I love a good get together with friends. Especially when tequila and a grill are involved. Spring is approaching fast and mild weather has finally returned here in Northern Florida. Although it will be 90-100°F by May. Eyeroll. Anyway, we decided to have some friends over to chill out, cookout and drink. The best combo.

I decided to make an alcoholic punch. What else is new? I wanted to make sangria because it’s easy to throw together and serves a lot of people. When I say a lot, I really mean that there were only 6 of us but we can put some drinks away so…

Like I have said before, tequila is my go-to liquor. I had never tried tequila in sangria before and I felt that it was about time I combined the two.

Raspberry Tequila Sangria 1 bag of frozen raspberries 1 orange 2 limes 1 lemon 1 cup of tequila 1 bottle of sweet rosé 3-4 cans of raspberry lime soda 1 cup of mixed berry juice 1/4 cup fresh orange and lime juice Sugar as needed

Juice 1 lime and half an orange and pour into a pitcher.

Slice up the lemon and remaining orange and limes. Toss those, the frozen raspberries, rosé, tequila and mixed berry juice into the pitcher.

Place in the fridge to chill for at least an hour or 2. Pour in the raspberry lime soda when it is time to serve. Add sugar to ramp up the sweetness if desired.

Drink now and save the twerking for later.

You have to have an appetizer if you are having a cookout or really any gathering at all. Food brings people together and so does cheese. And lots of it. So when I wanted to make a dip, my family friend’s recipe immediately came to mind. She makes it at any party that she has and it always goes quick. Luckily, she is my mom’s best friend so I have had the luxury of eating this dip a lot in my lifetime. Shoutout to Donna for sharing this recipe!

Chili Cheese Dip 16 oz. of cream cheese 2 cans of spicy chili beans 1 jar of diced jalapenos 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese Tortilla chips for dipping Bake at 350°F until cheese is bubbly

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Microwave the cream cheese for 1-2 minutes or set it out until it is at room temperature. Take a baking dish and spread the softened cream cheese on the bottom. Next, take the chili beans and layer those on top. Sprinkle on the diced jalapenos and shredded cheddar. Place it into the oven uncovered and bake until the cheese is bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips and watch it disappear.

The boyfriend was the grill master. We had chicken breasts, hot dogs, veggie skewers and sides. Even though I was not responsible for the actual grilling part, I did marinate and prep my chicken breasts and veggie skewers. I copped my dad’s stand-by marinade though so I couldn’t take full credit or responsibility for that either. Was I fully responsible for any of this?

No Fuss Marinade for Chicken & Veggies Zesty Italian dressing A dash of Teriyaki Lemon pepper Garlic powder Black pepper

Put the chicken into a Ziplock bag or container. Take a separate container and place the veggies in. I used mushrooms and green bell pepper. Then, add all of the ingredients into each container. There is no exact measurement when it comes to the spices and sauces. Hence the name, “no fuss”. Adjust the seasonings to your liking. Just make sure the chicken and veggies are covered generously in the marinade. Let it all marinate in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours or overnight for a better result.

So juicy, so zesty, so tasty.

I hope you enjoyed a peak at our cookout. Happy grilling!