‘Ello Loves! (Said in my very best British accent – I’m watching Harry Potter on TV!)
It’s 7:17pm.. I have had a very full day and I am 100% content right now sitting on the couch, legs propped up and the mcMac on my lap, food roasting in the oven, DRINK on the table – it’s a good life. 
Since my Reset, and Reset: take two posts, I have been sticking to my new schedule, LOVING waking up early again, and [IMO] my attitude has been 10x better too. Overall, I’ve just been feeling stellar, and that is definitely lovely feeling! And guess what – I woke up eight minutes before my alarm this morning – LOVE THAT! Obviously it’s only been all of like two days, but I’d like to think that my body is adjusting to it’s “old” self again. 
To put the cherry on top, I have a meet-up tomorrow with two of my most favorite Minneapolis bloggers, Kate & Mellissa! You’ll just have to wait and see what we get ourselves into.
So back to this DRINK I speak of… what is this cup of magic? Well truthfully, it’s not what I’m drinking right now (although this drank is wonderful too ) No, this would be my post-endurance-ride drink this morning. Let me indulge you a bit…
I will give you three hints…
- It ‘s “wonderful”
- It made me want to shake my pom-poms
- It was energizing, packed with crazy superfood nutrients, and may potentially promote my prostate erectile cardiovascular health (yeah.. the first two benefits are N/A, but I definitely can tell you a thing or two about cardiovascular wellness!)
Guesses? Anyone? Yeah… I’m not that tricky. My sensational shake was spiked with…
POM! The lovely folks over at POM Wonderful sent me a box full of their antioxidant packed powerhouse 100% Pomegranate Juice! It was actually super ironic because just before they they contacted me, I was going through my iPhoto and clearing out old pictures, and came across these which never made it to the blog:
Photos from my first real pomegranate experience… I was about to delete them because I thought, when will they ever get used? But whattya know… POM contacts me, and now I can say the pictures didn’t go to waste! Best ever way to peal a pomegranate = under water. Otherwise you’ll have the seeds flying straight into your face and poking your eye out all over the kitchen. Plus, the membraney part floats to the top, so its easy to remove! Anyways.. back to the POM…
There are some really cool things about POM that I think deserve to be highlighted:
- It’s 100% authentic, all-natural pomegranate juice, and contains no added sugars, preservatives, colors, or cheap filler juices
- They grow their own fruits in San Joaquin Valley in CA, and follow their pomegranates from tree to bottle (bottles that they manufacture themselves btw) for quality control
- “Wonderful” is actually the variety of pomegranates they use… I thought it was just part of the brand!
- In the last decade, POM Wonderful has provided $32 million to fund scientific research on pomegranates and their health benefits, including effects on heart, prostate, erectile function, and other conditions.
Before POM sent these bottles to me, I had previously tried the 100% Pomegranate Juice, and the Cafe Au Lait and Vanilla POM Coffee drinks. I dug around on their website, and found out that they have iced teas, pills, “shots”, and …. BARS ?!?! Um, why have I not seen these anywhere? Both flavors sound crazy good, and I am determined to get my hands on one of each. They also have a recipe page with their own recipes and community submitted recipes.
Yeah, chances are you’re trying to wipe the drool off of your keyboard right now before it starts sparking. That. Looks. Amazing. But so does my shake… so I’m going to give you my little concoction I came up with, and you can do with it as you please!
Dr. TriRunner’s POM Nilla Protein Shake
(pictured above. serves 1 thirsty lil redheaded athlete)
- one scoop (28g) of Vanilla protein powder
- 4 oz 100% Pomegranate Juice
- 4 oz vanilla soy milk
- 1/2 tsp guar gum (or your thickener of choice)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- iceeee to your hearts desire
Place all ingredients in blender – I used my new B3 (click for my review!!) and it worked amazingly, although I suppose a VITAMIX would do the job – and blend away. Pour in fancy glass, or live like a classy college kid and eat out of blender to not dirty another dish. Hey.. at least mine has a handle! Enjoy creamy deliciousness with spoon, straw, or slurped straight from the glass.
POM – thank you so much for sharing the love with me! I gave one to my boyfriend for a post-spin sipper, and he was definitely appreciative – payin’ it forward. Now I need to hunt down these darn bars and my life will be complete. Like always, you can find this and all other reviews by clicking the PRODUCT Reviews tab at the top of the page!
Question for you dears: Do you eat pomegranates / drink the juice… and if so… do you have any good recipes to pass on? I definitely have some thoughts floating around of a POM infused fro-yo sauce, but I’ll take all the ideas I can get!!
I hope you all have had a lovely DAY 1 to your weekend, and have a dynamic DAY 2 in store! I’m so excited for my MiniApple bloggy meet up, and definitely the final Olympic HOCKEY GAME! This girl is out – night!
-E
that is the same method i use for getting the seeds out of my poms too! i remember when i first learned that i was totally floored..genius! no more juice squirting everywhere, ruining every white shirt in a 10 mile radius. harry potter always makes me speak with a british accent too..must be contagious! i just read your “about me” section and WOW you have an amazing story! i’m so glad you rediscovered your passion and are on your way to becoming a doctor! what kind of medicine do you want to practice? i had a similar realization…i always wanted to be a doctor, but then ditched those plans because i was too easily discouraged, rediscovered my passion for medicine after spending a month in the hospital, and am now aiming to become a nurse practitioner, which i think fits me perfectly! thanks for entering my giveaway, good luck!
i feel like i would lOVE these drinks but i’ve never tried them!! im going to definitely have to give it a try
Shelley Leeman´s last blog ..Perspective
I love a good Pom-Pom Shake!
Pom juice/seeds are great mixed in w/ some Greek yogurt, too!
yum. i love pomegranate flavoring but i’ve never actually tried them by themselves (or used the actual fruit rather). always seemed like too much mess/hassle. love your method for dealing with them!
Karyn´s last blog ..Slow and Fast: Let’s Light a Fire
whatever that dessert creation is on the side of your blog looks delish! i am excited to make something with my pom juice. it may or may not feature other types of liquid refreshment
kate´s last blog ..a very nice weekend
I love pomegranates. In high school cross country (in norcal) we used to occasionally run to a cluster of pomegranate trees and bring some back to eat as an easy day. Mostly I eat them by themselves, but I think the seeds are great as a topper to a spinach, almond, and feta salad.
Kristin´s last blog ..Race Report: Jones Amherst 10 Miler
“run to a cluster of pomegranate trees” … wow. that sounds so. so. amazing. And TROPICAL!!
Sweet recipe! I’ve tried POM before, but it was way too sweet for me. It would be pretty awesome in a shake though!
Just found your blog and I must comment because that sounds so freaking tasty! I hardly ever get pomegranates because I’m lazy, but I love pomegranate fro yo which they have at my student center. So. Addictive.
Hope your week is off to a stellar start!
That smoothie looks and sounds amazing. I am definitely going to be trying that out ASAP!
Kelly @ Healthy Living With Kelly´s last blog ..Just Another Manic Monday!
I just bough Pomegranate seeds and wasn’t sure exactly what to do with them…So glad you posted this
Here is the spiralizer I use: http://www.amazon.com/Joyce-Chen-Saladacco-Spiral-Slicer/dp/B0000DDVYE
It’s cheap and works great!
Have a great day!
Lauren @ BIOCHEMISTA´s last blog ..Dates, long run, and gym dudes