|Recipe Share| White Sangria
There is nothing like a good sangria recipe.
I have searched high and low for both red and white sangrias…without a lot of success. What I have found works best, is to just find your favorite ingredients and start putting them together.
So that is how I developed this recipe. I took some of my very favorite flavors, whisked them together, and decided to let it fester in the fridge for a few days. And voila! You have sangria!
WHITE SANGRIA
White wine
Limeade Concentrate
Vodka
2 liter bottle of 7up
Lemons
Limes
Clementines
Sugar
1 Gallon Pitcher
First things first. Slice up your fruits. I like to try and keep the slices pretty uniform in size. Be careful with the lemons as they tend to have a lot of seeds. I removed all of mine from my slices before putting it into my pitcher, but feel free to leave the seeds if you don’t mind them.
Next, add your limeade concentrate. Then, add vodka. (I used 1/2 cup. You can use more if you’re making your sangria at the last minute. I only used 1/2 cup because as it festers in the fridge, the alcohol content becomes stronger.)
Next, add the entire bottle of white wine. Then at least a 1/2 cup of sugar. Add more if you prefer a sweeter drink rather than a tangy one. After you’ve added your sugar, give your sangria a good stir. Then take your 7up and add half of it to your pitcher full of goodies.
Give it a good stir and set it in the fridge for at least two days! (If you don’t have the time to let it fester, add a bit more alcohol and a bit more sugar to intensify the flavors) Once you are ready to serve your sangria, take the other half of your 7up and add it to your sangria. It adds a bit of carbonation and really livens it up a bit. Voila!!
Last but not least, I wanted to include a little clean up trick that I do all the time. When I buy fresh fruit, I keep the plastic next to me while I’m working and discard all my unused parts onto the bag. When I’m finished, all I have to do is pick it up and put it in the trash. It’s much easier than having a countertop to clean or taking trips to the trash can the entire time. 
Fourth of July 2011
Yes, it is a full few weeks since the Fourth of July has passed, but I still decided I had to blog about it.
We were lucky enough to spend a few nights in Red Lodge with my family that Friday and Saturday.
I mean, seriously people, who wouldn’t want a few days in Red Lodge next to a goregous creek (that’s “crick” for all you non-locals) eating the likes of:
Stuffed burgers with pasta salad
Scones and fresh fruit
*Homemade* Muffaletta sandwhiches
Marinated Rib Eyes with loaded baked potatoes and Asparagus
Oh – and of course a dutch oven breakfast to send us off with
Not to mention the beers by the fire, etc…
All I have to say about it at this point, is that the hubby and I both needed it. And it was fabulous.
We came back to the Valley on Sunday, which gave us enough time to spend the next few days hanging out at the house. The kiddo was about the happiest I have ever seen him, and Little Miss was a champ like always. Kiddo even took to smoke bombs and fountains! Please, you have to realize, that last part is a huge accomplishment for us! The Fourth is our faaaavorite Holiday. And until the kids are old enough to really enjoy fireworks, we’re kind of lame around this place. Not like a few years ago…
But I digress.
So here are some photos from that weekend. The kids had a blast, we had time to relax and most importantly – we had fun doing it.
Ahhhh….A Day in the Life….
|Recipe Share| Mozzarella, Basil, Tomato Salad
This is one of my very favorite things to eat…and I never made it until today.
Three ingredients (essentially) and thats all you need for a bright and delicious appetizer.
I dare you to make it, you will ADORE it! I mean come on, who doesn’t like a soft hunk of fresh mozzarella cheese topped with basil and a slice of tomato?
Mozzarella, Basil, Tomato Salad
Tomatoes
Fresh Basil (I used the chopped in a tube. Sounds horrible but that’s all they had at WalMart. Ugh…don’t even get me started)
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
-Optional- [This is how I prepared mine]
Lemon Juice
Black Pepper
You start with these three ingredients.
Slice your Mozzarella and lay it on the plate you will serve on. Layer black pepper (optional) and basil onto your cheese. Keep in mind, if using fresh basil, you may layer more than just one leaf on your cheese. It all just depends on the level of likeness you have with basil.
You then slice your tomato. Make sure to try and keep your slices even (I prefer them to be the same width as my cheese) so that you keep the flavors evenly distributed.
Take your cheese with basil and layer on the tomato slices.
Finish with a drizzle of lemon juice and voila!
Enjoy!
My Mountains
I have always called The Beartooth mountain range “My Mountains.” (Don’t you guys be thinkin all dirty on me…)
After spending countless Summer days and nights wrapped up in my own little world in Silvergate, I have always felt that they are truly home to me.
The hubby and I decided to take the kiddos camping one weekend, just us, as a family. Let me say this…it was my best camping experience EVER.
Normally we’re with a group, and it tends to be fairly large. Family, friends, people we barely know but want to know better…all together. This was so different, and I loooved it.
The entire weekend was unplanned. We decided to head up the pass on Saturday to see the sky high drifts that The Billings Gazette had written about and ended up in Cooke City for lunch. The kids were angels the entire time (go figure!) and by the time we got back to camp, both were zonked! After an evening by the fire we headed to bed and woke up to yet another goregous morning in the mountains.
The pictures that follow are exactly why I love Montana. Enjoy!
Ahhhh…A Day in The Life…
|Families & Children| Hernandez Family
There is nothing that I love more than taking photographs of families. Something about the way they interact with each other just strikes me as so unique, because truly, every family is different! And let me tell you, these kids are nothing short of absolutely adorable!
An infectiously cute dark haired son with energy bursting out of him.
A beautiful daughter just thrilled to run into her Mother’s arms.
And parents that seriously look like the insert they have inside frames at any retail store.
Even though I was absolutely eaten alive by mosquitos (while they stayed away from everyone else!), I had such a great time getting to know you better. I wish you guys nothing but the best in these fun years to come!
|Maternity| Callan + Brent
I am very lucky to have known Callan for a looooong time!
I have known her since way back when; when my Mom used to help me go through my closet looking for pretty clothes to hand down to Callan.
I was blessed enough to sing at her wedding a few years ago to Brent, an absolutely perfect guy for her.
And now, as they look to welcome a beautiful baby into the world, I am blessed that she asked me to document this era in their lives for them. Freezing those moments in time before the days of diapers, doctors, and infectious smiles that they can’t ever imagine again living without.
I hope you guys had as much fun as I did…I absolutely cannot wait to meet him!
|Maternity| Chelsey + Kyle
Ready to welcome a little one into the world…Chelsey and Kyle showed up to the studio on a rainy evening. Like, a *really* rainy evening.
We had already rescheduled numerous times because of the record rains Montana had in the month of May, so needless to say, we were all pretty determined to take these pictures!
After talking for a while, we realized the rain had subsided and took a trip down to a river access near my house.
Ummm…
The road was washed out. I’m looking at this bridge like, “Ummm…we have to figure something out here…”
After the shots near the river (laughing and cracking jokes, really cheesey ones at that!) we went up the road a little ways and to a place that is absolutely magical. Thing is…the mosquitos decided that it was also a very magical place to breed! So here were we were, slapping ourselves in the midst of hysterically laughing, trying to kill as many as possible between the click of the shutter!
It was funny…
But was was even funnier…(and this one is just for you guys!)
“Look at that deer!”
Enjoy you guys! I absolutely cannot wait to meet the little peanut!
