Let me tell you, NY and FL could not be any more different. I didn’t realize how slow and laid back I was until this weekend. I missed my flip flops and I missed grass. And one of the first things I noticed when I got back into town last night was the moon…I could see the moon. I don’t know if it was the tall buildings or being afraid of stopping in the street to actually look up at the sky, but I don’t recall seeing the moon at all this weekend. Living in the city is so different… it’s exciting, I love the culture, the food, and being able to walk and walk and walk instead of driving. But let’s face it, there’s no place like home. And the Sunshine State is my home.

We were in NY for my husband’s company holiday party (they are based up there). We traveled with his team which just happen to be a group of our closest friends. We ate, drank and laughed our hearts out (picture a group of 20 clueless people trying to figure out the subway, oof!). We had some serious grown up fun, people. And gosh…can I just tell you, the food…the food rocked my world.

I think I was in city shock the first two days I was there, because I honestly forgot to take pictures of any food. It wasn’t until the last meal that I finally pulled out the camera (on my phone) and snapped away. It happened to be my favorite meal too, so it worked out pretty good.

Gail recommended I try this place in TriBeca near where we were staying…for brunch. So Sunday morning, we walked a few blocks coffee in hand to Laconda Verde. It was busy but we found a couple spots at the bar. We ordered Bloodies and the ricotta plate that reviews (and Gail) raved about.

Straight from the menu… Sheep’s Milk Ricotta with truffle honey and burnt orange toast.

Goodness gracious…I will dream about this until I can have it again.

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The post Adventures in NYC appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Right?

And so do my friends.

No big surprise here.

I’m sure most of you do too.

Right now Eversave.com is offering an amazing deal – $70 worth of wine from Wine.com for only $35 (if you are new to Eversave, you get an additional $3 off).

I’m all over this.

But even better…I am going to give away a couple of $70 coupons to Wine.com to two of my readers, courtesy of Eversave. You heard right. I’m giving away WINE.

Here are the giveaway deets:

Giveaway: $70 worth of wine from Wine.com for TWO readers

Starts today and Thursday June 16, at midnight (EST)

To enter into the giveaway:

Leave a comment on this post telling me what bottle of wine you’d purchase from Wine.com

Sorry, giveaway open to US readers only (and certain states, check Wine.com if your state has wine delivery).

Additional Entries can be earned by:

1.  Become a fan of  Wine.com on Facebook.  “Like” them and then come back and leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

2. Become a fan of Aggie’s Kitchen on Facebook.  “Like” Aggie’s Kitchen then come back to this page and leave a separate comment telling me you did so. (if you already “like”, let me know, that counts as an entry!)

3. Become a fan of Eversave Orlando on Facebook. “Like” Eversave Olrando then come back to this page and leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

3. Follow @AggiesKitchen on Twitter, then come back to this page and leave a separate comment telling me you did so. (if you already follow, let me know, that counts as an entry!)

4.  Share about giveaway on Twitter: “I want to win a Wine.com Save from @aggieskitchen and @EversaveORL!” (leave separate comment on this post telling me you did so)

5. Share about giveaway on Facebook with link to this post. (leave separate comment on this post telling me you did so)

The post Got Wine? Eversave.com Giveaway – Wine.com appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Long week?

(nod yes…)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 7 reviews

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Ingredients

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(more…)

The post Fruity White Sangria {aka Saturday Sangria} appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

I love a good sangria and this holiday sangria is up on the the list. It’s sweetened with a spiced simple syrup and seasonal fruit like apples, pears and oranges. I’ve been making this festive wine cocktail for years and I love bringing a bottle or two with me when I’m invited to a holiday get together with family and friends.

What’s great about sangria is you can make it ahead and the flavor just gets better as it chills. This sangria recipe is on the strong side so you can always add sparkling water to your glass to lighten it up and add some bubbles.

Cheers!

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Holiday Sangria

• Author: Aggies Kitchen
• Category: Beverage

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Holiday Sangria is a spiced wine cocktail that is perfect for the season!

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Ingredients

For the spiced simple syrup:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2–3 cinnamon sticks
• sliced orange peel (orange part only)
• 1 inch piece of peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns

For the sangria:

• 1 750ml bottle red wine (merlot or cabernet)
• 1/3 cup simple syrup
• juice from 1 orange
• 1/4 cup rum or brandy
• 1/4 cup orange flavored liquor (triple sec, Cointreu, Grand Marnier)
• sliced oranges, chopped apples (red and green), chopped pears
• frozen blackberries for serving

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Instructions

1. In a saucepan, combine water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, orange peel, ginger, cloves and peppercorns and bring to a boil. Continue to simmer while stirring and dissolving sugar. Boil until reduced a bit and slightly syrupy, about 15 minutes. Let simple syrup cool, strain and store in a glass jar in refrigerator. (You can use syrup for sangria or to sweeten tea, or sparkling water.)
2. To make sangria: In a large pitcher combine all ingredients. Let refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best flavor.

More sangria recipes:

Fruity White Sangria

White Peach Sangria | Foodiecrush

Spiced Apple Cider Sangria | Completely Delicious

Watermelon Sangria | The Pioneer Woman

The post Holiday Sangria appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Well, I don’t know about you guys, but Halloween started a week early for us! I really don’t remember wearing my costume more than once when I was a kid, but nowadays with all the festivals and parties going on our kids are really getting some good wear out of their little costumes. This weekend’s festivities started with our first ever Kiddie Halloween Party at our house…it was originally planned for the front yard but the rain brought it inside, which meant that 17 sugar filled preschoolers would be running wild around my house…I was a little nervous about how to entertain them, but luckily they found a way to entertain themselves without too much adult intervention. Toys, candy and lots of little Super Heroes, Princesses and Transformers were everywhere…while the adults enjoyed old school Halloween tunes, munchies, Sangria and that yummy Pumpkin Ale in the kitchen (don’t worry, most of our guests were neighbors and only had to walk a few houses home!).

One of my favorite friends, Allison (mom of Spiderman and Superman), brought us these yummy and festive treats! These Mini Caramel Apples were adorable and a hit amongst the adults and the kids…my son declared that the peanut butter version was his favorite.

(sorry about the pictures…the lighting was working against us!)

Mini Caramel Apples
Recipe found in Family Fun Magazine

Oh and a great tip from Allison…after dipping the apples into the topping, place them apple side up into a cooling rack (with the stick hanging down), if your cooling rack is like mine and has short legs, place it over a bowl so the stick has room to hang. This will let them dry without smooshing the caramel or peanut butter coating.

Another one of my favorite mom friends, Betsy (mom of Transformer Bumblebee twins), brought us this fun Halloween Pasta! She found it at World Market (aka Cost Plus)…that store is one of my faves, you can really find some cool stuff in there especially around the holidays.

(Look at the cute little bats, pumpkins and witches! Thanks Betsy!)

Have a Great Week Everyone!

The post Halloween Goodies and Fun… appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.