My garden is doing freakin fabulous this year!! Look at this basil! I just keep picking it and it just keeps growing. I’m so ready for the tomatoes to catch up already so I can make some fresh bruschetta. Mmm!! Bruschetta! Basil is one of my absolute favorite herbs. I love it so much that I’ve actually got four of these bad boys planted this year! YESSSS!!!! There will never be a shortage of basil at my house. And one of my absolute favorite basil recipes is actually a drink….with alcohol….and lots of fruit…..it’s Sangria!!! I LOVE ME SOME SANGRIA!! It’s become a tradition to make this sweet drink every Fourth of July whether we have a big party or just a dinner for two! Either way my hubby has a good reason to sing Blake Shelton’s “Her Lips Taste Like Sangria”. I bet you didn’t know that song was really about me! Well now it can be about you too! You have to try this recipe before we run out of summer!!

Here’s all you’ll need: White grape juice, club soda, Chardonnay, sugar, strawberries, basil, and an apple.

Dice the apple into small pieces.

Slice your strawberries into cute little pieces.

Layer the fruit in a pitcher and cover with sugar. Let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes so the sugar can soak up the  juices from the fruit.

Meanwhile we can score the basil. I hate drinks that have so many chunks of stuff floating around in it that you can’t even enjoy the drink! So gross! So instead of cutting the basil we’re just going to score it. This will give us that awesome basil flavor without chunks of basil in our teeth!

To score the basil, we’re simply going to gently run a fork across the back of it. Don’t poke it all the way through. Just enough to release some of that flavor!

Once you have it all scored, toss all of the basil into the pitcher with the fruit. It’s starting to look so pretty and colorful!

Next we’re going to add the club soda. Why?!? Because we save the best for last, Obvi!!!

The real superstar of the recipe….the Chardonnay!! Pour in the entire bottle. Don’t be scared! Ooooohh!! I love this part!!

I used this bottle of Chardonnay from Cupcake Vineyards. Really the only reason I picked it was it was from Monterey County. It reminded me of our trip to Monterey, CA and our relaxing massage at Vista Blue Spa at the Monterey Plaza. A spa treatment on the water seemed like the perfect way to end our Cali vacation!!

Mix well and serve! Isn’t she a beauty!!

I dunno why but I always feel the need to drink this one from a mason jar!! Feel free to munch on that boozy fruit once your glass is empty!! Just when you thought fruit couldn’t get any better….we added wine! Have a glass (or two) for me!

This guy had one glass of Sangria too many!! Kidding!! Little Nittany was all tuckered out from all of the Fourth of July excitement. Oh, the life of a puppy!

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