Ginger Peach Tea Sangria and a WINNER!

Let me start off by congratulating Mary from Midnite Baker for winning the Tate's Bake Shop Gift Basket Giveaway...WOOO HOOO!!! Congrats Mary! I hope you enjoy it :)

Just so you know, I love their first cookbook, Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook so much that I personally ordered the Baking with Friends Cookbook, using the 20% discount code: mom13 which is good through 5/12/13

Don't hesitate to use the discount code yourself, on any purchases made between now and 5/12/13. Mother's day is coming up fast.

You know what else is coming up fast? Summer. Its just around the corner. Gardens are happening. Which leads us to food. Some of you may not know, but I plant a small city garden just about every spring. I'd love to have a winter garden too but when I leave for work, it's dark. When I get home from work, it's dark. We don't get much rain in Los Angeles. Do you know how hard it is to water a garden in the dark? Me neither. Cuz I've never done it. Which is why I've never had a winter garden. I'd have to water the damn thing in the dark.

Which brings me to my other issue. During the winter, I get a lot of weeds in my garden area. It's a lot of work pulling those weeds and getting the dirt ready for precious little baby plants that will feed us throughout the summer season and often times into the fall (and early winter).

Not long ago, it was time to tackle those weeds. It's hard work. Back breaking. Neck sweating. Arm fatiguing. Thirst inducing. Hard work.

Ice tea is a great thirst quencher.

If you happen to have a really good, special ice tea waiting for you...it could be very motivating.

Or it could be very distracting....

On this particularly warm day, I had big plans.

But silly me threw together a nice batch of Ginger Peach Tea Sangria with some very soothing, cooling, enticing flavors. As I sat in my little corner of the backyard, sipping this refreshing drink....I contemplated those weeds....and figured...well, whether the glass is half empty or half full...the weeds are still there.

And can wait as I plan my attack for another day.

Eventually I got to those weeds pulled. But not that day.

I was too busy enjoying my drink.

Ginger Peach Tea Sangria

5 cups strong tea (I used Ginger Peach Tea, 6 cups of water to 12 tea bags...heated and steeped)
1 750ml bottle dry Riesling (save the bottle)
1 750ml bottle Pinot Grigio (save the bottle)
1 cup simple syrup (heat 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar until sugar dissolves)
1/2 cup orange liquor
1/2 cup brandy
2 cups club soda
Lime size chunk of fresh, peeled ginger

Combine all of the ingredients and allow to sit, refrigerated, over night. Spoon out the ginger and pour the sangria into the saved bottles (plus one or 2 more) using a funnel.

If you really like ginger....take that chunk of sangria soaked ginger and squeeze the liquid right into the bottles...and see what happens.....

Shall I say.....

This Sangria is Wicked Good!