Sweet success

The most awesome sundae. Ever.

• Double Chocolate POM Brownie
• Pomegranate Caramel Sauce (which looks like orange highlighter)
• Homemade Pistachio Bark (made with Wonderful Pistachios)
• Vanilla ice cream (from Kroger)
• Pomegranate aril garnish

 

Healthy Strides’ tips for party success

Stay hydrated. Mark tried to sneak bites of guacamole, and I stuck with Diet Pomegranate 7Up and a delightful Pomegranate Cooler.

Pick a theme. I started to build my menu with the help of POM Wonderful's recipe section. So many of the recipes appealed to me, and I had a list the length of a pomegranate orchard. I had started the editing process when I invited Mark's friend, R.

"It's on a Sunday?" he asked. "We better be watchin' some football. Who's playing that day?"

And so the game-day menu was born.

Details matter. To say I was a bit obsessed with wedding planning would be the understatement of the century. I thought about everything from name cards to labels on wine bottles to a Scrabble game in the parlor (Mark proposed using the game board). And though we were eating chicken legs and watching football, I wanted the details to matter. I drew inspiration from pomegranate orchards – the wide dirt rows separating green trees. I imagined pomegranates just falling off the trees in a beautiful, organic way. I put a green cloth on  the table and used burlap that I found at the fabric store as a runner. I made menu cards, which I put in a homemade burlap napkin (which matched the runner). I hung the POM Wonderful gift bags on the chairs. I even managed to create a pomegranate candle holder.

Have a plan. I made a list of things I needed to do and put them in order of when I could do them. Brownies and pistachio bark could be made Saturday. The barbecue and caramel sauces could be made in the morning. Marinate the steak and then eat lunch (preferably not the raw steak). Take a nap on the couch while watching “Harry Potter.” Get up at 3 p.m. and make the dips. Clean. Gouge out the center of a pomegranate to make a candle. Preheat the oven. Have a drink … of 7Up. Well, you get the drift. I was never once stressed or acting manic and all because I had a plan.

Enjoy. Sit on the couch with your guests and watch the game. Eat a brownie. Or two. Laugh as your dog goes from person-to-person as if the living room is a love buffet. Put your feet up and let your husband clear plates.