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).
I’d like to try the spiced grape punch.
tweet-http://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/5017483496914944
Sparkling holiday punch sounds tasty
truthhole@gmail.com
I’d like to try the spiced grape punch.
The holiday toasting cup! Sounds great!
the sparkling holiday punch
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
tweet
http://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/5073609332621312
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I would like to try the Spiced Grape Punch
I tweeted this
http://twitter.com/#!/bukaeyes/status/5101257131827200
The sparling grape would be what I would like
jacksoncrisman@yahoo.com
The Spiced Grape Punch sounds really good, I’d love to try that.
I would like to try the Spiced Grape Punch.
I can never have enough Cranberry in my life, so I’d go with the sparkling cranberry spritzer.
Cranberry is my favorite! So… the Sprakling Cranberry Punch would be my choice.
totally the sparkling cranberry spritzer – that sounds refreshing!
cranberry spritzer sounds good to me!
tweeted!
http://twitter.com/#!/jennipearl/status/5425306009608192
The sparkling holiday punch sounds yummy!
I think the holiday punch sounds like something my family would enjoy.
The Sparkling Holiday Punch looks wonderful!
The Sparkling Holiday Punch with the cinnamon sticks sounds interesting.
Holiday punch sounds good to me.
The Cranberry Spritzer sounds yummy!
Sparkling Cranberry punch sounds refreshing and festive!!
Holiday Toasting Cup sounds yummy!
sparkling holiday punch
grape-apple sparkling punch. (i think that was the name of it. i know it had grapes and apples and punch in it.)
The sparkling holiday punch looks yummy.
The spiced grape punch sounds good!
I love the looks of the cranberry spritzer recipe. Lots of yum for little effort.
Sparkling Holiday Punch sounds tasty!
Sparkling Holiday Puncy
The Sparkling Holiday Punch looks delightful, I think I will try it!! ;)
Thanks for hosting this giveaway. I want to try the Sparkling Cranberry Spritzer.
I am thinking that I will try the Sparkling Cranberry Spritzer for our S.S. Christmas party this year.
My husband doesn’t drink pop & loves cranberry so I’d love to try one of the cranberry recipes.
The spice grape punch sounds really interesting.
I TOO WOULD LIKE TO TRY THE SPICED GRAPE PUNCH kytah00@yahoo.com
2ND ENTRY TWEET http://twitter.com/#!/kytah00/status/5508178108227584 kytah00@yahoo.com
Definitely the sparkling holiday punch.
Ooh, the spiced grape punch sounds yummy and easy!
And I just typed “spriced greap” punch, which DOES NOT sound yummy or easy.
The Spritzer ingredients are on my grocery list today!
I’m definitely going to try the Holiday Toasting Cup!
The holiday punch, yum!
sparkling grape punch sounds yummy
The Grape one because I love grape ANYTHING! :)
The ‘Sparkling Holiday Punch’ sounds yummy!!!
Melanie
The sparkling holiday one sounds tempting
The Sparkling Holiday Punch will be on my menu this season!
Cranberry Spritzer! Yummm!!
The sparkling cranberry punch!
Tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/megans_madness/status/5646815860891648
The spiced grape punch sounds yummy!
Sparkling Holiday punch definately!!!
I would definitely like to try the Sparkling Holiday Punch. Think I will make it for our annual Girls’ Holiday Brunch!
I’m a sparkling grape juice monster!
My girls and I get so excited when it’s celebration time and we get to guzzle that stuff down.
I’d like to try the cranberry!
Cranberry Spritzer!! Sounds so good – I also love cranberry juice!
We host my side of the family’s Christmas every year, and I think the kids will like the Cranberry Spritzer as much as the adults!
The Sparkling Holiday Punch sounds delicious and so festive!
The sparkling grape juice sounds amazing! I may have to track some down this year…
That Sparkiling Cranberry Spritzer sounds delightful. I don’t know about that holiday punch. I can’t see putting spice in my drink, but ya know whatever floats your boat. We love these sparkling juices and always get them at New Years since we aren’t boozers! :)
I would like to try the Purple Cow–just because of the name AND it has ice cream in it!
I want to try the Sparkling Holiday Punch. Sounds yummy!
I’d try the Sparkling Holiday Punch
Sparkling Cranberry Punch sounds delightful. Would make a great cocktail with a little vodka as well.
I’m trying the cranberry spritzer, of course, darling! And that purple cow sounds delish too!
I will be trying the Sparkling Holiday Punch this season…sound yummy.
The Asian Passion sounds like and ah-MA-zing summer drink. So as soon as I have this baby next July, I’ll be mixing some of that up in celebration! ;)
The Sparkling Holiday Punch sounds mighty tasty!
WOULD LIKE TO TRY SPARKLING PUNCH
The sparkling holiday punch sounds really good!
I’d love to try the Sparkling Cranberry Spritzer.
thanks!
kmassmanATgmailDOTcom
Girl, you know I want to try that Holiday Toasting Punch! In the words of Rachel Ray…YUMMO!
The sparkling holiday punch would be the drink I would be most likely to try.
Sparkling Holiday Punch
Looks Yummy… the sparking cranberry punch!!
I think the spiced grape punch sounds great!
The Sparkling Cranberry Spritzer is on my must make list this year!
I think they all sound delish but I would try first the Sparkling Cranberry because everyone here loves the cranberry!
Sparkling holiday punch sounds yummy
http://twitter.com/susan1215/status/6016168917733377
I’d like to try the Sparkling Holiday Punch.
marybug2@yahoo.com
Spiced Grape Punch yum!
http://twitter.com/#!/DesMoinesDealin/status/6022804822556672
I tweeted
https://www.boomama.net/welchs-share-your-story/?cp=2#comment-151519
marybug2 at yahoo.com
The spiced grape punch seems perfect for a cool winter evening (cool is as good as it gets down here in FL – no cold for us :)
Sparkling Holiday Punch!
Oh, that Spiced Grape Punch looks fantastic!! Anything with cinnamon sticks in it has my vote!
I think I would like to try the Sparkling Holiday Punch. Sounds really good!
gmissycat at yahoo dot com
Tweeted here
http://twitter.com/gmissycat/status/6142192456302592
gmissycat at yahoo dot com
They all look delicious, but the Sparkling Holiday Punch looks the best to me. Yum!
sparkling holiday punch
I think the Sparkling Holiday Punch would be for me.
I would like to try the Sparkling Holiday Punch
sweokgrl@gmail.com
I tweeted on twitter
sweokgrl@gmail.com
http://twitter.com/bdiane34/status/6189922255904770
I would like to try the Sparkling Holiday Punch.
I think my husband would love the sparkling cranberry punch!
I think my husband would love the sparkling cranberry spritzer!
I think the Holiday sparkling punch sounds pretty tasty!
That Cranberry Spritzer sounds like it might be worth a try!! ~karen