fête.

There are few things better than relaxing on your back deck with a glass of wine in hand and a good friend by your side. With many of my friends leaving to head back to university, I decided to mix things up a little bit. I made my gathering an open house, to allow people more flexibility with their Saturday night plans. My first guests arrived around 5pm, and continuously came and went over the next few hours, until we took the gathering downtown. I wasn't stressed, had no prep work to do while guests arrived, and was hosting about four people at a time, which made it more comfortable for connections to be made. Isn't it fantastic when things work out and you didn't plan it that way?

PINK SANGRIA

I love the idea of having a signature drink that all guests can have (hint for other students - this was also inexpensive!) My drink of choice is always rosé wine, and after I found this recipe in Chatelaine Magazine, but put my own spin on it.
(picture via my lovely friend Tyler-Rae!)
Chop:
1 firm peach into small pieces
1 cup of watermelon

Half 5 large strawberries

1 handful of raspberries and 1 handful of blackberries

1 bottle of rosé wine (750-mL)

2 cups of white grape juice.

Put all the fruit into a large pitcher. Add the white grape juice and one 750-mL bottle of rosé wine (I used Beringer's White Zinfandel) Mix together carefully with a large wooden spoon. Cove and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or longer. When serving, add a can of soda water to the pitcher and pour over a few pieces of ice.

This was the most requested recipe from the evening - enjoy enjoy enjoy. Here's a few more pictures of the garden theme...




More entertainment posts to come! Let me know what you think!
*Photography by Portia Favro.