Just~One~Donna

When you need an easy cocktail for a party, this Red Wine Sangria is always a favorite. Made with sweet red wine, spiced rum, fresh orange juice, and plenty of colorful fruit, it's a make-ahead drink that looks just as good as it tastes. One of the best things about sangria is that you can prepare it hours before your guests arrive. As it chills, the fruit soaks up the flavors of the wine and rum, creating a refreshing cocktail and a delicious fruit treat in every glass. Whether you're hosting a summer barbecue, backyard gathering, holiday party, or casual get-together with friends, this easy red wine sangria is guaranteed to disappear quickly. Easy Red Wine Sangria for a Crowd This red wine sangria recipe is a perfect choice for any occasion. It is easy to make, refreshing, and delicious. The combination of sweet red wine, spiced rum, and fresh citrus juices creates a well-balanced and flavorful drink that is sure to please. 

Even though it is technically still winter, the fact that the calendar says March makes me start to think spring.  Today I'm sharing a cocktail that will help you celebrate all things spring. Let's start with the color.  This ginger martini has a sunny yellow color that will make you smile.  Float a slice of lemon on top and there is no mistaking that you are ready to celebrate spring. (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  When you shop with these links I receive compensation.) Ginger Martini Cocktail time at my house is a time for a little fanciness.  I like to put a little extra effort into the presentation. Glassware is important to me.  I want the glasses I use for cocktails to be pretty and elegant.  They must be very thin and I like them to enhance the colors in the cocktails. The martini glasses you see pictured have beveled ridges that reflect the light and colors of the cocktail.  That makes them a f...

Have you heard that National Cocoa Day is December 13th?  That means it will be a good day to treat yourself to a decadent cup of hot cocoa with all the fixings.   The timing is perfect.  This is a busy holiday preparation week and you deserve to take a break, sit down, and wrap your hands around a steaming mug of chocolate. How to Make Indulgent Hot Chocolate at Home This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  When you shop using these links, I receive a small payment that helps support the costs of publishing this blog. A Mug of Indulgent Hot Chocolate Making delicious hot chocolate at home surprisingly is easy and you probably have all the ingredients you need in your kitchen right now.  The basic requirements are cocoa powder, sugar, and milk.  You'll want a little flavoring, too.  Vanilla extract is perfect, but feel free to add some Kahlua or Bailey's Irish Cream (or both) if you want to adultify your hot ...

Easy Rum Punch Recipe (Perfect Party Cocktail) Looking for an easy rum punch recipe for a party? This fruity rum punch is made ahead, full of tropical flavor, and perfect for summer gatherings. It’s the kind of drink that makes you feel like you’re sitting by the water with your toes in the sand. One sip and you’re there. Why This Rum Punch Is Perfect for Entertaining Jump to Recipe This is one of those recipes that just makes hosting easier. Make it ahead : mix it before guests arrive Serves a crowd : easy to double or triple It's No-fuss : no mixing drinks all afternoon It has a Bright, tropical flavor everyone loves If you’re hosting a barbecue, picnic, or holiday gathering, this one always works. Rum Punch Ingredients This classic rum punch uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients: Lime juice Grenadine Spiced rum Light rum or coconut rum Pineapple juice Orange juice Optional garnish: Pi...

I'm having such fun with the lemons from my lemon tree this year.  There's nothing fresher than picking a lemon from a tree and using it immediately.  I've been using many of my lemons in my water for a refreshing zing throughout the day. Occasionally, I enjoy an adult beverage like this Lemon Drop Martini which is the perfect cocktail to make with fresh, juicy lemons.  With fresh lemons available in markets most any time of year, a Lemon Drop Martini can be made anytime and you don't need your own lemon tree. How to Make a Perfect Lemon Drop Martini This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  When you make a purchase through one of these links you help to sustain this blog.  Thank You! A Refreshing Lemon Drop Martini I tried a number of different Lemon Drop Martini recipes until I settled on this one as my favorite.  I know we all have different flavor preferences, but to me, this Lemon Drop Martini has just the right balan...

3 Easy Coffee Drinks to Make at Home (Perfect with Dessert) Coffee and dessert just belong together. Not in a fussy, go-out-to-a-restaurant kind of way… but in that simple end-of-the-day moment when you want something a little special without making a big production out of it. The good news? You don’t need any special equipment to make a really good “dessert coffee” at home. If you can brew a strong cup of coffee and warm a little milk, you’re already halfway there. In this post, I’m going to show you three easy coffee drinks you can make in your own kitchen, and exactly what to serve with them when you want that coffee shop feel without leaving the house.

It was steaming hot in my neighborhood last weekend.  It is summer, after all, and the dog days seem to have arrived.  It just so happened that while bopping around the Internet, a picture of a mint Gin Rickey, a cocktail I had neither heard of nor tasted, caught my eye as a perfect summer cocktail.   I'm telling you, this cocktail looked very appealing to me on a summer day when I was mopping my brow every few minutes or so. Mint Gin Rickey: A Summer Cocktail (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  I will be compensated when you purchase through these links.) A Tall, Cool Mint Gin Rickey The mint Gin Rickey looked so much like a mojito, one of my other favorite summer cocktails, I was surprised I had never heard of it, nor seen it on a drink menu before.  I was excited, though!  This was an opportunity to try something new and use some of the beautiful mint leaves I have growing on my deck. My...

I always look forward to Cinco de Mayo.  I love any excuse to enjoy the flavors of Mexican food.  This year Cinco de Mayo is on a Thursday.  That means you may find yourself facing your Cinco de Mayo celebration at the end of a long day of work near the end of an even longer week of work.  With a little preparation ahead of time, you will be able to celebrate at home without a lot of fuss and trouble.  There are three essentials for any Cinco de Mayo celebration in my opinion. You can easily have the preparation work done ahead of time for each of these three easy Cinco de Mayo recipes.  That way you can enjoy Cinco de Mayo without a lot of muss or fuss. First, you'll want to plan for your celebratory cocktail.  Of course, it must be a margarita.  For me, it will be a classic margarita, on the rocks with salt on the rim. A Classic Margarita Donna's Classic Margarita Print Recipe Makes two cocktails 4 ounces Tequila 2-oun...

Have you gotten into the smoothie habit?  A couple of months ago I started drinking smoothies as a meal replacement once a day for four or five days a week.  Some days it is a breakfast smoothie.  Other days it might be a lunch smoothie.  Occasionally I replace dinner with a smoothie.  I  have three basic recipes I rely upon, each with approximately 300 calories, or less.  Each has a very different flavor profile, so I choose the one that suits my mood and taste buds that day. A Raspberry Banana Smoothie for Breakfast or Lunch This post contains affiliate links that compensate me for your purchase. My Raspberry Banana Smoothie I've researched smoothie recipes on the Internet looking for flavorful and healthy options.  There are many, many smoothie recipes online you can try.  You'll want to be careful, though, because it is easy to pack too many calories into a smoothie and that defeats the purpose of introducing sm...

When the temperature in southern New England hits the 90s you'll hear a lot of complaining.  The heat becomes the main topic of conversation throughout the town and finding ways to cool down becomes a focus.  One way to keep cool is with cold drinks and iced teas are a particular favorite. My Spearmint Plant I'm a fan of green tea.  I like it hot most of the year, but in the heat of summer iced green tea is a refreshing cool drink alternative.  I grow a spearmint plant on my deck each summer, mainly because it is an essential component of two favorite summer drinks, mojitos and iced tea.         Iced Mint Green Tea Makes 8 cups 2 quarts of cool water 10 green tea bags, your favorite 8 large spearmint leaves sweetener, optional Directions Pour 8 cups of cool water into a 3 quart saucepan.  Add 10 tea bags.  You are going to want your tea to be a bit stronger than if you were drinking it hot because it will be diluted...

While in Florida a month or two ago I had the most delicious grapefruit martini at a restaurant.  We asked for the recipe, but the bartender was vague wanting to keep the proprietary concoction under wraps.  Ever since I've been wanting to recreate the flavors of that martini.  You know what I mean, don't you?  Sometimes you get something stuck in your brain and it just won't go away. The Citrus Zing Martini Well, earlier this week I made a Pan Seared Cod with Citrus Salad that got me thinking about the flavors in that grapefruit martini.  It would be a great addition to share during Citrus Week here on Just One Donna . Unfortunately,  I would definitely not be able to recreate the original martini, but I thought I could make myself a tasty impostor. Voila!  The Citrus Zing Martini was born. Citrus Zing Martini Printer Friendly Recipe Serves 1 The Ingredients 2 ounces ruby red grapefruit juice 2 ounces mandarin orange vo...

When hosting holiday gatherings it is fun to have a festive adult beverage available for your guests. This Pomegranate Cosmopolitan is a deep red color that is the perfect signature cocktail for holiday gatherings. Make Pomegranate Cosmopolitans Your Signature Holiday Cocktail A Pomegranate Cosmopolitan for the Holidays The pomegranate cosmopolitan is a favorite of mine any time of year, and it is especially festive during the holidays because of the deep red color from the pomegranate juice.  You can make a large batch of Pomegranate Cosmopolitans easily by following the "parts" recipe below. Here's how we make our Pomegranate Cosmos for our Just One Donna  holiday parties. The Pomegranate Cosmo Serves 1, or Many 2 parts mandarin or orange flavored vodka 2 parts Pom pomegranate juice 1 part Cointreau 1 part freshly squeezed lime juice Lime slices for garnish Directions Early in the day prepare your martini glasses by first rubbing the r...

Donna's Old Fashioned When the weather turns colder my preferences in cocktails change.  Right now I'm favoring a delightful mix of lemon, orange, bitters and Maker's Mark bourbon, that is my version of a cocktail from the age of great cocktails.  The Old Fashioned is purported to have its beginnings in the 1880s.  It was first offered as a bourbon cocktail at a gentleman's club in Louisville, Kentucky and was a favorite cocktail of presidents Harry S. Truman and Franklin D. Roosevelt. The original version of this drink muddles sugar with bitters, bourbon and a twist of citrus.  My version is made with the muddled rind and juices of lemon and orange, sugar, and a generous dose of bitters.  The cocktail is then strained into a short, round glass with 2 ounces of bourbon and topped with seltzer.  We're not done until the cocktail is adorned with two or three maraschino cherries.  Cheers! Donna's Old Fashioned Donna's Old Fashi...