Before I could make many recipes with the POM juice, my husband drank most of the bottles. The daily conversations went something like this:

Husband gets home from work and opens the fridge, even though I have dinner in the oven, on the stove, or halfway to the table.

Husband: “Mmmm. Pomegranate juice.”

Me: No response.

Husband: “Mmmmmmmm. Pomegranate juice.”

Me: “We’re eating dinner in 5 minutes.”

Husband: Long pause. Shuts fridge. Sits down. Gets up. Opens fridge.

Me: “Seriously. Five minutes.”

Husband: “But I want Pomegranate juice.”

Me: Sigh.

By the time I’m down to three bottles, I finally grab a couple bottles and make something for breakfast, because I know they will disappear that very weekend in some form or another. First up, I make smoothies. Next, because I can’t figure out a way to incorporate the juice into pancakes, I make a glaze for the bacon. And since I didn’t get much of the other bottles of juice, I steal sips here and there. I have one more bottle hidden in the fridge, which I hope to use for salad dressing if Husband doesn’t find it first…

Strawberry Pomegranate Smoothies

(Husband gave these a Best Smoothie Ever award.)

½ lb. strawberries (fresh or frozen)
½ cup vanilla yogurt
6-8 oz. POM Wonderful Pomegranate juice (depending on how thick you like your smoothies)

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Pour into tall glasses and serve.

Serves 2.

Note: This glass is from POM tea. Isn’t it cool?! Unfortunately, I think they quit making them. I can only find the teas in plastic now.

Pomegranate Glazed Bacon

In a small bowl, combine 4 oz. pomegranate juice with 1 tsp. brown sugar.

Cook your bacon just shy of how you prefer it done. Remove from skillet (I used a cast iron flat grill) and clean as much grease off the pan as possible.

Pour half the pomegranate brown sugar mixture in your pan. Lay the bacon slices on top of the pomegranate juice. Pour the remaining pomegranate brown sugar mixture over the top of the bacon and cook until done.

These crepes make for an elegant breakfast, say for Mother’s or Father’s Day, or Easter or Christmas :), or even a satisfying dinner. In fact, I made them for dinner, and was calling them Swiss Cheese and Bacon Dinner Crepes until my husband mentioned having them for breakfast. Of course! I thought. Why didn’t I think of that? I suppose it’s because I normally associate breakfast crepes with strawberries and vanilla, with maple syrup or powdered sugar on top. You know–sweet, not savory. Though it’s the savory breakfasts I always enjoy more… Anyway… In sum, I was being a dope. But breakfast or dinner, these crepes are delicious. A definite crowd pleaser. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of time to prepare them! They’re not difficult, just a bit time consuming. I think they are worth it, though.

A *full* list of what you will need:

4 eggs
1 2/3 + 1 1/8 cups milk
1 cup + 2 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. sugar
2/3 tsp. salt
3 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of ground nutmeg
½ onion
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
12-16 oz. Swiss cheese
1 lb. bacon

I’d start by preparing the crepe batter. I actually use a recipe for Swedish Pancakes. What’s the difference? As far as I know, Swedish Pancakes are a *tad* thicker than crepes. A *tad* thicker will work well for this recipe, though you can easily substitute your favorite crepe batter. Note: Both crepes and Swedish pancakes are far different than American pancakes. They are eggy and flat, not light and fluffy.

Get your first crepe(s) going, then start the bacon. Cooking the crepes will be the longest process. (Directions below.) Be sure to keep an eye on them while you’re completing the other tasks, however. They cook quickly! If you’re not a good multi-tasker, you can easily prepare all of the crepes first, and then start on the other items.

Once all the bacon has been cooked and cooled, coarsely crumble it. Set aside.

Grate the Swiss cheese. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare the Mornay sauce. (Directions below.)

To assemble, place 1-2 tablespoons of crumbled bacon near the edge of the crepe. Follow with 1-2 tbsp. of Swiss cheese. Roll up the crepe tightly and place in a 13×9 baking dish. Repeat until the baking dish is full. (You will probably need to use two baking dishes. If you’re only cooking for two, consider cutting the recipe in half. Or, do as we did and make another batch the next day.) Top the rolled crepes with the Mornay sauce. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese inside is melted.

Swedish Pancake Recipe:

Note: This recipe came from my mother, who is unsure where she found it.

4 eggs
1 2/3 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. sugar
2/3 tsp. salt

Beat eggs until thick and lemon colored. Stir in milk.

Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

Heat a small non-stick fry pan (use two if you have them) over medium heat.

Fill a ¼ cup nearly full with batter, drop into the pan, and swirl around until the batter evenly covers the bottom. When the edges of the pancake begin to brown, use a spatula to flip the pancake over. Cook for about 30 seconds longer, or until patches of golden brown begin to emerge.

Place the cooked pancakes on a plate until the entire batch is finished.

Mornay Sauce Recipe:

1 to 1 1/8 cup milk
½ onion
3 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
pinch of ground nutmeg
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. flour
¼ cup Swiss cheese
salt and pepper

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup milk, the onion half, the whole cloves, bay leaf, and nutmeg. Simmer, uncovered over low heat for 15 minutes. Discard the onion, cloves, and bay leaf.

In another saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until combined well, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Slowly whisk the warm milk into the roux (the butter/flour mixture). Return to heat and bring sauce to a simmer, stirring often, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the Swiss cheese and cook until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper.

I prefer my sauce thick, but if it’s too thick for you, add the other 1/8 cup of milk and heat through.

This year, after a flood ravaged our county and damaged our house, my husband and I called off Christmas. We had too much to do, too many other expenses. Decorations and gifts seemed careless; holiday cheer was too much to handle. But Christmas morning rolled around, and I wanted something to hang onto, something to remind me that a bump is just a bump. So I got out of bed, went downstairs, and started cooking.

I was still in my pajamas and it was cold. Three weeks earlier, we had ripped out ten to eleven inches of sheet rock and insulation from the floor up due to water damage. The insulation in the crawl was likewise ruined and removed. Until the moisture falls below 12%, however, we cannot return the house to normal, so I braved the cold and destruction and cooked anyway. And it was worth it. The only thing missing that morning was my brother, waiting in anticipation at the breakfast table, eating faster than I can cook.

Berry Swedish Pancakes

Note: The batter recipe came from my mother, who is unsure where she got it.

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 2/3 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. sugar
2/3 tsp. salt
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. honey
cinnamon for sprinkling
maple syrup (optional)
butter (optional)

Set the oven to warm.

Beat eggs until thick and lemon colored. Stir in milk.

Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

Heat a small non-stick fry pan (use two if you have them) over medium heat.

Fill a ¼ cup nearly full with batter, drop into the pan, and swirl around until the batter evenly covers the bottom. When the edges of the pancake begin to brown, use a spatula to flip the pancake over. Cook for about 30 seconds longer, or until patches of golden brown begin to emerge.

Place the cooked pancakes on a plate and keep warm in the oven until the entire batch is finished.

In a medium bowl, combine one cup fresh blueberries, one cup fresh blackberries, 1 tsp. honey, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir gently to combine.

To assemble, place 3-4 Swedish Pancakes on your plate, buttering in between, if desired. Top with 1-2 spoonfuls of the berry mixture, sprinkle with cinnamon, and top with maple syrup, if desired.