Blood Orange and Pomegranate Cupcakes

Life has been busy these days.  Between getting sick, entertaining visiting friends, and working long hours to prepare for a big presentation at work, I feel like February has flown by.  Winter is quickly coming to a close and spring is right around the corner.  But, winter isn't over yet, and that means that here in San Diego, beautiful citrus is still plentiful.   

At the markets, local farmers are still sharing sweet Cara Cara oranges, large Ruby Red and Oro Blanco grapefruits, and popular Meyer Lemons.   But it's the tart Blood Oranges that I really can't resist.  

From the outside, blood oranges look just like any other orange.  You might be lucky enough to spy an blood orange by a slight blush on the rind, but not always.  Usually the dimpled skin the color of late-afternoon sun belies the crimson flesh that is characteristic of this citrus.  I am powerless to resist the hidden beauty of the blood orange, so when I decided to create a cupcake for the POM Wonderful cupcake contest, there was no question that I wanted to work blood oranges into  my recipe.  

Pomegranate Persimmon Salad, and How to Remove Pomegranate Seeds

So today I am going to tell you about a salad that has two of my favorite full-bodied fall fruits (try saying that five times fast!).  But first, lets get some formalities out of the way.


Project Food Blog is still going strong, and in fact, voting for Round #7 is currently underway!  And what kind of dedicated gal would I be if I didn't make absolutely sure that you got to see my video entry for this round.  Have you seen it yet?  I hope so, but if not, be sure to check out my original post, or go directly to the Foodbuzz website (where you can vote for me, wink wink).  I made a delicious dessert for you and tied it all up with a pretty bow, and I hope you enjoy it.  If you like it, don't forget to vote for my entry!  Voting is open through Thursday, Nov.18th, 6pm PST, and I truly appreciate ALL your support. 

Now then, shall we get on to this salad?


This salad is extremely easy to make with just a few seasonal ingredients such as pomegranates and persimmons.  Pomegranates are an amazing fall fruit, and their health benefits are extraordinary; they are a rich source of B vitamins as well as vitamin C, and their seeds contain extra fiber and also heathy oils.  But about those seeds... it seems many people are in a quandary over how to actually get the seeds out of the pomegranate without looking like they were the victim in bad horror movie.  Pomegranate seeds have a lot of juice, and when you open it up and try to remove the seeds it gets everywhere!  So let me show you an easy, mess-free way to remove the seeds from a fresh pomegranate.








See, wasn't that easy?  I hope that quick demo will encourage you to go out and buy a fresh pomegranate to reap all its health benefits and its fantastic taste.  And just so that you know, once you remove the seeds from a fresh pomegranate, if you keep them refrigerated in an airtight container, you can enjoy those little jewels over the course of several days. 

A Presidio Picnic, with Italian Pressed Sandwiches

Remember when I told you that I looove to have dinner parties?  Well, that same passion applies to picnics, barbecues, and brunch dates with friends; anytime I can put together a little meal to feed someone, I am a happy camper.  So imagine my delight when I realized I had advanced to Round 6 of Project Food Blog (woo hoo!!!) and that I had the pleasure of packing up a picnic lunch to take on the road that will travel well and still look great!  To celebrate the end of picnic and barbecue season I decided to kick my usual picnic fare up a notch. I hope you really enjoy the picnic lunch I planned, and that you will continue to show your support and vote for me in this round! 

Before we officially get into my menu, here are a few things I keep in mind when planning to take food anywhere on the go:


-Food that is compact and self-contained (ie. does not have lots of sauces, condiments, etc.) transports best, and creates the least amount of mess.  This also means you don't need to worry about 'assembling' dishes after you arrive at your picnic or party.
-When appropriate, I use high-quality prepared foods that I know are as good as 'homemade.'  This saves time and energy.
-If possible, I like to stick with foods that don't need much cutlery or serving utensils; since it is a picnic, it is more fun to eat with your hands anyway!
-I always think about the aesthetics of my food, and try to keep things festive, fun, and colorful, or use packaging that translates into ease of transportation.   
-I choose dishes that are relatively easy to make, or that I have made before and loved, so there are no snafus and everything tastes fabulous and fresh! 


Keeping these things in mind, I formulated my picnic menu:

Drink: Pomegranate Berry Spritzer

Snack: Parmesan and Gruyere Cheese Straws

Main: Sopressata and Provolone Italian Pressed Sandwiches

Side: Shredded Red Cabbage Salad with Pistachios

Dessert: Spiced Pear and Cranberry Pocket Pies

I got all my food and drinks ready to go, I loaded up my Project Food Blog cooler, and I headed out to meet my good friend Jill at the Presidio of San Diego for an afternoon picnic.  

To start out my menu and wash down all these delicious picnic treats, I decided to go with a refreshing Pomegranate Berry Spritzer.  The good folks over at POM had sent me some awesome POM wonderful and I was eager to try it out!  Pomegranates are loaded with antioxidants, so this drink not only tasted great, but also was healthy too.  Since pomegranates have a sweet-tart flavor, I decided to boost the sweetness factor by making a simple syrup from blueberries and blackberries.  The simple syrup combined with the POM and lime sparking mineral water was a perfect combo and was so easy to make by just bringing along the bottles of POM, a bottle of mineral water, and the syrup in a small container.  Plus, who can resist the deep ruby color of pomegranate juice!