The Crown Fruit: Pomegranate

From their crown to their lovely sparkling jewel-like arils (seeds) and not to forget the plethora of health benefits each of them holds, pomegranates have so much about them that give them this royal charisma among the fruit family.

During my research I wasn't surprised to find out that the pomegranate has been held in high esteem in different folklore, legends and cultures. Due to the abundance of edible ruby-red arils this fruit is bestowed with, pomegranate holds symbolism of power, prosperity, fertility and good-luck.

These are just SOME of the health benefits this wonder fruit is associated with:

1. Cancer Fighter - Packed with high amounts of anti-oxidants, pomegranate is effective in defending against free-radicals and development of cancerous cells.
2. Heart-Friendly - Rich with Granatin B and Punicalagin, these components are said to fight heart-related diseases and lowers the level of bad cholesterol.
3. Anti-aging -  Increases collagen production that in turn regenerate skin cells and reduces appearance of fine line and wrinkles
4. Immunity-Booster - Pomegranates are good source of Vitamin-C which gives it anti-bacterial properties.
5. Fat-Burner - The amazing amounts of dietary fiber it contains will make you feel full and curb your hunger and thus can become a great addition to your weight-loss diet.
6. Maintains Sugar - Studies showed there was no significant increase in blood sugar level after pomegranate juice consumption therefore it's a great drink for even diabetic patients.

Pomegranate juice is also my personal favorite. Just a day back I tried making Pommie-Apple Smoothie at home and it turned out wonderful! The combined health benefits of both fruits found in this drink makes it extra special and tastier.

Bottom right: Close-up of Rubies (arils)

Here is the recipe to make two glasses:

• 3 cups of pomegranate arils (seeds)
• 2 apples
• 1/4 cup water
• Honey according to how sweet you like
• Ice cubes

Method:

Blend all of the ingredients above at full speed until you see a smooth foamy pink mixture. Pour the mixture into your favorite glass and serve immediately.

Tip: Milk or yogurt or both can be included as well to make your smoothie more creamy.

There are MANY ways pomegranate smoothie can be made with. Just use your imagination.
What other variation would you like to make to the recipe above? Please do share :)

Wish list - Gold Themed

Today I decided to do something different. Everybody has a wish list they would like to share with everyone, I'm going to share mine according to themes.. Today I'm doing on "Gold" theme. The objects shown below are not photographed by me, but have been collected from internet and assembled into one with bit of tweaking by me.

1- JACOB & CO. - LEOPARD PRINT DIAMOND HOOP EARRINGS

This pair features black and yellow diamonds mounted in 18K Gold. These hoops could make lady of any age look younger and chic, and even if worn alone would look stunning!

2- PACO RABANNE - LADY MILLION ABSOLUTELY GOLD ( Eau de Parfum for Women)

With top notes of blood orange and neroli, heart (notes) full of jasmine and orange blossom, and base notes of amber.. this scent sounds like a "bling bling" glamorous fragrance and pretty intense that should be used sparingly yet fervidly. Just the way I like to use and the way I like my scent to be!

3- PATCHI - CHOCOLATE GIFT BOX

Patchi is a designer chocolate brand and I have once had a luxury of devouring the whole box of their popular gold Lingots .. I'm not much of a chocolate person but I tell you those were divine! I love their packaging too and I wouldn't mind if I'm gifted with one of these gorgeous boxes. ;)

4- BUCKYBALLS - NEOCUBE GOLD MAGNETIC BALLS TOY

This cube consists of 216 powerful Rare Earth magnetic balls which can be shaped, molded, snapped together in uncountable ways! Sounds fun and something nice to keep me busy and distracted from the monotony around.

5- DELAFÉE - GOLDEN HARMONY GOLD TEA

These are young green tea leaves and buds rolled into tea-balls that are tied with flowers (yellow lily, white jasmine and pink amaranth) covered with pure edible gold.. which when placed into a glass teapot, will open up the flowers and diffuse the gold into this fascinating hot beverage. Hmmm ... it's like I'm reading a fairy-tale packed with magic. Besides I LOVE green tea. Be it in any form. Specially these majestic gold tea-balls by Delafée, I definitely want to try once in my life time!

6- ROBERTO CAVALLI - SNAKE WITH FLOWERS BRASS CAGE CLUTCH

Wow! Just wow! Nothing less nothing more do I utter. Every single piece by Cavalli blows me away with awe and admiration. This clutch is one such piece of art that can make into a beautiful accessory for an evening party and bedazzle everyone around you. It can even be paired with another printed clutch as its lining inside. 

Fancy a Soft-Drink .. Closest to Nature?

Recently, my brother got an unfamiliar classy pair of slender green bottles with a self-evident brand name "Bottlegreen | sparkling". It wasn't the fancy floral design printed on each of the bottles that caught my interest but the unique fusion of flavors each were labelled with: "Green Tea & Elderflower" and "Ginger & Lemongrass". So anything to do with green tea and ginger, automatically makes it perfect for an after-dinner drink, right? I'll keep the topic safe for a different post about the appreciable digestive qualities of ginger.. that will be a whole different conversation.

So anyway, before trying anything new I have a habit of doing some research. Bottlegreen drinks are soft-drinks, produced with little or no preservatives, infused with natural ingredients for flavoring and contain only small amount of natural sugar.

To justify the use of small amount of preservatives, they claim:

".. we added a tiny amount of preservative (sulphur dioxide) so you can enjoy our products for longer. Or to put the amount we use into context, a glass of wine contains 10 times more sulphur dioxide than just one diluted glass of our adult cordials!"

Sounds reasonable. And something better to indulge into rather than the other soft-drinks loaded with tons of sugar and preservatives!

Bottlegreen drinks come in a wide range of sparkling pressés, cordials and tonics. According to them, their range of sparkling pressé is created with infusion of naturally sparkling spring water and natural ingredients.

Now the moment of truth: Did I like what was inside those pretty green bottles? As a matter of fact, I certainly did like the drinks. Compared to other popular soft-drinks, these were light on my palette with delicate taste, yet AS invigorating and refreshing. Although, I couldn't tell much difference between the two flavors "Green Tea & Elderflower" and "Ginger & Lemongrass". Probably cz I tried one shortly after the other. Nonetheless, it's always delightful to try something new which is agreeable.
Good pick, Brother!

Presenting you the much awaited ... Saudi Champagne!!

So after earnest requests made by few of my friends, I decided to share the secret recipe of preparing the heavenly Saudi Champagne which I successfully made at home last evening. :D

Before I give out the recipe, let me familiarize you a bit with this awesome cool beverage.
Saudi Champagne certainly does NOT contain alcohol, therefore it's referred to as "Saudi" but does have sparkly nature of the real champagne.. How ironic right? This minty and fruity flavored drink is healthier and a much more refreshing substitute to any soft drink.

It is one of the most popular refreshments which is offered in the menu of every renowned restaurants and hotels in the Kingdom. A pitcher could be charged to you with an extravagant price.. but guess what? Saudi Champagne is NO biggy to make it on your own, it is VERY simple and quick to make at home!

Here is what you need to make a pitcher (4 glasses) :

• 900 ml - chilled apple juice (a good brand)
• 250 ml - chilled sparkling water / Perrier water ( for stronger drink, increase the amount)
• 1 Apple - diced into little square pieces
• 1/2 Orange or Lemon - sliced horizontally into perfect rounds
• few sprigs of mint leaves
• ice cubes

Preparation:

• In a pitcher, add the fruits along with the mint leaves
• Pour in apple juice... stir... the fruits will rise up and float
• Mix in sparkling water 
• Throw in some ice cubes
• Serve immediately and enjoyyyyy! :D

Hope those of you who asked for it are happy now :D  

And the rest of you.. please do try making it and let me know how it turned out! ^_^