CLASSIC SANGRIA

Here's the thing - I only allow myself to drink alcohol two or three days per week and have been doing so for about the past three/four years. This means that Fridays and Saturdays are definitely reserved for enjoying a couple of cocktails, and depending on how I'm feeling I may have a drink on Thursday or Sunday, but never both. I do this for a number of reasons, but mostly because I just feel better not drinking! I exercise almost every morning and take my health pretty seriously, so I just feel like it's a no-brainer to cut back on alcohol. 

With that said, when I do have a cocktail I make sure it's a good one and not something that's a waste. One of those drinks that I save for the weekend is sangria. Full disclosure here: I am NOT a red wine drinker because I do not like the taste of it, the temperature at which it is served, how it stains your teeth... I can go on and on. But, I do love me some sangria.

Sangria is fruity, a little sweet, refreshing, served chilled, AND I can drink it through a straw without looking like a crazy person with red teeth. Win-win-win all around. 

Alex and I started making our own sangria when we first started dating 4 years ago, and so it's kind of "our" drink and it's nice when we make it together. We have made smaller batches for ourselves for movie nights in, and we've made huge batches for Halloween parties or get togethers. No matter what time of year, it always hits the spot.

When it comes to choosing which red wine, don't worry so much about it. You can go the traditional route and pick a nice Spanish wine like a Rioja, OR you can do as Alex and I do and get Trader Joe's very own "2 Buck-Chuck" aka Charles Shaw wine (we get Cabernet Sauvignon). There should be no shame in buying cheap wine for sangria because it's not the star of the show and is masked by brandy and triple sec. 

So with that said, please try out my favorite sangria recipe! Feel free to play around with the ingredients, like instead of using basic oranges you can try blood oranges or even ruby red grapefruit, and maybe pears instead of apples. Do whatever your sangria heart desires! 

P.S. Do not forget to eat the fruit - that's the best part. Seriously. 

Classic Sangria

Feel free to double, triple....quadruple the recipe for larger parties or lonely nights

Ingredients

• One bottle of a dry red wine (read my note above on which to use)

• 1/2 cup brandy

• 1/4 cup triple sec

• 1/2 cup of fresh orange juice

• 1 apple, chopped (I prefer Granny Smith)

• 1 orange, chopped

• 1 lime, cut into thin rounds

• Sparkling water to finish (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pitcher, mix together all ingredients except for the sparking water (wine, brandy, triple sec, orange juice, and fruit). If time allows it, let the sangria sit in the fridge overnight in order for natural fruit juices to be integrated.

2. When ready to serve, pour sangria in glasses over ice and if desired, top off with sparkling water.

3. Enjoy, and please drink responsibly!

WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES

This past weekend, I celebrated the birth of a very special person in my life... MY DAD. Martin is the one who gave me my chin (ugh), my long legs (yay) and a very nice life filled with 100% of his support in all things I do. I don't want to embarrass him by praising him too much, BUT he is literally the hardest working person I know, will go above and beyond to help others out before he would even think to do something for himself, and makes me laugh every time I talk to him on the phone (every day). Also, he's responsible for introducing me to films that I would have never watched if it weren't for him (The Cabin Boy, Kung Pow: Enter the Fist, Bio Dome... and many other great, GREAT movies). 

On top of all of these amazing attributes, my dad really likes his sweets. Whenever I bring him something I baked, he'll usually give me a hard time about the dessert not being good or not wanting any of it, but before I know it he'll have eaten the whole thing and wants more. Typical dad stuff.

Since we celebrated my dad's birthday by going to a Dodgers game on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday, I wanted to bake him something that was very travel-friendly and not going to sit in the car for hours. Enter these amazingly delicious white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.

White chocolate macadamia nut cookies (which I will refer to as WCMC from now on in order to keep my sanity) are often overlooked in the cookie world. Most people would probably name off at least five types of cookies on their list of favorites (chocolate chip, peanut butter, Oreos, etc.) before even thinking of WCMC. Maybe it's because white chocolate (which is technically not chocolate due to the lack of cocoa solids) isn't as popular among other types of chocolate, but in my eyes all chocolates are equal: I will eat and enjoy all of them equally. When combined with macadamia nuts, which also are delicious and very fragrant, you have a match made in cookie heaven. So with that said, these cookies are REALLY good and smell more amazing than any other cookies I've ever baked, I swear! WCMC need to be appreciated more, ok? Ok.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

Yields about 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup packed brown sugar, light or dark

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips

• 3/4 cup toasted macadamia nuts, chopped

• Flaky sea salt to finish (optional)

Directions

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix again on medium speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. With the stand mixer/hand mixer off, add the flour mixture all at once to the bowl and mix on low speed for 10 seconds, and then turn to medium and mix until incorporated. Don't over mix!

4. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts with a spatula.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight if wanted.

6. After chilling, turn on the oven to 325°F. Using a spoon or a cookie scoop (I use the medium size version) scoop out about a tablespoon and a half to two tablespoons of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Keep the dough cold in between batches.

7. Bake in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. The centers of the cookies will still look soft and puffy. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Enjoy!

TRADITIONAL GUACAMOLE

If I had to describe my perfect date night to you it would start with dinner at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, followed by either dancing or going to the movies (this all would depend on how much food I ate at dinner). I would also probably throw in Haribo gummy bears somewhere in that equation. 

So when the often dreaded question of "What should we have for dinner?" is asked, my answer almost always is naming off five different Mexican restaurants in the area. To me, nothing is more fun than having a round of margaritas and eating one too many chips, all before your plate of carnitas comes to the table.

Despite all of this, my history with avocados and guacamole has been somewhat of a rollercoaster. When I was little, I was a very picky eater to the point that I'm pretty sure I existed only on chicken tenders and fries for dinner. Even when my family would go out to eat at restaurants, I would still order that exact meal. So when I first tried guacamole at about the age of 10, I was pretty hesitant of the green stuff but it soon grew on me and I eventually became obsessed with it. This obsession was short-lived when my family was all together during the holidays and we had a giant Mexican meal at home. Lil Shawna kind of went ham with the chips and guacamole, and one thing led to the other; before I knew it, I couldn't even look at an avocado without feeling sick.

This food aversion of mine with avocados/guacamole lasted until after I graduated college, so about 12 years! Guacamole came back into my life thanks to Trader Joe's and their free samples where I was able to try their "Guilt-Free" guacamole made with greek yogurt. I guess that version was less in your face with the guacamole flavor and before I knew it I was back to loving guacamole again and adding avocado to everything. Thank you Trader Joe's!

This recipe for guacamole from Roberto Santibañez is, in my opinion, perfect. It is very straight forward with only 6 ingredients, but recommends using a molcajete (a mortar and pestle). I got mine for a great price at either TJ Maxx or Marshalls (they're pretty much interchangeable to me and I love them both), and I still always see some for sale every time I visit. The molcajete is key to making the "paste" of cilantro, chile, onion, and salt that is added to the avocados, but if you don't want to add yet another tool to your kitchen, you can definitely create the paste with a knife or fork.

Alex and I have made this countless times and even though people are usually hesitant to try our version because they're used to a different guacamole - one with garlic, red onions, and/or tomatoes - 100% of the time we end up being asked for the recipe: it really is that good. Try it and let me know what you think!

Traditional Guacamole

Recipe from Roberto Santibañez

Makes about 3 cups (we always make this portion but it can easily be halved)

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp. finely chopped white onion

• 2 tbsp. minced serrano or jalapeño pepper, seeds included (more or less depending on what you can handle; Alex and I prefer serrano peppers)

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (this may seem like a little, but I'd rather everyone start with less and then season to their liking at the end)

• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided

• 2 large or 4 small ripe avocados, halved and pitted

• A squeeze of lime

Directions

1. In your molcajete, mash together the onion, serrano or jalapeño pepper, salt, and half of the cilantro until it is a paste. If you don't have a molcajete, mash the ingredients together as well as you can on a cutting board with a knife or fork.

2. With the skin still on, score the avocados in a crosshatch pattern with a knife, being careful not to cut through the skin, and scoop out into a bowl. Add the paste to the bowl and toss together well, and then add the rest of the chopped cilantro and mix with a fork.

3. Add a good a squeeze of lime. Taste the guacamole and season to your liking - you may need more salt or more pepper. Enjoy!