Just Because . . .

I'm not going to lie: I've been known to knock back a glass (or three) of champagne on occasion. Mimosas rock my world on non-marathon training Sunday mornings. And I've also spent many afternoons off -- glass in hand -- with the bubbly stuff fueling some pretty awesome kitchen creations.

You get it. I love champagne. I drink it with or without celebration -- you know, just because. And I'm not too snobby to say I love the $5 bottle of Extra-Dry Andre that's likely the Bud Light of the champagne world. Of course I enjoy fancier varieties, but the contents of that cheap green bottle taste just fine to me.

I usually have at least one bottle around the house. And thanks to POM Wonderful, I've had a good stock of 100% pomegranate juice in my fridge, too. Naturally, I decided to combine the two into the perfect summer cocktail. It's sweet. It's light. It's easy and cheap (two of my favorites!).

Even better -- it's full of antioxidants. So, dare I say, it's good for you?


What you'll need . . .

• Bottle of extra dry champagne
• POM Wonderful pomegranate juice

Method . . .

1. Fill your champagne flutes about 1/3 full with the pomegranate juice.
2. Fill the rest of the way with the champagne.
3. Include a piece of fruit for extra flare. Or just enjoy (all day if you have to!).

What's your favorite summer cocktail? The easier the better -- at least that's what we think! Just leave us a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Tangerine Breakfast Cookies

I'm just as in shock as you will be soon. These "cookies" contain no butter. No butter substitute. No oil. Very little sugar. They do contain whole-wheat. Walnuts. A healthy dose of tangerine juice. A little chocolate (for good measure). But that's why they are most suitable for breakfast. I made them last night because I can't seem to get in gear with my earlier work schedule. Now, I just grab and go.

You're probably wondering what they taste like. In a word: Amazing. Let me elaborate. They are denser than a typical cookie. They aren't quite as sweet. Somewhat like a muffin, I guess. But what's best is that you can throw in whatever you like to change up the recipe. Don't like chocolate chips? Use dried cranberries. Not a fan of walnuts? Try some almonds. Hate tangerines? Use orange, apple, or another kind of juice.

A question we often get via email is: "How do you adapt recipes so easily?" It's very, very easy. Just stop following the rules. Substitute liquid for like liquid. And the same goes (90% of the time) for all other ingredients. Liberating, huh?


What you'll need . . .

• 1-1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed tangerine juice (I used honey tangerines, they were 8 for $2 this week!)
• 1/2 cup crushed raw walnuts
• 6 ounces vegan chocolate chips (or whatever kind you like best)

Method . . .

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
2. Squeeze the juice out of your fruit. I used two tangerines to get the 1/3 cup needed. Had a little left over to sip myself!
3. Whisk together the tangerine juice, applesauce, and honey. Then pour into your dry ingredients, mix with spatula until well combined.
4. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.
5. Drop huge, heaping tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet prepared with parchment. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Then raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 10 minutes. Until golden brown. Let cool.
8. Enjoy for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner!

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Burning Love Smoothie

Maybe you're not in the mood to down chocolate for breakfast. And a green smoothie doesn't quite appeal to your senses in the AM-hours. If you agree with these two statements, perhaps this frothy, free-radical fighting concoction is for you!

Full of powerful red fruits rich in vitamins A and C -- bell pepper, raspberries, strawberries, and pomegranate -- the antioxidants in this drink are overflowing with flavor to promote optimal health. And all that beta-carotene will ensure your peepers continue to see that beautiful shade of red always and forever.


But what's up with putting a BELL PEPPER in a smoothie?

Red peppers are one of the few foods that contain lycopene, a carotenoid whose consumption has been inversely correlated with prostate cancer and cancers of the cervix, bladder and pancreas. Recent studies suggest that individuals whose diets are low in lycopene-rich foods are at greater risk for developing these types of cancers.

For people worried about colon cancer, the fiber found in peppers can help to reduce the amount of contact that colon cells have with cancer-causing toxins found in certain foods or produced by certain gut bacteria. In addition, consumption of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folic acid, all found in bell peppers, is associated with a significantly reduced risk of colon cancer. 

WHFoods.com

That . . . and it tastes good when mixed with all those other fruits. If you want to make this smoothie your very own, just keep reading.

What you'll need . . . for one healthy smoothie!

• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice (I used POM Wonderful)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 tablespoon (or more depending on your taste) agave nectar 
• 1 tablespoon flax meal

Method . . .

1. Put everything in your blender and BLEND.
2. If you need to adjust for your own preferences, go right ahead. Make it custom to your taste. 
3. Fall in love with the vibrant color . . . and with the zing it gives you. No caffeine necessary.

Got a favorite smoothie (or other healthy . . . not-so healthy, etc.) recipe? Maybe you'd like to share it with us! Check out all the gooey details of our READER SPOTLIGHT -- where each Friday we highlight a (never home)maker who's dishing up something sweet or savory that's just too delish to keep a secret!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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