Stackin? Up

I wish I could say that my first day of Summer vacation was FANTASTIC, but alas… I cannot. Relaxing, lovely, chill, peaceful, yes. The only thing stopping it from being FANTASTIC was the everlasting stuffy head and cough that just won’t go away! Oh well… I went to bed early last night, which then caused me to sleep in to a whopping 6:30 a.m.! I made the decision then and there that it would be a relaxing day. I watched a movie OnDemand (Wall-E), some old HBO favorites (Six Feet Under), and episode after episode of old 90210. I shipped out some foodie charms, got some diet crack coke, drank a beautifully green monster with some boyfriend powder in it… OK, my day was pretty fantastic.

Adam didn’t have to go to work until 4 p.m. today, so we went to a place I’ve been dying to try for a while now: Todai Sushi. Trust me, I’ll be going back and doing a full blogworthy recap… it was THAT good. Granted I probably ate a little too much for the appetite level I had today… but the extra-spicy sauces made me able to breathe for a little while! We walked around the mall a bit, and then hit up CVS for some cold medicine. I usually HATE taking the stuff because it makes me loopy… but hey, its vacation! I get to be loopy! When we got home, there was a package waiting for me on the patio… I opened it to find that the Pure Bar fairy had come! Rebecca from pure bar contacted me, and I was so excited because I’ve only ever found ONE of these bars that VeggieGirl raves so much about…and that girl has good taste! Thanks Rebecca and Pure Bar!

When 6 p.m. rolled around, I was finally hungry for dinner. I tweeted (twitted?) that everyone should circle their calendars because I had NO IDEA what to make for dinner. A few people made some suggestions (thanks Kristin!) and then I remembered: I had leftover stuff from nacho day. I had potatoes. So, I put two and two together and came up with Mexican Potato Stacks!

We had a little pomegranate party, and it was a party for two. No one but the Duo from The Duo Dishes. We’re not sure how this pom party got started, but it went from a simple dinner to a full out pom extravaganza. Due to the huge nutrition benefits of pomegranate juice, this entire meal was buzzing with antioxidants and feel good flavors, so we felt no guilty following the gluttony. Here’s the menu:

Pomegranate Kiwi Granita Cocktails

Grilled Salmon with Orange Avocado Salsa, Fennel Polenta and Pomegranate Glaze

Apple and Pomegranate Galette

When we say this started as a simple dinner, what we mean is that the original idea was to make a pomegranante glazed salmon. At some point, our creative juices started to flow, and we tacked on a couple of other recipes to try. Our favorite of the evening was the granita. By no means does that indicate we didn’t enjoy the rest of meal. In fact, we simply loved it to death! But something about the cold, fruity granita on a warm day really shook up our spirits. Plus, it was the easiest thing in the world to make. It may be our summer drink of choice now! And you can do it too. Here’s how:

Pomegranate Kiwi Granita Cocktails ? Serves 8

4 cups pomegranate juice

1 cup vodka

4 kiwis, chopped

Zest of 2 lemons

1/2 cup sugar

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Pour half into a large blender and blend smooth.

2. Pour the blended mixture into a jelly roll baking pan and slide into the freezer.

3. Pour the remaining liquid into the blender and, when smooth, transfer it to the jelly roll pan.

4. Freeze for an hour, then scrape semi-frozen liquid with a fork to break up the crystals. Continue to freeze for another 1 1/2 -2 hours, scraping the crystals every 30 minutes or so.

5. Serve crystallized granitas in the vessel of your choice. If there are leftovers, place in a air-tight container and keep in the freezer.

Now we invite you to visit our site, The Duo Dishes, if you want the other two recipes. Pom party your next weekend!

Happy eats!

Chrystal & Amir

Thanks so much Chrystal and Amir! I’d love to come to your place for dinner someday…virtual or, you know, for real

Tomorrow is a big day here in blogland… it’s Oh She Glows’ Shop-4-a-Cause! I’ve donated one of each foodie charm to be bid on, and there are 50 some other amazing items up for bidding. All proceeds will go towards the Canadian Cancer Society. Happy bidding!

Is anyone else way too excited for Top Chef Masters tonight?? I know I am!

Have a wonderful night all!

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