Make It Your Resolution: Stop Being Fooled By Labels and Other Hype

Working at a supermarket allows me to get a feel for what types of labels can really fool a customer. One of the most common mistakes I see is depicted in the photo above (this was a gift from my friend Cathy. It opens up to a pad of paper. I love it!) Here are some more tips for you, based on what I've seen at work.

"Agave Light" and "Light Olive Oil" does not have less calories or fat

The word "light" or "lite" used on labels for sugars and/or oils most often means means the product is light in color. Sometimes it could means light texture.

Multigrain, nine-grain, whatever.... isn't necessarily whole grain, and isn't necessarily the best choice

Look on the ingredient list for "whole grains", such as oats, whole wheat flour, quinoa, amaranth, etc. You want these to be close to the top of the list, which would mean they are more prevalent in the product. If they aren't listed towards the top, look for another product.

Rye bread is most often not 100% whole grain (or even 100% rye)

Many people mistakenly believe that rye bread is 100% whole grain bread. Check out the rye bread in your store's bread aisle and you will see that most rye breads have enriched wheat flour listed as the first ingredient. The rye flour is typically somewhere towards the bottom of the list. So there may be some whole grains in the bread, but it's certainly not 100% whole grain (or rye!). Don't be fooled.

"Hazelnut spread with a hint of cocoa and skim milk" isn't good for you

I won't list the name of the product, but I am willing to bet you know what I'm talking about. I can't believe how many people think this "chocolate hazelnut spread" is actually good for them. Check out the sugar on the ingredient list, it's almost one full day's worth in one tiny serving size!

Peanut butter "with no cholesterol" isn't any better than any other peanut butter

News flash! You will never find cholesterol in any peanut butter, or other nut butter for that matter. Why? Because cholesterol is only found in animal products. Don't be fooled into thinking that a peanut butter that says "no cholesterol" on the label is any better for you than others. And let's not forget, chips are cholesterol free too...are they beneficial to your health? Not necessarily.

Extra crunchy peanut butter isn't necessarily any better for you than smooth, and neither is "Natural" peanut butter

I don't know what it is about the extra "crunch" in peanut and almond butters that make people think it's better for them...perhaps it's the perception of more fiber? I don't know, but crunchy or smooth, both varieties have the same nutrition facts (if they are the same brand).

And "natural" peanut butter isn't necessarily any better for you than "unnatural" peanut butter. It could still have added sugars and fats such as palm oil (so can organic nut butters!). The best type of nut butter, in my opinion, is one that is simply the nut and perhaps a bit of salt.

Just because the label says "Dark Chocolate" doesn't necessarily mean it has the health benefits of real dark chocolate

"Dark chocolate", also called "plain chocolate" or "black chocolate", is produced by adding fat and sugar to cocoa. It is chocolate with zero or much less milk than milk chocolate. The U.S. has no official definition for dark chocolate but European rules specify a minimum of 35% cocoa solids.^[2] <---- Wikepedia definition

So in other words, companies can call anything dark chocolate. Many companies will just darken their chocolate and call it "dark". I like to look for a percentage of cocoa, specifically 65% or more. And don't worry if you've been fooled in the past, I was consuming "Dark Chocolate unsweetened cocoa powder" for quite a long time until I read this (below).

Greek yogurt isn't always better, and all brands certainly aren't the same!

I like to recommend Greek yogurt to my clients because it's higher in protein and lower in sugar. That is....most of the time.

I was once fooled in the grocery store when I bought the Greek yogurt pictured above. It was definitely lower in sugar (most regular yogurts have at least 12 grams of sugar) but the protein was lower than most regular yogurts! I was bummed. Also, the calcium was low (I look for at least 20% DV) and there was zero vitamin D. Boo.

All margarine is not bad, and butter isn't always superior

This is a question I get quite often, "which is better, butter or margarine?". In my opinion there is no right answer. Butter is made from cream, therefore it contains cholesterol and saturated fat. Margarine is made from oil, therefore it's cholesterol free, but it does contain saturated fat. Something else that some margarines contain are trans fats, but they do not all contain them (look on the ingredient list and make sure there are zero partially hydrogenated fats). I typically say use whichever one you like best! They both contain fat and calories, and should be used in moderation, so choose base on your taste preference. And of course there are plenty of butter and margarine products out there that are lower in fat and calories, but that just requires a bit of research.

QUESTION: What was the last label or product that fooled you?
What are you doing for New Year's Eve? We still don't know, but all that matters is that I have an awesome outfit!

Honey and Pistachio Stuffed Dates

This post is going to be short and sweet. And when I say sweet, I mean it. I found this recipe for stuffed dates online and I wanted to simplify it (as in really simplify) so I could give it out at work. People loved it at work, so I made it for some guests over the weekend. This could pass as a dessert or appetizer and can be made in 45 minutes. I know this might sound like a lot of time, but you can watch TV or listen to the radio while you are relaxing in the kitchen and making these. It's calming, really.

What you will need:

Salted and shelled pistachios (a typical 6-ounce bag)
~40-50 large dates (large Medjool dates work best)
~1/4 cup honey

What you will do:

1. Chop the pistachios

2. Add the honey to the pistachios and mix until the pistachio pieces stick together relatively well (well enough to stuff into the dates)

3. Pit the dates and stuff them with the honey and pistachio mixture.

Seriously, this recipe is too delicious not to make. You could put these out with a cheese tray, or serve them with some vanilla ice cream. Whatever you do, I don't care, make this (someone at work told me this was the best thing they had eaten all year)!

And now on to the dreaded new year's resolution........

I've been writing some posts on my recommendations for new year's resolutions, for other people (more to come this week and next), but have yet to declare my own. The reason for that is simple; I don't think you really care. I'll be honest, I don't really care what yours are, so I figure no one cares about mine. However, since I still continue to read posts about people's declarations of new years resolutions, I figure you might continue reading this one, so I'll go ahead and tell you mine; First, I resolve to do yoga twice a week, and get my arms nice and toned for my September wedding (so far I've been doing well with this) and my second resolution is to do a triathlon next year. Remember my biathlon this year? This year I'm going to swim too! Yikes.

There, it's in writing, now I must do them.

Enjoy the rest of your week everyone!

Cranberry and Cilantro Quinoa Salad on Christmas Day

How was your holiday? Did you enjoy family time and good food? I know I sure did! Here is a brief recap;

Christmas Eve at Nick's mom's house

Nick, freaking out over his fantasy football scores (literally the entire Christmas Eve day)




The best Christmas tree ornaments, EVER!

And the prize for the most content and relaxed dog of the year goes to....the Japanese Shin; SAKE (as in the Japanese alcoholic beverage)

And our family must really think (ahem, know) we love beer, because they bought us a beer Christmas ornament, AND......




A beer-making kit with all the ingredients to make a couple special brews!!

Yesterday, Christmas day, we went to my aunt and uncle's house. Because my aunt, uncle, and cousin are all gluten free, and I try to limit my intake of wheat and gluten, I try to bring gluten-free recipes to most family gatherings. This year I brought a winter cilantro and cranberry quinoa salad (as well as some very non-gluten-free pepperoni bread for my family members who just love gluten!). The quinoa recipe was found on my favorite recipe website; Allrecipes.com. I made a couple modifications based on what I had in my kitchen.

Cranberry and Cilantro Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped (I used all green pepper)
  
• 1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped ( I used all green pepper)
  
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds (I used toasted walnuts)
  
• 1/2 cup minced carrots
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pour the water into a saucepan, and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, then pour in the quinoa, recover, and continue to simmer over low heat until the water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Scrape into a mixing bowl, and chill in the refrigerator until cold.
2. Once cold, stir in the green bell pepper, red onion, curry powder, cilantro, lime juice, sliced walnuts, carrots, and cranberries. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill before serving.

It was delicious. I'll definitely be making it again.

For dessert on Christmas day I had some buckeyes and my favorite festive dessert; rocky road fudge! My aunt wants to make these buckeyes for our wedding. I had to taste two of them to make sure they were good enough for the special occasion ;)

Have a great week everyone. I'll be back Wednesday with a great appetizer idea for the New Year, and then Friday with another "Make This Your New Year's Resolution" post.

Will I Ever Eat Gluten Again?

'Twas the day before Christmas Eve, and all through the kitchen.....

smells of sugar cookies were swarming....

and Gina's dad was bitchin'.

The cookies were sugar, "but they weren't made the right way" .

A cookie cutter wasn't used, but to Diann and Gina it was "ok"!

Gina was happy that the recipe was quick....

and meanwhile she wondered if the wheat made her sick.

She'd been tested for Celiac two weeks before.....

and she wondered if she'd be able to eat holiday sugar cookies anymore.

She'd already given up so many foods.....

on the day before Christmas Eve, Gina wanted some good news.

At 6pm that eve, the doc gave a ring.

The news was so good, it made Gina sing!



The results were negative and she was alright.

She could have her sugar cookie, and enjoy her holiday night.

But of course for Gina, moderation is always key.

But boy was that cookie tasty, and her Christmas results the best gift that could be!

So, the results were all negative. My tTG-IgA blood test was negative, and my iron and vitamin D levels were all normal (a sign of Celiac is often low vitamin D and/or iron levels). And since my doctor was smart, he also measured my total IgA levels at the same time he measured my tTG-IgA, to make sure I wasn't one of the few people who doesn't make any IgA antibodies (this can result in a false negative). My doctor did end up recommending a low gluten diet, as he said my symptoms were indicative of gluten "Sensitivity", but that's just fine because with the low FODMAPs diet I am pretty much already following a low gluten diet. No big deal.

If you have questions, feel free to ask. But meanwhile, enjoy your holiday everyone!

This is last year's Christmas photo. I felt like I needed to add a Christmas tree to this post :)

Make It Your Resolution: Don't Fall For Supplement Scams

With the new year approaching I know many people will be making resolutions, and often times those resolutions involve being healthier ("it's a new year, I'll start to treat my body with respect!"). For those who are thinking about starting a new supplement of some sort, this post is especially important. But let's be honest, this post is important for everyone considering dietary supplements/herbals are a $5.2 billion/year business!

I recently read an article in Nutrition Action Newsletter (written by the Center for Science in the Public Interest), which disclosed some tips on avoiding supplement scams, particularly for supplements sold online.

source: iStockPhoto

Here are some of the tips;

1. Ignore the pedigree. If you see an ad for a supplement on a website that you believe to be reputable, don't assume that means the website host agrees with the product or supports use of the product. Most sites sell their space to ad networks without even knowing which ads they are running. You've probably seen it on blogs, right? How many times have you read a blog about "healthy body images" only to see an add for a weight loss supplement on the bottom? I hate that.

2. Don't fall for before-and-after photos. Come on, you're smarter than that. It's 2011 and you know that by now technology can do so many things! One of those things is the ability to take a photo and manipulate it to make it look "better". Oh, and most of the "doctors" and "physicians" you see on the television are actors. Don't be fooled.

source: iStockPhoto

3. Beware of "free" trials. This is often just a way for the company to gain access to your information and credit card number. You may get charged each month, such as with this "Acai Berry Scam".


4. Don't blindly trust "review" websites. The websites www.dietpillsforwomen.org is an example of a scam review website. If you read the fine print of their disclosure you will learn that they do not claim accuracy for their reviews, and that they are paid commission on the pills they sell.


5. Look for a street address. A website that only has a toll-free number or e-mail address as their contact could easily be offshore and out of reach if you run into a problem with their product.


6. Check for complaints. Many online consumers will post complaints about products on websites such as complaintsboard.com, complaints.com, and ripoffreport.com.


If you want to learn more about dietary supplements, in general, check out this post I wrote last year.

QUESTION: Do you have other tips for avoiding online supplement scams? Have you ever been scammed?

And on a completely different note....how's the weather where you live? It's way too warm here to be Christmas. I wish winter would get here soon, so it can go away sooner than later (we are just putting off the inevitable here in C-bus) and it can actually feel like Christmas!! Ugh.

My Iron Chef Test

I could be the Next Iron Chef. Why? Because I just passed the "improvise" test in my own kitchen. That's right. I wanted to make pizza for dinner but all I had was instant yeast, brown rice flour, and cheese. I had no real toppings, no sauce, and I wasn't able to use garlic or onion because they contain the dreaded FODMAPs. What did I do? I improvised!

No sauce? No garlic? No problem! Take a jar of fire roasted tomatoes, add about 2 tsp. garlic olive oil (or regular olive oil and 1/2 clove whole garlic), and puree.

Voila...pizza sauce!

I followed this recipe for the crust, but used my "homemade pizza sauce" for the sauce, and infused more garlic into the pizza by using garlic olive oil in the dough, instead of plain olive oil. This pizza was my best one yet.


I think the garlic in the crust and in the sauce really elevated the flavor. Plus, I'll admit, I went a little crazy on the cheese. I did end up finding a jar of banana peppers in the fridge, and that was our only topping.



And, I had some sauce leftover for my spaghetti squash dish the next night. Below is a bowl of spaghetti squash topped with steamed vegetables, ground turkey, and my sauce. I also added grated parmesan cheese and pepper.

So long story short, my can of fire roasted tomatoes and my garlic olive oil turned into the perfect pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce. Not bad for my improvisation test, right?!

And on a completely different note, I just finished reading a fantastic book called The Art of Racing in the Rain. I know I read about this on someone's blog, but I can't remember who. Whoever it was, thanks for the great recommendation!!!

QUESTION: When was the last time you had to improvise in the kitchen? What was the last great book you read? I'll take suggestions anytime!

Enjoy your week everyone! Can you believe Christmas is SUNDAY?! And to those who celebrate, Happy (almost) Hanukkah!

Everything But The Kitchen Sink, Pumpkin and Oat Cookies (Gluten Free)

I often wonder if Food Network (and other networks that have shows all about food!) has had an effect on our country's obesity epidemic. I mean, how many times have you watched the Food Network and started craving something...like cookies? Or pasta? Or a big juicy steak? You can't deny that it's happened at least once, maybe even without your awareness. This is exactly what happened to me the other day. I was sitting on the couch watching one of the shows on cake making, and I all of a sudden got the urge to make cookies. I remembered this recipe for Pumpkin-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, that Grace had posted back in October (ok, I had written it down, my memory isn't that good!) and I knew I just had to make them. My plan was to make them my own and add some new ingredients as a way to clean out the kitchen. Here is what I had;

Brown rice flour

A large canister of oats, with only a bit left

Random golden raisins

A bit of mini chocolate chips

Some carob chips

A few walnuts

So I did a bit of modification to Grace's recipe and came up with this;

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Pumpkin-Oat Cookies!
(Makes 40 cookies)

Ingredients
1 cup pureed pumpkin (or pureed sweet potato or butternut squash)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soft butter
1 egg, beaten
1-3/4 cup oats
1.5 cup brown rice flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1.5 cups add-ins
(I used; 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup carob chips, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup golden raisins)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. In a medium bowl mix together the two sugars, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Add the soften butter and blend well.
4. Add the beaten egg and the pumpkin
5. Add the oats and the 1 cup of add-ins
6. Use a spoon to form cookies as you normally would with chocolate chip cookies, and put them on a greased cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

8. ENJOY!


Nutrition Facts
(1 cookies)

So at least I didn't make a really bad-for-you cookie after sitting and watching cake designers make a three teared cake with buttercream and chocolate candies on top....I mean...considering how much I was craving a piece of cake after watching that show, these cookies have some pretty good stats! And, while they didn't taste like a buttercream cake, they were delicious (even Nick approved of them, and is actually asking me to make them again!).


QUESTION: Which food show on television really increases your appetite?! For me it's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Also Top Chef.

Have a great weekend everyone. I'm off to Steeler country for the day for work, then I work tomorrow and have Sunday off to do some last minute Christmas prep (and finish my wedding invitations!).

Quick-Braised Salmon with Broccoli

I've had my Le Creuset braiser for almost a year now, yet I've only used it to braise one time. I recently found a great recipe for braised salmon and was completely intrigued (I'd never heard of braising fish!). While most recipes that require braising take several hours, this was a quick-braise. Fish is much more delicate, therefore it doesn't need to soak in the liquid as long as meat does in order to get tender.

Quick-Braised Salmon and Broccoli
(Recipe adapted from Clean Eating Magazine)

Ingredients

2 8-oz. thick-boneless, skinless wild salmon fillets
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper, plus additional to taste
1 T garlic olive oil
1 cup low sodium chicken broth, divided
1/4 cup chopped chives
1 medium head broccoli, cut into thin spears
Juice 1 lemon, divided
6 oz. plain Greek yogurt
2 T finely minced fresh tarragon
2 T finely minced fresh mint leaves
salt, to taste

** The original recipe called for regular olive oil, not garlic olive oil. It also called for 1 medium leek, thinly sliced crosswise, white and pale green parts only, instead of chives. I did not use the leeks because they contain FODMAPs. The chives worked pretty well as a substitute, I think.**

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Pat salmon dry with a paper towel and season with pepper. In a large braiser or ovenproof saute pan, heat oil on medium-high. Add salmon and sear for 3 minutes per side, until lightly golden. Transfer salmon to a plate and keep warm.

3. Reduce heat to medium and add 1/4 cup broth to pan. Add chives (or leeks!) and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until liquid evaporates and chives (or leeks) soften. Add remaining 3/4 cup broth and broccoli; mix well.

4. Return salmon to center of braiser, nestling between chives (or leeks) and broccoli. Drizzle half of lemon juice over salmon; cover and transfer pan to oven. Cook for 12 to 14 minutes, until salmon and broccoli are tender. Remove from oven and, using slotted spoon, transfer salmon and vegetables to a platter, over with foil to keep warm. Reserve 1/2 cup pan juices.

5. Prepare Lemon-Herb Sauce: in a small bowl, combine yogurt, tarragon, mint, remaining lemon juice, and reserved 1/2 cup pan juices; mix well. Season with salt and additional pepper, to taste.

6. To serve, halve salmon fillets and plate each with Lemon-Herb Sauce and chive-broccoli mixture.

This is what it looked like when I took it out of the oven, after I cut off a piece of the salmon to have a taste :)

This was DELICIOUS! And the sauce tastes really good on other cuts of meat as well.

QUESTION: Have you ever braised fish? Do you like to use mint in your recipes?

Pumpkin-Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Several months ago a client told me about a pumpkin-stuffed shell recipe she made. I never did get the recipe from her, but I was reminded of the recipe the other day and decided to look for a similar version online.


For those of you who are following a low FODMAP diet, this recipe has been modified so you can enjoy it. If you're like me and you are also lactose intolerant, you may need to eat just one shell at a time, or stuff your shells with less ricotta (ricotta cheese seems to give me a lot of issues if I eat more than a couple ounces at a time).

Pumpkin-Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Makes 8 servings

This recipe is based on one from Country Living magazine.

24 jumbo pasta shells
1 tablespoon garlic extra-virgin olive oil
22 ounces ricotta cheese
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg white
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 jar (26 ounces) purchased tomato sauce

** If you want to use regular olive oil and whole cloves of garlic (instead of using garlic olive oil and zero garlic cloves), go ahead! Just use the same amount of olive oil mentioned in the recipe (regular olive oil, not garlic), but add 2 minced cloves of garlic in step two below.**

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Transfer to a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, pumpkin, 3/4 cup parmesan and all remaining ingredients except tomato sauce.

4. Fill each pasta shell with pumpkin-ricotta mixture. Spread the jar of sauce in bottom of 13-by-9-inch pan (leave about 1 cup of the sauce to add on top of the shells). Arrange the shells in pan (seam-side up).

5. Top the shells with the last cup of the sauce and then cover pan with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil. Sprinkle shells with remaining parmesan. Bake 15 minutes longer.

These were so good that I forgot to take a picture of them on my plate. Oops. Moral of the story; make these today!

QUESTION: Have you ever stuffed a shell? What did you stuff it with? What's your favorite stuffed shell recipe?

Today is my "Friday" because I get Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday off. Needless to say, I'm extremely excited! It's been a long week for me (in a very good way because I've been very busy at work) and I plan on finishing all of my Christmas shopping over the "weekend". I do love having the ability to shop on weekdays.

Enjoy your week everyone! I'll be back on Wednesday with a fantastic salmon recipe.

Fully Loaded Oatmeal

Oatmeal, chocolate peanut butter, 1/2 banana, and 1/4 cup almonds, 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Now this is a good way to start the morning!

I mean think about it....you've got your whole grain (oats), your protein (almonds and nut butter), your half cup of fruit (banana), your fiber (oats, almonds, banana), and your milk/dairy (extra almond milk). Not only that, but you've also got chocolate!

Next we've got oatmeal with banana, honey roasted nuts, and a bit of natural calorie-free sweetener. I had a cup of unsweetened almond milk, and coffee to drink (multiple cups of coffee, I might add).

This was another fabulous combination that was a great example of a "ChooseMyPlate" breakfast. Of course, more than one-quarter of my breakfast is grain....but oh well, close enough.

This was last year's obsession....

Oatmeal with pumpkin and peanut butter. Can you believe I haven't had this for an entire year?! I used to be obsessed!

QUESTION: Go ahead, tell me your favorite way to eat oatmeal, or any other hot cereal. And what do you normally eat for breakfast on weekends?? Speaking of weekends, have a great one! I'll be working :)

Opening a Pomegranate, and Blogger Pomegranate Recipes

Pomegranates are arguably the most beautiful fruit on Earth. Seriously, they could make any dish look pretty. Not only are they pretty, but they are loaded with nutrients (just to name a few; fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and plant nutrients called tannins, which can help get rid of free radicals that damage our cells).

In my last post I asked you for some recipes that you like to use with pomegranates, and you definitely pulled through! But first I wanted to share something I love to do with pomegranates and that is add them to plain Greek yogurt (because I add everything to plain Greek yogurt). Who needs "Pomegranate Flavored Greek Yogurt", which typically has about 5-6 grams of added sugars, when you can just add your own pomegranate to plain yogurt and get ZERO added sugars, and loads of nutrients?!


I get a lot of questions about how to open a pomegranate, and how to get the seeds out without making a huge mess. This video explains my favorite way to extract the seeds without getting "red dye" everywhere.



And now it's recipe time! Here are some that you submitted.

Pomegranate and Walnut Chicken

Butternut, Pomegranate, and Pistachio Muffins

Grace suggested using the pear and pomegranate salsa as a compote to a white fish.<------Great idea!

Jessie said; I tend to put pomegranates into anything - salad, smoothies, on sandwiches (great with leftover turkey), mixed with nuts (candied or plain), with yogurt ... pretty much everywhere :)

Coco did an entire dinner party devoted to the pomegranate. Check out here recipes here!

Jess (Fit Chick in the City) said; I love eating them with a sweet potato and coconut butter. <---- Sounds heavenly!

Jennifer suggested this roasted pumpkin salad, with pomegranates. <---- It's so pretty!

Michelle Voss, from Facebook, says she enjoys pomegranates mixed with chopped oranges <--- Sounds like the perfect winter fruit salad!

EA Stewart (The Spicy RD) suggested using pomegranates as a garnish, such as with this recipe. <----great idea! Crepes are so pretty on their own, but pomegranates just heightened their beauty.

Here is an entire blog post that contains some favorite blogger pomegranate recipes! The black bean pomegranate dip really intrigues me.


I also really enjoy adding pomegranates to oatmeal. Have you ever tried that? It's pretty darn amazing. Speaking of oatmeal, Friday's post will be all about oatmeal, because it's been way too long since I've posted any pictures of oatmeal! Seriously, last year I believe I posted oats about a million times, this year.....zero.

QUESTION: What's your favorite winter fruit or vegetable? Mine are pomegranates and brussels sprouts.