Favorite Friday Afternoons

I have always loved Friday afternoons. All throughout college, Friday afternoons were my favorite time of the week! People are done with class, not much is going on; it was always just a time to relax and recuperate from the past week.

Since starting my graduate career, that has changed a bit; mainly because I hardly ever had class on Friday last semester. But today, with class all morning and work all afternoon, I came home to my favorite time of the week: a perfect Friday afternoon! It really is perfect, because its about 80 degrees, low humidity, and in the middle of January. Those are all positives in my book!

Red Sangria

So, the most perfect Friday afternoon wouldn't be complete without an afternoon cocktail! But as I mentioned yesterday in my pizza post, sangria is a perfect accompaniment. And sangria is a perfect accompaniment to any Friday afternoon, so here are my recipes for red and white wine sangria!

Have a lovely Friday afternoon!

Print this recipe!

Red Wine Sangria

Ingredients

• 1 bottle light red wine of your choice
• 1 blood orange, cut into wedges
• 1 apple, cut into slivers
• 1.5 oz. vodka
• 1.5 oz. triple sec
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 12 oz. lemon flavored sparkling water (ex: La Croix)

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except the sparkling water, together in a pitcher. Allow the flavors to marinate together overnight.

Just before serving, add the sparkling water.

Enjoy!

Serves: 2 - 3 people


White Wine Sangria

Ingredients

• 1 bottle sweet white wine (ex: Riesling, Sauvignon blanc)
• 1 large white grapefruit, cut into sections without outer skin
• 1 oz vodka
• 2 oz triple sec
• 12 oz. lemon flavored sparkling water (ex: La Croix)

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except the sparkling water, together in a pitcher. Allow the flavors to marinate together overnight.

Just before serving, add the sparkling water.

Enjoy!

Serves: 2 - 3 people

PS: My favorite grocery store in Dallas, Central Market, was have "Citrus Fest" in which they had TONS of citrus varieties, some of which I had never experienced (ex: white grapefruit). But regular oranges, lemons, and grapefruit can be utilized in place of any of the hard-to-find citrus.

Pizza Pizza

One of my favorite foods in the world is pizza! And I'm sure most of you love it too!

But unless it is really yummy authentic pizza, I'll pass on the delivery stuff any day (so greasy and makes you feel bloated... not fun).  When I have a major pizza craving, I love to make my own pizza version!

Making your own pizza is very economical and and save you TONS of fat and calories than the typical delivery pizza. AND it will be that much more delicious! So when my friends from school came over last weekend for a little study session and Golden Globes watching, the make-your-own-pizza dinner was on the agenda...and it did not disappoint one bit!

Pizza parties are literally one of the easiest and most affordable dinner parties out there! Add some sangria and you know you're going to have a good night! So, to help out those future party planners, here is my typically grocery list of items to get for a pizza making party!

Pizza Party Inventory

• Whole wheat pizza dough - most grocery stores now have fresh or frozen raw pizza dough that you can take home and bake yourself! And whole wheat pizza dough is becoming more prevalent and easier to find! It's also good for avoiding any preservatives that might be in pre-baked pizza crust.
• Tomato Sauce or Pesto - when doing my grocery shopping, I noticed that the cheapest tomato sauce option was an organic one! Score!
• Mozzarella Cheese - get the 2% milk/ low fat cheese! Same great taste, but less saturated fat and calories.
• Onions - delicious when caramelized in a pan with a little olive oil
• Garlic - I have decided is it impossible to make pizza without adding a little garlic somewhere!
• Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables - ok, I DO NOT consider pizza a vegetable, but you can put lots of vegetables on your pizza for added flavor and nutrition! My favorites: zucchini, squash, mushrooms, red bell pepper, fresh tomatoes, eggplant, spinach, etc. 
• Protein Source - Get anything you like! I love chicken, so getting a rotisserie chicken is a quick and easy way to get some protein in. 
• Side Salad - easy way to get more greens in! A nice side salad goes perfectly with a pizza meal.

And if you're a college/ graduate student like me, ask your friends to bring over any random ingredients they might have to put on the pizza as well! That saves time, money, and food waste!

Pre-oven pizza

Once you've sauced and topped it, just put pizza's in a 450 degree oven for about 20 - 25 minutes, and you have fresh, homemade, all natural pizza!

Rachel & Jordan's Pizza

Mine & Staci's Pizza

The best part is stretching out your pizza dough and getting creative with your toppings! And making your own pizza is much more wholesome and delicious and won't leave you feeling bloated. (Translation: you can eat more for way less kcals).

For your next party... make it a pizza party! You won't be disappointed!