Me, the Queen and a pitcher of Sangria

June 21 may be the summer solstice, but we all know summer really starts on May Two-Four, the Victoria Day long weekend.

Ours was no exception: the Big Backyard was in full effect as we had a bunch of friends over with all their kids. It was total chaos, but in a good way. The turtle pool was a last-minute addition on Hubby's part, so nobody came prepared with bathing suits. That didn't stop the kids, of course. They started out by delicately dabbling toes, but one cannonball later, they were all soaked to the skin and loving it.

The grown-ups had a good time, too. I did up a batch of my favourite white sangria with a couple bottles of Rene Barbier Mediterranean White (Catalunya, Spain). Cheap, zesty, refreshing. Mix in equal parts of white cranberry juice, pour into wine goblets, add a splash of club soda and you're done. You can even dress it up with slices of lime and lemon, but I decided to dispense with the fanciness.

After weeks of cold and rain, the clouds parted for a day of flawless, blue-skied 25 degrees. The food was plentiful and delicious, the beverages flowing, the yard gate swinging open every so often as another guest arrived to a chorus of cheers. Yup, this is what summer is made of.