Strawberry-Basil Sangria

Photo by Katie Guymon

On March 13, 2012, I entered the wonderful world of motherhood, a realm in which baby boogers are extracted from baby noses with pinky nails and the color and consistency of poo is closely examined and sometimes even celebrated. It has been one heck of a ride so far, that's for sure. The lowest lows have involved torturous sleep deprivation, and the highest highs involve smiles, coos, and lots and lots of cuddle time. I know that I'm lucky to have my sweet gal Aves.

Last weekend, I was honored with my first Mother's Day, and really, it was perfect in every way.

On Friday night, Matt stayed home with the babe so I could hit up one of my favorite wine bars, Sasha's, with six of my girlfriends. The patio was open, and it was a gorgeous spring evening in Saint Louis.

On Saturday night, we hosted our parents for a Mother's Day Eve dinner. Matt grilled steaks and romaine lettuce, and I was thankful to spend some leisure time in the kitchen, making layered Greek dip, my version of Mexican street corn, and rhubarb cobbler. And oh yeah, this sangria.

Strawberry-Basil Sangria [adapted from Treehugger.com] 
I cut down on the sugar and the grape juice to make this sangria slightly less sweet, but feel free to up the ante if you like your adult beverages that way. My favorite part of this concoction is the basil. If you score the leaves, you can most definitely taste the flavor in the drink.

-1 pint of strawberries, thinly sliced
-1 apple, finely diced
-10-12 whole basil leaves, scored with a fork to release flavor
-1/2 cup white grape juice
-3/4 cup sugar 
-1 cup club soda
-1 bottle of Chardonnay (I used tree-free Yellow Tail)

1. Place the strawberries, apple, and basil in a pitcher. Cover with the sugar let it stand for ten minutes.

2. Add the remaining liquids and stir well. Serve cold.

After Aves went to bed, we all continued to sit outside with our wine and music. Given the recent pace of our lives, it felt so good to just...sit. I swear, parenthood is a race to see how fast you can do everything! Can you shave your legs in thirty seconds? Can you pee before she cries? Can you grocery shop before she wakes up? I sometimes feel like I'm on a game show. But, last Saturday night was the perfect chance to catch waaaay up with Matt, and we got a little mushy gushy about our girl.

Becoming a parent is a whirlwind ride, and you have no other option but to hop on and hold on tight. There are very few chances, at least early on, to step back and process your new life. The best part of my Mother's Day was the opportunity to reflect on just how in love I am...in the wee hours of the morning...sharing a beer with my husband.