonated sangria. I like mine flat and more punch-like, so I added the ginger ale right away.

4. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 7 hours. This helps the flavors really blend together and infuse with one another. To kick up the proof a bit, add vodka to taste.

5. Enjoy! If you haven't added the ginger ale yet, go ahead and add it just before serving. 

*Please note, all measurements (besides the wine and apples) are totally approximated after the fact. My cooking method is to add stuff until it tastes right, which drives Adam crazy. He's a by-the-book kinda guy.

This drink is perfect for Thanksgiving! If you haven't finalized your menu yet, I highly recommend giving this a try!