Friday Friend Recipe #157 -- White Wine Sangria

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook: I have about 50 of my closest friends and family on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends (from all over the county). At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 18 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday.

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

I was looking at the cookbook the other night and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."
The Handyman--who knows me better than I know myself (this happened to be a question on the Friday Friend forum once---does your spouse/partner know you better than you know yourself?)--said,  "you'll never, EVER do that."
WELL---maybe I'll show him!  Maybe I will.

Which brings me to this... recipe #157

My White Wine Sangria

I turned in this recipe --- it's good and refreshing and fruity.  (If you like white wine.)

Even if you don't like white wine, you probably know someone who does!

You should give it a try.

So here is my story-- 

I've decided to tell a story about every Friday Friend who didn't turn in a recipe for the cookbook.  There are a handful or two of them and they either came to the Friday Friend Forum late (this cookbook was made 18 years ago) or they think they are not cooks or something silly like that.

My friend Theresa came to the Friday Friends late, and the cookbook was over and done by the time she started answering questions.  

Now, let me meander back to the White Wine Sangria for a minute.  When I originally made it and took photos of it, was the same time I made my sister-in-law, Meghan's Crab Mold.

They are both really good and I do recommend making and serving together when you have your neighbors over for a drink!

I posted it and put a link on Facebook.  This is what Theresa commented:

1. Theresa Rosenbaum Mavity This looks good!
2. 

   Debbie Stone It was! I should've invited you over. I make these things because I'm on a mission and then RICH and I only eat 1/8 of it.
3. 

   Theresa Rosenbaum Mavity Yes I would've helped

Then later I got a text:

I really should have invited them over---they only live around the block.  It could have been spur of the moment. 

If I had had time to think about it!

Six years ago, when I thru myself a birthday party at our cabin in Oregon, Theresa was well into the thick of the FF Forum, (as were about 40 other friends from all over.)

Here is a group photo of everyone who came from miles around.

(my bestest friends in the whole world--minus a bunch who couldn't make it)

One night we had a traveling cocktail party and every cabin had to have a theme.

We had pirate themes, and hillbilly themes and baseball/beer themes and Elf Yourself themes.

Our Cabin was the Fiesta themed.

We made people get their photos taken with our friends the Mariachi band members.

Theresa, her husband Mike and oldest daughter Macie, at the Fiesta Cabin.

The 2nd cabin we visited was the Rosebud Cabin (which is a rental right across from my cabin).  

The Mavity Family was in charge of the theme and they chose

Wallowa Lake Wallbangers!

The view as I was walking over from my cabin to the Rosebud Cottage... 

A drink at every stop and this was only stop #2

The Wallbangers were great! and I was so happy that Theresa gave up her high school class reunion for me.

She even rode a tram up to the top of a mountain for me and she hates heights!

So it seems only right that all my Friday Friends have a place in this cookbook.  

Theresa doesn't really love to cook, but she makes a lot of good stuff.   One of them is this salad.  It has lettuce and pasta and shrimp and tomatoes and parmesan cheese--and maybe some other stuff--I've asked her for the recipe but have never gotten it, so I recreated it from what I remembered at her house.  It's really good!

Look!  You got a 2fer.  An extra recipe, because I know,  you too can recreate this great salad from my description!

I think I  used a homemade vinaigrette or whatever your little heart desires would be good.

I love it.

So, that's my story of the White Wine Sangria!

(Which no one served anywhere on the traveling cocktail party)

And the first of those Friday Friends who shoulda, coulda, was-going-to, but didn't enter a recipe in the Friday Friend Cookbook!

That is recipe #157.

Only 137 left to go!