The end is near! We’re starting to see a light at the end of the Beyond Bacon tunnel! This weekend we invited our local recipe testers over for a potluck of Beyond Bacon recipes – and I have NEVER seen food disappear so quickly at a potluck!
The overwhelming hit at the party was our Savory Bacon Jam, which was brought as an appetizer with apple slices – something I never would have thought of, but was genius! Before you ask, the recipe will be in the book – apologies for the teaser but July 2nd is coming quick!
I just love these type of events where people get to meet, chat and talk about all the things – like dietary cholesterol and nutrient density of the soil and plants our animals eat – that make us “weird” to other people!
Notice Russ from The Domestic Man or Brent & Heather from Virginia is for Hunter Gatherers?
Also, real food eating kids are adorable (although this non-blonde is Aimee‘s not ours)! We all got ourselves just as covered in chocolate as the kids, however, when Amelia brought Elana’s Paleo Thin Mints. HOLY MOLY. Those are amazing! But I digress…
How do we recommend keeping the conversation flowing and relaxing among the strangers at such an event? How about a little libation to lubricate the cavemen and women? Our Apple Plum Sangria will do just that!
Apple Plum Sangria
This sangria is crisp, refreshing and incredibly smooth – just the right amount of sweet, while delivering quite a surprising kick in the pants (from the gin) with only half a glass! Don’t drink too much too quickly, or else you’ll likely be taken by surprise! Remember, sweet alcoholic drinks confuse your brain into thinking you’re not drinking much alcohol. That’s why only frat bros, cowboys, and faux-sophisticates pound whiskey, but everyone has a night where apple-tinis got out of hand. What we love about this recipe is that it’s relatively cheap & easy, as far as impressive cocktails go. And, since you prepare it ahead of time, it’s perfect for parties!
Ingredients
- 2 medium apples, skin & core removed then diced (we recommend a mild or sweet breed like gala, fuji or honeycrisp)
- 2 red plums, still mostly firm with skin & pit removed then diced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 quart apple cider (the cloudy kind made from real apples)
- 2 750 ml bottles of white wine (we recommend pinot grigio)
- 1 pint of gin (we recommend Tanquaray)
Instructions
- In a gallon jug or pitcher, place cinnamon and fruit in the bottom.
- Pour your cider, wine and gin in the pitcher, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight to allow fruit to soak in liquid and to add their flavor.
- Before serving, thinly slice skin-on tart apples (we recommend pink lady) for decoration on glass edge and to the top of the sangria. Then you’ll have some “soaked” apples, fresh tart apples and plums – which carry a nice balance to the cocktail.
- Be forewarned, the plums will sink and apples will float – so keep a stirring spoon nearby for guests to fish out some of each as they pour their drinks!
This serves a LOT, depending on how much your attendees like to drink I’d venture 12-25 people. It can easily be cut in half for less of a crowd.
Of course, you could take the same principals and use sparkling water instead of wine and apple cider instead of gin and have yourself a spectacular mock-tail too!
p.s. Before all the “alcohol isn’t paleo” comments come flooding in, obviously it’s not a health food. However, it is paleo-friendly in that we’re using grain-free ingredients. We’re not advocating you consume this on a 21 Day Sugar Detox or Whole 30… but even Robb Wolf is recommending boozing it up for the right occasion!
