Pomegranate-Pear Champagne Punch

February 8, 2013 by

Pomegranate Pear Champagne Punch

The typical beverage of choice for most people during the Super Bowl is beer. But, not for me. While watching the game last week, I was sipping on some of this pomegranate-pear champagne punch. I guess I just like to be fancy. And also, it was Sunday, which is my day for cooking and photographing everything for the blog, but whatever. Oh, and like always, I don’t want to drinks to go to waste, so I end up drinking both of them in the middle of the afternoon. I have no tolerance anymore and so then I fell asleep. I am so lame.

Pomegranate Pear Champagne Punch

We don’t have any big plans for Valentine’s Day. I think since we have been together, we have only attempted to go out on Valentine’s Day like maybe once. We hate crowds so we are going to do what we always do for special days: Sit at home in PJ’s, eat a lot of fondue, and probably watch more Bones on Netflix. We are out of control!

I love pom juice, but I think my favorite part about this drink is the pear nectar and of course, the pretty pink color! This punch fruity and addicting! I think I will fancy things up this V-Day by mixing up more of this punch! Nothing says Valentine’s Day and romance like a glass of champagne, am I right?!

Pomegranate Pear Champagne Punch

Print
Pomegranate Pear Champagne Punch

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pomegranate juice
  • 1 cup pear nectar
  • 1/4 cup orange-flavored liqueur (like triple sec)
  • 1 bottle (750 ml) champagne

Instructions

  1. In a pitcher add in the pomegranate juice, pear nectar, and the orange liqueur and stir together. Slowly pour in the champagne. Chill before serving or serve over ice.

Notes

Recipe from Martha Stewart

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/02/pomegranate-pear-champagne-punch/

Pomegranate Pear Champagne Punch
Filed Under: Cocktails, Drinks, Holidays · Tagged With: , , , , , , 24 Comments

Holiday

January 6, 2013 by

Our road trip…according to my iPhone.

 

Flagstaff

Arch

photo

Tree

Snow yard

Shoes

Tea

Sunset

 
Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: , , , , 4 Comments

Gingerbread Martini

December 17, 2012 by

Everyone has a certain flavor that reminds them of Christmas. For some it’s eggnog, for which I am still just not so sure how I feel about. For others, it’s peppermint.

Speaking of peppermint, I have a confession. I think it’s time I come clean about something. We’re all friends here, right?

Ok, here it goes…I don’t really like peppermint.

I know, I’m sorry. Please don’t throw garbage at me. I don’t HATE it, I just don’t really care for it. I only like mint flavor in a few things: toothpaste, gum, tea, mouthwash, mint chip ice cream, and..well, that’s about it. I don’t like peppermint bark either. This is also because it contains white chocolate, which, by the way, I really do hate.

My favorite Christmas flavor is gingerbread. I’ll skip the peppermint, just give me the gingerbread. In all forms. Cookie, latte, and now, martini. And just a warning, this thing is dangerously addicting. The gingerbread syrup is really where it’s at with this drink, so add as much or as little as you like. I kind of want to pour the syrup on everything though.

Print
Gingerbread Martini

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2 martinis

Ingredients

    For the gingerbread syrup:
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 4 tbs. molasses
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
    • For the martini:
  • 2 ounces vanilla vodka
  • 1.5 ounces Kahlua
  • 1.5 ounces Bailey's Irish Cream
  • 3 tbs. gingerbread syrup (or to taste)
  • 2.5 ounces half and half (plus about 2 tbs. for the rim)
  • gingerbread cookies (for the rim and for garnish)(I like Pepperidge Farm)
  • whipped cream (for garnish)

Instructions

    For the syrup:
  1. In a small saucepan, heat the water, brown sugar, molasses, ginger, and cinnamon on medium heat until the sugar dissolves (about 5 minutes).
    2. For the martini:
  2. Crush about 2-3 small gingerbread cookies in a zip lock bag with a rolling pin. Place the crumbs in a saucer and set aside.
  3. Pour the 2 tablespoons of half and half into a small saucer. Dip the rims of the martini glasses into the half and half. Then dip into the gingerbread crumbs and set the glasses aside.
  4. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine, the vodka, Kahlua, Bailey's Irish Cream, gingerbread syrup, and the half and half. Shake well and pour into martini glasses. Place a dollop of whipped cream on top and then place a gingerbread cookie on top of the whipped cream and serve.

Notes

- If you can't find gingerbread cookies, you can also use gingersnaps or Biscoff cookies.

Adapted from Hampton Roads Happy Hour

http://eat-drink-love.com/2012/12/gingerbread-martini/
Filed Under: Cristmas, Drinks, Holidays · Tagged With: , , , , , , 18 Comments

Holiday Gifts for Foodies 2012

December 15, 2012 by
XMas 2012

With Christmas just 10 short days away, I thought I would give you guys a little list for some last-minute ideas for the foodies in your life! And the best part about all of these items is that they are $50 and under! So, get shopping!

1. Baker Nutcracker: $25 at Pier 1 Imports

Ever since I was little, I’ve always been crazy about these guys. This is probably because my mom would always take me to the ballet every Christmas. And seriously, how cute is this baker nutcracker?!

2. Tablet Kitchen Stand: $49.95 at Williams-Sonoma

This stand might be at the top of this list for me. I always have my iPad in the kitchen with me when I am trying out new recipes and this little stand is perfect! You can also purchase a blue-tooth speaker and screen protector to go with the stand (sold separately).

3. Cuisinart Immersion Hand Blender: $29-$39 at Amazon

I have been meaning to buy myself one of these and haven’t gotten around to it so it is also my list! It would be really useful for soups! And they come in such fun and pretty colors!

4. Conversion Dishtowel: $4.95 at Crate and Barrel

I’m really horrible with conversions. Like, the worst. So, how freakin’ cool and handy would this dishtowel be?!

5. Herb Keeper: $20 at Uncommon Goods

Though I have been meaning to plant my own herbs at my new place, I haven’t gotten around to it, so I am still buying them from the store. I really hate when I buy herbs, only need a little, and then basically have to throw the rest away because I can’t get to them fast enough. This little herb keeper would be great for making them last longer!

6. The OCD Cutting Board: $26 at Think Geek

Um, yes.

7. Merry Berry Soap and Lotion: $16 at Crate and Barrel

I’m pretty sure I had something similar on last year’s gift list, but I don’t care, I’m adding it again! During the holidays, you are probably washing way more dishes than normal and it’s colder outside. This soap and lotion set is perfect to keep next to your sink!

8. Utensil Earrings: $28 on Etsy

Ok, how cute are these utensil earrings I found on Etsy! Perfect for any cooking enthusiast!

9. Cake Pops Set: $45 at Amazon

I don’t have any kids yet, but this adorable cake pops set from the incredible Bakerella really makes me wish I did because these look like too much fun!! Maybe my husband will do this with me?!!

10. Sea Salt Caramels: $22 at Crate and Barrel

You can never go wrong with tasty candy for a foodie. These sets make great gifts for co-workers or teachers as well. Crate and Barrel and Williams-Sonoma both have a great variety of treats!
Filed Under: Cristmas, Holidays, Uncategorized · Tagged With: , , , , , , , 9 Comments

Yarn Wreaths

December 7, 2012 by

I’m back with yet another craft for you all today! I started making these yarn wreaths last year and now I can’t stop. They are just too much fun. I want one for every holiday!

Wrapping the yarn can be a little tedious, but I like to do it while I am watching tv or a movie. It’s a relaxing project and they look so cute when you are done! And they are way to cheaper to make than to buy at the store. I spotted some at Target today for $30, these will cost you half of that. And once you stock up on assorted colors of yarn, you only need to buy the wreath each time.

These would also make fun little gifts to give this holiday season!

Ok, here is what you need:

A foam wreath from the craft store. I usually go for the white ones, but my store was out so I just went with a floral green one. The wreaths also come in different sizes. Pick whichever you want. Make sure you get the smooth ones, not the really rough ones. Gosh, I’m so good at explaining this, aren’t I?

Yarn. Lots of yarn. And in lots of colors. Go crazy.

Pins.

Ribbons, felt, or whatever you want to decorate your wreath with! You can also use flowers or buttons. I have also made felt flowers and used buttons for the middle. Get creative!

Ok, so that’s what you need. A foam wreath, yarn, pins, and ribbon.

First, pick your first color and cut a piece of yarn to your desired length. You can do all of the colors the same length, or you can change it up. There is no wrong way to do this. Place one end of the piece of yarn on the inside of the wreath and pin into place.

Now wrap the yarn around the wreath. You want to try to wrap it so there are no gaps where the foam is showing. After I wrap each time, I push the yarn to the side up against the side where I started wrapping and make it nice and tight. Once you reach the other end, pin that side down.

Now it’s time to move onto your next color. Just like the first color, take one end, pin into place, wrap, pin the other end. Rinse and repeat.

If there are any pieces of yarn sticking out, you can just pin it down. Ok, so after you finish wrapping your yarn, it’s time to decorate! Again, there is no wrong way to do this. I like to wrap mine with ribbon and then from there, I do different things.

Here are two Christmas wreaths I have done:

And because I am way too lazy to go break out my Halloween decorations, here is an Instagram pic I posted of one of my Halloween wreaths.

For the Halloween wreath and the snowman wreath, I bought sheets of felt at the craft store. Cut two equal shapes that I wanted (snowman, ghost, spider, pumpkin). Then I hand stitched around each one about 3/4 of the way around the edges, stuffed cotton balls inside, stitched up the rest. Then I made their faces!

For the Santa one, that is also made with felt, but it was a little kit I spotted at Michaels and I just glued it together.

So, the possibilities are endless! Have fun with it!
Filed Under: Crafts/D.I.Y. · Tagged With: , , , , , , 9 Comments

Low-Fat Cranberry Orange Bread

December 19, 2011 by

Ok, I know, another sweet post. I just realized that everything I have been posting lately is sweet! But, I think this is probably true for a lot of bloggers out there. As much as I love baking, a part me of wants the holidays to be over so I can get back to my normal diet and so my kitchen doesn’t look like a bomb went off in it!

My mom and I love cranberries. In fact, on Thanksgiving, I think we are the only people that touch the cranberry sauce! My mom gave me this recipe for cranberry orange bread a few years ago and we both enjoy making it this time of year. Given all the sweets I have been eating, I wanted to try to make this bread a little heartier and lighter in fat. This bread is made with whole wheat flour and I also added in some flax meal which along with the pecans, gave this bread a great nutty flavor. This was also the first time I used applesauce in place of butter and I was pretty happy with the results!

Low-Fat Cranberry Orange Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

– 2 cups whole wheat flour

– 1/2 cup sugar

– 1 tbs. baking powder

– 1/2 tsp. salt

– Grated rind of 1 large orange

– Optional: 1/4 cup flaxseed meal

– 2/3 cup fresh orange juice

– 2 eggs, lightly beaten

– 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

– 1/4 cup vegetable oil

– 1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries

– 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with wax paper and grease.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in orange rind. Make well in center and add orange juice, eggs and applesauce. Stir from the center until the ingredients are blended. Do not overmix. Add cranberries and walnuts. Stir until blended.

3. Transfer batter to the prepared pan and bake until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Serve thinly sliced, toasted or plain, with butter or cream cheese and jam.

Notes:
- If you want to cut the sugar in this recipe, I actually made mine with closer to 1/4 cup of sugar, but if you wanted, you could use Stevia or Splenda!
- If you don’t have whole wheat flour, you can use white flour. Don’t want to use applesauce? Then use 6 tablespoons of butter!

Filed Under: Desserts, Low-Fat, Low-Sugar/Sugar-Free · Tagged With: , , , , , , 28 Comments

Gingerbread Cookie Dip

December 14, 2011 by

First there was Cookie Dough Dip. Then there was Brownie Batter Dip. Now, I bring your Gingerbread Cookie Dip! And as with the other dips, this dip is also made with beans!

I wasn’t quite sure how this one was gonna turn out, but it was much better than I expected! It really tastes like gingerbread cookies! I only had light brown sugar, but if you have dark brown sugar, that might make this dip a little darker and it will look more like gingerbread! I ate mine with apple slices and it was super delicious, but you can also use graham crackers, or if you want to be a little bad, cookies!

Gingerbread Cookie Dip

Ingredients:

– 1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed

– 2/3 cup dark brown sugar

– 1/4 cup natural peanut butter

– 2 tsp. vanilla extract

– 2 tbs. molasses

– 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

– 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

– 1/4 tsp. ground cloves

– 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and mix until smooth. I didn’t need to add any milk to this one, but if it’s too thick for you, add some skim or soy milk!

Notes:
- Just like the other sweet dips I have made, you can use sugar substitutes for this, but just keep in mind that the molasses makes the sugar content higher in this dip!
Filed Under: Desserts, Dips/Sauces, Low-Carb, Low-Fat · Tagged With: , , , , 38 Comments

Olive and Cream Cheese Penguins

December 12, 2011 by

Ok friends. It’s Monday and I know, it sucks. But, I’ve made you something that is surely going to cure your case of the Mondays. Though I had originally only planned to bring cookies to my lab’s holiday party this past weekend, I found out we were in need of more appetizers. I’ve seen these little guys floating around the interwebz in various places the past couple of year and have been dying to make them and took my lab’s party as the perfect opportunity. And let me tell you guys, these are the cutest appetizers ever!!

Yes, really! Now, I won’t lie to you guys. These little penguins took some time to put together. It took me some time to really figure out how to get the cream cheese into the olives neatly. As you can see, mine aren’t perfect, but I was making them at 10pm on a Friday night which means my OCD tendencies got away from me. I do recommend getting colossal olives. I accidentally bought extra large olives which worked, but I think the colossal olives would be easier to pipe the cream cheese into! You can use regular cream cheese if you want, but I wanted to give these more flavor so I used chive whipped cream cheese.

Print
Olive and Cream Cheese Penguins

Prep Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 8-ounce package flavored cream cheese, softened
  • 1 can small seeded black olives
  • 1 can colossal seeded black olives (can also use extra large)
  • 2-3 carrots
  • toothpicks

Instructions

  1. Start off by prepping all of your ingredients. Drain the olives. Slice your carrots into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices. Once the cream cheese has softened, put it in a bowl and whip with a hand mixer (if not already whipped). Then, spoon it into a piping bag with a small tip (I used a #5, but one that is slightly larger might be easier!).
  2. Take a carrot slice and cut a small triangle out of it. The triangle you have just cut is the nose and the remaining piece are the feetsies! Place the large piece of carrot onto a toothpick and slide all the way down. Then take one of the larger olives, and slice down one side. Then take your piping bag and pipe the cream cheese into the olive until it is filled and make sure you can see some of the cream cheese poking out of the slit you cut to make the tummy. Slide the olive down on top of the feet with the hole-side down. Then, take a small olive and insert the triangle you cut into the hole to make your penguin's head. Slide the small olive on top of the stomach and there you go!

Notes

- If you do not have a piping bag or tips, you can try using a freezer bag and just snip a hole on the corner. - You can also try using soft cheese spreads like Boursin! - I bought extra large olives instead of the colossal on accident. It worked out okay, but I do recommend the larger ones as they will be easier to pipe cream cheese into!

http://eat-drink-love.com/2011/12/olive-and-cream-cheese-penguins/

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Edgeware!
Filed Under: Appetizers, Low-Carb, Snacks · Tagged With: , , , , , , , 77 Comments

Magic Bars

December 8, 2011 by

Ok y’all, today’s post is gonna start off a little mushy. First, I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for buzzing my Cranberry Orange Bars to the Top 9 on Foodbuzz today!! This is my first time to get in the Top 9 and I couldn’t be more excited! I have met so many wonderful friends from Foodbuzz and I am so thankful for each and every one of you!!

Alright now that we got that out of the way, we can talk about these Magic Bars. Every year, my Aunt Renée makes a bunch of cookies for Christmas and she always sends a big platter of them home with us. I will say that of all the cookies on the tray, the magic bars are probably the favorite in the family and are usually the first ones to disappear. Part of this might be because she is stingy with giving us the magic bars as my cousins try to hoard them for themselves (*insert evil snicker as I know they might be reading this ;) ). So anyway, once we bring the tray home and unwrap the plastic wrap, there are usually only like 4 or 5 magic bars on the tray. What the heck is up with that, yo?!

This year, Hubs and I will be traveling to California to spend Christmas with his family. I’m excited to spend time with them and I am REALLY excited because I finally get to meet my adorable little nephew who was born at the end of July! But going to Cali means I won’t be going home to Cleveland and won’t get to fight it out for the magic bars so when I decided to make a cookie tray of my own for my lab’s holiday party this weekend, magic bars needed to be on it!!

Classic Magic Bars

From Eagle Brand®

Makes about 24 bars

Ingredients:

– 1/2 cup butter, melted

– 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

– 1 14-ounce can sweetened and condensed milk

– 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

– 1 1/3 cups shredded coconut

– Optional: 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the melted butter and the graham cracker crumbs until it is fully moistened by the butter. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Add the crumbs to the pan, spread evenly and push down to form a crust. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crust. Then layer with the chocolate chips and then the coconut. Press down with a fork. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown. I recommend letting the bars cool before cutting.

Suggested variations:
- Sprinkles (though, the nonpareils I used started to bleed so I’m not sure I would use them again).
- M&M’s (use red and green for the holidays!)
- Dried fruit – cranberries, raisins, etc.
- Butterscotch or peanut butter chips (OR, mix the chocolate and PB chips! YUM!)
Filed Under: Cookies, Desserts · Tagged With: , , , , 39 Comments

Cranberry Orange Bars

December 6, 2011 by


Unless this is your first visit, you may have noticed my blog looking pretty different. I finally was able to transfer to a new host over the weekend and while the transfer process itself was pretty painless, it didn’t really occur to me that my layout would not go with it! Imagine my surprise to learn that I would have to re-do everything! I don’t know why I was surprised, I read that before, but I just forgot. So, this is what you get in 24 hours folks! I hope you like it! Over the next couple of weeks, I will be tweaking some things and will be adding some new features so stay tuned!

Now, onto the good stuff, these cranberry orange bars! I have a holiday party to go to at my advisor’s house this weekend and agreed to bring dessert. I decided on a cookie tray so I hope you all like cookies! I also hope you like cranberries because I have a lot of them in my freezer to use up! Since I am so busy during the week because of work and school, I wanted to get a head start by baking some of the cookies and freezing them until the weekend. These cranberry bars are sweet and tangy. They are also pretty easy to make!

Cranberry Orange Bars

Makes about 24 bars

Ingredients:

– 1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries

– 1 small orange, zested and juiced

– 3/4 cup water

– 1 cup sugar

– 1 box yellow cake mix

– 1 cup rolled oats

– 3/4 cups butter, melted

– 2 eggs

– Optional: 1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. You’re basically going to start off by making cranberry sauce! In a saucepan, add the water and sugar. Stir until the sugar is absorbed. Add the rinsed cranberries, along with the orange juice and zest. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the cranberries pop and the mixture begins to thicken. Pour into a bowl and let cool completely (at least 1 hour).

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, add the cake mix, oats, melted butter, eggs, and cinnamon. Mix until everything is well-combined. Set aside about 1 1/2 cups of the mixture. In a 9×13 baking dish, spray with non-stick spray. With the remaining batter, spread and push down into pan, forming a crust.

3. Spread the cooled cranberry sauce evenly over the “crust”. Then, with the 1 1/2 cups of batter you reserved, drop it by the spoonful evenly over the mixture. Then, with a knife or spoon, gently try to push down and spread some of each spoonful so it’s not as thick. You do not need to cover all of the cranberries and try to avoid pushing the batter down into the cranberry sauce. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let the bars cool for at least 2 hours before cutting into bars (trust me on that one!)!

 

 

Notes:
- If you want to try to make this sugar-free, then you can used Stevia or Splenda for the cranberry sauce. As for the cake mixture, look for sugar-free or no-sugar added cake mixes in your grocery store or in health food stores!
Filed Under: Cookies, Desserts · Tagged With: , , , , , 39 Comments