The Pomegranate {The Jewel of Winter}

When I was younger my family and I lived in Berlin for a year. With so many memories there it is crazy that the one that sticks out the most to me is eating a Pomegranate!!

I remember my sister and I put on white t-shirts and stood on the balcony as we tore open pomegranates and picked away at their honey-comb like structure until our hands were dyed red and our shirts were rose-y pink. We snacked on the seeds and spit them off the balcony to see who could spit the farthest. 

Whenever I grab a pomegranate I always think of that day!

So today as I carefully took apart a pomegranate I remembered the savage days of my seven year old self. 

So many seeds and I only used a 1/2 a Pomegranate!! Little delicious snackies for the rest of the day! 

My sister absolutely LOVES skittles & as I was popping these little poms into my mouth I felt like being a health guru and standing on a chair to declare the Pomegranate as "NATURES SKITTLES"

So there you have it. Natures Skittles are indeed Pomegranates. It is a fact. 

Maybe not a real fact... but here are some actual real facts about how bomb the pom is!

1. High in potassium, fiber and vitamin C
2. Contain high counts of antioxidants (tannins, anthocyanins and ellagic accid)
3. Their antioxidants are equal to those in Green Tea!
4. Reduce Cholesterol
5. Lower risk of Heart Disease, Cancer & fight Cell damage!
6. If you are vegan and have low Iron, these buddies can help you out there too! 
7. Naturally fat free, low in sugar and 80 calories for 100grams and 5 grams of fiber! Say what!?

So if you are up for a challenge and have a shirt BEGGING to be stained. I highly recommend skipping on over (extra exercise?) to the store and grabbing one! It can be a fun family activity or just something to keep your hands busy so you don't experience a bad case of the snack attack. 

But go get a nice handful of natures skittles :)

Where did these facts come from? Here & Here & Here

&& if you are feeling like you don't want to go to the trouble of deseeding a Pom? Some supermarkets (like Trader Joes) have already seeded Pomegranates!! 

Thanks for reading :)

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Pumpkin Lasagna {A Thanksgiving MUST}

After a friend came across this recipe we decided to take it to the Gluten Free level of taste-tasticness. 

If you are thinking "Does this taste like pumpkin pie" then the answer is yes.

If you are thinking "Does this taste like a savory dinner dish?" then the answer is yes. 

Pretty much the only way to explain this dish to you.. is for you to eat it... love it... and make it again and again and again. 

Ingredients:

10.5 oz fresh mozzarella, divided

3/4C Ricotta Cheese 

3 Tbs Butter (Feel free to sub with Coconut oil/butter)

3-4 Cloves of garlic (I say go with 4)

2 3/4 C Canned Pumpkin

3 tbs light brown sugar (or add 2 tbs of maple syrup)

1 tbs of maple syrup

1 tsp of cinnamon 

1/4tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp kosher salt

pinch of white pepper

1 box of gluten free lasagna (do not cook before hand!)

**My suggestions for substitutions have not been tested but from past baking experiences they make good substitutions for people with allergies. If you are dairy free you can try using Daiya Cheese or another dairy free cheese to make this!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Shred  half of the mozzarella and mix with the ricotta in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a 2 quart pot, melt butter on low heat. Add garlic and brown lightly. Stir in pumpkin, brown sugar, maple syrup,  cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir until it’s all warm. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Smear a thin layer of pumpkin mixture on the bottom of a 9x9 glass baking dish.
4. Place 3 lasagna sheets across. Smooth a layer of ricotta/mozzarella on. Smooth a layer of pumpkin mixture on top. Repeat until you have 4-5 layers of pasta, cheese, pumpkin.
5. Once you finish, top it off with the rest of the mozzarella cheese!

If you have stolen a taste of the pumpkin mix... you are probably already growing impatient for it to be ready!

Cover it all up with foil & bake for 35min. Remove the foil & bake for another 5 minutes! 

If you love pecans like me you might want to sneak a few into the layers or just put them on top! Some things I would love to try with this recipe the next go round would be adding in more pecans (rather than just on top) and maybe putting raisins in it!?

I cannot wait to make this again for Thanksgiving! 

Enjoy Gobble-Gobble-Gobblin' this up!

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Food of the Day {November 10}

Family trip up to the ranch this weekend!! 

There is something about getting out into nature and just breathing in fresh crisp air that makes food even more delicious! 

It also provides some amazing back drops for my photos! 

I ended up eating half and putting the other half in the freezer to eat later!

 (uhm.. hello delicious healthy ice cream!?)

I also had a small serving of eggs & deer sausage but it didn't look to pretty on a paper plate :P

 

We played some cards (any Hand & Foot fans out there?) and snacked on a cream cheese/salsa mixture that I attempted to picture for you all but it just... doesn't look the prettiest :P 

But pretty much mix a container of philadelphia cream cheese & a cup or so of  salsa and stir. Serve it with some chips and you are golden for a delicious easy dip!

I was pretty stuffed from snackin' during cards so I made a chicken salad with some balsamic and olive oil and of course apple cider vinegar! 

For dinner tonight we experimented with some new flavors and something that should definitely be in consideration for your Thanksgiving dishes. 

I will be posting it tomorrow! But just to get your taste buds ready... here is a teaser. 

Pumpkin Lasagna....

Is it dessert... is it dinner? Who knows.. maybe the best of both worlds! 

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