The Original Bauble

Pomegranates, in my opinion, have got to be the inspiration for the original Christmas ornament!

When we moved into our house more than 20 years ago, there was a less than impressive tree/bush/shrub thing. Though far from beautiful, it really wasn’t worth the effort of digging it up and getting rid of it.

A couple of years later, this scraggly shrub had what appeared to be a Christmas ornament on it. One big, beautiful, dark red bauble was hanging on it. It was a pomegranate! The previous owners must have done an enormous pruning and it took a while for it to come back to life. Every year since, we have a beautifully decorated, unconventional Christmas tree in our yard for a few weeks, and we end up with a lovely crop of this terrific fruit.

There is a homeopathic remedy called Granatum pomegranate, made from the bark of the root. A small remedy with bold-type symptoms of: itching in the palms, persistent vertigo with salivation and stomach pain worse near the belly button, constant hunger and heart weakness. However, homeopathy is not the focus of this article today.
 
Historically, “according to the Ebers Papyrus, one of the oldest medical writings from around 1500 BC, Egyptians used the pomegranate for treatment of tapeworm” (Murphy 2013) and pomegranates also appear in Ancient Greek mythology (Chevallier 2000). Nutritionally speaking, pomegranates are known to be full of good stuff. If you would like to read further on some of the health benefits of pomegranates: Effects on Endothelial Dysfunction, Effects on Blood Pressure and Composition and Potential Health Benefits of Pomegranate. 

​But, once again, nor is nutrition the point of today's article.
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What to do with these tasty (and, messy) little seeds? I like them on salads and my husband puts them in pancakes and they are truly delicious! This then brings us to the point of today's article: Pomegranates make the most amazing Christmas dessert! 

I’m not certain where I first encountered this recipe, though a quick search of the Internet shows a very similar recipe here. Since first learning about this concoction, I have adapted it to the easiest-peasiest, (well, easy once the seeds have been retrieved, that is), quickest, most delicious Christmas treat there is -- loved by children and adults equally.

Chocolate Pomegranate Treats

Step 1. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave.

Step 2. Pour (or spoon) the melted chocolate either into tiny muffin tins or small cupcake papers… or, if you prefer to make a “bark” — pour it directly onto a cookie sheet. If you choose the bark root, just know the chocolate hardens quickly so you have to act fast. (Though, I suppose you could do it in reverse and put the pomegranate seeds down first and then pour the chocolate over them.)

Step 3. Sprinkle liberally with pomegranate seeds.

Step 4. Allow them to cool and harden.
That’s it!
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As for the chocolate chips, that’s a personal preference, but I can tell you the biggest crowd pleaser I have seen is from Enjoy Life* chocolate chips. If you avoid sugar, Pascha* chocolate chips are the way to go.

I’ll be back to talking about homeopathic remedies in-depth in a couple of days time. Until then, find yourself a pomegranate and enjoy!
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Julia Coyte, CHom 
Classically Practical homeopath (and lover of pomegranates and chocolate!)


#wellnessawaits

* I have no affiliation with any of these companies. I just like their products.
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Reference list
Chevallier, A., 2000. Natural health encyclopedia of herbal medicine. New York: Dk Pub. Inc.

Croft, A., 2011. Chocolate Pomegranate Clusters [online]. Williams-Sonoma Taste. 

Delgado, N. T. B., Rouver, W. N., and Dos Santos, R. L., 2020. Protective Effects of Pomegranate in Endothelial Dysfunction. Current Pharmaceutical Design [online], 26 (30), 3684–3699. 
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Enjoy Life, 2021. Semi-Sweet Chocolate | Mini Chips [online]. Enjoy Life. 

Murphy, R., 2013. Superfood Wellness Guide : Medicinal foods from around the world. Stuart, Va.: Lotus Wellness Cottage, October.

Pascha, 2021. 100% Cacao Organic Vegan Unsweetened Dark Chocolate Chips (8.8 oz) - Sugar Free, Keto Friendly & One Ingredient! [online]. Pascha Chocolate Co.

Sahebkar, A., Ferri, C., Giorgini, P., Bo, S., Nachtigal, P., and Grassi, D., 2017. Effects of pomegranate juice on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Pharmacological Research [online], 115, 149–161. .
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Vučić, V., Grabež, M., Trchounian, A., and Arsić, A., 2019. Composition and Potential Health Benefits of Pomegranate: A Review. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 25 (16), 1817–1827.
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