Thanksgiving Cocktail: Cranberry Sangria

Photo by Kristen Finn

We're giving a fall twist to a fiesta favorite!  Try this Cranberry Sangria.  You'll love our Cocktails chapter in the Capital Cooking Cookbook.  After taking a look, you'll be prepared for any party. 

Cranberry Sangria

- 2 cups red wine (Vinbev.com)
- 1 cup Prairie Organic vodka
- 1/4 cup Mount Gay Eclipse spiced rum
- 2 1/2 cup Cranberry Juice
- 1/2 cup grapes, sliced in half
- 1/4 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 lime, sliced
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 apple, sliced
- 1 cup Piper Sonoma  sparkling wine

In a large punch bowl, add all ingredients except for the sparkling wine and chill. Just before serving, add the sparkling wine. Perfect for a any fall fest! Who doesn’t love sangria?!

Thanksgiving Side: Mom’s Cheesy Vegetables

Photo by Shauna Alexander

From the Capital Cooking Cookbook

8 ounces carrots

8 ounces broccoli (frozen)

8 ounces mushrooms

1/4 cup Velveeta cheese

½ stick butter

2 bouillon cubes

2/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons of Miracle Whip

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 packs Town House Crackers

Peel and cut carrots into small rounds.  Boil carrots for 20 minutes in a large pot of water with 2 bouillon cubes.  Then add 1 bag frozen broccoli to the water and cook for another 10 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Slice mushrooms and sauté with butter, salt and pepper until soft. Drain all vegetables and set aside in a large bowl.  Melt butter and Velveeta in a separate sauce pan until smooth.  Add 2/3 cup mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons miracle whip and lemon juice.  Blend together.  Pour over vegetables and stir to coat the vegetables.  Put in a 13 x 9 greased pan and top with crushed Townhouse crackers.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie Martini

This martini is so good that I usually make pitchers of it for Halloween. It tastes just like pumpkin pie, but much more fun! This recipe and more are available in the Capital Cooking Cookbook. I'll be shaking some of these up at the Metro Cooking Show on November 13th and 14th!


Serves 1 (Multiply as necessary)


1 shot 360 Vanilla Vodka (infused with pumpkin)


1/2 shot Cinnamon schnapps


1 tablespoon canned pumpkin


Splash of cream


Splash of Pumpkin spice


Crushed graham crackers


Whipped Cream


Infuse vodka overnight with canned pumpkin. Strain into a shaker full of ice and add the cinnamon schnapps and cream. Pour into a martini glassed rimmed with graham cracker crumbs and splash pumpkin spice on top. Garnish with whipped cream in the center. Is this a martini or dessert?