Try these great drinks at you next party!

Strawberry White Wine Sangria

You can prepare this drink the night before a big party or special occasion so the flavors have plenty of time to marry. After you've poured the last drop of sangria, reserve the wine-soaked strawberries and serve them with fresh whipped cream for dessert. Two treats from one recipe! Serving: 8

Ingredients:
2 pints fresh strawberries, washed and stemmed

2 750 ml. bottles dry white wine, chilled

1/2 cup sugar

3 cups soda water, chilled

Directions

Combine strawberries, wine and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate mixture overnight. When ready to serve, add soda water to strawberry mixture and pour into ice-filled glasses.

Frozen Cherry Tomato Bloody Mary’s

This ice-cold cocktail is always a winner -- until the ice melts and dilutes the drink. You can solve the problem by freezing cherry tomatoes and using them instead of ice cubes. The drink stays chilled, and the tomatoes intensify the zesty flavor. Serving: 4 to 6

Ingredients

· 3 pints cherry tomatoes
· 2 cups tomato juice
· 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
· 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
· 1 teaspoon celery seed
· 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 large lime)
· 2 tablespoons pickled jalapenos
· 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
· 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
· 1 cup chilled vodka (optional)

Garnish options

· 6 baby carrots, cleaned and trimmed
· 6 radishes, trimmed, with leafy parts intact
· 6 cherry tomatoes
· 6 celery stalks
· 6 asparagus stalks, blanched for 2 minutes
· 6 jumbo shrimp, boiled and peeled
· 6 lime wedges

Directions:

Stem the cherry tomatoes, rinse in cold water and return to the rigid plastic container or net sack they came in (if purchased from a market). Freeze for at least 3 hours and up to 4 days.

In a large container, combine 2 pints of the frozen tomatoes with the tomato juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, celery seed, lime juice, jalapenos, salt and pepper. In several batches, pulse in a blender, just until chunky. Divide the remaining frozen tomatoes among glass tumblers, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of vodka to each, if desired, and fill each with 1 cup of the Bloody Mary mixture; garnish with any of the assorted garnishes.

Frances ;o)