with all the exciting happenings over here at nft'z, i've had to be really regimented in my schedule this week. the week was full of meal deliveries, photo shoot prep, an amazing photo shoot (photos to come) and is about to reach it's pinnacle with tomorrow's snack stand at one of my studios and our nephew spending the night to celebrate his birthday. 

whew, i'm winded just thinking about it. but this is what i wanted. to be BUSY. that means things are HAPPENING. i don't totally know what it all means yet, but i feel this buzzing around me getting louder and louder. i knew the words will all be clear soon and the plan will become more clear. but in the mean time, i'm just going to sip this delicious sangria i made for thursdays shoot. it is the perfect make ahead cocktail and is a beautiful crowd pleaser for your holiday parties. 

winter sangria
serves: 12 cocktails
prep time: 20 minutes
inactive time: 1-24 hours
total time: 1:20-24:20 depending on how long you want it to soak
ingredients: 2 limes, one sliced, one wedged for garnish. 1 apple (i used macintosh), diced. 1 blood orange, sliced. 1 cup pomegranate seeds. 1.5 liters cabernet sauvignon. 1 cup rye whiskey or brandy. .25 cup sugar. 5 cloves.

in a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir well to combine. cover and set in the fridge for as little as 1 hour and up to 24 hours making it a great make in advance option. 

serve from a large beverage dispenser or from carafe.

garnish with a lime wedge.

xo, a

winter sangria
serves: 12 cocktails
prep time: 20 minutes
inactive time: 1-24 hours
total time: 1:20-24:20 depending on how long you want it to soak
ingredients: 2 limes, one sliced, one wedged for garnish. 1 apple (i used macintosh), diced. 1 blood orange, sliced. 1 cup pomegranate seeds. 1.5 liters cabernet sauvignon. 1 cup rye whiskey or brandy. .25 cup sugar. 5 cloves.
in a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir well to combine. cover and set in the fridge for as little as 1 hour and up to 24 hours making it a great make in advance option.
serve from a large beverage dispenser or from carafe. garnish with a lime wedge. 

let me start by bursting your bubble. while i am about to give you my tips on how to seed a pomegranate efficiently and with out making a huge mess, it is still not easy. it is not hard, just takes a few minutes. however, it is very much worth it. one pomegranate yields about 2 cups of beautiful, versatile seeds. pomegranates are great on salads, on top of baked goods or in a tasty cocktail. 

now, i've watched all kinds of videos of all the quick and easy tricks for removing the seeds. however, i have found that most of them are a bunch of bologna. i find that the most important thing is the way you cut the pomegranate. cutting it into smaller pieces enables you to easily break it apart with your hands. 

you will need 1 pomegranate, your favorite knife, a glass bowl and some water. 

start by slicing your pomegranate in half. 

then into fourths. 

and finally into eighths. 

you will find that there is a thin membrane covering most of the seeds. you can gently peal this back to expose the seeds. 

once the membrane is removed, use your hands to flatten out the wedge of pomegranate. 

working over you bowl, gently use your fingers to break the seeds loose from walls of the pomegranate. it should take you about 5 minutes for the whole pom. 

the membrane can be a sticky little bugger so even after you have removed all the seeds, there is usually some still floating around. fill your bowl of seeds with water and run your fingers through the seeds to release them from any remaining membrane. let the seeds settle and the remaining membrane will float to the top. 

use a spoon to remove the floating membrane from the water. once it is all removed, strain your seeds and you are ready to use them. 

enjoy your delicious rubies of flavor and if you have tips and tricks of your own, please send them my way!
xo, a