Happy Australia Day - Now have a drink!

 Booze and Barbecues - Dare I say there is nothing more Australian than that?  I love celebrating Australia day. The weather, from memory, is always glorious and all around our beautiful country groups of friends and families are perfecting the art of the backyard BBQ. Although our menu turns out more Mediterranean than Australian (hey - its a bunch of 4 euro's and a token asian!) we are Aussie kids through and through!

 I wanted to share some photos from the BBQ we had last weekend with our very best friends Steph, Lu and E. It was a lunch that was planned at the very last hour and we amazed ourselves at what we managed to pull together. The sun was out, and we hustled together to get food on the table - so as a result, the five of us ended up with a spread that would feed 20. Whoops! It just really proved that BBQ's are ingrained in our Aussie DNA and that when a webber and group of people are present - it just manifests! It was such a fun day and with the amount of food we consumed, we had to wait more that an hour before jumping in the pool.

 Spinach and Pine Nut Dip on a bread bowl + Potato, Capsicum and Chorizo Salad

 The spread including Cous Cous, Terrine, BBQ Lamb Cuts, Risotto, Souvlaki...the list goes on..

 Our cheese plate with homemade crispbread and some triple cream brie and grilled haloumi!

Chargrilled Chicken and some Risotto (okay, the arancini didn't quite happen - this was the filling)

Of course a good BBQ needs booze, and I wanted to share my standard BBQ punch with all you boozehounds. I've made 'Sangria Blanca' - a less traditional white wine punch, before (Blue Sangria was a hit at the Sydney food bloggers Spring Picnic) and I find that it is the perfect cooler for a hot hot day. It is soo easy to drink and you know what - its fit for an Australia day theme if you use green apples like I did. Traditional Sangria usually made with a fruity red wine and spices, but i find that a Blanca version is just much more refreshing.

 Ingredients (makes 1 large jug)
- 1 Bottle of Moscato - I often use Brown Brothers Moscato
- 3 cups of freshly squeezed Orange Juice - with the pulp!
- 1 cup of Contreu Orange Liquor
- 2 cups of Fizzy Lemonade
- 2 Green Apples, Sliced
- 1/2 an Orange, Sliced
- Lots of Ice Cubes!


Like every easy cocktail, all the ingredients get mixed up in the jug itself and served ice cold. Its very easy to drink and goes quick - enjoy! The green and gold colours make it a great addition to any Aussie day BBQ table!

So dear friends, have a lovely Australia day. Demos and I will be braving the 40+ degree heat plus a huge crowd at The Big Day Out music festival today. Its my first Big Day Out and I am very very excited! Enjoy the sunshne, sausages, and stubbies. Happy Australia Day!