4th of July "Star-Spangled" Sangria Recipe | Star Apples & Blueberries

Today I've been shooting some more 4th of July inspired recipes that I'll be sharing next week.  To get us all in the mood for a festive 4th, here is a re-post from our Fourth of July in Concord, Ma - one of my favorites. 
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Sangria is one of my favorite Summer drinks... wait, is it that obvious?  Yes, this is my second Sangria post of the Summer.  This version was created especially for TheDaily.com for our 4th of July DIY Entertaining video.  To see the video, more details and recipes (including a Red, White & Blueberry Ice Cream Cake) from the shoot, click here.

Star-Spangled
Sangria


1 bottle of white wine (pinot grigio works great)
1 cup of peach brandy
3 red apples
1 pint of blueberries
1/4 cup of sugar

Cut the slices of the apples off of their cores into 4 large slices from each apple. Using a small star cookie cutter, cut a star out of each apple slice. Place the stars into the bottom of a pitcher. Add blueberries. Pour in the brandy and let the fruit soak in the brandy for at least an hour, and up to four hours. Add white wine to the fruit and brandy mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup of sugar, or more to taste.

Serve chilled or with ice.

I served the Spangled Sangria in Mason Jars with Berry Skewers.  Just thread red and blue berries on a wooden skewer.  Not only just for looks, they work great to keep your drink nice and cold when frozen, too.

Here I have a complete 4th of July Help Yourself Bar (my favorite kind) set up on our patio table... after all, isn't the bar always where everyone gathers?  Might as well make it a comfy place in the center of the party.  I added a navy pillow to my light blue and cream to instantly (and easily) update my patio decor for the holiday.

Another simple way to decorate your patio for the 4th?  I plopped some flags in my flower pots for a festive touch. 

I made the star-shaped apple pieces by slicing apples, then cutting them out with a cookie cutter.

Visit here to see the beautiful video they created and all of the details from the Star-Spangled 4th of July Party.

Fourth of July Party Decorations | 4th of July Sugar Cookies

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays.  Most of my memories revolve around fireworks (professional displays - only bad memories are from bottle rockets and black cats!), strawberries, burgers, watermelon, homemade ice cream, swimming... I grew up in the country and from my parents' backyard, we could see all of the surrounding towns' fireworks displays far off in the distance.  

ABOVE : A simple Fourth of July setting on our side porch.  I cut some blue hydrangeas from our yard and put them in a white pitcher - requires very little skill.  Ok, it requires no skill.  Just make sure you have plenty of water - the hydrangeas will drink it up in a hurry.  The handled mason jars are great glasses, especially as they display with small flags.  A light blue cake plate holds piles of stars and strawberry sugar cookies (get recipe here!).   

I decided to make some strawberry sugar cookies to go along with the blue and white stars in honor of the Verrill Farms Strawberry Fest and Recipe Contest this weekend.  I'm looking for a recipe to enter into the competition... I'm leaning towards a berry cake of some sort?  Leave a comment with your suggestions!  

Get my Sugar Cookie Recipe Here (from a Valentine's Day Post)  >>