Apple Cider Sangria

I assume after this crazy election we can all use a stiff drink.  Luckily I whipped together a batch of Apple Cider Sangria!  Whether you’re still drowning your tears or celebrating over Trump’s victory this recipe will help.

I’m still testing recipes for Phoebe’s baby shower, and this Apple Cider Sangria made the cut.  It combines two of my favorite things, wine, and wine apples.

After one sip the Apple Cider Sangria got my vote.  Good God, that was lame. #toosoon

Real talk, how’s everything doing after the election?

I voted 3rd party this year because I didn’t like what either Trump or Clinton had to offer.  I know you think it’s MY fault Trump won.  Since the election, my inbox has flooded with angry Hillary supporters spewing their hatred for me.  I voted for a woman this year, but since I didn’t vote for Hillary supposedly I hate all women now.

You know what I don’t hate?  The Apple Cider Sangria…

I voted for the candidate I believed in, my vote was not a protest vote.  Trump represents everything that’s wrong with our culture. He is greedy, says shitty things, has no manners or ethics, and inspires bigotry and hate. But let’s not fool ourselves, Clinton represents all the failings of our government.  She’s dishonest, corrupted by the money that flows through her foundation and campaign, a war hawk, and is for sale to the highest bidder.  I chose to vote my values instead of my fears because both Trump and Clinton are ridiculously flawed candidates.  Voting 3rd party was MY choice, not yours.  The right to vote is a privilege so don’t presume you have the right to tell me, or anyone else, how to cast it.

I spoke to a friend after Hillary was crowned victor at the DNC convention.  I voted for Bernie and anyone who cared to look could see the primary was tampered with.  What if the shoe was on the other foot, I asked, wouldn’t you be upset if Bernie collaborated with the DNC to tilt the odds in his favor?  My friend shrugged and said what’s done is done, you’re voting for Clinton, right?  I was dumbstruck by his nonchalant-ness.  Hillary supporters blatantly didn’t care our democracy had been tinkered with.  Why?  Because a woman was running for president.  Evidently, this would be a reoccurring theme throughout the general election that ultimately ended up being Hillary’s demise.

Right about now you’re probably hankering for some Apple Cider Sangria…

Clinton’s emails, her scary foreign policy, her stance on trade, WikiLeaks, the “pay to play” antics found her foundation, and her campaign’s involvement to collaborate with the media and the DNC to tilt the primary in her favor were a BIG FUCKING DEAL to the American people.  Let’s not forget Clinton has a researchable record of actually executing some of the crazy ideas people hated Trump for!  But who cares right, Hillary is a woman!  Hillary supporters walked around in their “we’re going to have a woman president” and “she’s not Trump” bubbles ignoring any legitimate criticism against her.

Like it or not, the American people were clamoring for something different.  Donald, as awful as he is, tapped into the anger people felt towards establishment economics, politics, and the media.  Hillary’s strategy was to ignore people’s disdain for the status quo and mundanely presented herself as Obama 2.0 – more of the same, the same establishment millions of people were rebelling against.  Yes, Hillary’s not Trump (strong fucking argument) but in a country who had an insatiable appetite for an establishment outsider, her being the first woman president, wasn’t enough.  Sorry.

The media, in my opinion, played a big part in the misconception of Hillary’s chances in the general election.  News programs favoring Hillary bombarded us with an echo chamber of falsehoods.  Clinton’s weaknesses were presented as “unfair” or “manufactured sandals” instead of given the weight they deserved.  The media told us everything with Hillary was fine while ignoring how ravenous the people were to break up politics as usual.  At the same time, Trump was given 24-hour media coverage to elevate him as the weaker candidate.  This obviously backfired because the more the media and Clinton supporters made fun of him, the angrier and more determined his voters became.

Furthermore, the media coverage during the election was devoid of real issues facing the American people.  I heard NBC, CBS, and ABC discussed the candidate’s policy positions in the election for 30 (something) minutes combined.  COMBINED!  Instead, the media replayed the same fear-mongering narrative, if you don’t vote for Trump, you’ll get Hillary and if you don’t vote for Hillary, you’ll get Trump over and over again.  The media offered no substance or policy on either candidate, instead, they showered us with a personality contest.  And unfortunately, Hillary’s lackluster “I got this in the bag” approach was no match for Donald’s bombastic, brutish, and over the top personality.

So to wrap this up, Clinton supporters, I’m sorry your candidate didn’t win but her loss is not my fault.  Direct your anger at the real culprit(s) – the media, the DNC, and Hillary’s campaign strategy, they are the ones that failed you.

Reading this, if you’re a Trump supporter you’re probably laughing if you’re a Bernie or 3rd party supporter you’re probably rolling your eyes because the outcome of this election was predictable, and if you’re a Hillary supporter you’re probably seething at me.

I’m supposed to be talking about my Apple Cider Sangria so I’ll end my political talk.  If you’re seeing red and want to yell at me or vote shame me, send me an email, I have plenty more to say on this subject.

Moving on – I think you need a drink.  You can down a bottle of wine or you can add fruit to that wine and give it some pizazz.

Apple Cider Sangria tastes as crisp and refreshing as a brisk fall morning.  I like to sip sangria while watching the leaves fall.  Then I curse those leaves because I have to rake that shit up.  I’ve raked my yard 5 times already, and it needs raking again.  An adorable teen came to my door soliciting flyers, encouraging homeowners to plant more trees.  My knee-jerk reaction almost bitch slapped that little cutie in the face.  I have enough trees sweetie, thanks anyway.

After an afternoon of raking leaves, I like to sooth my aching muscles with a glass of fresh Apple Cider Sangria.  The kind of freshness only copious amounts of fruity wine can deliver.

I love sangria made with peaches, raspberries, lemon, and lime, but Apple Cider Sangria tastes amazing as well!  I added a small amount of fresh ginger to spice up the drink and round out the sweetness from the fruit and apple cider.  The ginger compliments the sangria wonderfully but doesn’t overdo it, otherwise, it’s too overpowering.

Another reason why I love sangria is that it’s one of the easiest drinks you can make in large batches, yet complicated enough to impress your guests.  I need to make a large quantity of sangria for Phoebe’s baby shower, so this recipe is perfect!  Apple Cider Sangria can come together in 1-24 hours.  The longer you allow the ingredients to seep, the better!  Phoebe’s shower is at 1 pm so I’ll probably make the sangria the night before.  I adore recipes you can make ahead of time, I rarely need them, but when I do they’re a time saver.

I hope you make and enjoy the Apple Cider Sangria as much as we did!

Thanks for stopping by,

Christina