Sangria 2.0

Well, another 100 degree day in Danville...I previously posted this recipe about a year ago and thought with this crazy heat, I would repost it, as it's my summertime "go to" cocktail! Cheers!

Best.Sangria.Ever.
(makes approx. 6 glasses)

1 750 ml bottle of red*
1 750ml bottle of white*
1 Orange, halved & sliced
1 Lemon, sliced
1 Lime, sliced
1 cup granulated sugar (I use superfine or baker's sugar)
Fresh seasonal fruit of your choosing,
such as sliced apples, peaches, apricots, or mango and berries
1 shot glass of rum

In a 4 quart glass or plastic pitcher, add wine, sugar & all fruit; stir, or if pitcher is a sealed lid type, shake until sugar is dissolved. Add rum and stir or shake again, then refrigerate for 24 hours. Serve over ice.

*I never, ever spend more than $3.00 per bottle of wine - Charles Shaw & Sea Ridge are usually my "go to" wines for this recipe. Cabernet & Chardonnay are the varietals I use.

Sour Cream/Salsa Dressing

1 cup of your favorite salsa, with juice
1 cup sour cream or plain nonfat yogurt, drained
Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Mix all ingredients together until smooth consistency. If the dressing is too thick for your liking, add a little salsa juice and stir until dressing thins out to desired consistency.

Corn Bread Casserole

1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
1 14oz. can cream style corn
1 140z. can whole corn, drained
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp honey

Preheat oven to 400. Mix all ingredients together; pour into greased loaf or 8x8 pan. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve immediately.

Lynne's Awesome Chicken Tortilla Soup - Crockpot Style

My best friend Lynne gave me this recipe. I like to cook soups in my giant crockpot, so bear that in mind when making this soup. Makes 14 cups.

2 ears of corn
2 cups celery, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cups carrots, finely chopped
1 anaheim chile, seeded & finely chopped (optional)
1 large can red enchilada sauce
1 quart chicken broth
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 6 boneless skinless thighs

Shredded jack and/or cheddar cheese
Crushed tortilla chips

With a sharp knife, cut kernels off of ears of corn and put in crockpot. Put all remaining vegetables in crockpot. Add sauce and broth; stir gently. Add chicken. Set crockpot to low (10 hours). When time is complete, shred chicken with two forks and stir gently to mix shredded chicken back in. Serve immediately & top with tortilla chips and cheese.

Side dish suggestions:
green salad with a sour cream/salsa dressing
corn bread casserole

A New Outlook On My Blog...

So, two years ago my New Year's resolution was to start writing a blog. I completed my resolution, but never resolved to write on it regularly. I wrote periodically, mainly just to rant, especially around election time, because I was so sick of the misinformation being publicized and the hysteria it invoked. But again, life got in the way and I discovered Facebook, Twitter, etc. So again, gogomom was ignored...

On FB, I constantly post my dinner menu & my sweet friends always respond positively! Last night, my good pal Annie suggested I start blogging my menus and recipes - so here I am, reviving gogomom as my little recipe blog! I'm going to leave up my rants, comments & blurbs because they are how I feel or felt at the time, but going forward I'm going to focus on food and drinks, with a little rant here and there! ;)

Some of my recipes are my creations, most are from friends, cooking shows and cookbooks - I do usually put my own twist on them. I love to create meals, but I don't think I'm creative enough to grab ingredients and go! I'm more into taking recipes and making them quicker, tastier, and more plentiful. I encourage you to post your own comments, ideas and responses to my recipes, as I love the input!

This is very exciting for me, as I have always wanted to own a restaurant or cafe - ownership of this blog will be close enough (without the cash investment or risk). So, thank you for indulging me in my new calling - I hope you enjoy it!