Fresh Cranberry Sauce

This is the best cranberry sauce!  I got the recipe from my sister Heather.  It only has 4 ingredients and you don't cook it at all!  What could be more simple!  We're not big cranberry sauce eaters normally but this one is so good and fresh and so different that we all eat it up.  Be sure to make it the day before so the flavors can blend.  You're supposed to chop all of the fruit in the food processor but I don't have one.  I just use my Pampered Chef chopper.  Heather also recommends chopping each type of fruit individually to make sure it all gets chopped, then add it together and stir.  This is what I did and it was perfect.  You can chop it as much or as little as you prefer.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

1 bag fresh cranberries
1 large orange
1 large apple (crisp red variety works best)
1 c. sugar

Sort and wash cranberries.  Chop in food processor.  Cut up apple and orange and chop in a food processor.  Mix fruit together with sugar and let stand in refrigerator overnight.  Stir before serving.

Cranberry Crumb Bars

Since it's still the holidays, you can take advantage of the great sales on canned cranberry sauce and make these.  I like to stock up so that I can make treats like these during the year.  I found this recipe in a Taste of Homes magazine 8 years ago and made them for Tory and I for our first Christmas together.  We loved them and have been making them ever since.  They have a crust that is like shortbread, a cream cheese layer,  a cranberry layer, and then a crumb topping.  Delicious together!

Cranberry Crumb Bars

Crust:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. powdered sugar
3/4 c. cold butter
Filling:
1 (8 oz.)  package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 (16 oz.) can whole-berry cranberry sauce
Topping:
1/3 c. flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 c. cold butter
3/4 c. finely chopped walnuts

-Combine flour and powdered sugar; cut in butter until crumbly.  Press into a greased 9x13 and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 min. or until edges are lightly browned.  Reduce heat to 325.

-In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add milk and lemon juice; mix well.  Pour over crust.

-In a bowl, combine the cornstarch and brown sugar.  Stir in cranberry sauce until combined.  Spoon over cream cheese layer.

-For topping, combine the flour and brown sugar in a bowl; cut in butter.  Fold in walnuts.  Sprinkle over filling.  Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 min. or until topping is golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.  Cover and chill ofr 3 hours before cutting.

Corn Pudding

I decided to try a new corn recipe.  Adapted from this recipe.  It's got a lot of "rich" ingredients so I'd probably only make it for special occasions but it was very good!  Optionally you could blend all 4 cups of corn instead of leaving one cup whole for texture.  I guess it depends on what texture you like your corn pudding.

Corn Pudding

4 cups frozen corn kernels (about 19 ounces), thawed--set aside 1 cup
4 large eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Blend all ingredients but 1 one cup of corn in processor or blender until almost smooth. Pour batter into prepared dish. Stir in remaining 1 cup corn.  Bake pudding until brown and center is just set, about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; serve.

Cranberry Slush

I found this recipe on This Week for Dinner and had to try it for Thanksgiving.  It was sooo good!  We're definitely going to be making this each year.  I might try to figure out how to halve the recipe next time though.  It made a ton!  So yummy though.  The cranberry flavor was perfect for dinner.  I have to post the recipe here so I'll always have it.  You'll need a fine wire/mesh strainer for this recipe.  You can find one at Wal-mart for just under $3.00.  There's a reason I know that... :)

Cranberry Slush

There are two versions – the original and the quick. I did the quick version and it’s fantastic.  This is the one she usually uses, too.


Quick Recipe:


- 4 cans whole cranberry sauce
- 3 quarts cranberry juice cocktail
- 2 quarts ginger ale

Run 4 cans of whole cranberry sauce through collander. Discard cranberry skins (or save them for something else.)  Add 2 quarts cranberry juice. Freeze. When ready to serve, mash up frozen cranberries with 1 quart cranberry juice and 2 quarts ginger ale.

*Hint:  When combining the juice and ginger ale with the frozen mixture, do a little at a time so it stays slushy otherwise it won't be as slushy.  You kind of have to mash the frozen mixture with the liquids as you go.

You'll have to push the sauce through with a spoon, leaving just the skins behind.  These can be discarded.
Original Recipe:


- 1 lb cranberries
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 2 quarts cranberry juice cocktail
- 2 quarts ginger ale

Cook cranberries, sugar and water until thickens. Run through collander. Add 1 quart cranberry juice. Freeze. When ready to serve, mash up frozen cranberries with 1 quart cranberry juice and 2 quarts ginger ale.

This is what the cranberry sauce looks like after you run it through the mesh collander.

Buttermilk Pancakes

If you ever have some leftover buttermilk you HAVE to make these.  They are very light and fluffy.  Must be made with buttermilk.  So good!

Buttermilk Pancakes

3 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, milk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Keep the two mixtures separate until you are ready to cook.


Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. You can flick water across the surface and if it beads up and sizzles, it's ready!

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Stir until it's just blended together. Do not over stir! Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/2 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

White Chip Pumpkin Spice Cake

I've been wanting to try this recipe for awhile now.  I found it on Heather White's blog.  Tory had a group of young men coming over to do some woodworking and I thought it would be the perfect excuse to make it.  Guys need food right?  It was so yummy and very easy since it uses a cake mix.  The only thing that seemed different was her glaze seemed much "whiter" and thicker.  Maybe that's because she didn't have 3 little boys snitching the white chocolate chips.  Or maybe I put it on when the glaze was too warm?  Not sure.  But regardless of the lack of whiteness...it tasted so yummy!

White Chip Pumpkin Spice Cake
1 pkg. Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix
3 large eggs
1 C. pumpkin
2/3 C. evaporated milk
1/3 C. vegetable oil
1 C. white chocolate chips

White Chip Cinnamon Glaze:
3 T. evaporated milk
1 C. white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup bundt cake pan. Combine cake mix, eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Beat at low speed until moistened. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes; stir in chocolate chips. Pour into bundt pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 25 minutes; invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle HALF of glaze over cake; serve with remaining glaze.

For White Chip Cinnamon Glaze:
Heat 3 T. evaporated milk in a small, heavy-duty saucepan over medium heat just to a boil; remove from heat. Add 1 C. white chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Stir in 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon.