A little over three months ago, I returned from Europe.  Unfortunately, I came home with an extra 16 pounds on my frame.  Yes, 16 pounds in 4 months – this is what daily dessert, Nutella, scones(!), and too much cider beer does to a girl.  I firmly believe that eating is a part of the travel experience, and although I was shocked I gained so much weight, I wouldn’t take it back.  I might have missed the best Carrot Cake of my life. Thank you Bea’s of Bloomsbury.

However, the past three months, I have worked my ass off worked diligently to get back to my pre-Europe weight. I am all for indulging in healthy moderation, but I also like to maintain my “happy” weight.  Yet, I am not interested in talking about my weight loss tonight.  I am here to talk about my obstacle to weight loss: alcohol.

I make it no secret that I enjoy an alcoholic beverage every once in a while ( I am a law student).  Beer, wine, and liquor are all good in my book, but I am very cognizant of the fact that alcohol and losing weight don’t always correlate. This summer I was worried about balancing drinking and having fun in DC while attempting to lose a substantial amount of weight.  But, I was totally  successful.  I am officially back at my pre-Europe weight, and I got there while still drinking between a few times a week.

So, tonight, I have finally making some progress on my apartment, and I am grabbing a drink with some friends, so I thought I’d share one of my favorite at-home cocktail recipes, which I like to call ghetto sangria.

Jordan’s Probiotic Sangria 

In Spain, I learned to add Fanta to cheap wine to create make-shift sangria.  However, now, I go healthy route, and I combine wine with kombucha, which I usually sip while getting ready.  Not only does it cut down on my amount of drinks I have to buy , but I get a serving of probiotics before a night out.  This is called a win-win in my book.  

Yield: 1 Drink

• 6 oz. of Red Wine
• 8 oz. (1 Cup) of Kombucha*

Mix, stir, and enjoy!

*I prefer G.T’s Trilogy flavored kombucha, but I think anything berry-flavored would compliment wine well.  And if you can’t get your hands on a kombcuha, you could dilute the wine with sparkling lemon or lime water.