Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes w/Roasted Garlic and Chives

This is another recipe that came to me from Ziplist. It's a great holiday side, but really can be prepared any time of the year. The great thing about this recipe is that you can prepare it the day before and reheat it in the oven. The potatoes are so light and fluffy and the chives and roasted garlic give them some nice flavor. You won't be disappointed in this recipe. I adapted this recipe from www.goodlifeeats.com.

Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes w/ Roasted Garlic and Chives

3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, cut in chunks
2 dried bay leaves
1 cup whole milk
1/4 chicken broth
8 oz container mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 head roasted garlic
1/2 tsp pepper, or more to taste
kosher salt, to taste
1/2 bunch of chives (1/2 inch diameter), snipped

Add potatoes to stock pot with water. Add bay leaves and 1 teaspoon salt. bring to boil, lower to simmer and cook until very tender, 20 -30 minutes.
While potatoes cook, whisk together milk, broth, mascarpone and butter in a large oven safe bowl. Stir in pepper.
Once potatoes are cooked, drain water and discard bay leaves. Press potatoes through a potato ricer into bowl with mascarpone mixture. Press roasted garlic through ricer. Stir mixture to combine. Taste for seasonings and add more if desired.
Bake covered with foil at 350 degrees until heated through. Stir in chives and serve.
May be prepared ahead of time and stored in refrigerator overnight.

Holiday Spiced Sangria

This recipe came to me as part of an e-mail I get from Ziplist. I don't remember signing up for this, but I have had some good recipes come my way. I changed it up some, but the original comes from www.aggieskitchen.com. This was a big hit for Christmas day, but would be nice for any winter occasion.

Holiday Spiced Sangria

Simple syrup:
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
sliced blood orange peel (peel only, no white)
1 inch piece peeled ginger, quartered
1 tsp whole cloves
1/2 tsp black peppercorns

Sangria:
2 750ml bottles Cabernet wine
2/3 cups simple syrup
juice of 2 blood oranges
1/2 cup light rum
1/2 cup orange liquor
1 each, chopped apple, chopped pear, sliced blood orange
1 cup frozen tart cherries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries


To make simple syrup: In saucepan, combine water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, orange peel, ginger, cloves and peppercorns and bring to a boil. Simmer and stir to dissolve sugar. Boil until reduced and slightly syrupy, about 15 minutes. Let cool, strain and store in glass container in refrigerator.
To make sangria: In a large pitcher combine sangria ingredients. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.