This is a sponsored post from BlogHer and Welch’s.
When my husband and I got married, I was the queen of stressing out over Christmas parties. Our first Christmas together I decided that I was going to throw a party for his co-workers, and I promise you that I cooked for about six days. I found all sorts of elaborate recipes in different cookbooks that we’d received as wedding gifts, and it took me a sweet forever to get all of the food prepared. And then, the night of the party, I spent almost all of my time in the kitchen – trying to remember when to put in this dish and take out that dish and find serving spoons for everything else – and as a result of that I barely spent any time with our guests.
So basically I wore myself out and missed all the fun. Merry Christmas, y’all.
These days I know better. These days I understand that the secret to a great holiday gathering is to KEEP IT SIMPLE. I make basic foods that I know people will love, and I try to think of people’s favorites when I’m planning a menu. I keep things relatively inexpensive, something that’s admittedly easier when you don’t harbor the foggiest notion of serving beef tenderloin and expensive wine. We tend to go with a low-key, no-alcohol plan – nothing too fussy, and nothing that will interfere with our guests’ ability to drive home at the end of the night.
(Right now I’m picturing my 27 year-old self looking at my 41 year-old self and saying, “So. At what point did you become PRACTICAL?”)
(The answer? Somewhere around my 35th birthday, apparently.)
One of my favorite things that I’ve done the last couple of years is to fix a special, non-alcoholic drink for the holidays. I always try to use cranberry juice in the drink because, well, it’s my mama’s favorite thing on earth, and last year I really hit it out of the park. But this year I’m going to try something new – something that you make with Welch’s sparkling grape juice – and I think Mama is going to LOVE IT.
Mainly because I love it. And because I might be a tiny wee bit just-a-smidge addicted. It’s the The Sparkling Cranberry Spritzer.
Hallelujah.
There’s also a Sparkling Cranberry Punch that we’ll use as a back-up. We like options. And if a cranberry drink isn’t your thing, you can rest in the peace of knowing that Welch’s has lots of other great drink ideas:
The Holiday Toasting Cup
Sparkling Holiday Punch
Spiced Grape Punch
So that’s pretty much my lesson-learned-the-hard-way philosophy about entertaining during the holidays. Keep it simple. Make a special drink. And above and beyond everything else, ENJOY YOUR GUESTS. Life’s too short to stay in the kitchen while everybody else is having fun.
If you’d like to win a $100 Visa gift card courtesy of BlogHer, leave a comment on this post that answers the following question: which one of the Welch’s drink recipes would you like to try this year?
Rules:
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You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post…Don’t forget to check out my review post next week for 2 more chances to win!
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) Follow this link (https://spreadsheets2.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGg5WXJTRGdUZEEtVzAxYTl0RmY5SGc6MA) and provide your email address and your response to the sweepstakes prompt.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
For Official Rules click here: http://goo.gl/PPqgR
Sweepstakes ends 5 PM PST on December 31, 2010.
Be sure to check out BlogHer.com exclusive offers page and visit the other 11 participating bloggers (you can enter to win a gift card on each of their blogs, too).
Sparkling Holiday Punch …sounds yummy!
I love Welch’s sparkling juices! I drink them in wine glasses just to feel fancy and as an added plus, no hang over the next morning! I must try the Sparkling Cranberry Spritzer.
Sparkling holiday punch sounds yummy!
The Sparkling Cranberry Punch sounds good!
Definitely the Sparkling Cranberry Punch.
The Sparkling Holiday Punch sounds good!
I would like to mix things up a little this year with the Ghouls and Grapes recipe.
chainmail(at) iwon(dot) com
Sparkling Holiday Punch (side note: my son and his new wife returned from their honeymoon and I put 2 glasses and a bottle of sparkling Welch’s grape juice with confetti, chocolate kisses and a “Welcome Home Mr. & Mrs. Young” sign on their table! fun!)
The sparkling holiday punch.
Sparkling Cranberry Punch
Sparkling holiday punch sounds great!
Sparkling Holiday Punch sounds best to me!
Tweeted! http://twitter.com/vivalameaganx3/status/7622392545288192
I’d like to try the White Grape Melon-Mint Dazzler with Sparkling White Grape Juice
http://twitter.com/auntiethesis/status/7635955842293760
I love welsh’s products and they contain memories of some of the happiest days in my life! I’d be curious to try cranberry spritzer…it sounds good!
deffinately the sparkling spritzer cause cranberry rocks!
http://bonnieseehowsheruns.blogspot.com/2010/11/come-on-down.html
Sparkling Holiday Punch for me!
i love Welch’s and the grape punch sounds like a good idea!
sparkling holiday punch for sure!! i love sparking juice!!
Spiced Grape Punch sounds great.
tweet.http://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/8389383686197248
i’d like the sparkling cranberry punch
nannypanpan at sbcglobal.net
The Sparkling Cranberry sounds wonderful!
Love all of the Welch’s products!
spiced grape punch
The Sparkling Holiday Punch looks YUM YUM YUMMY!!!!!
Didn’t realize there were recipes! Thanks for the introduction, and for being a responsible, caring (non-alcky) host. Seems like you can’t turn anywhere without seeing wine or booze these days – even MORNING TV shows. :(
I’ll probably give the Spritzer a whirl this year. We enjoyed the white sparkling grape juice with our Thanksgiving meal.
I haven’t tried the Sparkling White Grape Juice yet
I would like to try the sprakling holiday punch!
http://twitter.com/#!/TheCraveToSave/status/9336299039232000
tweet!
The sparkling holiday punch sounds delicious.
I want to try the sparkling holiday punch.
Wouldn’t the sparkling holiday punch be a great addition to the holidays!? I’d like to give that a try!
Did you see this the White Grape Melon-Mint Dazzler? Looks fab!
I want to try the Cranberry Spritzer
Tweeter here
https://twitter.com/#!/molliemam87/status/9765470240514048
molliemam87 at yahoo dot com
I think my hubby would love the spiced grape punch.
http://twitter.com/kdolphins7/status/9845622446227456
I think the “Sparkling Holiday Punch,” although I think I could happily try them all.
The Holiday Toasting Cup sounds amazing!! I’ll definitely try that 1 this year!!
Sounds SO yummy!!
The sparkling cranberry punch sounds divine!
Oh, the cranberry spritzer, definitely!!
sparkling holiday one!
All the Cranberry drinks sound delicious but think the Spritzer will be the one I’ll try.
The spiced grape punch sounds yummy!
Definitely the Sparkling Holiday Punch. It sounds so good!!
Sparkling Holiday Punch sounds yummy.
Sparkling Holiday Punch. Mmmmmmm.
The Holiday Toasting Cup would be my drink of choice. Thanks for the recipes and the giveaway.
I’m with you, the sparkling cranberry spritzer sounds heavenly. The holiday apple grape punch doesn’t sound so bad either.
The Holiday Toasting Cup sounds great and what a catchy name!
Sparkling Hiliday Punch for me! Thank you!
Spiced grape punch sounds yummy! I think I’ll try that.
The Holiday toasting cup sounds great! I love fun drink recipes!
I would like to try the sparkling grape!
I really like the Sparkling Cranberry Spritzer. (Even though I find it hard to say!)
The spiced grape sounds wonderful
Yummy and fun. I think my hubby would like me to make the Cranberry Spritzer :)
the sparkling holiday punch..it sounds amazing!
The sparkling holiday punch sounds yummy!!
The Sparkling Holidy Punch sounds so good!!
The sparkling cranberry spritzer sounds yummy! I would like to give that a taste.
Sparkling Holiday punch
The Sparkling Holiday Punch….I think I will try this for a Christmas party I am hosting…
Spiced grape punch! Yummy! :)
Sparkling Holiday Punch!
Spiced Grape Punch!!
It would have to be the grape juice. I love grape juice!
Sparkling Cranberry Spritzer sounds refreshing to me!
The Sparkling Cranberry Punch!
I’d like to try the spiced grape punch!
I would like to try the Sparkling Holiday Punch, definitely.
I’m going with the Sparkling Red Grape!!
holiday toasting cup!
…although I may avoid it, so I don’t become addicted and need it all the time.
The sparkling holiday punch sounds fantastic, thanks for the ideas!
THe cranberry spritzer…anything with cranberry’s in it is alright with me!!!
Spiced Grape Punch :)
sparkling holiday punch
rmartinclarke at gmail dot com
Cranberry Spritzer for sure!!(But I may add a little vodka for a kick)
Sparking cranberry punch. I love me some cranberry!!!
I would love to try the Sparkling Holiday Punch!
Definitely the Cranberry!
LOVE the sparkling cranberry spritzer idea with the maraschino picks!
The Sparkling Holiday Punch sounds fantastic, and I’m sure it will liven up the holiday table.
I’d try the spiced grape punch.
Sparkling Holiday Punch sounds good.
I would love to try the Sparkling Cranberry Spritzer.
Spiced Grape Punch sounds …. spicy!
The Sparkling Cranberry Punch sounds delicious. I’d love to try this one.
Thanks so much for this wonderful giveaway.
rickpeggysmith(at)aol(dot)com
I tweeted:
http://twitter.com/peg42/status/12257807948578816
Thanks again
rickpeggysmith(at)aol(dot)com
I would like to try the spiced grape punch.
I would like to try the Sparkling Cranberry Punch.
I’d like to try the Spiced Grape Punch. It sounds delicious.
THANKS for the AWESOME GIVEAWAY!!!
Scott Martin
spmartin122@gmail.com
WOULD LOVE TO TRY THE “White Grape Melon-Mint Dazzler” kytah00@yahoo.com
2ND ENTRY TWITTER twitter.com/#!/kytah00/status/12309636602404864 kytah00@yahoo.com
I would like to try Welch’s Beef In Tangy Onion BBQ Sauce recipe.
abfantom at yahoo dot com
I love anything spices, so the spiced grape punch sounds awesome festive but different
I’d like to try the Spiced Grape Punch. I liked spiced drinks, like spiced apple cider, so I bet I’ll like that!