New Year’s is almost here and it’s time to get ready for the biggest party of the year! Try this unique twist on the classic Long Island cocktail. You won’t be disappointed, and neither will your guests! This cocktail is pretty strong, so it’s not for the faint of heart!

New Year’s Long Island Cocktail With a Twist

 Photos: Cravings of a Lunatic.

These sangria recipes are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, and will have your guests begging for more! Fizzy champagne and sweet fruit are a few of the ingredients in these recipes that will make your sangria the life of the party. Read the recipes below!

Champagne Sangria Punch

Ingredients

• 1 bottle sweet Riesling or Moscato
• 1 orange, sliced
• 4 kiwi, peeled and sliced
• 1 pomegranate, seeded
• 1 bottle Brut Champagne or sparkling wine
• 1-1/2 cups orange juice

Instructions

1. Pour the wine into a pitcher or a punch bowl. Add orange slices, kiwi slices, and pomegranate.
2. Refrigerate for 2-24 hours.
3. When ready to serve, add champagne and orange juice and serve over ice.

Pear and Apple White Sangria

Ingredients

• 1 bottle Moscato wine
• 1/2 cup lemon liqueur
• zest of 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
• 1 pear, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
• 1 can (12 ounces) seltzer

Instructions

1. In a pitcher, add wine, lemon liqueur, lemon zest, and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
2. Add apple slices, pear slices, and lemon juice to the pitcher and mix.
3. Place the pitcher in the fridge for 4 hours.
4. Before serving, top off the sangria with seltzer.

White Strawberry-Lemon Sangria

Ingredients

• 2 lemons, thinly sliced
• 1 apple, cored and sliced
• 1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 bottle dry white wine
• 1/2 cup rum
• 4 cups lemon-lime soda

Instructions

1. Add lemons, apples, and strawberries to a pitcher.
2. Add in wine and rum.
3. Cover and place in the fridge for 4-5 hours.
4. Before serving, add lemon-lime soda and serve over ice.

Pineapple Sangria

Ingredients

• 3 cups pineapple juice
• 1 bottle dry white wine
• 1 cup brandy
• 1 pineapple, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 cup pineapple soda
• 1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
• 1 orange, sliced

Instructions

1. In a pitcher, add juice, brandy, wine, pineapple, and soda. Stir and add ice.
2. Pour into wineglasses and garnish with the mint and orange slices.

Watermelon Sangria

Ingredients

• ¼ a medium-sized watermelon, cut into small chunks
• 1 bottle blush wine
• 1 cup vodka

Instructions

1. 24 hours before you plan to serve, put all the ingredients in a pitcher. Stir and put in the fridge.
2. When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice and chilled watermelon chunks. Pour the sangria over the ice and fruit.

Photos: Iowa Girl Eats, Love Grows Wild, Kitchen Treaty, Erin’s Food Files, G Free Foodie, Ask Missa.

Wondering why you can’t shed those extra five pounds? Has your doctor suddenly taken an interest in your blood pressure? Checking the contents of your fridge could give you the answer to these questions. Check out these 10 foods that you need to get rid of ASAP!

1. Butter

Although real butter is better for you than margarine, eating too much saturated fat can contribute to weight gain. Eating a little now and then is okay, but you already get saturated fat from full-fat dairy products, meats, and baked foods. Adding butter on top of that is just extra fat that isn’t necessary. If you get butter cravings, try spreading avocado on toast or crackers instead.

2. Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is nothing more than fat and calories. Try using mustard in your sandwiches. Mustard has less fat than mayonnaise, and there are tonnes of different varieties to choose from. If you still can’t resist using mayonnaise in your sandwiches, grab a jar of pesto and use that with a small amount of mayonnaise. Your sandwich will taste amazing, but will have fewer grams of fat.

3. Processed Cheese

Individually wrapped cheese slices or cheese in a can are loaded with preservatives. If you love cheese, stock up on extra-sharp cheddar. Who needs fake cheese when you can have the real thing? By using the real deal, you can use less of it to get the same taste.

4. Pickles

Pickles contain a lot of salt and no nutrients. Toss the pickles and get your hands on sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is great on sandwiches or on the side. It also has cancer-fighting antioxidants and probiotics.

5. Flavored Yoghurt

Flavored yoghurt is chock-full of sugar and calories that will spike your blood sugar and get in the way of that beach body you’ve been working so hard for. Ditch it for plain yoghurt instead. You can always add honey or frozen cherries to it if you like it sweet.

6. Diet Soda

Diet sodas are lower in calories than full-sugar sodas, so drinking it is okay, but not exactly beneficial to your system. Artificial sweeteners have been linked to many problems, like risk of stroke or heart disease. Instead, sick to plain water.

7. Lunch Meat

Deli slices may seem healthy, but they usually contain a lot of salt and nitrates, which have been associated with cancer. Instead of lunch meat, use fresh chicken or turkey breasts. Fresh poultry meat  is lower in calories, salt, and fat. If you’re looking for a way to get even more protein into your diet, you may wish to take a look at delicious options like these protein snacks to gain muscle and help you look and feel your best.

8. Ranch Dressing

Our favorite salad dressing actually packs a lot of saturated fat and calories without much nutrition.  Next time when you get the urge to snack on some veggies, try this delicious dip: put some cottage cheese in a blender along with herbs, garlic, and ranch-flavored powder. This dip contains a lot of protein, especially if you buy cottage cheese with probiotics.

9. Apple and Cranberry Juice

Although not all juice is bad for you, the ones loaded with sugar definitely are. Apple and cranberry juice are heavy on sweetener, and don’t provide much nutritional value, either.  Instead, buy 100% grape or cherry juice. The purple pigment in grape juice actually helps promote cardiovascular health, just like a glass of wine. The red color in cherry juice comes from the anthocyanins, which help improve recovery time after a workout by lowering pain and inflammation.

10. Whole Milk

Whole milk has more calories than the other varieties, and the extra fat that it contains will raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower your HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Try using almond milk or coconut milk instead of cow’s milk. Both contain healthy fats, and you can use them in cereal, coffee, or smoothies.

Photos: Milk Works, Walmart, Web Exhibits, British Corner Shop, Fine Art America, Kaczuszka, The Lunch Tray, Eckrich, State Symbols USA.