FitSugar

Happy Hour: Pomegranate Cosmo

partysugar — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 13:13:33 -0800

Last Saturday night I found the words, "The Cosmo is so 2001," tumbling from my mouth. As soon as they escaped, I started to remember - and miss – my old friends: the classic, rosy hued cranberry juice Cosmo and her close cousin, the berry-colored pomegranate Cosmo. Monday morning, I was shocked to find a note from Angelica with a recipe for the pom Cosmo!

Could we be in the midst of a Cosmo renaissance? The pomegranate Cosmo is the perfect, festive, holiday-worthy cocktail. With its gorgeous color, and tart refreshing taste, it's a delicious aperitif or fun party drink. To join me in rekindling my love affair with Cosmos, get the recipe, just read more

Pomegranate Cosmopolitan
From The Lodge at Tiburon

1 cup Vodka
1/2 cup Cointreau liqueur or triple sec
3/4 cup POM pomegranate juice
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
Lime wedges, optional for garnish

Combine vodka, pom juice, Cointreau and lime juice in a container or pitcher.
In small batches, shake mixture with ice in a cocktail shaker, then strain into chilled cocktail glasses.
Garnish with lime twist, if desired.

Serves 8.

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The Skinny On: Pomegranate

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 14:15:00 -0800

Pomegranates are making their way into everything. Pomegranate Martinis to Pomegranate infused Ahi-Tuna. Wondering why?

Well, pomegranate is so good for you and here's why. One pomegranate delivers 40% of an adult's daily vitamin C requirement and they are also very rich in antioxidants. Furthermore pomegranates have been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure and aid in the prevention of prostate cancer and osteoarthritis.

You can get pomegranate in many forms like juices, extracts, pills and more. I drink it in a juice form but there are two things to watch out for. First of all it is pretty expensive for a juice but you can shop around and get less expensive brands (even though POM is wonderful); You'll just want to try it before committing to a whole gallon. The other thing is that Pomegranate juice can be pretty potent (and sugary). To counteract this, I typically add 75% water to 25% juice.

Fit's Tip: Some pomegranate extracts are described as 'punicosides', which means "stuff from pomegranates", and it is just a new term invented by a clever marketing team that understands how popular pomegranate is. Instead, look for extracts with 'punicalagins', which are far more reputable antioxidants.

Trend Alert: Fun With Pom-Poms

FabSugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:00:22 -0800

There are two types of pom-poms. The Summer pom, often found on sandals and scarves, is funky and festive. The Winter pom provides spunk to sweaters and hats. Both allow fun with pom-poms. The pom-pom is an adorable detail that signifies humor and not taking yourself too seriously. Totally fun.

DIY: Tissue Paper Pom Poms

CasaSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:15:42 -0700

I spotted these great Paper Pom Poms on Etsy, and thought they'd make fun décor for a bridal shower, if you have a friend getting married. But, at three for $15, I think the prices are steep. It'd be much more economical to make them yourself, seeing as they're fairly simple. I like to craft small ones for gift wrapping. To learn how, read more.

Supplies:

Tissue paper (20 inches x 30 inches). Choose one to three colors, or similar shades of the same color, to keep things from looking like a circus.
Scissors
Monofilament
Floral wire. White, if you can find it.

Here's how:

Stack four to eight the sheets of paper on top of one another, depending on you puffy you want them to be.
Now, fold the sheets into 1.5-inch accordion folds, all the way across.
Prune the ends of the tissue into round shapes, to give them a petal-like look.
Cut about a foot and a half length of floral wire.
Wrap the wire around the center of the folded tissue and secure it by twisting.
Now the fun part! Pull apart each layer, separating it from the center one piece at a time.
Measure the length you'd like to hang your pom pom from and cut a piece of monofilament accordingly.
Knot the monofilament to the floral wire and hang!
Repeat until you've created a pom pom fantasyland. The more, the merrier!

Be sure to check out all of the Sugar network's wedding coverage here!

iPom Flower Pot iPod Speaker, Like Bringing Home a Bouquet

GeekSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:00:25 -0700

Speakal's best-known product is the freakishly cute iPig iPod Speakers, a stunning example of how you can make something that's become so common and boring - iPod speakers - back into a must-have product based on its looks.

The iPom, an upcoming product from Speakal, is, like the iPig, sweet enough to make me rethink my satisfaction with my current flock of iPod speakers and add to it.

I've heard good things about the sound quality from Speakal, and I've plugged my iPods into enough boring white or gray speakers to know that I'd delight at using "flowers" to play my favorite jams each time. Plus maybe I'll stop bugging my boyfriend to buy me flowers. Maybe.

Happy Hour: PomTea Spritzer

partysugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 11:59:31 -0700

In case you haven't noticed, I've been talking about tea all this week in order to mentally prepare myself for the afternoon-celebration spring-tea party that I am hosting tomorrow. I'm not a skilled tea brewer, I have much more experience mixing cocktails, and this evening I am going to practice brewing a few pots of tea to ensure that I don't pour out anything too bitter or strong at mañana's fiesta de te. Emily is going to come over and act as my drink tester and to reward her for sipping the teas, I thought I could stir together a drink that uses up the fresh brewed tea. A mixture of pomegranate juice, iced tea, and vodka, this sounds like it might even be good enough to serve at the party! To look at the recipe, read more

PomTea Spritzer
From Extra Tasty

1 part Vodka
A splash of Raspberry liqueur
2 parts Pomegranate Juice
1 part Sparkling water
1 part Iced tea
A splash of Honey

Mix to taste: In a pitcher combine one bottle of Pomegranate Juice (recommended: blueberry, for extra antioxidants) with a generous amount of decent vodka, a quick splash of Chambord, about a cup of Iced Tea, and sweeten with a good squeeze of honey.
Stir until the honey is dissolved and dump in the seltzer water, enough to be fizzy but not watered down. Enjoy!

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Taste Test: POMx Iced Coffee

YumSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:00:17 -0700

Pomegranates may have been around for thousands of years, but it wasn't until a few years ago that the fruit took off with the launch of pomegranate drinks such as POM Wonderful. Suddenly, the ubernutritious specimen became the world's hottest fruit. Its tart, brambly flavor began appearing in everything from cocktails to salad dressing. When I heard POM had developed a coffee drink, I had to find out what the hype was about. Did this beverage have pomegranate juice mixed in with its coffee? As it turns out, POMx Iced Coffee contains pomegranate extract for its antioxidant benefits, but no actual pomegranate juice. The 10-ounce drink, which is currently only available on the East Coast, comes in two flavors, café au lait and chocolate, and costs $2.99. The drink contains Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee, fat-free milk, and organic cane sugar. To find out my impressions of the drink, read more.

Drinking the chocolate flavor made me feel like a kid again. It resembled chocolate milk, but with subtle coffee undertones. The café au lait flavor had a creamy consistency, a more pronounced coffee flavor, and was significantly less sweet. I almost fell out of my chair, however, when I learned that each bottle contains 170 to 190 calories - at least 20 calories more than a can of regular Coke!

Although POMx Iced Coffee possesses little complexity like a real coffee, the healthy factor makes up for the straightforward coffee flavors. When I learned that it's being marketed as a "sophisticated energy drink" with a focus on health, the flavors seemed to make more sense.

Bottom line: The beverage contains all-natural ingredients, a stimulating 175 mg of natural caffeine, and enough antioxidants to equal an eight-ounce serving of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice. If you don't mind the calories and you need an energy boost, it might be a good drink for you.

For Red Mango and Pinkberry, It's Pomegranate War

YumSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:15:01 -0800

Last Thursday, frozen yogurt chain Red Mango announced that it would be partnering with pomegranate juice pioneer, POM Wonderful, to debut its first new flavor, Pomegranate by POM Wonderful.

But someone else had the same idea: Red Mango's biggest rival, cult favorite Pinkberry. New York magazine's food blog first reported that the rival chain's pomegranate flavor is slated to hit stores Nov. 21, one week after Red Mango's, and a Pinkberry rep confirmed with us the release of the new flavor.

This pomegranate battle isn't the first time that Pinkberry and Red Mango have gone head to head, and it certainly won't be the last. While the two chains may not be thrilled with the news, I'll be excited to conduct a taste-off. Will you do the same?

Source, Source, and Source

DIY: Vibrant Pom-Pom Napkin Rings

partysugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:50:44 -0700

After helping one of my friends with the flowers for her big day, I was asked by another friend to put together the festive napkin rings for her wedding. Rather than waste money on buying 60 rings, we made these flower-inspired pom-poms to adorn each napkin. These pom-poms can easily be customized to suit any color scheme. While mine were for a wedding, the fun napkin rings are great for any special occasion, be it a baby shower, engagement party, or dinner party! To learn how to make them and check out my step-by-step photos, read more.

This idea was adapted from something I saw in Martha Stewart Weddings. To make the pom-poms, you will need colored tissue paper, floral wire, and satin ribbon.

Cut four sheets of tissue paper into five- by 10-inch rectangles. Make 3/8-inch accordion folds.
Fold a 18-inch floral wire in half and wrap around the middle of the folded tissue paper and twist.
Trim ends into a rounded or pointed shape.
Carefully separate the layers of the tissue papers, pulling each layer toward the center.
Use the extra wire to make a loop on the back of the pom-pom. Insert a 12-inch piece of ribbon through the loop.
Tie ribbon around the napkin. Voila: a fabulous flower-like napkin ring to dress up any table!

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Fab Finding Follow Up: Winter Weekend Escape

FabSugar — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 16:00:22 -0800

In the midst of all of the end-of-year madness, sometimes it's nice to take a breather. Let's face it: Holidays may mean you take off time from work, but they're no vacation.

To get some true you time, you're taking a weekend escape to a friend's cabin up in Lake Tahoe. I started you off with this Floral Crochet Hat ($28) because it's a cute topper and will keep your head cozy. Be sure to check out all the Winter escape Fab Finds.

Let's see what you all came up with!

Oh! Now, you can build outfits by creating a list of clothing items. We have everything you need to build outfits with, and you can use your Fab Find bookmarks, too. This is an even better way to put together an entire outfit when you are completing your Fab Finding missions.

Look #1, created by fashionhore, is very Winter chic; I love the draped neckline of the coat and the unexpected pumpkin-colored gloves.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Quilted Nylon Jacket	Nordstrom Diamond Collection Diamond Earrings - View All - Nordstrom
Marc by Marc Jacobs Softy Overnighter Bag	Rebecca Beeson grey cotton basic tank
Wool-cashmere Torino Long Gloves	Theory Azeeta Turtleneck Sweater
Juicy Couture Footwear Cardiff Flat Boot	J Brand Low Rise 14" Skinny Corduroy Pant

To see a couple more, read more

Look #2, created by WhiplashGirlchild, is to die for. The Stella McCartney bag is definitely the perfect Winter-escape accessory!

Look #3, created by emalove, has serious snow-bunny appeal. The color palette is too cute.

Floral Crochet hat	Convertible Gloves/Mittens
14 White Gold Aquamarine Hoops	Juicy Couture Long Puffy Quilted Coat
Tie-waist cardigan	Free People Fuzzy Bunny Pan Turtleneck
Nordic Tote	Seven Jeans Roxanne Skinny Slimmer Jean	Juicy Couture Footwear Snow Flurry Quilted Wedge Boot

Cabled Hat - $69.50	Seaton Pom Pom Tunic Dress - $150.00
N-Tribal Yellow Multi - $38.00	Pom Ballet Flat - $19.80
Tory Burch Pom Pom Sandal - $275.00	LABOUR OF LOVE - Long jersey clown top - $134.55
Pom Pom Knit Hat - $48.00	Maharishi Pom pom tee - $115.00
Mia Pom-Pom - $75.00	Alexis Drawstring Pom Pom Caftan - $240.00
Jodi Arnold Cable Sweater Jacket - $572.00	Tashia Silk Tie Dye Pompom Scarf: Fuschia - $185.00

Women: Petites: Cableknit cowl neck sweater: Sweaters: Sale \| Gap	UrbanOutfitters.com > Lux Dazed Blue Skinny Jean
Free People Clothing Boutique > Heathered Cable Over the Knee Socks	Fred Flare Hat
Free People Clothing Boutique > Sweater Top Sport Boot	Forever21.com - Striped Scarf
Women: Womens: Long cableknit gloves: Gloves: Hats, Scarves & More \| Gap	Juicy Couture Long Puffer Quilted Coat - Women's - Bloomingdales.com
Stella Mccartney Knit Drawstring Bag�-� Shoulder Bags�-� Bergdorf Goodman	UrbanOutfitters.com > Pyramid Stud Earrings