Are you a fan of Elizabeth Taylor? Did you ever follow her on and off again relationship with Richard Burton? I remember seeing Cleopatra for the first time and thinking how beautiful she was. I watched that movie several times. I admit I do not recall many of her other movies. I also have to admit I’ve never seen “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”. I know, I know. Tsk, tsk. I will watch it one day.
Elizabeth was a starlet who became a legendary actress. She had many marriages. She married Richard Burton the first time the year I was born. I obviously didn’t keep up with their relationship as I was way too young. I do remember buying and wearing her Passion perfume back in the day when it first was on the market. Even though I didn’t follow her, her life, or her movies closely, she was always one of those people I heard bits and pieces about often.
Liz & Dick is a movie about Elizabeth and Richard. I was given the opportunity to watch it and invite friends to see it too. I threw a movie party and treated my friends to a nice dinner. I grilled filet mignon steaks, baked potatoes and made my family’s special potato topping, sauteed mushrooms, and had fresh warm bread. My friend Terry brought a nice crisp Caesar salad. Dessert was inspired by the big sparkly diamond ring Richard gave to Elizabeth. I made a sparkling summer fruit salad.
The fruit salad is a wonderful light dessert. It is a nice way to end a meal on a hot summer day. Strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, and grapes are tossed with a fruity dressing. The dressing has a citrus base of orange and lemon juice to add a zing to the fruit. Sparkling wine gives it a subtle crispness. It’s also a great snack and would be perfect for a brunch.
The movie gives insight into Liz & Dick’s relationship. It portrays their love and troubles well. It is one to watch to see how old Hollywood royalty lived. How nice it would be to live so lavishly and all over the world. Lindsay Lohan plays Elizabeth Taylor and Grant Bowler plays Richard Burton. The movie was one of the most-watched cable original movie premiers of 2012. It ran on Lifetime and is now available on DVD. You can order it directly from Amazon by clicking on this photo:
Sparkling Summer Fruit Salad
Ingredients
For the sparkling dressing:
- Zest from 1/2 orange
- Juice from 1 orange
- Zest and juice from 1 lemon
- 3/4 cup white grape juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup chilled sparkling wine or dry white wine, brut or extra-dry
For the fruit salad:
- 1 pound fresh strawberries stemmed and halved
- 1 pint fresh blueberries
- 2 cups seedless grapes
- 1 small pineapple cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 small cataloupe or honeydew melon cut into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
For the sparkling dressing:
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Place all dressing ingredients except the wine in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a fast simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
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Remove dressing from the heat and cool to room temperature. Pour dressing into a container, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (at least 3 hours).
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Right before serving, add wine to chilled dressing and stir to combine.
For the fruit salad:
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Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl. Pour dressing over the fruit. Toss or stir to mix together. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
You can substitute or add your favorite summer fruit to this salad.
Disclosures: I received a DVD viewing party package at no charge including the Liz & Dick DVD, Reel Love DVD, A Novel Romance DVD, a diamond ring wine bottle stopper, and a $50 Target gift card for purchasing party supplies. I was under no obligation to post a positive review. All opinions are my own unless otherwise noted or contained within a guest post. This post contains affiliate links.
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Jen @JuanitasCocina says
As if fruit salad could get any better…you made it sparkle!
Renee says
Thanks Jen! I think it’s perfect for watching fireworks on July 4th too. Sparkling for sparkles.
Diana @GourmetDrizzles says
What a fantastic fruit salad… beautiful, and fun!
Renee says
Thanks Diana!
Helene D'souza says
Now I am craving for your fruit salad Renee. It would be perfect I had such a long exhausting day, I need a pick me up. =)
Renee says
I enjoyed the fruit salad for an afternoon snack for a few days. It really is a great pick me up.
The Ninja Baker says
You’re right, Renee. Your fruit salad sparkles bright like the many diamonds Liz loved. (So apropos that your dressing contains wine. Tee hee!)
Renee says
Thanks Kim! It would be so nice to have such lovely diamonds. She really did sparkle with them.
Anita at Hungry Couple says
That sounds like a fun evening with friends and that fruit salad is beautiful. I crave fruit when the weather is warm.
Renee says
It was a wonderful evening. I also crave fruit in the summer. I love getting fresh local fruit from the farmers market too.
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen Notes says
Growing up she was one of the icons, the woman with the violet eyes… I want to see the movie now. Fruit salad with wine, such a great dessert Renee!
Renee says
Thanks Paula! She did have beautiful eyes. I thought about making something with lavender inspired by her violet eyes but decided on the salad. I’m glad I did. The salad is something I’ll eat all summer long.
Tara says
Gorgeous salad, love it!!
Nicole @ Daily Dish Recipes says
That sounds like so much fun, and I do want to see that movie. This salad is gorgeous, I just love it. Love fruit and it’s the perfectly sparkle salad. Nom!
Renee says
Thanks Nicole!
Family Foodie says
I love fruit salad and your pictures make this one look absolutely amazing!
Renee says
Thanks Isabel! Such kind words about my photography give me a great big simle.