Hey Chicks,
Hope you had an amazing long weekend and kicked off the Canadian cottage season with the peeps you love (even if you don’t have a cottage, a patio or backyard works just as well:)
We all have our food weaknesses like chocolate, ice cream, fried foods. One of my biggest food weaknesses is one I indulged in this Victoria Day weekend… sangria! I love everything about red wine ( especially a full bodied, heavy red with a great meal and think I actually jumped for joy when a study came out saying red wine was good for your heart:) but when I discovered sangria, it became my official summer cocktail. That said, depending on how much fruit juice and added sugar you include, one glass can add up to a whopping 250 calories and 24 grams of sugar – yikes!
Chief Chicks Jackie in full fiesta - Sassy Sangria and a Maraca..you can't go wrong!
So here is my fave sangria recipe with a FIT CHICKS makeover...less artificial ingredients and added sugar, lots of healthy fruits and sweetened by the juice of soaked dried apricots (sulphate free if possible!). It is estimated at about 120 cals a glass and most are from the fiber rich fruits!
CHICK FEED: Sassy Summer Sangria…Chick Style!
1 Bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Shiraz)
1 Lemon cut into wedges
1 Lime cut into wedges
1 Orange cut into wedges
3/4 cup raspberries (I like frozen)
1/2 cup of dried apricots sliced in half
4 cups sparkling water or club soda
DIRECTIONS:
1, Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon, orange and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible).
2. Chill overnight In a seperate cup, poor 1 cup of boiling water over 1/2 a cup dried apricots. Let soak overnight.
3. The next day, strain the apricots and save the sweet juice. This will sweeten your sangria. You can also puree the leftover and keep to add to smoothies later:)
4. Add apricot juice, sparkling water or club soda, raspberries and ice just before serving.
The sassiest sangrias are chilled approx. 24 hours in the fridge to allow the flavors to really marinate.
So try this at your next summer BBQ but remember chicks, EVERYTHING IN MODERATION (always the hardest part when it tastes this yummy!). If you have any healthy summer drink makeovers, please share…we love new ideas!
Have a fab day,
Your Head Chick, Laura
PS Dont forget June Bootcamps are posted so dont wait to sign up…we are heading outdoors! Yippee!
