Friday, November 5, 2010

Friday Roundup...and Kicking Off Pomegranate Week With a GIVEAWAY!

Well, another work week is in the books, and it's finally Friday...time for the weekend! There's lots of excitement at Casa Garcia this weekend...my POM Wonderful Dinner Party preparations are in full swing ahead of my upcoming party! All the kitchen prep work and decorating gets underway tomorrow. We're going to see our Houston Rockets play the Spurs here in San Antonio tomorrow night. Add in the Texans football game on Sunday afternoon, and you've go the makings of a TERRIFIC weekend!!!

Before I tell you about my first-ever giveaway here at The Weekend Gourmet, I want to do a roundup of some things that have been going on with my blog and in my kitchen this week. First up, I tried an amazing recipe for Mom's New England Clam Chowder from The Comfort of Cooking. This blog always has recipes that catch my attention, and the photography is fabulous too! I tried clam chowder for the first time while in vacationing in San Francisco last spring...and I was hooked! I wasn't sure of the best way to make it at home. When I saw this recipe, I knew that I HAD to try it. I'm so glad I did...the taste is fabulous, and takes less than an hour to make from start to finish.

I was also the recipient of a second Lovely Blog award from my friend Elisabeth at Food and Thrift Finds. Make sure to check out her blog...she has lots of great recipes, and she presents them in such a approachable and friendly manner. I especially love her recipe for Carrot Cake, decorated with fall-colored M&Ms. Now I want to share this award with a few food bloggers who I wasn't able to recognize the first go round. So...I'd like to pass this Lovely Blog award to the following blogs:

  1. Quit Eating Out. I like this blog because Kim is an advocate of cooking and eating at home. While I love dining out as much as the next gal, it's easier on my wallet to cook at home. Cooking a meal for those I love is a great pleasure for me...one that Kim shares as well!
  2. Tasty Trials. I enjoy reading this blog because Karen never fails to offer up food that has that extra something to take the flavors in a recipe to a new level!
  3. Gourmet Cooking On a Dime. This blog proves that you don't have to spend a fortune to have meals that are full of flavor! The recipes here are full of flavor, but easy on the wallet!
  4. KC In the Kitchen. I just discovered this blog this week, but I like what I've seen so far!! 
Now...it's time for the official kickoff of The Weekend Gourmet's Pomegranate Week!! In honor of my upcoming POM Wonderful Dinner Party, I'll be spotlighting pomegranates in here over the next week. I'll share recipes and pictures from my party, ideas for pomegranate-themed decor, and a few party-planning tips to keep in mind as the holiday season approaches. Let's get the fun started with a fun giveaway!! As part of my amazing party package from POM Wonderful, I received tote bags filled with goodies for my guests. 

Although y'all won't be able to attend my dinner party in person, one of you WILL be the winner of one of these POM Wonderful goodie bags! In addition to the adorable fabric tote bag, you'll also receive some fun goodies! Inside is a coupon for a FREE 16-ounce bottle of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice, 2010 Chef Series pomegranate recipe cards, and a Wonderful Inside bracelet!


To enter the drawing for the giveaway, all you have to do is comment on this post. Tell me what you would do with your free bottle of pomegranate juice...will you create a signature cocktail? Will you use it in a dessert? Or maybe you want to do something entirely different? Comment between now and next Friday 11/12 at 11:59 p.m. The winner will be selected at random and will be announced next Saturday! One last ting...please make sure to leave an e-mail address or blog url so I know how to reach you if you're the winner...



23 comments:

  1. I'd reduce the juice to incorporate it into a sweet-tart vinaigrette and toss with spinach, feta, red onion, glazed pecans, and pears - yum!

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  2. I entered the same contest! Yet, my app wasn't accepted...but I'm totally fine with that. We're having to travel a lot lately and I had no idea when I was going to do the dinner haha!

    Anyway, I had some really good fizzy pomegranate drink ideas I wanted to try. I had narrowed it down to a few but all of them included that yummy POM juice and sparkling water. :)

    Can't wait to see all your ideas!!

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  3. I just made a batch of POM Guava Cheesecake Cupcakes and I'd love to make more...they are delicious!

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  4. hmmm...i would want to make a dessert AND a fun drink!!

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  5. i'd drink the juice! straight up. because it is filled with antioxidants and i always need more of those.

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  6. ice cold vodka + splash of tonic + ice cold Limoncello + drop of POM + martini glass = my favorite homemade cocktail. Can you imagine the beautiful color? The POM actually kinda sinks to the bottom of the glass..... Sometimes, if I'm lucky, Tim has one waiting for me after a long day of work. Lucky me!

    We drink POM all the time around here - love to mix it half and half with water or juice and serve over ice.

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  7. I think that I would use it to make a chutney and then cook some pork tenderloin. Love POM - such a versatile ingredient. Just over ice is nice too!!

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  8. I would use it to bake pomegranate sugar cookie pillows, which I would sandwich with pomegranate cream cheese filling. That definitely wouldn't use an entire bottle, so I'd use the rest for a savoury main course. I'm interested to see how you incorporate the POM into each of your courses.

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  9. I would love to win a gift bag! I have no idea what I would do with the juice but would love to try some cocktails with it or in a sauce or marinade. so many choices!

    Leslie

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  10. Gift bags are always so fun!! My POM would go directly to my neighbor who has his own signature POM cocktail that he is making for our holiday event!

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  11. I would use it as a glaze for something, not sure yet!

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  12. I would use it in morning fruit smoothie!

    skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net

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  13. POM + Vanilla Stoli. On the rocks.

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  14. I have to say, first off, that the chowder looks and sounds fantastic!

    Second, I'd make a cocktail with it, of course!

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  15. I'm not gonna lie, I would probably just drink the pomegranate juice as is. No cakes, no savory dishes, just a yummy snack. hehehe

    Rockets vs. Spurs sounds like a great game! Yao Ming's doctor is in the same building as mine. True story. I saw him in the parking garage. :D

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  16. Congrats on your award :) To be honest, I don't know what I'd do with the POM juice.. I'd probably wait till it was in my hands and just let the inspiration happen ha

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  17. I'm 8 months pregnant and SO ready for a pmegranate and champagne cocktail...I would wait until I deliver my sweet little girl and then make some cocktails :)

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  18. Wendy, thank you SO much for mentioning my clam chowder! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Congrats to the recipients of the Lovely Blog award, too. And let's see... If I received the pomegranate goodies gift bag, I would probably add it to my stash and make pancakes with the juice! Thanks for having this giveaway... good luck to all!

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  19. girl, you know i'd add some vodka to that juice + make it into a martini! hugs from tennessee!

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  20. My first thought was, of course, to make a cocktail. :) But then I thought...pomegranate cheesecake might be tasty...and I've never tried making that flavor of cheesecake before! It could be tasty!

    Chowder looks delicious. I'm craving chowdah so badly this week, too!

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  21. Actually, I made a nice batch of roasted mixed potatoes with POM as a nice marinade and also used as a basting sauce for the potatoes. Will post the photo!

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  22. It would be used in a dog treat, if I don't drink it first!

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  23. I just bought my first pomegranate this week. I am wanting to do something sweet (I LOVE SWEETS!), but kind of want to do something savory. I am really wanting to make Duck (another first for me). Maybe I would roast the duck and use the POM as a reduction sauce. Maybe instead of Duck a l'orange, I could make Duck a l'POM.

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I love hearing your feedback!!!