Sangria

Have I seriously never shared my sangria recipe here? Ever? But, that's MADNESS. I make it all the time! In the case of a sudden zombie apocalypse wherein we are trapped in this apartment unable to go outside for food or beverage, we will always be able to subsist on canned goods and sangria because I ALWAYS have the fixins on hand (and I have a bit of a canned food hording problem).
While I'm sure this sangria is very good based on its 400 plus rave reviews, it's a bit labor intensive for me.

I'm pretty sure my sangria goes likes this:
2 bottles of inexpensive red wine (I seriously grab whatever looks familiar and is under $10 a bottle)
1/2 - 1 cup of brandy
1 cup of orange juice
1 small bottle of fuzzy water - lemon, lime or orange flavored work well
sugar
apple - sliced or cut into small cubes or wedges
orange - sliced
lime - sliced
lemon - sliced

If you have time, combine the oj and brandy and let the sliced fruit sit in this mix in the fridge for a couple of hours ahead of time, stirring occasionally. Add the red wine, taste and add sugar if you'd like; (I typically don't, but every once in a while it could use a couple of tablespoons) and refrigerate for another couple of hours. Add the fuzzy water just before serving and there you go. Sangria.

For white peach sangria:
2 bottles of white wine - I typically go with a pinot grigio, but again, whatever is inexpensive or on hand
1/2 - 1 c peach vodka
1 c peach nectar
1/2 bag of frozen peaches
1/2 bag of frozen mangoes
1 small bottle of fuzzy water - lemon or orange

For this one I combine the vodka, wine and nectar and refrigerate for a couple of hours, adding the frozen fruit and fuzzy water just before serving.

I also do white "antioxidant" sangria which is similar to the above but I use raspberry or blueberry flavored vodka, with blueberries, raspberries and strawberries as my fruit; the mixed berry fuzzy water and maybe some strawberry nectar or blueberry pom as the juice. This isn't so much a traditional sangria, but because it's made in the same style, I go with it on the nomenclature.

Finally, we have what I'll call "camping" sangria. This is for when you're making your sangria elsewhere and you don't want to be lugging 80 thousand ingredients around with you. Shockingly enough, it tastes just like sangria I've had at restaurants the world over, particularly in Mexico where they prefer it sweeter and more citrusy.

2 bottles of red
1 20 oz. bottle of Sierra Mist or other way too sweet lemon/limey soda
1 c of oj (most people have this in their fridge for you to pilfer, or you can get a small container of it easily)

Combine ingredients.
Aaaaaand that's it. Garnish again with the sliced fruit, but this is all that's necessary for a completely passable sangria. Shocking, I know. It doesn't pack the punch of the sangria with the added alcohol, but it's still tasty and refreshing, and let's face it, we don't always need extra alcohol.

*** Updated to include this recipe my stepmother found, which I clearly did not write since I would never suggest such a thing as adding more juice to get "less alcohol per glass" ***
Party-in-a-Pitcher Sangria

PER SERVING (1 generous cup): 125 calories, 0g fat, 5mg sodium, 13g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 7g sugars, 0.5g protein -- POINTS® value 2*

This sangria is CHOCK-FULL of fruit and deliciousness. Just don't underestimate the alcoholic intensity of fruit chunks that have been chilling in there for a while -- they're POTENT, people!

Ingredients:
1 bottle red wine
1 can Sprite Zero (or 1 1/2 cups of any diet lemon-lime soda)
1 cup Diet Ocean Spray Cranberry Pomegranate (or another flavor of Diet Ocean Spray)
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 small orange, peeled and chopped
Half a Fuji apple, chopped
Half a slightly under-ripe banana, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup pineapple chunks (if canned, packed in juice)

Directions:
Place fruit in a large container that will not stain easily (like a glass pitcher or a high-quality plastic one). Cover fruit with wine and cranberry drink, and give mixture a good stir.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 hours. (It's TOTALLY worth it. Quit whining.)

Once ready to serve, add soda and give it a good stir. Pour and be sure to get a nice amount of fruit in each glass. Enjoy!

P.S. If you like your sangria with less alcohol per glass, add more of the cranberry drink until it tastes juuuuuust right.

MAKES 7 SERVINGS