Winter-Spiced Pomegranate & Clementine Sangria

Ingredients:

• 1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine, such as Grenache
• 1 cup reduced-calorie cranberry-juice cocktail
• 1 cup pure pomegranate juice
• 1/4 cup orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau
• 2 clementines, halved & thinly sliced into half rounds
• 1 lemon thinly sliced
• 4 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
• 5 star anises
• 1 cup diet lemon-lime soda
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Makes 8 Servings ( 1/2 cup per serving)

1. Combine wine, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, orange liqueur, clementines, lemon, cinnamon sticks, and star anise in large pitcher.
2. Refrigerate at least several hours or up to overnight to allow flavors to blend.
3. When ready to serve, discard the cinnamon sticks and star anises, and pour in soda. Fill 8 wineglasses or other glasses with ice and top with sangria. Sprinkle with pomegranate.



WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. You can enjoy Sangria in the winter time with the right flavors. Pomegranate seeds and juice, cranberry juice, and clementines, are the perfect winter fruits for this cocktail. The cinnamon, star anise, and red wine have an earthy combination and leave a unique aftertaste in your mouth. Serve this to your guests and they will be delighted. Let the guests top off their sangria with a splash of seltzer. It will lighten the drink and give them some extra spark.

 

Fruity Sangria

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry red wine
• 3 cups low-calorie cranberry juice cocktail, cold
• 2 cups strawberries, chopped
• 2 medium apples, chopped1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste

Makes 8 Servings

Stir together all ingredients in a large pitcher; allow to stand for 30 minutes. Place ice in glasses and serve. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. This is such a refreshing drink that leaves a wonderful aftertaste. Summer is approaching and this is a wonderful treat to beat the heat and if you're throwing a party this drink will win over your adult guests. You can also use any kinf of berry, cherries or pears in place of the apples and strawberries or use them all to make fruity sangria even more enjoyable.

Ocean Breezes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pink or red grapefruit, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp granular sugar substitute
• 2 cups chilled sugar-free cranberry seltzer water
• 4 lime wedges

Makes 4 (1-Cup) Servings

In a blender, combine grapefruit, cranberry juice, lime juice and sugar substitute; puree until smooth. Slowly add seltzer and stir gently with a wooden spoon to blend. Pour Ocean Breezes into 4 large martini glasses, garnish with lime wedges and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet taste of Summer Cookbook. I have passed this recipe over and over and I finally decided to try it. The weather was warm and I needed a cool refreshing drink. This beverage is a bubbly fruit punch with  tasty flavors and it makes you feel like you're on a tropical island regardless of where you are. I highly recommend you have this drink as an after-dinner drink or serve it with a tropical dish for that authentic beach flair.



Cran-Gria

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups unsweetened cranberry juice
• 1 cup blueberries, roughly chopped
• 1 peach, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp granular sugar substitute
• 1 lime, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups chilled seltzer water
• Ice cubes

Makes 4 (1-cup) Servings

1. In a large pitcher, combine the cranberry juice, blueberries, peach, sugar substitute and lime; stir well to dissolvce sugar substitute. Let mixture sit at room temperature until flavors blend, about 30 minutes. Add seltzer and stir to combine.
2. Fill 4 (10 oz.) glasses with ice cubes. Pour Cran-gria over ice, add a few pieces of fruit from the pitcher to each glass, and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 Pt

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. Summer is still here and you're looking for a cool refreshing drink to cool you down, then this is the beverage for you. This beverage is the first beverage recipe in the cookbook and if you ever saw the photo of the Cran-gria, you would want to make this drink too. A sangria is a classic Spanish drink and this drink offers a refreshing and fruity twist. You can serve this Cran-gria from a clear pitcher or punch bowl and use wineglasses to show off the fruit.