Candied Pomegranate-Mandarin Orange Peel

Combining the sweetness of fresh citrus with just a hint of tart pomegranate, this Candied Pomegranate-Mandarin Orange Peel is a must-make for the holiday season...

I know that the holiday season is usually all about the peppermint and gingerbread and eggnog (and trust me- I love all of those flavors too!), but for me there is nothing more festive than the combination of sweet orange with tart pomegranate or cranberries. 

Maybe it is the color combo of the bright orange and the jeweled red. Maybe it's because I need a pop of sweet & tart flavor to give me a break from all of the warm spices and zippy mint that we are bombarded with this time of the year. But this citrusy, sweet & tart combo is a treat not only for my taste buds, but for my eyes as well. :)

Candied orange peel is one of those recipes I have been wanting to try for myself for a while now. I have made candied lemon slices before, but never orange peel. 

I used mandarin oranges (aka, Halos or Cuties) for this recipe mostly because my youngest is obsessed with them, but it seems like we can never get through an entire bag of them before they go bad. So this candied orange peel recipe is a great way to use up a few of them. And since mandarins are much smaller then regular navel oranges, their peels are already the perfect size for candying. 

Apple-Pear Pomegranate Puff Pancake

A thick buttermilk pancake is studded with juicy pears, sweet apples, and jewels of pomegranate seeds & baked to a golden brown in your cast iron skillet in this Apple-Pear Pomegranate Puff Pancake...

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Want to know the quickest way to make pancakes that will feed the whole family? Bake up a delicious puff pancake in your trusty cast iron skillet! :) 

While I love making stacks of homemade pancakes for my family, let me be honest for a second- it gets a little time-consuming standing there flipping pancakes. 

Christmas morning is just one of those mornings when you do not want to be stuck in the kitchen any longer than you have to, am I right? 

I mean, there are presents to open, and warm mugs of coffee and cocoa to be sipping on, and everyone knows that A Christmas Story is playing ALL day on TBS. Who wants to miss Ralphie modeling his pink nightmare bunny PJ's because you are standing over a hot griddle? ;)

This Apple-Pear Pomegranate Puff Pancake is my lazy Christmas morning solution for you all. You just bake up one giant pancake, cut it into slices, and voila! 

Christmas morning breakfast is ready, and everyone gets to eat at the same time. I must admit that this was my first time making a puff pancake, and now I want to kick myself for waiting so darn long to give it a go.

A giant buttermilk pancake studded with juicy pears, sweet apples, and jewels of pomegranate seeds- how could you possibly go wrong with this on Christmas morning? :)

Sparkling Pomegranate Screwdriver

I'm partnering with SMIRNOFF Vodka for National Vodka Day to bring you all this Sparkling Pomegranate Screwdriver, a fall twist on a cocktail classic...

Well, Happy National Vodka Day, friends! Not that I (or you ;) ) really need a boozy holiday to enjoy a good vodka cocktail or anything. But I decided to team up with SMIRNOFF vodka and a few of my favorite cocktail bloggers to celebrate anyways! 

We were each sent a different bottle of one of SMIRNOFF's newest vodkas in perfect for fall flavors. 

I have to admit that I was little excited when I saw that they were sending me the pomegranate vodka. Mainly because pomegranate is one flavor that I have never worked with before on the blog! (I know, can you believe that??) 

After giving it a taste (or maybe two- shhhhh...), I decided that pomegranate would be the perfect way to jazz up a plain ole classic screwdriver. And for fun I decided to add a splash or two of club soda for some fizzy bubble action...