Pomegranate Sangria

Hey party people!
My high school days are getting further and further away…to the point where I am shocked at the number of years that have gone by. However, the number seems sweeter when I think about my high school girlfriends whom I’ve just reconnected with.
This past year one of the girls, Leslee, initiated us all getting together. That began a pattern of us meeting every couple of months (even though I wasn’t able to make it to a couple). It’s always filled with belly laughter, fun, and some reminiscing about the past. When I look around the room, I never see what I always expected to see…faces that show a life lived, humor that has gone flat, and tales of mundane daily routines. I see the same beautiful ladies from high school. I see a vivaciousness of life experiences. I laugh harder than I’ve ever laughed at stories from the present & the past. I hear tales of heartache, hilarity, achievement, success, grace, and acceptance.
I am not sure how or where this expectation of life being boring the older I got came from, but that can not be further from the truth. I am beyond thankful for my sweet high school friends and, for real, they all got even hotter than high school!

One thing that has changed, from high school, is that we’re all over 21 (not by much, wink, wink)…which means…bringing a little Pomegranate sangria to add to the celebration is totally okay.
This past get-together, I tried out this Pomegranate Sangria recipe by Bobby Flay & it was ah-may-ZING, with a capital “ZING”!

I totally give the Bobster credit for creating this awesome recipe but I did make a couple of changes that I want to pass along:

1. I did not add grapes. I added a sliced pear.

2. The first batch I didn’t have any pomegranate seeds & it still tasted wonderful…so don’t stress if you can’t find any.

3. If you want to add a little bubbly fun to the mix, add in a little bit of champagne to give it some kick. I thought it was delicious.

4. I made both batches in the morning & served it at night.

5. Enjoy! By the taste of the apple slice left in the pitcher, I think most of the alcohol was absorbed into the fruit so this is a great beverage to serve that isn’t overly alcoholic. Just drink responsibly and, if you’re the host, always be prepared to call a taxi or let others stay over at your place.

I served this at my little feathers & ferns dinner party, as well, and I’ll share all the fun details with you this Wednesday!

Hope you enjoy this recipe with wonderful friends…whether they’re from the past or present.

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